Eastman-kodak Company

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Timothy John Young

Gregory R Kulzer

Michael Thomas Dobbertin

David J Fuest

Fereidoon S Jamzadeh

Andrew Peter Kittleson

Kelvin P Hill

James Douglas Shifley

Mark Cameron Zaretsky

Christopher B Liston

Robert J Simon

W Charles Kasiske, Jr

David F Tunmore

Jerry Eugene Livadas

Scott Thomas Slattery

Gary P Wainwright

Gary A Smith

David J Reed

Michael G Shaughnessy

Ronald W Stephens

Robert R Bettin

James H Huntington

Donald J Lewandoski

Carolyn Rae Ellinger

Peter S Alexandrovich

Rodney Ray Bucks

Christopher Stephen Garcia

Kevin E Yousey

Rodney Gene Mader

Larry T Schlitzer

Brandon H Brown

Gerald L Kelly, Iii

Kevin S Reitter

Brian L Travis

Kevin P Hill

An inking system for use in transferring ink to a flexographic printing plate in a flexographic printing system includes an anilox member having an ink transfer zone located between first and second recessed bearing contact zones. A radius of the recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the ink transfer zone by at least 0.100 inches. An ink tray includes a floor and first and second end walls. Bearings are mounted outside of the end walls which engage with the first and second bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the anilox member. Upper edges of the end walls extend into the recessed bearing contact zones.

Low-volume flexographic inking system

An inking system for use in transferring ink to a gravure printing surface in a gravure printing system includes a gravure cylinder r having a printing zone located between first and second recessed bearing contact zones. A radius of the recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the printing zone by at least 0.100 inches. An ink tray includes a floor and first and second end walls. Bearings are mounted outside of the end walls which engage with the first and second bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the gravure cylinder. Upper edges of the end walls extend into the recessed bearing contact zones.

Low-volume gravure inking system

A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web transport path in an in-track direction, including a liquid application system for applying a liquid to at least one surface of the web of media. An air skive is positioned along the web transport path downstream of the liquid application system, wherein the air skive directs one or more streams of air onto the web of media thereby removing at least some of the liquid that is being carried along with the web of media. A vapor source adds a vapor into the one or more streams of air provided by the air skive before the one or more streams of air are directed onto the web of media.

Air skive with vapor injection

A non-contact web guide includes a wall having a curved exterior surface and a hollow interior containing a pressurized liquid. A first row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide entry position, second and third rows of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide exit position, and an intermediate array of liquid ejection holes is provided between the first and second rows. A total number of liquid ejection holes in the intermediate array is less than a total number of liquid ejection holes in the second row. This configuration of ejection boles provides the advantage that stable web guidance is achieved at low liquid flow rates.

Liquid ejection hole configuration for web guide

A non-contact web guide includes a wall having a curved exterior surface and a hollow interior containing a pressurized liquid. A first row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide entry position having axes that are inclined toward a downstream direction, and a second row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide exit position having axes that are inclined toward an upstream direction. An intermediate array of liquid ejection holes is optionally provided. The pressurized liquid flows through the liquid ejection holes to force the web of media away from the bearing surface of the web guide. This configuration of liquid ejection holes provides the advantage that stable web guidance is achieved at low liquid flow rates.

Liquid ejection hole orientation for web guide

A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web-transport path including a fluid bar for guiding the web of media, and a scavenger blade positioned downstream of the fluid bar. A liquid is pumped through holes in an exterior bearing surface of the fluid bar, thereby pushing the web of media away from the fluid bar. The scavenger bar includes a blade edge facing the first surface of the web of media, the blade edge being spaced apart from the first surface of the web of media by a gap distance. The scavenger blade removes at least some liquid from the first surface of the web of media as it passes by the scavenger blade, thereby reducing the amount of liquid that is carried along to portions of the web-transport path that are downstream of the scavenger blade.

Web transport system including scavenger blade

A roll-to-roll electroless plating system, including a plating tank containing plating solution, and a web advance system for advancing a web of media along a web-transport path that passes through the plating tank. One or more fluid guides are positioned within the plating tank to redirect plating fluid containing gas bubbles introduced by a gas bubble source away from the web of media as it is advanced through the plating solution in the plating tank.

