US3246079A - Method and means for the preparation of printing forms, especially of intaglio printing surfaces - Google Patents

Method and means for the preparation of printing forms, especially of intaglio printing surfaces Download PDF

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US3246079A
US3246079A US142407A US14240761A US3246079A US 3246079 A US3246079 A US 3246079A US 142407 A US142407 A US 142407A US 14240761 A US14240761 A US 14240761A US 3246079 A US3246079 A US 3246079A
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original
printing
electron beam
generator
electron
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Teucher Rudolf
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European Rotogravure Association ERA eV
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European Rotogravure Association ERA eV
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
    • H04N1/40025—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales
    • H04N1/40037—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales the reproducing element being a laser
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K15/00—Electron-beam welding or cutting
    • B23K15/02—Control circuits therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/02—Engraving; Heads therefor
    • B41C1/04—Engraving; Heads therefor using heads controlled by an electric information signal
    • B41C1/05—Heat-generating engraving heads, e.g. laser beam, electron beam
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/02—Details
    • H01J37/24—Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for
    • H01J37/241—High voltage power supply or regulation circuits
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/30—Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects
    • H01J37/302—Controlling tubes by external information, e.g. programme control
    • H01J37/3023—Programme control
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/30—Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects
    • H01J37/304—Controlling tubes by information coming from the objects or from the beam, e.g. correction signals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/024—Details of scanning heads ; Means for illuminating the original
    • H04N1/032—Details of scanning heads ; Means for illuminating the original for picture information reproduction

