Printing – Processes
Patent
1996-07-30
1998-01-27
Burr, Edgar S.
Printing
Processes
101181, 101228, B41F 1354
Patent
active
057112258
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of processing a continuous web extending along a predetermined path, for example in a printing machine.
A printing machine should preferably be able to produce different formats of printed matter having different lengths or dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the web. Alternatively or additionally, the printing machine should be able to punch different formats of printed matter, such as labels and the like, having different lengths or dimensions in the longitudinal directions of the web from said web.
Conventionally, the problem is solved by exchanging the printing cylinders or punching cylinders so that the printing and/or punching cylinder used has a peripheral length corresponding to the length or longitudinal dimension of the format to be printed.
For example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,278 and Swiss Patent No. 610 817 a printing apparatus is known in which the same printing cylinder or plate cylinder may be used for printing plates covering only part of the circumferential length of the cylinder. In order to secure that the formats printed on the paper web passing through the printing apparatus are closely spaced the web is passed around a horizontally moveable adjuster roller. By moving the adjuster roller the movement of the web may be stopped when the printing plate is out of engagement with the web while the web is being moved at a uniform speed when the printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder is in engagement therewith.
A web printing apparatus with printing plate cylinder and web speed control is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,335 wherein the plate cylinders are adapted to carry two identical plates. By this arrangement, two formats printed on the web with the first plate are followed by two formats printed on the web with the second plate etc. The web is guided in such a way that the length of web existing between two contact points between the web and the plates of the plate cylinder is three or more odd number of times as long as the printing length. Thereby, the formats may be closely spaced by controlling the rotational speed of the printing cylinder so that the rotational speed is decreased when the printing plate is out of engagement with the web while it is maintained at a constant level corresponding to the speed of the web when the printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder is in engagement with the web. Between adjacent printing units, web length adjusting units are needed for adjusting the length of web existing between the adjacent printing units to the printing length multiplied by an integer.
In DE-C-407369 a printing apparatus is disclosed for printing consecutive formats on a web either in two colours on one side of the web, or in one colour on both sides of the web, or in one colour and on one side of two separate webs. Formats printed on a web by the disclosed printing apparatus is printed alternately from identical printing plates mounted on two separate printing cylinders. However, the circumference of a printing cylinder has to be equal to twice the length of the printing plate mounted on it and the diameter of the corresponding impression cylinder has to be equal to twice the diameter of the printing cylinder. Thus, the cylinder arrangement disclosed can not be used for printing formats of different lengths without exchanging the impression cylinders and printing cylinders.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and a cylinder arrangement for a printing apparatus in which printing plates or punching plates of different lengths may selectively be mounted on the same plate cylinder, and wherein the web to be printed or punched may be moved past the cylinder at a substantially constant speed.
It is an advantageous feature of the present invention that two or more formats may be interlaced on the web and that the formats may be of different lengths in the longitudinal direction of the web.
It is an another advantageous feature of the present invention that adjustme
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patent: 4658723 (1987-04-01), Tokuno et al.
patent: 4966075 (1990-10-01), Brian
Burr Edgar S.
Ghatt Dave A.
nilpeter a/s
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