Patents Assigned to Koenig & Bauer AG
  • Patent number: 11760082
    Abstract: Some examples include checking the quality of printed products that are consecutively produced by multiple printing presses to have at least three printed patterns spaced apart from one another. The printed patterns are printed using different printing processes, such as a steel engraving process, an offset printing process, and a screen printing process that may be used for printing the three printed patterns of each printed product. A screen printing press is used for the screen printing process, with multiple steel plates being alternately used in the same production operation for the steel engraving process in an intaglio printing press. For at least two of the steel plates involved in carrying out the steel engraving process, a processing unit may selectively ascertain the deviation of the respective value of the relevant distances associated with the printed patterns, which may be instantaneously ascertained from a defined scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Alexander Partosch, Christian Schnieder, Johannes Schweers, Harald Willeke
  • Patent number: 11752757
    Abstract: In some examples, a transport cylinder for transporting a sheet-format substrate includes at least one channel extending on an outer surface of the transport cylinder in an axial direction. Each channel includes at least one gripper, which is supported on a shaft, for holding a substrate on the outer surface of the transport cylinder. Each channel is covered by a respective cover at the outer surface of the transport cylinder. The cover and/or a shaft supporting the at least one gripper may include a cooling unit. In some examples, a drying unit that includes the transport cylinder may further include an electron beam for curing a printing fluid on a substrate on the transport cylinder. In some examples, a printing press may include the drying unit including the transport cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Thilo Hahn, Patrick Kress, Volker Scharkus, Robert Stierman
  • Patent number: 11745377
    Abstract: In some examples, a device for ream-wise and/or pile-wise separating blanks from a pile and/or a ream of sheets includes at least one lower blank separating module and at least one upper blank separating module including an upper separating tool having multiple separating elements arranged in a separating element matrix. A separating element in an activated position has a first distance with respect to a carrier plate, and a separating element in a deactivated position has a second distance with respect to the carrier plate. The at least one upper blank separating module additionally includes at least one upper blank separating tool adapted as a function of the blank shape and/or the number of blanks on a sheet, such as for removing crosspieces when offcut pieces configured as crosspieces are present on a sheet, and/or for separating blanks arranged directly next to one another on a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Erik Bormann, Johannes Helbig, Dietmar Hesse, Jun Mizutani, Johannes Naumann, Mirko Wulf
  • Patent number: 11731850
    Abstract: In some examples, a substrate handling system includes a sheet processing machine and at least one alignment device that includes at least four stops. At least one stop is configured as a front stop, at least one stop is configured as a rear stop, and at least two stops are configured as lateral stops. The at least two lateral stops are arranged opposite one another, and the at least one front stop and the at least one rear stop are arranged opposite one another. The alignment device includes at least one support element that is configured as a propping element for propping at least one partial stack of sheets in the alignment device. Further, at least one respective support element is arranged at the at least two lateral stops and at the at least one rear stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Hans Christiansen, Dragan Dragoz, Kurt Genefke, Kaj Verner Madsen, Kim Nielsen, Julian Schubert
  • Patent number: 11724289
    Abstract: In some examples, a processing machine has at least one cleaning device for cleaning a substrate. The at least one cleaning device and the at least one substrate are able to be arranged in a first and a second cleaning state, and the substrate is arranged at a distance from the at least one cleaning device in the first cleaning state. The substrate is arranged in contact with the at least one cleaning device in the second cleaning state, and the at least one cleaning device and the substrate are arranged so as to be transferable at least from the first cleaning state into the second cleaning state. The at least one cleaning device is arranged to be adjusted from a first cleaning position in the first cleaning state into a second cleaning position in the second cleaning state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Haag, Elena Lang
  • Patent number: 11724485
    Abstract: In some examples, a gravure printing unit for printing onto a substrate includes a forme cylinder that has, on an outer circumference, a pattern of recesses for forming an image. The gravure printing unit further includes an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses on the forme cylinder. The inking unit includes a first inking unit cylinder having line-like recesses on an outer cylindrical surface that correspond to line-like recesses of the pattern of recesses on the outer circumference of the forme cylinder. Two end-aligned line-like recesses on the outer cylindrical surface of the first inking unit cylinder are separated by a supporting ridge and correspond to a single uninterrupted line-like recess on the circumference of the forme cylinder. An upper surface of the supporting ridge lies at a level of an undisrupted region of the outer cylindrical surface of the first inking unit cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Daniel Chassot
  • Patent number: 11685621