Definitions

  • Printing forms are made mainly by the photo-chemical process. Owing to the large number of operations required, however, thisl process is time-consuming and requires considerable experience in the art and also great skill. The result always depends decisively upon the individual treatment of the separate operations.
  • an electron beam is sluiced through a pressure stage system into .the working chamber, which is under atmospheric pressure, and continuously removes material from the printing block, form or plate material therein, the amount of material being removed depending upon the intensity of the beam.
  • the intensity is controlled by the light-dark scale of the original to be reproduced.
  • Another known process utilises the material-removing properties of an electron beam for the production of small spheres.
  • a method of treating materials by means of a beam of charged particles is also known, for example, to make holes in a plate.
  • the pattern of a printed circuit is developed by means of a chargecarrying beam.
  • the original is photographed by a television camera and the deflection signals serving to control the television pick-up tube scanning beam serve at the same time for the synchronous detiection of the chargecarrier beam over the object to be machined, and the video-signals furnished by the television camera serve to control the intensity of the charge-carrier beam ⁇ meeting the object.
  • the main object of the invention is to provide methods of producing printing forms, more particularly intaglio forms, by means of electron beams, these methods being intended to give a considerable improvement of the lightdark values and hence improved quality of the reproduction, in the production of printing forms from singleor multi-coloured originals, by the defined removal of material by an electron beam.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide methods and apparatus for the production of printing forms, blocks or plates ⁇ from singleor multi-coloured originals,
  • printing forms can be made in a significantly shorter time than has been possible with the previous stylus processes or chemical etching processes.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide methods of the aforesaid kind wherein any required correction may be provided in simple manner in the transmission between the original and the printing form, block or plate, in order thus to obtain any required modilication of the form, block or .plate in comparison with the original.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide methods and apparatus whereby a very uniform and required shaping of the individual cells lcan be achieved, in other words the quality of the cell-s can be improved, through a removal of surace material by means of an electron beam.
  • a further object of .the invention is to provide methods and apparatus of the aforesaid kind whereby known processes are simpliiied.
  • a further object of the invention is to make printing Iforms, using electron beams, a speci-al control system being used to ensure ⁇ that the individual printing elements are depicted sharply .and in accordance with the original, with an adjustable control characteristic.
  • a further object of the invention is to prov-ide methods and apparatus of the aforesaid kind whereby any required storage of ythe pulses recorded from the original and reproduction at any required time and at any required location are possible for the production of printing forms, blocks or plates.
  • the principle on which the invention is based is that it is pos-sible to scan coloured or black and white originals with or without a screen and to use the electrical currents or voltages which are proportional to the grey or colour values of the original to control mechanical, electrical or electronic components which remove from the surfaces of the printing stock Imaterial volumes of material which, taking into account the printing ink, are in a denite relationship to the scanned grey or colour values of the original.
  • the method according to the invention may be performed in practice by optically scanning each individual element of an original which, for example, may comprise singleor multi-colour matter, by means of a scanning device, converting the scanned values in a photo-electric cell into yvoltage or current values corresponding to the brightness of the original, dividing up into individual fixed pulses the resultant signals which are in the form of voltage fluctuations, and feeding the resultant pulses, after further amplification if required, to a high-voltage electron gun, and using these pulses to control the electron beam in the form of pulses.
  • the voltage ⁇ fluctuations which, for example, are produced by a photo-electric cell according to the brightness values, to a pulse generator which operates in lthe manner of a chopper and which furnishes the pulses which are to 'be converted, the .amplitude of these individual pulses being directly proportional to the light and dark values or fluctuations of these values in the original.
  • the further conversion of the resultant pulses which correspond to the Abrightness values of the original can be performed in various ways according to the invention.
  • this may be carried out electrically, the pulses produced in the pulse generator being superimposed on the carrier Wave for emission of 4the latter at the reception station, which is at high voltage.
  • the pulses proportional to the brightness of the original may be ⁇ fed to a cathode-ray oscillograph, and the brightness of the picture element produced there is thus controlled.
  • a cathode-ray oscillograph By means of an electrically separate receiver at high-voltage on the reception side these pulses can be reconverted to electrical pulses ⁇ and fed to the highvoltage electron gun.
  • the invention may also be performed by wireless transmission, directly to the high-voltage electron gun, of the current values which are scanned from the original by the scanning device and which fluctuate according yto the brightness, said current values continually controlling the intensity of the electron beam produced at the electron gun.
  • a plane original may be used, the said plane original ybeing moved beneath a fixed beam of light with linewise scanning of the original.
  • the original to be reproduced may oscillate Vat a required frequency so that the plane original can be scanned according to any required pattern.
  • the scanning station or the original at the reception end must be moved correspondingly.
  • a rotating cylinder is used for the original to ⁇ be reproduced
  • the tmethod of the present invention can be modified by 'controlling the electron beam by the production of square pulses by a pulse generator disc or equivalent element rotating synchronously with the printing cylinder, the said square pulses being applied in the same IWay to the high-voltage side of the electron-optical system as the pulses corresponding to the ⁇ brightness values of the original.
  • the electron-optical system to incorporate a beam tube, to one control electrode of which the square pulses are applied to open or interrupt the beam, ⁇ and to feed the fluctuations corresponding to the original brightness values to a second control electrode, Iwhich fluctuations in the rhythm of the pulses produced lby the pulse generator interrupt the electron beam, the intensity of ⁇ which varies according to the brightness values of the original.
