US3366046A

US3366046A - Printing cylinder with ink belts for multicolor single impression printing

Info

Publication number: US3366046A
Application number: US524152A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank V Szasz
Original assignee: Frank V. Szasz
Current assignee: FRANK V SZASZ
Priority date: 1966-02-01
Filing date: 1966-02-01
Publication date: 1968-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-30

Description

PRINTING CYLIN INK BEL F MULTICOLOR SIN SSION P T Jan. 30, 1968 F. v. szAsz 3,366,046

DER WITH GLE IMPRE Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTOR FRANK l. SZ

. ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1968 F. v. szAsz 3,366,046

PRINTING CYLINDER WITH INK BELTS EGR NULTIGGLGR SINGLE IMPRESSION PRINTING Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK u 52,452

United States Patent O 3 366 046 PRINTING CYLINDR ,VITH INK BELTS FOR MULTICLUR SINGLE IMPRESSION PRINT- ING Frank V. Szasz, Mission, Kans. (5816 Cherokee Drive, Shawnee Mission, Kans. 66205) Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,152 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-176) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE This invention relates to improved printing apparatus and methods and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for multicolor printing with a single printing member.

Printing in multiple colors has become a highly developed art which is normally accomplished with complex printing apparatus including a plurality of spaced apart printing members and sophisticated register devices for maintaining the proper relative position of the printed image as it travels between the printing members for application of different colored inks. To applicants knowledge, the only suggested automatic printing apparatus which prints multiple colors with a single printing member has been limited to the application of a single color along any line of longitudinal motion of the printed material. In certain cases, a single transfer blanket has been used to carry a two-color image to a web, but this required two synchronized printing plates or printing members. Further, known multicolor printing methods and apparatus, particularly when printing in more than two colors, are expensive and, therefore, often unsuitable to extensive use in printing newspapers, low cost advertising material and the like.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an improved apparatus and method which permits printing multiple colors with a single printing member; to provide such an apparatus and method which is not limited to the application of a single color along a line of longitudinal motion; to provide such an apparatus and method which is relatively inexpensive to build and use and may be easily adapted to existing printing presses; to provide such an apparatus and method which is Well suited to high speed continuous web printing, but is not limited thereto; to provide such an apparatus and method which may be used for simultaneously printing a large number of colors simultaneously, for example, five; and to provide such an apparatus and method which is well suited for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional side elevation of a preferred form of apparatus embodying this invention for printing a multicolored impression on a moving web.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional perspective View of the apparatus illustrating additional details.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the apparatus on an enlarged scale showing a typical contact area between an inking blanket and the printing cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the apparatus on an enlarged scale illustrating the use of a removable inking blanket on a flexible transfer belt.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View illustrating a transparent composing sheet overlaid on a printed proof sheet for treating areas on the transparent sheet corresponding to the desired positions of a selected color on the final printed image.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating a second transparent sheet being treated for a second color.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the use of a treated transparent sheet in producing an inking blanket for applying one color ink to the printing cylinder.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numerals 1 generally indicates a preferred form of apparatus embodying this invention for printing multiple colors on a moving web with a single printing member. The apparatus 1, in this example, comprises a mill or feed roll 2 adapted to feed a web of paper 3 continuously over suitable guide rollers 4l, 5, and 6. The guide roller 6 releases the paper 3 between an impression cylinder 7 and a printing member or cylinder 8 for printing thereon and a guide roller 9 directs the paper to other apparatus (not shown) for subsequent operations.

The printing cylinder 8 is simultaneously inked in five colors during each revolution thereof byl inking

members

19, 11, 12, 13 and 14 respectively comprised of a flexible belt 15 of the type known as a timing belt having spaced apart teeth 16 on the interior surface thereof. The teeth 16 of each belt 15 are engaged with respective pairs of sprocket rollers 17 and 13 by which the belt may be driven synchronously with cooperating equipment. The belts 15 are respectively pulled into an elongated shape by the respective sets of rollers 17 and 1li so that relatively little circumferential space is taken about the printing cylinder 8 by each belt. This permits a relatively large number of belts, in this case five, to be simultaneously positioned adjacent the printing cylinder 8 by generally radial positioning, as best illustrated in FIG. l. An ink fountain assembly is provided for each of the inking members 1b to 14 inclusive and designated respectively 19, Ztl, 21, 22 and 23. Each comprises an ink fountain 2liand

suitable inking rollers

25, 26, 27 and 28 which are used in a known manner to transport and apply ink under controlled conditions to a receiving surface.

The printing cylinder 8 is covered by a suitable printing plate 29 which, in this example, is of the relief type (FIG. 3), but, if, desired, may be of the lithographic or intaglio type. The flexible belts 15, in this example, are covered with inking blankets respectively designated 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. The inking blankets are removably secured to the respective belts 15 by suitable means, for example, adhesive and in predetermined positions thereon as indicated by suitable alignment members 35 which fit into corresponding receivers 36 on the belts. The inking blankets have ink transfer areas 37 thereon which, in this example, are characterized as being in relief, that is, raised above the base surface 33 of the blanket; however, the ink transfer areas 3/ may be characterize-d by ink accepting lithographie or intaglio areas without departing from the scope of the invention.