    Abstract: A feeder of a sheet treating or a sheet processing machine comprises a sensor system, which sensor system, on a front side pointing in a direction of transport of the sheets to be fed or on the opposing, rear side of the pile of sheets to be fed, comprises one or more sensors, by the use of which sensors, a distance, with respect to at least two locations, which are spaced apart from one another transversely to the transport direction, at the relevant front or rear sides of the pile, can be ascertained. A method is provided for detecting or correcting sheets having deviated positions or dimensions in such a sheet feeder of a sheet treating or processing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Bernd Hanke
  • Patent number: 11679575
    Abstract: A method for the rotary blind embossing of a substrate, a device for the rotary blind embossing of a substrate, a female die and/or a male die for use in a device, and to a method for producing a female die and/or a male die. The method for the rotary blind embossing of a substrate in a work station including an embossing roller and a counter-pressure roller includes the following steps: a) preparing the substrate; b) blind embossing the substrate by means of at least one female die provided on the embossing roller and at least one male die provided on the counter-pressure roller. The device for the rotary blind embossing of a substrate has a work station having an embossing roller and a counter-pressure roller, at least one female die being provided on the embossing roller and at least one male die being provided on the counter-pressure roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: Hinderer + Mühlich GmbH & Co. KG, Koenig & Bauer AG
    Inventors: René Schweikhardt, Thomas Löchner, Johannes Naumann, Johannes Helbig
  • Patent number: 11660855
    Abstract: In some examples, an access point that leads into a safety zone of a roll unwinder or winder is monitored by a monitoring sensor system. The monitoring sensor system includes two scanners having respective measuring beams that pass over an angular region situated in the same plane extending in an opening. The access point is monitored in a pattern of multiple protection fields having various sizes and/or shapes. Multiple ones of the protection fields are encompassed by a next-larger and/or next-wider protection field, entirely or at least viewed in the width and toward the top. The scan images of the two scanners are checked for a breach of the relevant protection fields in differing, adjoining, or overlapping partial regions of the plane. Information about the permissibility of a determined protection field breach is derived by evaluation of breach patterns of breached protection fields obtained in the two partial regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Harald Gretsch, Jürgen Krimmel, Manfred Maierhöfer, Günter Schulz, Senad Ugljesa
  • Patent number: 11643295
    Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one transport means of an infeed system, and the infeed system includes at least one cam mechanism including, in each case, at least one cam disk having an axis of rotation. At least one scanning element is arranged in each case to rest against the at least one cam disk. The at least one scanning element is connected to the at least one transport means via at least one drive lever. The at least one drive lever in each case has at least one mounting point. The mounting point and the axis of rotation may be adjusted relative to one another, and a position displacement of the mounting point relative to the axis of rotation may compensate for at least one position error of the at least one sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Carsten Reinsch, Christian Pilz, Heike Rieck
  • Patent number: 11639066
    Abstract: In some examples, a printing press includes a support element with a circulatingly movable contact surface for contacting a printing substrate. An ink jet print head includes an ejection opening arranged to be directed at the support element. Additionally, the printing press includes a charging device that includes a charging electrode, which is arranged to be directed at the contact surface. The charging device further includes a counter-electrode, and the movable contact surface is at least partially arranged between the charging electrode and the counter-electrode of the charging device. A smallest distance between the charging electrode and the movable contact surface is greater than a smallest distance between the ejection opening of the ink jet print head and the contact surface. For example, the smallest distance between the charging electrode and the contact surface may be at least 50 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Thomas Baumeister, Frank Denninger, Christian Schlund, Simon Stahl
  • Patent number: 11623445
    Abstract: In some examples, a printing press includes a printing unit with at least four nozzle bars, each including a print head. At least one nozzle bar has a printing position and at least one service position. For instance, in a first service position, the at least one nozzle bar has a first distance to the transport path of a printing substrate, and in a second service position the at least one nozzle bar has a second distance to the transport path. The printing unit includes at least one cleaning device and/or cleaning system that is selectively arranged in an area between the at least one nozzle bar and the transport path. The at least one service position may be arranged in vertical direction above the printing position, and the second distance of the second service position of the nozzle bar may be less than in the first service position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Christian Arnold, Joachim Keupp, Wolfgang Reder, Karl Schäfer
  • Patent number: 11597200
    Abstract: A sheet-processing machine has a shaping device for processing sheets. The shaping device has at least one shaping point. The sheet-processing machine comprises at least one separating device. The at least one separating device is designed to remove at least one remaining piece from at least one sheet of the sheets. The at least one separating device is arranged downstream of the at least one shaping point along a transport path provided for transporting the sheets. At least one inspection device is arranged, downstream of the separating device in the transport direction of the sheets, to determine an actual state of the at least one sheet of the sheets. The invention additionally relates to a method for inspecting at least one remaining part of at least one sheet of sheets, which part has been processed by a shaping device, and to a method for inspecting at least one sheet of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Michael Donnert, Bastian Deppisch, Elmar Klüpfel