  • a variation of the pulse action can be obtained by variation of the focussing, and this is effected, for example, by means of control electrodes.
  • variation of the voltage at the control electrodes of the electron-optical system will give a variation in the current density of the electron beam and this may be effected firstly by varying the beam bunching and secondly by varying the current magnitude.
  • the cell diameter can be varied at the same time by this pulse control, so that the shape and/ or the diameter of the cell also varies as a result, whereby the volume of the cell can also be varied as required.
  • This embodiment has the particular advantage that as a result of the beam focussing all the metal is vaporised instantaneously and this avoids the disadvantage that, for example, Where use is made of a single relatively long pulse there might be insufficient intensity at the edges of the beam, due to poor focussing of the latter, to vaporise all the metal instantaneously, so that at the edges of the cell melting zones form which result in a crater edge projecting from the plane of the printing form, block or plate.
  • any required focussing can be used for the electron beam and the low-energy regions of the beam which are not adequate for melting are masked out by a suitable mask, the advantage of instantaneous vaporisation of all the material is obtained without any craters being formed; at the same time, as already indicated, cells of any desired shape may be made in accordance with the manner of focussing.
  • the top limit of the pulse duration may if desired be about microseconds, but operation is preferably carried out below that value.
  • the energy density in the beam cross-section should then be in the region of at least 10,000 kw. per sq. cm. in order to obtain a sufficiently deep engraving.
  • the intensity of the electron beam may also be varied by varying the pulse height. It is assumed that a square wave voltage maintained over a certain period is applied to one control grid. By varying the current it is possible to obtain variation in the energy and hence a variation in the intensity of the pulse. In other words, the amplitude of the square Wave voltage can be varied and thus a variation of the energy content of an individual pulse from the original is obtained as a function of the control voltage applied. With the present embodiment of the invention this can be eifected by varying the voltage in the Wehnelt cylinder of the electron-optical system.
  • the energy content of an individual pulse can be varied by a second control electrode by the fact that even when fully opened by this pulse the magnitude of the electrode beam current is limited by the potential applied to the second control electrode.
  • a variation of the pulse intensity can be obtained by varying the duration of the square wave pulse.
  • This variation has no direct iniiuence on the shape and size of an individualmodule but it does vary the number of cells in the printing form, for example reduces such number, when the time between two pulses is increased.
  • colour separations may also be made from coloured originals, and to this end, according to one embodiment of the method of the invention, a coloured original is split up into three images each containing their colour separations.
  • a coloured original is split up into three images each containing their colour separations.
  • the corresponding number of colour cylinders can then be effected direct from the original simultaneously by control of a corresponding number of engraving devices, the remarks made hereinbefore with respect to the yblack and white original again applying as regards apparatus. It is therefore only necessary to provide on the reception side a corresponding number of electronically operating en- ⁇ graving devices and then the printing forms can be used directly in the printing process.
  • a coloured transparency has to be reproduced by printing processes.
  • the original is clamped for example, on a cylinder and its colour values are scanned by means of a scanning device which, for example, may consist of a light source and one or more photoelectric cells.
  • the beam of light originating from the light source is projected in the form of a dot on the surface of the original, passes through it and on the light reception side is split up into three identical image components, for example, by way of a multiple prism.
  • three voltages having different uctuations according to the colour values are obtained and can in turn serve to control three engraving devices.
  • the three component beams are each scanned by a photoelectric cell through the medium of a colour separation filter, and from each point of the coloured original three output voltages are obtained which are identical to the photographic grey rvalues of the corresponding points of the colour separations.
  • the three voltages are then fed, for example, to three computers and colourcorrected electronically by methods known per se.
  • Component vo-ltages of the three pulses are also fed to another computer which ⁇ in turn calculates ythe black separation value of the point of the original in question.
  • a storage method may be adopted to enable the scanned matter to be recorded, for example, in the form of a magnetic tape.
  • the magnetic tape can then be used to control an electron-optical system either subsequently or after a relatively long period of storage.
  • an image on an enlarged or reduced scale in relation to the original may be produced on the printing material.
  • the invention has the basic advantage that apart from the production of cells without any crater formation it is possible to produce perfect printing forms from originals in a much shorter time than was possible hitherto. Taking a normal etching process as basis, it may be stated that the period from the original up to the completed printing cylinder is about 8 to l0 hours using such a method, while when the method according to the invention is used only a fraction of this time is required from the original to the completed printing cylinder. A very considerable saving of Itime until the printing cylinder is ready is therefore obtained with the method according to the invention.
  • a printing cylinder, block or plate of the size of 1 sq. metre can be made in a period of about 30l minutes.
  • the invention will permit of other basic indirect advantages inasmuch as the considerable saving in time will enable printing toy be carried out up to the very minute, i.e. it is possible to make printing cylinders from originals which were received at the editorial office just a relatively short time before the beginning of printing.
  • a fixed scanning beam and a moving original and/or a moving printing form, block or plate it is preferable to use a fixed scanning beam and a moving original and/or a moving printing form, block or plate. It comes within the scope of the invention to keep ⁇ the original and the printing form stationary and to move .the scanning beam and electron beam in relation thereto in a manner known from the television art, in which case, of course, the two beams must be controlled in synchronism.