Electroless plating system including bubble guide

A system for generating a response curve for adjusting the positions of a pair of adjustable edge seals to the width of a print medium in a printing system is disclosed. The system comprises a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum source, which provides vacuum to the vacuum chamber. Spaced sealing rollers and edge seals define an opening in the vacuum chamber. A sensor measures a vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. A controller is used to produce signals indicative of an activation level or a vacuum level. Means for adjusting the position of the edge seals are used to reposition the edge seals to at least one new position. The controller produces signals indicative of an activation level or a vacuum level at the new positions. A response curve is produced using the signals produced at the first and new positions.

System for generating vacuum response curves

A method for adjusting an encoder pulse count delay in a printing system for printing on a continuous web of print media using first and second printheads. First and second encoders are provided at different positions along the media transport path. An initial encoder pulse count delay is provided for use in printing with the second printhead. An initial ratio of the first encoder pulse rate to the second encoder pulse rate is determined. At a subsequent time a subsequent ratio of the first encoder pulse rate to the second encoder pulse rate is determined. An adjusted encoder pulse count delay is determined by adjusting the initial encoder pulse count delay responsive to the initial ratio and the subsequent ratio and used to control printing by the second printhead.

Controlling a printing system using encoder ratios

An image forming device includes at least two image cylinders that rotate with a time varying velocity; at least two image cylinder gears respectively attached to each image cylinder; and at least one pinion gear that drives the at least two image cylinder gears. The time varying velocity of the image cylinder gear is due to a runout of the pinion gear. The spacing between the centers of the image cylinders is determined by where Sis the distance between the centers of the two image cylinders gears; k is an integer; &#x3b1; is the angle between the pitch point of the two gears; and Dis the diameter of the pinion gear.

Electrophotographic printers having spatial self-compensation for image cylinder runout

Apparatus for causing a vacuum force to be applied across a width of a print medium as it moves through a printing system and for determining whether the edge seals are positioned correctly is disclosed. A vacuum chamber is connected to a vacuum source which provides vacuum to the vacuum chamber. Spaced sealing rollers and the edge seals define an opening in the vacuum chamber, wherein the print medium passes over the opening and is guided by the sealing rollers. A sensor measures a vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. A controller stores a plurality of response curves for different known print media, produces first and second signals indicative of an activation level of the vacuum source and the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber, and compares the first and second signal to appropriate response curves to produce an error signal indicating whether the edge seals are correctly positioned.

System for applying vacuum force on web

A method for applying vacuum force across a width of a web of movable print medium as it moves through a printing system and determining if positions of a pair of adjustable edge seals do not correspond to the width of the movable print medium is disclosed. The method comprises defining a vacuum chamber and using a vacuum source to provide vacuum in the vacuum chamber. Sealing rollers and the adjustable edge seals define an opening in the vacuum chamber. Appropriate response curves from a plurality of response curves for different known print media are selected. First and second signals indicative of the activation level of the vacuum source and the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber are produced. The signals are compared to the response curves to produce an error signal indicating whether the position of the edge seals corresponds to the width of the print medium.

Method for applying vaccum force on web

A method for applying vacuum force across a width of a web of movable print medium as it moves through a printing system and determining if positions of a pair of adjustable edge seals do not correspond to the width of the movable print medium is disclosed. The method comprises defining a vacuum chamber and using a vacuum source to provide vacuum in the vacuum chamber. Sealing rollers and the adjustable edge seals define an opening in the vacuum chamber. An appropriate response curve from a plurality of response curves for different known print media are selected. A signal indicative of the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber is produced. The signal is compared to the response curve to produce an error signal indicating whether the position of the edge seals corresponds to the width of the print medium.

Method for applying vacuum force on web

A method for generating a response curve for adjusting the positions of a pair of adjustable edge seals to the width of a print medium in a printing system is disclosed. The method comprises defining a vacuum chamber and using a vacuum source to provide vacuum in the vacuum chamber. Spaced sealing rollers and the edge seals define an opening in the vacuum chamber. Signals indicative of an activation level of the vacuum source or the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber are produced for the first position. The edge seals are moved to at least one new position. Signals indicative of the activation level of the vacuum source and the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber are produced for the new positions. A controller is used to produce a response curve using the first or second signals produced at the first and new positions.

Growing community of inventors

Williamson, NY, United States of America

Timothy John Young