  • Patent number: 11577928
    Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes an at least one pile formation device. The at least one pile formation device is arranged so as to be displaceable at least in an inward-moving direction. The at least one pile formation device includes a plane. The at least one pile formation device is displaceable at least in a vertical direction relative to at least one lower multiple-up separating tool by means of a lifting device. In a temporary storage position, at least the plane is arranged in a vertical direction beneath a plane of the at least one lower multiple-up separating tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Sylvio Ruhm
  • Patent number: 11559976
    Abstract: A gravure printing unit, which is usable for printing on a substrate, according to a gravure printing method, includes a forme cylinder which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and an inking unit, by the use of which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder is inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder which has recesses in the region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and which comprises ink-transferring elements or raised areas on its circumference. For controlling the transfer of ink, the first inking unit cylinder having the recesses, is configured as being temperature controllable or has a temperature control device in the ink unit supply. Alternatively, a printing pressure between inking units cylinders can be varied during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Daniel Chassot, Ralf Sokol
  • Patent number: 11535027
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a device that is usable for printing the respective lateral surface of hollow objects. The device comprises at least one mandrel wheel for holding the hollow objects on projecting expanding mandrels, and a transfer wheel for transporting the hollow objects, which transfer wheel is arranged downstream of the mandrel wheel in a transport direction of the hollow objects. The mandrel wheel and the transfer wheel are each rotatably arranged in a laterally offset manner, with respect to one another, in two different planes that are parallel to one another. Hollow objects, which are printed during ongoing printing production, are transferred from the work arbors of the mandrel wheel to the transfer wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Stephan Behnke
  • Patent number: 11530102
    Abstract: A device is provided for feeding sheets to a sheet-processing machine having at least one processing mechanism. A feeder head is provided for cyclically separating the sheets from a pile of such sheets and has transporting suckers for transporting the sheets to a belt table. The belt table has at least one revolving transport belt which is guided over at least two feed rollers. A first drive is assigned to at least one feed roller and a sheet flap, which is connected to a pivotally mounted shaft, is provided between the transporting suckers and the at least one transport belt. A second drive is assigned to the shaft, for pivoting that shaft. A sheet arrival sensor, which is arranged between the belt table and the processing mechanism, generates first signals representing the arrival of the sheets for a sequence of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Martina Sünder, Bernd Hanke, Benjamin Gohl, Richard Dorninger
  • Patent number: 11524855
    Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one sensor device that includes at least two sensors configured as a camera. The sheet processing machine further includes at least one infeed system. The at least one sensor device is configured to control, by open-loop control and/or closed-loop control, at least one servo drive of the infeed system as a function of at least one sheet of sheets being detected by the at least two sensors. The at least two sensors are configured to selectively detect at least one edge and/or printing mark of the sheets. Some examples likewise relate to a method for controlling, by open-loop control and/or closed-loop control, at least one component of a sheet processing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Carsten Reinsch, Christian Pilz, Heike Rieck
  • Patent number: 11504962
    Abstract: A gravure printing unit is usable for printing onto substrate according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder, which comprises recesses in a region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, and which form a nip point downstream with a second inking unit cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, ink-transferring elevations or raised areas. The recesses are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of an ink transfer forme sheath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Johannes Schaede, Ralf Sokol, Alain Würsch, Ana Dimitrijevic, Daniel Chassot
  • Patent number: 11498789
    Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one infeed system including at least one transport means including at least one upper holder and at least one lower holder. The at least one transport means can be and/or is arranged in at least three states: a maximally closed state corresponding to a minimal distance, a minimally closed state corresponding to a maximal distance, and an at least one mean state corresponding to at least one mean distance between at least one upper holding surface at least of the respective upper holder, and at least one lower holding surface of the lower holder of the at least one transport means that is assigned to the respective upper holder. During a machine cycle, the at least one transport means has each of the minimally closed state, the maximally closed state, and the at least one mean state at least once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Carsten Reinsch, Christian Pilz, Heike Rieck