  • the scanning movement of the scanning beam and of the electron beam which, in particular, will be a linewise movement, need not be explained in detail here since the means are known to those versed in the art.
  • the conventional line scanning method or alternatively the interlaced scanning method may be used.
  • the scanning beam and the electron beam may oscillate in one plane and the original and the printing form be advanced linewise with respect thereto.
  • FIG. l is a block circuit diagram of the complete installation which schematically shows the construction of an apparatus for performing the method according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a similar view to FIG. 1, wherein the type of drive for the original and the printing cylinder on the reception side are shown schematically.
  • FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing, the nature of the circuit at the reception station and the control pulse supply.
  • FIG. 4 shows schematically the electron-optical systern with the most important components.
  • FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged view of a cell made by the method according to the invention.
  • FIG. 6 shows a cell with a ridge due to melting, this cell being of the kind made by a known method.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views of two axial contour shapes of cells.
  • FIG. 1 shows in principle the construction of a plant for performing the method according to the invention.
  • the plant contains four essential main parts, the current supply part, the control part, the actual engraving device, and a vacuum pump station.
  • the electrical power supply part contains a highvoltage transformer A which produces the high-voltage of about 100,000 volts ⁇ required to produce the electron beam.
  • This transformer A contains an isolating transformer B which enables other high-potential electronic apparatus to be operated, and a heating transformer C for vthe heater voltage for the electron-optical system.
  • this high-tension transformer A is advantageously connected in series with a stabilizer D connected to the mains. Operation is carried out from a separate control desk E.
  • the high-tension transformer A.C. leads to a device F, which Iis insulated from earth and which will hereinafter be referred to as a potential tank, and which contains the electronic means required to control the beam.
  • a device F which Iis insulated from earth and which will hereinafter be referred to as a potential tank, and which contains the electronic means required to control the beam.
  • the corresponding values can be set to Ithe required magnitudes from earth potcntial, ⁇ for example the pulse duration and the pulse magnitude, and the receiver be set to the pulses coming from the scanning device L.
  • Cables lead from the potential tank F to the actual engraving device which consists of the beam generator system H, H1 and a device to accommodate a printing cylinder J.
  • This arrangement is in a vacuum-tight tank which is evacuated to a pressure below 10-3 mm. mercury column by means of a vacuum pump station K.
  • FIG. 2 is a construction similar to FIG. 1, in which like references have been used.
  • FG. 1 shows a scanning device L for an original M which is coupled to a drive N which is in turn coupled to the printing cylinder J and wherein there is at the same time a driving connection O through gearwheels which slide the carrier of the printing cylinder I by way of a worm and wormwheel P.
  • the drive N is also coupled through R to a pulse generator S.
  • FIG. 3 shows a circuit diagram of the installation.
  • Ref. 1A denotes the high-voltage transformer followed by a rectifier chain 2 and smoothing resistance 3, the negative end of which is connected to the cathode 4 of an electron-beam tube while the positive end is connected to earth through a measuring resistance 5.
  • a heater transformer 6 serves to supply the hot-cathode 4.
  • a pulse generator 7 and a rectifier 8 are provided in the potential tank F to produce a iixed bias for a control grid 9 of the electron-beam tube, this bias being externally adjustable by way of a variable resistance 10.
  • the pulse generator 7 serves to produce the said square wave pulses which open and close the electron beam in the rhythm of the printing cylinder movement. Said pulse generator 7 is at high-voltage potential and can be triggered externally by means of a device (not shown).
  • Another device 11 for the production of a D.C. voltage serves to produce a fixed negative bias for the Wehnelt cylinder 12 of the electronbeam tube, and this bias can also be adjusted by means of a variable resistance 13.
  • An A C. voltage can be applied to the Wehnelt cylinder by way of a working resistance 14 and a circuit not shown in detail here, and this voltage is indicated at Mrz and serves to control the electron-beam intensity according to the brightness values of the original to be reproduced.
  • This alternating voltage 14a accordingly fluctuates in the rhythm of the lightdark values of the original.
  • Au isolating transformer (not shown) is connected to the terminals 15B and serves to feed the pulse generator 7 and the two auxiliary voltage generating sources 8 and 11 and enables the conventional supply voltage of 220 v. A.C. to be coupled to the high-tension potential.
  • the anode 16 of the electron gun is at earth potential and hence at plus kv. with respect to the cathode 4.
  • FIG. 4 shows the electron-optical system for producing the beam.
  • the actual engraving device consists of a vacuum-tight housing 20, the top end of which is sealed by a high-voltage insulator 21, with high-voltage leads 22. Inside the housing 20 is the hot-cathode 4 surrounded by the Wehnelt cylinder 12. The control grid 9 serves for the light-dark modulation of the electron beam.
  • the electrons emerging from the cathode 4 are accelerated by the anode 16.
  • the electron beam 24 can be directed by means of an adjusting device 23 on to a mask 25 which masks out the inoperative part of the electron beam.
  • An electron-beam image of the aperture 25 is produced on a printing cylinder 27 by means of a magnetic lens 26 and thus an engraving is produced which is denoted generally by reference 2d.
  • the electrons emerging from the cathode 4 are combined by the control grid 9 and the Wehnelt cylinder 12 to form a beam which is accelerated towards the printing cylinder 27 by means of the anode 16.
  • An energy distribution governed by the system prevails in the electron beam and its inoperative edges are cut off by the mask Z5.
  • the remaining part of the beam contains only the energyridge electrons which by means of the magnetic lens 26 are projected on to the printing cylinder Z7 to give a 'reduced image of the aperture 25.
  • the electrons impinging upon the cylinder result in very intensive heating of the material at the point of impact, and this material thus vaporises spontaneously.
  • a depression of predetermined size and depth is thus left on the printing cylinder according to the duration and energy of the electron beam.
  • the electron beam is opened only for short periods at a time by means of the control grid 9 and the pulse generator 7 while the voltage at the Wehnelt cylinder 12, which voltage is controlled by the brightness of the original by means of the resistance 14, determines the intensity of the electron beam during the opening period. Cells of the required depth and size are thus produced in the printing form, block or plate in dependence on the intensity of the electron beam or the electron beam pulses.
