Abstract: A composite packing material for use with a printing blanket is provided including a substrate such as fabric, scrim, or film which is coated on at least one surface with a polymeric compound to provide the desired gauge to the printing blanket assembly. The resulting composite packing material has a thickness of about 0.010 to about 0.067 inches (0.25 mm to 1.7 mm) and is substantially volume non-compressible.

Abstract: A variable cut-off offset press system and method of operation which utilizes a continuous image transfer belt is provided. The offset printing system comprises at least two plate cylinders adapted to have thereon respective printing sleeves. Each of the printing sleeves is adapted to receive colored ink from a respective ink source. An optional coating source may be provided to fully or partially coat the image transfer belt before inking. The system further comprises at least a impression cylinder, wherein the image transfer belt is positioned to contact each of the printing sleeves at respective nips formed between respective ones of the plate cylinders and the at least one impression cylinder. An image belt cleaning station adapted to remove residual ink or coating from the surface of the image transfer belt after image transfer of a multicolored image from the image transfer belt to a substrate is also provided.

Abstract: A composite packing material for use with a printing blanket is provided including a substrate such as fabric, scrim, or film which is coated on at least one surface with a polymeric compound to provide the desired gauge to the printing blanket assembly. The resulting composite packing material has a thickness of about 0.010 to about 0.067 inches (0.25 mm to 1.7 mm) and is substantially volume non-compressible.

Abstract: The invention includes a hammermill for comminuting material. The hammer includes a housing and a cutting plate disposed within the housing. A rotor assembly is rotatably mounted within the housing about an axis of rotation and a plurality of hammers are functionally coupled to the rotor assembly. The housing is rotatable about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: An improved design for hammermills. The invention contains a centered rotor from which eight rows of hammers pulverize material against cutting plates inside a working chamber. The cutting plates have slots that are angled. The hammers may have a beveled, angled leading edge. Both the angled cutting plate slots and the angled hammer leading edges work to drive the material through the working chamber in a helical fashion, with a preferred travel profile of 450 degrees, but the helix length is adjustable depending on the specific needs. There are no perforated screens in the hammermill, thus the material is placed in an inlet, is urged through the hammermill by the action of the rotating hammers where the material is comminuted and then removed via an exit.

Abstract: A printing blanket and method of reducing corrosion and abrasion of printing blankets and printing blanket cylinders is provided. The printing blanket includes a metal base ply having first and second surfaces, a surface layer on the first surface of the base ply, and a polymer on the second surface of the base ply. The polymer functions to protect the metal base ply as well as a blanket cylinder surface from abrasion and exposure to moisture and corrosive agents used during a printing process. The polymer preferably comprises ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, or polyethylene. The polymer may be applied to the in the form of an emulsion which is coated or sprayed onto the base ply, or the polymer may be provided in the form of a film or sheet which is adhered to the base ply with an adhesive. Preferably, the polymer includes corrosion inhibiting additives which are released when the blanket is compressed during a printing operation, further reducing corrosion.

Abstract: A slurry dividing apparatus is configured to divide a main slurry stream into smaller constituent slurry streams, wherein each stream contains a desired proportion of suspended solids. The dividing apparatus includes a main flow channel and a plurality of branch flow channels extending upward from a flow divider that terminates an upper end of the main flow channel. The main slurry stream enters the main flow channel, at an inlet opening thereof, and is decelerated, by an upward extension and expanding cross-section of the main flow channel, before reaching the flow divider and being divided into the smaller constituent slurry streams flowing within the plurality of branch flow channels. Each of the smaller streams flows up and then over a weir, which extends across an upper portion of each of the branch flow channels, and then down into a corresponding discharge flow channel of the apparatus.

Abstract: A printing blanket construction is provided which includes a reinforcing fabric ply comprised of a weft insertion fabric or a heavy gauge fabric, where the reinforcing fabric ply provides all of the necessary tensioning properties to the blanket. The use of the reinforcing fabric ply eliminates the need for additional fabric plies in the blanket construction, and provides high tensile strength, low stretch, and resistance to gauge loss.

Abstract: A liftings trough for mounting in an interior space of a rotatable member of a length grading machine is defined by walls that are contoured to provide a maximum clearance between the mounted trough and an inlet opening through which grain flows into the interior space of the rotatable member, while maintaining a maximum capacity of the trough to receive granules in a particular size range, which are lifted by pockets located along an interior surface of the rotatable member, when the grain flows into the interior space of the member and the member rotates about the trough.

Abstract: An image transfer product such as a printing blanket or sleeve is provided which includes at least a base layer, a printing surface layer, and an optional intermediate compressible layer, where one or more of the layers is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane or thermoplastic polyurethane alloy. The thermoplastic polyurethane compressible layer has a plurality of voids therein introduced by the use of pre-expanded or unexpanded microspheres. The resulting blanket or sleeve exhibits good resistance to compression.

