Patents Examined by Blake A Tankersley
  • Patent number: 9188929
    Abstract: A curl straightening method in an image apparatus including a fixing apparatus and a curl straightening apparatus is disclosed. The method includes calculating moisture content of a sheet before being supplied to the fixing apparatus; measuring a temperature of a heating unit and a pressurizing unit; calculating a temperature and moisture content of the sheet in the respective conveying sections; calculating a conveying time of the sheet in the respective conveying sections; calculating a residual strain of the sheet in the respective conveying sections from the calculated temperature and the moisture content of the sheet in the respective conveying sections, the calculated conveying time, and the stress relaxation characteristics of the sheet; calculating a final curl amount using the calculated residual strain of the sheet in the respective conveying sections; and controlling the curl straightening apparatus based on the final curl amount obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunichi Oohara, Yuko Hayama
  • Patent number: 9186923
    Abstract: Provided are a method for producing two or more patterned substrates, which has a simple process and is efficient, and an apparatus for producing two or more patterned substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Dae Hyun Kim, Dongchang Choi, Seung Heon Lee, Mihee Park, U Ra Lee, Wonjoo Lee
  • Patent number: 9180719
    Abstract: There is provided a lithographic printing plate substrate comprising (a) a base layer, (b) a layer of a first adhesive covering one side of the base layer except for at least two opposite edges thereof, and (c) an aluminum layer laminated onto the layer of first adhesive and said opposite edges of the base layer, the aluminum layer thereby being sealed with the base layer at said opposite edges of the base layer. There is also provided a method of manufacture thereof as well as a method of processing in view of recycling. Finally, there is provided a lithographic printing plate comprising the above substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: MYLAN GROUP
    Inventor: My T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9180656
    Abstract: A gravure printing system is disclosed. A gravure cylinder having a first and a second plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface. A cell of the first plurality of discrete cells receives a first portion of a fluid from a first reservoir and a cell of the second plurality of discrete cells receives a second portion of the fluid from a second reservoir. The first and second portions of the fluid is fluidically displaceable into the respective first and second reservoirs through a discrete channel having a single entry point at a position external to the gravure cylinder, a first exit point into the first reservoir, and a second exit point into the second reservoir. The discrete channel provides fluid communication of the first and second portions of the fluid from the position external to the gravure cylinder to each of the respective first and second reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Thomas Timothy Byrne, Michael Scott Prodoehl, Kevin Benson McNeil
  • Patent number: 9174431
    Abstract: A printing screen comprises a screen printing foil and a sub-frame component secured to an edge of the foil, wherein the foil is formed with cut-outs defining deflectable parts of the foil to be deflected out of the plane of the remainder thereof, and the sub-frame component comprises a fixed lip upon which part of the foil can be received, a recess into which the said deflectable parts of the foil can be deflected, and a moveable lip defining a series of spaced projections, the moveable lip being moveable to a position in which the projections bear against the deflectable parts of the foil, deflecting the deflectable parts into the recess to secure the foil to the sub-frame component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Architectural & Metal Systems Limited
    Inventor: David Rawlings
  • Patent number: 9174428
    Abstract: A print press system and a method are described herein that print an electronic circuit onto a material (e.g., glass substrate, plastic film, plastic film-glass substrate laminate). In exemplary applications, the print press system can print an electronic circuit onto a material to form, for instance, a flexible Liquid Crystal Display, a retail point of purchase sign and an e-book.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Addison Boudreau, Douglas Edward Brackley, Raymond Charles Cady, Gary Edward Merz, James Paul Peris, Kevin Lee Wasson
  • Patent number: 9174430
    Abstract: This invention discloses a numbering and imprinting machine including an impression cylinder, a stamp cylinder, a first printing cylinder, a second printing cylinder, and a moving inker which includes a first ink supply device and second ink supply device. A first space is formed between the moving inker, which is set at a retraction position, and the first and second printing cylinders so as to permit entrance of the operator into it. A second space is formed between the stamp cylinder and the first printing cylinder to permit the operator who has entered the first space to access the impression cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: KOMORI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoya Kanayama, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9168767
    Abstract: In a row of lottery tickets each ticket has variable image printing game data printed onto a base layer on a substrate and a series of covering layers including at least one sealing layer and at least one scratch-off layer. Simultaneously game information is printed as a multi-color digital image for each ticket using a variable image printing system. The game information graphics can indicate different values for different ones of the tickets. The tickets in the row can be of different series for sale to different retailers. The printing system automatically correlates the game data and game information to ensure no registration errors thus allowing much improved variability and allowing the game to take into account both game data and game information in determining a winning ticket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Pollard Banknote Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Lyle Scrymgeour, Michael John Brickwood, Andrew Wojtowicz
  • Patent number: 9169870
    Abstract: A gear system is provided. The gear system includes a driven gear, which is rotated by driving force from a driving gear, a base member to support the driven gear, and a bearing structure, including a shaft and a shaft hole to rotatably support the shaft, by which the driven gear is rotatably attached to the base member. One of the shaft and the shaft hole is provided to the driven gear, and the other of the shaft and the shaft hole is provided to the base member. The bearing structure has a lubricant reservoir in a slidable section, in which the shaft and the shaft hole are slidably in contact with each other when the driven gear is rotated by the driving force from the driving gear, the lubricant reservoir containing lubricant to lubricate the slidable section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Igarashi, Tomitake Aratachi
  • Patent number: 9168729
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for correct phase engagement of mechanically coupled rotatably drivable components in printing material processing machines, include a coupling for mechanically connecting at least two of the rotatably drivable components. The at least two rotatably drivable components are operated at a different rotational speed in a transmission ratio in a mechanically coupled state, and a control computer has access to the transmission ratio for controlling an engagement operation and taking the transmission ratio into consideration during the correct phase engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Jens Hieronymus, Alexander Knabe, Armin Reisinger, Eckehard Sommer, Jan Teubert