The ink transfer areas 37 may be positioned anywhere on the respective inking blanket, the only limitation being that inking areas of one blanket do not overlap corresponding positions of ink transfer areas on other blankets. The respective blankets, in this example, have a peripheral length equal to the circumference of the printing cylinder 8 at the effective diameter of the printing plate 29 and are driven synchronously with the printing cylinder 8 so that each ink transfer area 37 on the respective inking blankets always contacts the printing plate 29 at a predetermined position during each printing cycle. In this example, the synchronous driving of the inking blankets with the printing cylinder S is accomplished by a suitable prime mover 39, gear reducer et) and drive shaft di. The drive shaft 41 simultaneously rotates gears 4Z and 43 which are respectively meshed with gears le and 4S. The gear 44, through a shaft 46, drives a gear 47 which is meshed with a gear 48 driving the inking member iii). Idler gears 49 mesh with the gear 4S and additional gears such as Si) for simultaneously driving the remaining inking members il, 12, i3 and 1d. The gear 45, through a shaft Si, drives the printing cylinder 8 which contacts and prints on the web 3.

As noted above, the ink transfer areas 37 do not overlap corresponding areas 37 on other blankets. The respective areas 37, however, may exceed the size of the corresponding printing area 52 on the printing plate 29 which it services, FIG. 3, so long as there is no application of multiple colors on a single spot. The ink fountain assembly 19 is conventionally driven by structure (not shown) forming part of the overall press apparatus and respectively operate to apply ink of the desired color only on the ink transfer areas 37 of the respective inking blankets.

In operation, each of the ink fountains 24 may be charged with a different color ink. The ink is applied by the ink fountain assemblies to the respective inking blankets on the ink transfer areas 37 thereof. The respective transfer areas 37 Contact only a particular predetermined printing area 52 on the printing plate 29 whereupon the different color inks are respectively applied to particular predetermined areas on the printing plate 29 in a single printing cycle. The different color inks are then simultaneously printed on the web 3 to produce various printed areas 53 of respectively different colors.

The ink transfer areas 37 on the respective inking blankets are preferably formed in the following manner; however, other methods of forming the ink transfer areas may also be used without departing from the scope of this invention. A blank proof sheet 54 is made from the print ing plate 39, for example, entirely in black ink, and a transparent member such as an acetate sheet 55 is overlaid thereon. The composer may then take a suitable marking device such as a brush 56 and apply a suitable chemical to the sheet 55 on areas 56 corresponding to areas on the sheet 54 which he desires to be a particular color, FIG. 5. A second acetate sheet 57 is then applied over the proof sheet 54 and the composer treats the areas 57 which he desired to be printed in a second color, FIG. 6. This is repeated until a transparent sheet is completed for each color which the composer desires to use. The sheets may then be overlaid on respective sensitized blanket members 58 and the inking areas, for example 57', transferred thereto in a conventional manner, as by a suitable transfer light 60, FIG. 7. The respective blanket members 58 are then suitably treated, for example, by an etching process leaving the desired ink transfer areas thereon in relief. In the alternative, one of the well known flexographic methods for producing the ink transfer `areas might be used. It is to be understood that, if desired, a single transparent sheet may be used and several selective chemicals applied to the single sheet to determine the particular ink transfer areas for the respective blanket members 58, and suitable filters used to distinguish the colors in exposing the respective blanket members from the single sheet.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not to be limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus for printing multiple colors with a single impression comprising:

(a) a printing cylinder,

(b) a printing plate removably mounted on said cylinder, said printing plate having a plurality of printing areas thereon respectively spaced from each other,

(c) a set of rst rollers circumferentially spacedapart about and adjacent to said cylinder and having diameters substantially smaller than said cylinder, a set of second rollers generally radially spaced from said cylinder and aligned with said respective first rollers,

(d) =a plurality of ink fountain assemblies respectively adjacent said second rollers and each adapted to dispense a different color ink,

(e) a plurality of elongated flexible inking belts respectively mounted on said aligned rst and second rollers and each adapted to cooperate with one of said inking fountain assemblies for receiving ink therefrom, said inking belts having an effective peripheral length equal to the effective circumference of said printing cylinder,

(f) positive drive means engaging said printing cylinder and said inking belts for driving said printing cylinder in continuously synchronized peripheral registry with said inking belts,

(g) said inking belts each having an ink transfer area thereon corresponding to one of said printing areas and not overlapping a printing area serviced by another of said inking belts,

(-h) whereby during a single revolution of said printing cylinder, said printing plate receives thereon a plurality of different color inks respectively restricted to predetermined printing areas.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said belts include drive teeth engaging said drive means.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said ink transfer areas are positioned on blankets removably secured to said belts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,024 9/1895 Morrison.

688,172 l2/l90l Hawes lOl-176 l,lG8,063 S/l9l4 Bonnier lOl-211 1,501,817 7/1924 Sevigne lOl-40 2,659,305 l1/l953 Giori lOl-175 3,263,606 8/1966 Poynter lOl-176 X FOREIGN PATENTS 653,292 5/l951 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

I. R. FISHER, Assisiant Examiner.