Abstract: There is described a sheet-fed or web-fed screen printing press, especially for the production of banknotes and like securities, comprising an impression cylinder, a first screen printing unit cooperating with the impression cylinder for applying a first ink pattern onto successive sheets or web portions, at least a second screen printing unit cooperating with the impression cylinder for applying a second ink pattern onto the successive sheets or web portions, which second screen printing unit is located downstream of the first screen printing unit with respect to a direction of rotation of the impression cylinder, and an intermediate drying unit located between the first and second screen printing units.

Abstract: There is described process for producing security papers, in particular banknotes, comprising the step of sealing the surface of the security papers by applying a protective pattern on the surface of the security paper, which sealing comprising printing the security papers by intaglio printing using an intaglio printing plate with engraved areas such that at least 80% of the whole surface of each security paper is covered with embossed intaglio patterns produced by engraved areas of the intaglio printing plate which are inked or with a combination of embossed intaglio patterns and flat intaglio patterns, which flat intaglio patterns are produced by unengraved areas of the intaglio printing plate which are inked after wiping of the intaglio printing plate, at least a part of the embossed intaglio patterns and/or flat intaglio patterns being printed with a transparent or semi-transparent intaglio ink.

Abstract: There is described a method for controlled production of security documents, especially banknotes, wherein said security documents are subjected to a plurality of successive printing and processing operations (20.1, 20.2,) on a plurality of processing stations. The method comprises the steps 5 of: (i) providing a computer network comprising a central server station (10) coupled via a data network (15) to a plurality of local computer stations (25.1, 25.2, 26.1, 26.2,), one local computer station (25.1, 25.2,) being operatively coupled to each processing station (20.1, 20.2,); 10 (ii) defining at least one production order, which production order involves the production of a desired volume of security documents according to a defined production workflow, this production order being subdivided into a plurality of production loads (30, 30*, 30**,) each being assigned a machine-readable load identifier (35); 15 (iii) assigning selected processing stations among available processing stations (20.1, 20.

Abstract: A banding system for piled products with a machine frame, a band feed mechanism disposed on the machine frame for feeding band material from a supply roll, means for forming a loop with said band material around the products to be banded, welding means to close said loop, and cutting means for cutting said band material, said means for forming the loop comprising transporting means for transporting the band material around the product to be banded and vacuum means connected to the transporting means. Said means for forming the loop are movable with respect to machine frame between an operating position where the means for forming the loop are in contact with the band feed mechanism to perform the banding operation and an open position where the means for forming the loop are displaced away from the band feed mechanism to create an opening therebetween allowing a transfer of products to be banded between the band feed mechanism and the means for forming the loop.

Abstract: There is described a method for checking the authenticity of security documents, in particular banknotes, wherein authentic security documents comprise security features printed, applied or otherwise provided on the security documents, which security features comprise characteristic visual features intrinsic to the processes used for producing the security documents. The method comprises the steps of (i) acquiring a sample image of at least one region of interest of the surface of a candidate document to be authenticated, which region of interest encompasses at least part of the security features, (ii) digitally processing the sample image by performing a decomposition of the sample image into at least one scale sub-space containing high resolution details of the sample image and extracting classifying features from the scale sub-space, and (iii) deriving an authenticity rating of the candidate document based on the extracted classifying features.

Abstract: There is described a cylinder body (10) for orienting magnetic flakes contained in an ink or varnish vehicle applied on a sheet-like or web-like substrate, which cylinder body (10) has a plurality of magnetic-field-generating devices (50, 60) disposed on an outer circumference of the cylinder body (10). The cylinder body (10) comprises a plurality of distinct annular supporting rings (40) distributed axially along a common shaft member (20), each annular supporting ring (40) carrying a set of magnetic-field-generating devices (50, 60) which are distributed circumferentially on an outer circumference of the annular supporting rings (40).

Abstract: There is described a method and system for producing notes of securities, in particular banknotes, wherein individual printed sheets or successive printed portions of a continuous web are cut into individual notes on a sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, and wherein these individual notes are subsequently processed by a single-note processing system comprising a plurality of single-note processing stations. Individual notes corresponding to independent production cycles or dependent production cycles are produced on the sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, each production cycle being processed on a separate one of the single-note processing stations.

Abstract: Intaglio printing press systems for recto-verso intaglio printing of sheets, in particular for the production of banknotes and the like securities, wherein first and second intaglio printing presses (1a, 1b) are operatively-coupled to one another by a sheet processing and transporting system (9) comprising an automated guided vehicle system for automatically transporting sheets from a sheet delivery station (8.1) of the first intaglio printing press (1a) where recto printing is performed to a sheet feeding station (1.2) of the second intaglio printing press (1b) where verso printing is performed.