  • the printing cylinder rotates about its lonigtudinal axis and is displaced along this longitudinal axis.
  • the depressions produced by the electron beam are thus situated along a spiral line of predetermined pitch on the cylinder,
  • FIG. 5 shows how a cell according to the invention appears in the completed state. It will be seen that it has somewhat beveled anks and that there is no crater formation.
  • FIG. 6 shows the appearance of a cell with known processes.
  • the crater formation is avoided in the invention by the fact that the inoperative edges of the electron beam are cut olf by the mask.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 show how any required shaping of the cells can be obtained by suitable shape of the mask.
  • FIG. 7 is a plan view of a substantially square cell while FIG. 8 shows a diamond-shaped cell.
  • the in- Vention has the advantage that the centre axes of the individual cells are substantially perpendicular to the surface of the original both in the case of plane and in the case of, for example, cylindrically shaped originals or forms, blocks or plates. This is due to the fact that with the method according to the invention a stationary electron beam and a moving origin-al are used. This in turn has the advantage that apart from a synchronism of the movement between the original and the form, block or plate no synchronising devices whatever are required between the scanning device and the elect-ron-optic-al system.
  • the sharpness of the dot edges and the slope of the Hanks of the cells may be given an optimum value by means of the invention while the quality of the printed matter is improved since the depth of the cells on the forms, blocks or plates and the smoothness of their surfaces are controllable as required and as most suitable.
  • Apparatus for producing an engraved printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a sharply focused beam of electrons
  • first mounting means for supporting and positioning an electron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • Apparatus for producing an engraved printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a sharply focused bea-m of electrons
  • first mounting means for supporting and positioning an electron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • an electro-optical device associated with said second mounting means for scanning the surface of said original in accordance with a predetermined scanning pattern, and for providing a voltage signal as a function of the brightness values thereof,
  • Apparatus for producing an intaglio printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a sharply focused stationary beam of electrons
  • rst mounting means for supporting and positioning an electron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • an electro-optical device associated with said second mounting means for scanning the surface of said original in accordance with a predetermined scanning pattern and for providing a voltage signal as a function of the brightness values thereof
  • Apparatus for Iproducing an intaglio printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a sharply focused stationary beam of electrons
  • first mounting means for supporting and positioning an electron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • an electro-optical device associated with said second mounting means for scanning the surface of said original in accordance with the predetermined scanning pattern and for providing a voltage signal as a function of the brightness values thereof
  • an electro-mechanical signal generator having a driven element fixedly joined to said first mounting means for conjoint movement and having an output means coupled to said beam generator for periodically suppressing the engraving action of said beam in exact synchronism with the traverse of the beam over the surface of the engravable medium to provide the characteristic dot pattern of an intaglio form.
  • Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the output means of said electro-mechanical signal generator comprises a photo-electric device having an output coupled to said beam generator, and wherein said driven element comprises means for pulse modulating the intensity of the illumination to which said photo-electric device is responsive.
  • said rst ymounting means comprises a cylindrical support mounted for rotation on a shaft
  • said pulse modulating means includes a light modulating disc secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, rotation of said disc effecting the modulation of said illumination.
  • Apparatus for producing an intaglio printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a beam of electrons, said generator including a source of electrons, an apertured mask, means for accelerating a stream of said electrons along a converging path toward the aperture in said mask, and an electronic lens system positioned on the side of said mask which is remote from said source for focusing the electrons passing through said mask upon said plane in a sharply defined image of the aperture in the mask,
  • first mounting means for supporting and positioning an elcctron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • an electro-optical device associated with said second mounting means for scanning the surface of said original in accordance with a predetermined scanning pattern and for providing a voltage signal as a function of the brightness values thereof
  • Apparatus for producing an intaglio printing form comprising in combination:
  • an electron beam generator for projecting on a given plane a beam of electrons, said generator including a source of electrons, an apertured mask, means for accelerating a stream of said electrons along a converging path toward the aperture in said mask, and an electronic lens system positioned on the side of Cil said mask which is remote from said source for focusing the electrons passing through said mask upon said plane in a sharply dened image of the aperture in the mask,
  • first mounting means for supporting and positioning an electron beam engravable medium in said plane in the path of said beam
  • an electro-mechanical signal generator having a driven element fixedly joined to said rst mounting means for conjoint movement and having an output means coupled to said beam generator for periodically suppressing the engraving action of said beam in exact synchronism with the traverse of the beam over the surface of the engravable medium to provide the characteristic dot pattern of an intaglio form.
  • the output means of said electro-mechanical signal generator comprises a photo-electric device having an output coupled to said beam generator, and wherein said driven element comprises means for Ipulse modulating the intensity of the illumination to which said photo-electric device is responsive.
  • said first mounting means comprises a cylindrical support mounted for rotation on a shaft
  • said pulse modulating means includes a light modulating disc secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, rotation of said disc effecting the modulation of said illumination.

