Day International, Inc.

Samuel R Shuman

Joseph L Byers

W Toriran Flint

William Haul Haddock

Scott Bridges

Peter Asplund

J Ron Yarbrough

Tony W Koons

William H Haddock

Toriran W Flint

An image transfer product is provided which includes a phase change material in one or more layers of the product to regulate the temperature of the product during printing operations. The image transfer product may be in the form of a printing blanket, printing sleeve, electrophotographic/xerographic transfer blanket, image transfer belt, or roller which includes a print surface layer and at least one layer underlying the printing surface layer. The phase change material may be included in any of the layers of the image transfer product, but is not present at the upper surface of the print surface layer. The phase change material may be in the form of a powder, fibers, capsules, or combinations thereof.

Image transfer product including a phase change material

A compressible printing sleeve carrier for use in offset lithography which is formed from a composite fiber-reinforced compressible polymer is provided. The printing sleeve carrier is formed by coating reinforcing filaments with a compressible polymer and winding the filaments around a mandrel to form a hollow cylindrical base, where the first portion of the base adjacent the inner surface contains the wound reinforcing filaments coated with the compressible polymer and the second portion of the base adjacent the outer surface contains the compressible polymer.

Compressible printing sleeve carrier and method of making

A printing blanket construction is provided which includes a reinforcing fabric ply comprised of a weft insertion fabric or a heavy gauge fabric, where the reinforcing fabric ply provides all of the necessary tensioning properties to the blanket. The use of the reinforcing fabric ply eliminates the need for additional reinforcing fabric plies in the blanket construction, and provides high tensile strength, low stretch, and resistance to gauge loss.

Printing blanket construction

The present invention provides a compressible printing sleeve carrier for use in offset lithography which is formed from a composite fiber-reinforced compressible polymer. The printing sleeve carrier is formed by coating reinforcing filaments with a compressible polymer and winding the filaments around a mandrel to form a hollow cylindrical base, where the first portion of the base adjacent the inner surface contains the wound reinforcing filaments coated with the compressible polymer and the second portion of the base adjacent the outer surface contains the compressible polymer.

An image transfer product such as an offset printing blanket or sleeve is provided which comprises a very thin printing surface layer in combination with a smooth image reinforcement layer comprising a polymeric film, a fabric, or a polymer-coated fabric. The thin printing surface layer has a thickness between about 0.001 to about 0.012 inches (about 0.025 to about 0.3 mm). The image transfer product is more efficiently manufactured due to reduced solvent usage and reduced number of coating passes, and in use, exhibits uniform feed, web control, and registration characteristics.

Image transfer product including a thin printing surface layer

A printing blanket construction is provided which includes a reinforcing fabric ply comprised of a weft insertion fabric or a heavy gauge fabric, where the reinforcing fabric ply provides all of the necessary tensioning properties to the blanket. The use of the reinforcing fabric ply eliminates the need for additional fabric plies in the blanket construction, and provides high tensile strength, low stretch, and resistance to gauge loss.

Growing community of inventors

Bozeman, MT, United States of America

Samuel R Shuman