  • Patent number: 9164437
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus has an image forming unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, a first conveying path, a second conveying path, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms a toner image. The control unit controls execution of a print-less sheet passing processing in which, in a state where a toner image forming operation of the image forming unit is stopped, the first conveying path and the second conveying path convey a sheet to the transfer unit again through the transfer unit and the fixing unit. The control unit controls the execution of the toner image forming operation to the sheet subjected to the print-less sheet passing processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Fuse
  • Patent number: 9162437
    Abstract: A frame assembly for supporting a printing screen, the frame assembly comprising: a frame unit to which a printing screen is in use supported; and a screen loading mechanism for loading a printing screen into and unloading a printing screen from the frame unit, wherein the screen loading mechanism comprises a screen loading member which is movably coupled to the frame unit between a screen-receiving position in which a printing screen can be loaded into or removed from the screen loading member and a loaded position in which the printing screen is loaded into the frame unit, and at least one actuator element which is coupled to the screen loading member and actuatable to move the screen loading member between the screen-receiving and loaded positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Systems Switzerland GmbH
    Inventor: Jeffrey Richard Willshere
  • Patent number: 9156636
    Abstract: A sheet-supply tray device for use with an image recording apparatus, includes a lower sheet-supply tray and an upper sheet-supply tray. The upper sheet-supply tray includes a main body, a leading-end stopper, a trailing-end stopper and a side-end stopper. The main body includes a support surface that supports a recording sheet. The leading-end stopper is fixed on the main body and stops a leading end of the recording sheet. The trailing-end stopper includes a trailing-end contact surface having a trailing-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a trailing-end portion of the recording sheet toward the leading-end stopper. The trailing-end contact surface contacts a trailing end of the recording sheet. The side-end stopper includes a side-end contact surface that contacts a side end of the recording sheet. The side-end contact surface has at least one side-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a side-end portion of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
  • Patent number: 9156297
    Abstract: Marking device (10) having a housing, a stamp pad (13) and an ink reservoir (15), wherein the ink reservoir (15) has a fluid connection to the stamp pad (13) and the ink reservoir (15) is arranged with the stamp pad (13) in a bottom part (11.1) of the housing. The ink reservoir (15) comprises a reservoir region for accommodating an ink and a zone for accommodating the stamp pad (13), which comprises a plurality of outlet holes. In addition, the ink reservoir (15) comprises a plurality of capillary channels, which extend between the reservoir region and the zone, wherein each capillary channel leads to one of the outlet holes, to provide the fluid connection between ink reservoir (15) and the stamp pad (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Inventors: Luc Amgwerd, Annette Lehmann, Markus Mast, Vincent Vaucher
  • Patent number: 9150038
    Abstract: A printing device is provided with a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet, a sheet discharge unit having a discharge tray and configured to discharge the sheet from the printing unit to the discharge tray, and a control unit configured to control the sheet discharge unit to execute a slow discharge process between two subsequent print jobs, the slow discharge process being a sheet discharge process in which sheet discharging ability of the sheet discharge unit is impaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9144966
    Abstract: A roller assembly is provided for spreading and chilling a web in a printing press. The roller assembly includes a roller for chilling and spreading a web and a trolley roller contacting the roller, the trolley roller configured and arranged to impart a deflection in the roller. Also provided is a roller assembly for counteracting web loading on a roller in a printing press. This roller assembly includes a roller for transporting a web, the roller having an axis; a web wrapped partially around the roller and applying a load on the roller transverse to the axis; and a trolley roller contacting the roller, the trolley roller configured and arranged to impart a sufficient force on the roller to keep the axis of the roller linear under said load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence E Zagar, James Brian Vrotacoe, Daniel Matthew Perdue
  • Patent number: 9139396
    Abstract: First and second buffer roller pairs are driven such that a sheet conveyed sequentially by a conveying roller pair is overlapped with a standby sheet by shifting in a sheet conveying direction and such that the overlapped sheets standby at a branch path. A shift length in overlapping the standby sheet with the conveyed sheet is set such that the more the number of times of drawal into the branch path of the sheet, the shorter the shift length becomes. Thereby, the shift length between the respective sheets turns out to be a predetermined shift length in overlapping the standby sheets with a final conveyed sheet and conveying the sheets to an intermediate processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Gamo
  • Patent number: 9126395
    Abstract: A bridge sleeve has at each extreme end of the bridge sleeve, a multi-component stabilizer. One component of each stabilizer includes an inner cylindrical contacting surface having a diameter that changes as this respective component of the stabilizer moves axially relative to at least one other component of the respective stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: ROSSINI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Felice Rossini
  • Patent number: 9120302
    Abstract: A bridge sleeve has at each extreme end of the bridge sleeve, a multi-component stabilizer. One component of each stabilizer includes an inner cylindrical contacting surface having a diameter that changes as this respective component of the stabilizer moves axially relative to at least one other component of the respective stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: ROSSINI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Felice Rossini
  • Patent number: 9114635
    Abstract: A printing apparatus that includes at least two print heads. The printing apparatus includes a body defining a printing cavity therein, a first print path defined within the printing cavity and a second print path defined within the printing cavity that is substantially parallel to the first print path. A first print head is arranged adjacent the first print path and a second print head is arranged adjacent the second print path. A device is provided to move a printing surface from the first print path to the second print path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory F. Carlson, Steven Goss, James D. Bledsoe