Abstract: A printing blanket is provided including a base layer, a print layer, and at least one barrier layer positioned against the print layer which functions to substantially reduce or eliminate the penetration of printing chemicals and other liquids below the print layer of the printing blanket. The barrier layer may comprise a variety of polymers or rubbers. The barrier layer may include fillers or absorbent materials therein to improve the barrier properties of the layer.

Abstract: An improved design for hammermills. The invention contains a centered rotor from which eight rows of hammers pulverize material against cutting plates inside a working chamber. The cutting plates have slots that are angled. The hammers may have a beveled, angled leading edge. Both the angled cutting plate slots and the angled hammer leading edges work to drive the material through the working chamber in a helical fashion, with a preferred travel profile of 450 degrees, but the helix length is adjustable depending on the specific needs. There are no perforated screens in the hammermill, thus the material is placed in an inlet, is urged through the hammermill by the action of the rotating hammers where the material is comminuted and then removed via an exit.

Abstract: A sleeve for a print cylinder comprising a fiber reinforced, thin-walled material and having a seamless surface ready to be covered with a surface material. The sleeve may be used in flexographic printing, either as a support for photo-polymerized printing plates or rubber layers. The sleeve has the advantages of having low manufacturing cost and providing the necessary heat resistance to withstand rubber vulcanization temperatures. The sleeve is also airtight, and remains properly positioned during printing operations.

Abstract: A printing plate assembly for use in flexographic printing application is provided which includes an integral carrier layer, one or more cushion layers, and one or more photopolymer layers. The photopolymer layer(s) in the integral assembly are provided with relief images using digital imaging photopolymerization, which eliminates the need for a back exposure step and provides a precise relief depth for the plate.

Abstract: An improved rotor design for hammermills. The invention eliminates the solid rotor shaft and replaces it with a tubular structure comprised of two stub rotor shafts with plate flanges and grooved spacer rings therebetween. End head disks, attached to the plate flanges, and intermediate disks are concentrically positioned with the axis of rotation of the assembly. The intermediate disks are held in alignment by the pilot groove located in the spacer rings. The flanges, stub shafts, spacer rings and intermediate disks are supported and held in proper alignment by tension rod compression. The resulting tubular rotor shaft assembly is less massive, more stiff, less susceptible to vibration, has a reduced bending stress, is less expensive to startup and operate and less expensive and more flexible in terms of component inventory than known solid through-shaft rotors.

Abstract: An easy to manufacture and install sound dampening pad for a printing blanket sleeve is provided. The pad effectively attenuates noise emanating from the sleeve during air pressurized mounting and dismounting of the blanket sleeve to an underlying cylinder. The sound dampening pad is fabricated from a flexible polymeric material and in one embodiment has a generally J-shaped configuration with inner and outer surfaces. At least a portion of the inner surface of the J-shaped configuration includes a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon to secure the pad to the inner surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: A method of dispensing a metal-backed printing blanket onto a printing press cylinder in a controlled fashion is provided. A carton containing the rolled printing blanket may be provided, and a lengthwise slit or opening is opened to withdraw a mounting end of the printing blanket. The alignment and tension of the printing blanket is controlled as it mounts on the printing press cylinder. Parallel reference lines on the carton may be used to draw alignment marks on the printing blanket such that it may be properly inserted into a locking device of the printing press cylinder. The alignment and tension may be controlled using graspable sides of the carton.

Abstract: A liquid transfer article is provided including a support assembly and an imaged surface formed directly on the surface of the support assembly by digital photopolymerization. The support assembly is in the form of a polymeric base, and the liquid transfer article is formed by providing a liquid photopolymer on the surface of the base and then irradiating the polymer with a light source to form the image. The liquid transfer article is reimagable and may be used in gravure printing processes, as well as other printing applications.

Abstract: A variable cut-off offset press system and method of operation which utilizes a continuous image transfer belt is provided. The offset printing system comprises at least two plate cylinders adapted to have thereon respective printing sleeves. Each of the printing sleeves is adapted to receive colored ink from a respective ink source. An optional coating source may be provided to fully or partially coat the image transfer belt before inking. The system further comprises at least a impression cylinder, wherein the image transfer belt is positioned to contact each of the printing sleeves at respective nips formed between respective ones of the plate cylinders and the at least one impression cylinder. An image belt cleaning station adapted to remove residual ink or coating from the surface of the image transfer belt after image transfer of a multicolored image from the image transfer belt to a substrate is also provided.

Abstract: A grain separator having an easily replaceable seal. The separator comprises a housing and a rotatable grain separation drum carried by the housing, the drum having an end face with an external annular bearing surface. A drive shaft extends axially into the drum through the end face, and a grain inlet is carried exteriorly of the housing and includes a bearing rotationally supporting an end of the drive shaft. The inlet includes an inlet spout that extends through the end face for conveying grain to the drum. An easily removable and replaceable split seal is carried about the inlet spout and engages the annular bearing surface to seal the drum from the exterior of the inlet spout, and pressure means are provided for applying axial pressure to the split seal to urge the seal against the annular bearing surface. Disclosed also is a method for seal replacement.