Printing – Multicolor – Rotary machines
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-04
2003-05-06
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2853)
Printing
Multicolor
Rotary machines
C101S350600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557465
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to machines for printing and cutting blanks of corrugated paperboard for assembly into boxes or other structures and, more particularly, to a print-cutter machine with a modular print section having a plurality of ink applicators and a precision adjustment mechanism for the ink applicators.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Corrugated paperboard boxes are commonly used by merchants and manufacturers for shipping and/or storing a wide range of products, from produce to electronics. These boxes are typically made from corrugated paperboard blanks that are cut and/or scored to permit folding into the shape of a box. Additionally, the blanks are usually printed with text and/or graphics relating to product identification, specifications, instructions for handling, storing, or assembly, and so forth. In order to efficiently print and cut a quantity of blanks, a printer-cutter machine is commonly utilized.
Conventional printer-cutter machines have feed rolls for drawing a blank from a stack of blanks and feeding it between an impression roll and a print roll. The print roll has a print plate with a reverse image of the desired text and/or graphics formed thereon. The position of the printing on the blank is set by the registration of the print roll, that is, by the position of a timing mark on the print roll relative to the leading edge of the blanks. An ink applicator with an ink chamber mechanism and an engraved roll applies ink to the print plate, and the ink-laden print plate prints the text and/or graphics onto the blank. Traditionally, rotary cylinder-type printing machines have employed only a single ink applicator for each print roll.
Subsequently, transfer rolls feed the blank between an anvil roll and a cutting roll with one or more cutting dies with edges extending from it for cutting the blank as desired. The feed rolls, impression roll, print roll, engraved roll, transfer rolls, anvil roll, and cutting roll are interconnected by gears or belts that are driven by a rotary power source such as an electric motor.
After processing a batch of blanks for one application, the printer-cutter machine must be reconfigured for the next printing and cutting job. With regards to cutting, normally only the cutting dies on the cutting roll need to be replaced when making different sized boxes. In that case, the cutting roll is reconfigured with different cutting dies and with a different registration in order to produce cuts of the desired length at the desired locations on the blanks. With regards to printing, there are three components of the machine that are commonly replaced or adjusted between jobs: the print plate, the print roll registration, and the ink rolls of the ink applicators.
The print plate is usually replaced in order to change the particular text and/or graphics printed onto the blanks. This involves removing the print plate from the print roll and installing a new print plate with the new text and/or graphics. Normally, this is a relatively quick and easy task.
The registration of the print roll is changed in order to print a different text and/or graphic at a different location on the blanks, when making different sized boxes. This involves changing the position of the print roll so that the timing mark is adjusted relative to the leading edge of the blanks. This is typically not an overly burdensome task but does take some time to accomplish.
Additionally, the ink rolls of the ink applicators are often reconfigured or replaced to change the color and/or grade of the printing. For some applications, particularly those including graphics, vignettes, process, and fine text and line printing (e.g. bar codes), the merchant or manufacturer wants high quality and resolution printing on the boxes. For this generally “fine” grade printing, a relatively thin layer of ink is applied to the print plate. Therefore, an engraved roll is used that has a textured surface with an ink-carrying matrix of a relatively large number of shallow cells. In other applications, heavy lines and solid figures are desired for ease of viewing the printing. For this generally “coarse” grade printing, a relatively thick layer of ink is applied to the print plate. Therefore, an engraved roll is used that has a textured surface with a matrix of a smaller number of deeper cells. Also, the printing grade can be influenced by the geometry of the cell matrix, so the engraved roll can be selected with a matrix having any of a variety of cell geometries, including hex patterns, diamond patterns, or other regular patterns or irregular textured matrices.
Thus, for each particular printing application with a desired print grade, an engraved roll with the appropriate surface matrix is installed in the machine. The appropriate surface matrix is a function of the line screen (number of cells per inch or other length), cell volume (in billions of cubic microns “BCM” or another volume unit), and cell geometry. Often, a combination of fine, coarse, or another grade of printing is provided in each print job.
In order to change out an engraved roll, the machine must be stopped and partially disassembled for access to the engraved roll. Then the engraved roll is removed and the engraved roll for the next print job installed. Finally, the machine must be reassembled and the machine restarted. This process is time consuming and typically is performed by highly trained maintenance personnel, not the machine operator.
Additionally, in order to change the ink color, the machines are typically provided with liquid lines and pumps for supplying water or another liquid to wash the ink chamber components prior to supplying a different color ink. Because only one ink applicator is provided, it cannot be used while the single ink chamber is being cleaned, so this is often done while the machine is idle between print jobs.
Thus, conventional printer-cutter machines suffer from a number of deficiencies when reconfiguring them between printing and cutting jobs:
(a) To change the print grade, the engraved roll must be changed out. For example, it is common to remove a coarse roll and install a fine roll, or vice versa, between print jobs, sometimes in order to manufacture a single batch of boxes. To access the engraved roll for change-out, the machine must be partially disassembled, the engraved roll replaced, and the machine reassembled, a process which takes a considerable amount of time.
(b) To adjust the machine for a different color printing, the engraved roll and ink chamber mechanism must be cleaned, then the different color ink supplied, sometimes adding significantly to downtime between print jobs.
(c) To change the position of the printing on the blank, the registration of the print roll must be adjusted.
The result is that between printing-cutting jobs, the printer-cutter machine operator typically stands by while maintenance personnel disassemble and reassemble the machine. With the machine disassembled, the operators replace or clean the engraved roll, clean and refill the ink chamber, and/or make any other needed adjustments. These are time-consuming, manual tasks that cannot be performed while the printer-cutter machine is in operation (without interfering with the job in progress). Therefore, the machine is often idle for a significant period of time between printing and cutting jobs while maintenance personnel and the operators make the changes necessary for the next job. For many printer-cutter machines, this downtime is on the order of about 8-10 minutes or so (for only cleaning the ink chamber) or about on hour or so (for changing out the ink roll). This downtime significantly reduces the machines effective efficiency and profitability. Additionally, having qualified personnel available to perform these involved tasks adds to labor costs.
Accordingly, there is a need for a printer-cutter machine for corrugated paperboard blanks that can be quickly and easily configured for printing the desired grades and colors at desired locations on the blanks, with little or no resulti
Corrugated Gear & Services Inc.
Mehram Michael J.
Mehrman Law Office PC
Shah Manish S.
Vo Anh T. N.
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