W. R. Grace Co.-conn.

Richard Rodgers

Dennis D O'Rell

Gerard Rich

Herve Praet

Claude Berna

Jean P Stutz

An exemplary anisotropic printing element comprises an outer printing surface layer and, located radially beneath the outer layer, a spirally-integrated reinforced compressible tubular structure comprising a reinforcing sheet having synthetic fibers, the sheet being spirally wrapped at least two complete turns circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the tubular structure, thereby defining an inner tubular surface on a radially inward wrapped sheet portion and an outer tubular surface on a radially outward wrapped sheet portion, the tubular structure further comprising an elastomer having voids, the elastomer being disposed between the inner and outer tubular surfaces defined by the wrapped sheet portions, the void-containing elastomer thereby providing radial compressibility to and being spirally-integrated within the tubular structure. Examplary methods for fabricating the printing elements of the invention are also disclosed.

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Hudson, MA, United States of America

Richard Rodgers