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US142407A 1959-04-17 1961-10-02 Method and means for the preparation of printing forms, especially of intaglio printing surfaces Expired - Lifetime US3246079A (en)

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Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3374311A (en) * 1962-09-01 1968-03-19 Hell Rudolf Dr Ing Kg Producing printing blocks,preferably intaglio printing blocks
US3402278A (en) * 1965-06-14 1968-09-17 United Aircraft Corp Electron beam cutting of printing plates
US3404254A (en) * 1965-02-26 1968-10-01 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Method and apparatus for engraving a generally cross-sectionally circular shaped body by a corpuscular beam
US3461229A (en) * 1965-08-17 1969-08-12 Jess Oppenheimer Electro-optical reproduction method
US3549733A (en) * 1968-12-04 1970-12-22 Du Pont Method of producing polymeric printing plates
US3580995A (en) * 1968-04-29 1971-05-25 Rca Corp Constant sized halftone dot image generator
US3701880A (en) * 1968-11-29 1972-10-31 Westinghouse Electric Corp Method for sculpturing an indicia or decorative design in the surface of an article with a beam of corpuscular energy
US3836709A (en) * 1972-04-12 1974-09-17 Grace W R & Co Process and apparatus for preparing printing plates using a photocured image
JPS5036161B1 (id) * 1968-03-01 1975-11-21
JPS518286B1 (id) * 1968-01-23 1976-03-16
US3950608A (en) * 1973-02-22 1976-04-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Electronic engraving and recording system
US4181077A (en) * 1974-03-01 1980-01-01 Crosfield Exectronics Limited Preparation of printing surfaces
US4393295A (en) * 1979-11-24 1983-07-12 Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Apparatus and method for engraving with an electron beam
US4395946A (en) * 1980-09-03 1983-08-02 Crosfield Electronics Limited Rotary printing presses with inplace laser impression of printing surface
US4471205A (en) * 1981-10-10 1984-09-11 Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Electron beam engraving method and device for execution
US4549067A (en) * 1982-11-04 1985-10-22 Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Method for checking printing form surfaces engraved by means of an electron beam
US5064989A (en) * 1957-06-27 1991-11-12 Lemelson Jerome H Surface shaping and finishing apparatus and method
WO2002094497A2 (en) * 2001-05-18 2002-11-28 The Welding Institute Surface modification
US6530317B2 (en) 2000-12-05 2003-03-11 Creo Srl Method to engrave surface using particle beam

