Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for applying a charge directly to an impression roll (12) which engages a gravure cylinder (14) of an electrostatic assist gravure press, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of placing a plurality of spaced contacts (26 or 54) capable of applying a charge to the impression roll (12) in direct contact with the surface of the impression roll (12), arranging the spacing between the contacts (26 or 54) and the width thereof so that predetermined groupings of the contacts (26 or 54) correspond to approximately the various web widths to be used with the gravure press, and controlling the charge applied by the contacts (26 or 54) to the surface of the immpression roll (12) to minimize the current leakage between the impression roll (12) and the gravure cylinder (14) in those areas of the impression roll (12) where the impression roll (12) directly engages the gravure cylinder (14) without the interposition of a web (22) therebetween.

Abstract: In a gravure printing with liquid ink upon a dielectric surface of a substrate such as paper, transfer to the substrate of a gravure ink having a conductivity of the order of about 5.times.10.sup.-6 mho/cm. is improved by creating, at the nip between the gravure cylinder and its impression roll, in the ink in the gravure cells at that nip, a charge whose intensity is sufficient under action by the field to overcome the surface tension forces that normally form a concave meniscus on the ink in those cells so that a portion of the surface of the ink in such cells bulges above the surface of the gravure cylinder and wets the surface of the substrate in contact with the gravure cylinder at that point.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus is provided for converting halftone and screened films (12A and 12B) for use with electromechanical gravure engravers (22), comprising the steps of positioning an array (26) of photosensitive elements adjacent at least one film (12A) having an image thereon in the form of transparent and opaque picture elements (pixels) (30 and 32) having predetermined dimensions, affecting relative movement between the array (26) and the film (12A) for sampling a plurality of pixels of the film by the array (26), assigning a predetermined number of photosensitive elements to a predetermined number of photosensitive elements to a predetermined width of pixels, effectively creating a first sample area (34) bounded by the predetermined width of pixels and a pre-established number of samples, effectively creating a second sample area (36) smaller than the first sample area (34) and bounded by a plurality of pixels, the center of the second sample area (36) being coincident with that of the first

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for forming gravure cells in a gravure cylinder for accurately reproducing an image, including the steps of coating the peripheral surface of a gravure cylinder with an insulating coating, revealing a first group of predetermined portions of the coated gravure cylinder by selectively removing the insulating coating overlying portions of the peripheral surface of the gravure cylinder, ablating the first group of exposed portions of the gravure cylinder to a predetermined depth, and repeating the revealing and ablating steps until a predetermined number of different groups of predetermined portions of the gravure cylinder have been revealed with each previously revealed group having further portions of the gravure cylinder ablated to a greater predetermined depth during each ablating step to provide a gravure cylinder having the desired pattern of gravure cells of the desired depths for accurately reproducing an image.

Abstract: A system for compensating for roll deflection to provide uniform contact pressure across the width of a web disposed between a pair of counter rollers, comprising a first roller mounted for rotation, a second roller mounted for rotation about a deflectable shaft, pressure applying means coupled to the ends of the deflectable shaft for moving the second roller into contact with the first roller, the second roller including an outer shell mounted for rotation relative to the deflectable shaft, a pair of end bearings disposed adjacent the ends of the outer sleeve and a pair of main bearings disposed inwardly from the end bearings a predetermined distance to transmit the applied pressure uniformly over the face width of the second roller when the second roller is used with a flexible first roller, and self-adjusting deflection compensating means arranged proximate to the deflectable shaft for applying pressure to the ends of the outer shell in response to the deflection of the deflectable shaft by the pressure ap

Abstract: A portable comparator gage for cylinders having a self-supporting configuration with a high stiffness to weight ratio to minimize the contact force and therefore "spring open" of the gage when it is placed on a cylinder, and temperature compensation means to compensate for inaccuracies in the measurements of the relative deviation of the diameter of the cylinder resulting from variations in the temperature of the cylinder and gage from a nominal temperature.

Abstract: A rotogravure printing plate for use in rotogravure printing, the plate having a non-resilient backing of a magnetically attractable material for mounting and holding the plate in fixed position on a magnetic cylinder, the plate having a surface into which wells for receiving ink may be formed so that, during printing with the plate mounted and held in position on the magnetic cylinder, ink deposited in the wells will be transferred to an ink receiving surface onto which the image formed by the wells on the plate is to be rotogravure printed.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the dynamic complex hardness of resilient roll coverings including a portable housing for positioning directly on the resilient roll covering to be tested. The portable housing includes an adjustable probe coupled to force and displacement transducers. The adjustable probe is placed in contact with the resilient roll covering and vibrated. The transducers produce output signals in accordance with the force encountered by and displacement of the probe during displacement of the surface of the resilient roll covering. The output signals from the transducers are coupled to dynamic hardness and loss angle circuitry for providing direct measurements of the magnitude and phase angle of the dynamic complex hardness.

Abstract: A method of and associated apparatus for measuring cell volume in a gravure printing surface including the steps of positioning a probe including a pair of magnetic reaction devices over an engraved area with one device over an area with cells and the other device over an area without cells, providing a magnetic field to be sensed by the magnetic reaction devices, sensing the relative reduction in the strength of the magnetic field due to the presence of non-ferrous metal to provide a differential signal proportional to cell volume, and conditioning and recording the differential signal, as desired.