Abstract: There is described a method and an inking apparatus (50) for forming an ink pattern (80) on the surface of a form cylinder (15b) of a printing press, which ink pattern (80) exhibits, at least in part, a two-dimensional ink gradient extending in an axial direction and a circumferential direction on the surface of the form cylinder (15b). At least first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) are placed one after the other along an inking path of the ink train (20, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35a, 35b, 36, 37) inking the form cylinder (15b) for distributing ink in the axial and circumferential directions and means (200, 201, 210, 211, 212, 250, 251, 260, 261, 262) are provided for subjecting the first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) to cyclical oscillation movements in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

Abstract: The machine comprises at least a printing cylinder (4), an inking cylinder (5) and a chain gripper transporting system (2,3) with grippers (17). The printing cylinder (4) comprises at least one transversal pit (7) for receiving said chain gripper system (3) such that the inking cylinder (5) inks the planar object (1) while said object (1) is held by said chain gripper system (3).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for placing and removing a doctor blade in a printing screen cylinder mounted on a printing machine having a support mounted on the frame of the machine in the continuation of the cylinder, and a track mounted on the support and designed to allow a slider to move parallel only to the axis of the cylinder between a first limit position situated outside of the cylinder and a second limit position situated inside the cylinder facing the working position of the doctor blade.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling material comprising a sensor device and a lighting device, whereby the material which is to be controlled is guided on a transparent drum.

Abstract: There is described a method for applying foil material (200) onto successive sheets (S), especially sheets of securities. In a first step, individual sheets (S) are transported in succession along a sheet transport path. In a second step, at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is applied onto the individual sheets (S) along a direction substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the individual sheets, thereby forming a continuous flow of sheets linked to one another by the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200). In a third step, the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is cut such that the continuous flow of sheets is again separated into individual sheets (S) with portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheet. The cutting is performed at positions located on the sheets (S) such that said portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheets do not extend beyond leading and trailing edges of the sheets (S).

Abstract: Disclosed is a clamping device (02) for fastening a plate (03) to the periphery of a cylinder (01). Said clamping device (02) comprises a first clamping element (04), a pivotally mounted second clamping element (06), a spring part (07), and a bracing element that is embodied as a pivotable spindle (08) and is movable between a clamping position in which the bracing element maintains the plate in a clamped state between the clamping elements and a released position in which the clamping elements release the plate. The spindle (08) is mounted in a groove so as to be displaceable, is fixed in an intermediate space between the spring part (07) and the second clamping element (06), and is pressed against the second clamping element by means of the spring part in the clamping position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sequential printing of characters. The apparatus is a numbering box with a plurality of numbering wheels viz., unit wheel, tenth wheel, 100th wheel, 1000th wheel, 10000th wheel and 100000th wheel which are provided with a combination of ratchet and groove profiles on side-surfaces, numbers engraved on the periphery and are operably interconnected. The 100th and 1000th wheels provided with a combination of uniquely designed multiple grooves and ratchets. The numbering boxes are arranged in the form of a matrix of maximum rows (mr) and maximum columns (mc), to print first sheet. Thereafter, printing of characters on the second sheet till the next 99 sheets occurs. Finally printing from 101st sheet onwards till desired number of sheets is performed after assigning suitable value to first numbering box of 101st sheet by using the character profile of 100th and 1000th wheels.

Abstract: A banding system for piled products with a machine frame, a band feed mechanism disposed on the machine frame for feeding band material from a supply roll, means for forming a loop with said band material around the products to be banded, welding means to close said loop, and cutting means for cutting said band material, said means for forming the loop comprising transporting means for transporting the band material around the product to be banded and vacuum means connected to the transporting means. Said means for forming the loop are movable with respect to machine frame between an operating position where the means for forming the loop are in contact with the band feed mechanism to perform the banding operation and an open position where the means for forming the loop are displaced away from the band feed mechanism to create an opening therebetween allowing a transfer of products to be banded between the band feed mechanism and the means for forming the loop.

Abstract: The system comprises a wiping tank (1), a wiping roller (2) rotatably supported in the wiping tank and having a circumferential surface and cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the wiping roller, said cleaning means comprising at least a first spray unit (4) for spraying clean wiping solution against the surface of the wiping roller and a drying blade (12) placed downstream of said first spray unit with respect to a direction of rotation of said wiping roller for removing wiping solution residues from the surface of the wiping roller. The cleaning means further comprise a cleaning assembly including at least one supporting plate (5; 25) with a series of holes (5?, 30, 31, 32, 33) and holding means (7, 8, 10, 11) for holding the supporting plate, said supporting plate being conformed to extend parallel to a pant of the circumferential surface of the wiping roller without touching said wiping roller.

Abstract: A luminescence sensing device, comprising a plurality of optical sensor subunits, each said subunit comprising UV-illumination means for illuminating a sample; digital camera means, comprising a camera head; mirror means for directing light emitted from said sample onto said camera head; and a digital signal processor unit (DSP), processing signals generated by said camera head.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet guide element for use in an apparatus for transporting sheets by means of a gripper system having at least two grippers spaced apart from each other and a sheet guide surface defined by the sheet guide element. Here, the sheet guide element is provided with depressions in the sheet guide surface, running parallel to the transport direction, at least in some sections, in order at least partially to accommodate the grippers, so that the sheet guide surface described by the sheet guide element in the transport direction runs, at least in some sections, at the same height as the movement path of the sheet leading edge fixed in the gripper system.

Abstract: A process for providing a security paper, in particular a banknote, with a coloured marking, comprising providing a photosensitive preparation on a portion of said document and submitting at least selected areas of said portion to a light beam, wherein said preparation is capable of forming a film on said portion and comprises a substance capable of producing colloidal metal particles under the effect of UV irradiation, and said areas are irradiated by means of an UV-light beam.