Families Citing this family (4)

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GB1410518A (en) * 1972-10-30 1975-10-15 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Preparation of printing surfaces
DE2752598C3 (de) * 1977-11-25 1981-10-15 Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh, 2300 Kiel Verfahren zum Betrieb einer elektromagnetischen fokussierenden elektronen-optischen Linsenanordnung und Linsenanordnung hierfür
WO1982001787A1 (en) * 1980-11-22 1982-05-27 Grieger Dieter Method for engraving by means of an electron beam
US4764818A (en) * 1986-02-03 1988-08-16 Electron Beam Memories Electron beam memory system with improved high rate digital beam pulsing system

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US2164297A (en) * 1935-12-31 1939-06-27 Rca Corp Television system
US2195489A (en) * 1937-10-26 1940-04-02 Rca Corp Television transmitting tube
US2761007A (en) * 1954-07-21 1956-08-28 Philco Corp Plural phase subcarrier color television system
US2909598A (en) * 1955-07-05 1959-10-20 Rudolf Hell Kommanditgesellsch Producing printing plates with selectively variable reproduction scale
US2923590A (en) * 1953-01-10 1960-02-02 Heraeus Gmbh W C Production of permanent picture and writing characters by means of electron beams

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US2164297A (en) * 1935-12-31 1939-06-27 Rca Corp Television system
US2195489A (en) * 1937-10-26 1940-04-02 Rca Corp Television transmitting tube
US2923590A (en) * 1953-01-10 1960-02-02 Heraeus Gmbh W C Production of permanent picture and writing characters by means of electron beams
US2761007A (en) * 1954-07-21 1956-08-28 Philco Corp Plural phase subcarrier color television system
US2909598A (en) * 1955-07-05 1959-10-20 Rudolf Hell Kommanditgesellsch Producing printing plates with selectively variable reproduction scale

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5064989A (en) * 1957-06-27 1991-11-12 Lemelson Jerome H Surface shaping and finishing apparatus and method
US3374311A (en) * 1962-09-01 1968-03-19 Hell Rudolf Dr Ing Kg Producing printing blocks,preferably intaglio printing blocks
US3404254A (en) * 1965-02-26 1968-10-01 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Method and apparatus for engraving a generally cross-sectionally circular shaped body by a corpuscular beam
US3402278A (en) * 1965-06-14 1968-09-17 United Aircraft Corp Electron beam cutting of printing plates
US3461229A (en) * 1965-08-17 1969-08-12 Jess Oppenheimer Electro-optical reproduction method
JPS518286B1 (id) * 1968-01-23 1976-03-16
JPS5036161B1 (id) * 1968-03-01 1975-11-21
US3580995A (en) * 1968-04-29 1971-05-25 Rca Corp Constant sized halftone dot image generator
US3701880A (en) * 1968-11-29 1972-10-31 Westinghouse Electric Corp Method for sculpturing an indicia or decorative design in the surface of an article with a beam of corpuscular energy
US3549733A (en) * 1968-12-04 1970-12-22 Du Pont Method of producing polymeric printing plates
US3836709A (en) * 1972-04-12 1974-09-17 Grace W R & Co Process and apparatus for preparing printing plates using a photocured image
US3950608A (en) * 1973-02-22 1976-04-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Electronic engraving and recording system
US4181077A (en) * 1974-03-01 1980-01-01 Crosfield Exectronics Limited Preparation of printing surfaces
US4393295A (en) * 1979-11-24 1983-07-12 Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Apparatus and method for engraving with an electron beam
US4395946A (en) * 1980-09-03 1983-08-02 Crosfield Electronics Limited Rotary printing presses with inplace laser impression of printing surface
US4471205A (en) * 1981-10-10 1984-09-11 Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Electron beam engraving method and device for execution
US4549067A (en) * 1982-11-04 1985-10-22 Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Method for checking printing form surfaces engraved by means of an electron beam
US6530317B2 (en) 2000-12-05 2003-03-11 Creo Srl Method to engrave surface using particle beam
WO2002094497A2 (en) * 2001-05-18 2002-11-28 The Welding Institute Surface modification
WO2002094497A3 (en) * 2001-05-18 2003-01-16 Welding Inst Surface modification
US6670571B2 (en) 2001-05-18 2003-12-30 The Welding Institute Surface modification

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1301509A (fr) 1962-08-17
BE607402A (fr) 1962-02-22
NL268860A (id)
FI40970B (id) 1969-03-31
DE1123561B (de) 1962-02-08

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