Abstract: A rotary printing machine has a plate cylinder and a liquid supply apparatus comprising an inker and a damper. The liquid supply apparatus includes rollers and an endless band guided over two deflection rollers. The band, which has a surface that accepts ink and damping fluid and extends over the width of the rollers, is provided with guide elements cooperating with counterpart guide elements attached to the machine. The guide elements and counterpart guide elements are embodied such that the band is displaceable at right angles to the axes of two rollers and is additionally pivotable at least about one of the axes of a deflection roller. Positioning means supported firmly on the machine are also provided for fixing the band in at least two different operating positions, in which the band is in contact with one or two rollers of the liquid supply apparatus.

Abstract: A printing hammer assembly for use in impact printers includes a printing hammer which has an impact surface and an armature and which is supported to be movable in a reciprocating manner along its longitudinal axis, a driving solenoid which drives to move the printing hammer forward when energized against the force of a coil spring which normally applies a biasing force to the printing hammer in the backward direction and a yoke leading a magnetic flux produced by said solenoid to the armature of printing hammer. A pair of magnets are disposed such that they are magnetically repulsive to each other with one of them fixed in position and the other movable over a predetermined distance thereby allowing to absorb the rebounding energy of the hammer when it returns to its home position.

Abstract: An ink metering arrangement for a printing press including a fountain roller having a plurality of slides arranged edge-to-edge in respective column positions, each slide being adjustable so that its tip forms a gap with the roller thereby determining the rate of ink flow in the corresponding column position. Each slide has a reversible motor for driving the slide over a limited range of movement with respect to a slide reference position. A potentiometer is connected to the motor for producing an electrical output signal corresponding to the degree of slide displacement, the potentiometer having a stop to establish a reference output condition. A slip clutch is interposed in at least one of the motor connections so that when the motor is energized in a first direction the potentiometer and slide are both driven to their reference positions accompanied by relative slipping movement of the clutch notwithstanding the fact that the tip of the slide may have been shortened by wear against the roller.

Abstract: A steel support for a planographic plate comprises a steel plate and aluminized layers thereon, each consisting of an alloy layer in contact with said plate and an aluminum layer applied over said alloy layer. The alloy layer is 0.2 to 5 microns in a thickness, and the aluminum layer is more than 7 microns in a thickness.The aluminized plate is then cold-rolled at a rolling reduction of 30 to 85% in total to remove spangle dents or pin holes therefrom.

Abstract: A gripper device for transporting and registering sheets of any type under the printing heads of silk screening and the like printing machines, which comprises a box-like supporting body having hingedly connected thereto, against the bias of preloaded spring members, a plate-like element forming a flat jaw, and juxtaposed thereto, a plurality of flat surface gripper elements which are set in mutual alignment and for oscillation about a parallel axis to said juxtaposed jaw and adapted to be brought close against said juxtaposed jaw by means of at least one slide element which is driven reciprocatingly by a drive shaft from the silk screen printer, said slide element being provided with an actuating means cooperating with means associated with said flat jaw and with said plurality of juxtaposed gripper elements and adapted to produce, as said slide is being reciprocated, a rotation of said plurality of gripper elements about their own axes toward said opposed flat jaw and to allow said flat jaw to be disengaged

Abstract: A device for adjusting the position of the printing head of a printer has a leaf spring received in a groove formed in the carrier of the printer. The spring is bent into a doglegged form such that the spring force is applied to both ends of the carrier backwardly. The printing head is mounted on a support plate which is provided with a groove with which the anchoring portions of the leaf spring engage. The support plate is mounted on the upper surface of the carrier so as to be slidable forwards and backwards by a counter-sunk screw.

Abstract: A carriage drive mechanism for a screen printing press includes a stroke adjustment mechanism which enables the length of the printing stroke to be altered quickly and conveniently from the exterior of the press without interrupting operation of the press.The preferred drive mechanism includes a pivoting drive lever joined to a crank link by a movable connector. Longitudinal displacement of the connector on the drive lever alters the length of the stroke of the drive lever, which alters the length of the printing stroke. The preferred means for displacing the connector includes a threaded rod which is disposed within the drive lever and which extends through a threaded bore in the connector so that rotation of the threaded rod about its longitudinal axis imparts longitudinal motion to the connector.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing a pattern of a flat horizontal screen on an underlying substrate comprises a wiper assembly mounted on a carriage above the screen and an electromagnet beneath the screen reciprocable along the latter jointly with the carriage. A cradle limitedly pivotable on the carriage about a horizontal axis extends across the screen and supports, via adjustable holders, a working wiper and a distributing wiper on opposite sides of its pivotal axis. The working wiper, which may be a blade or a roller, directly overlies the electromagnet and is magnetizable and/or accompanied by a magnetizable mass whereby energization of the electromagnet attracts the side of the cradle bearing that wiper to press it against the screen for forcing dyestuff therethrough onto the substrate, this side trailing during a printing stroke.

Abstract: A system for dehydrating the inking roller system of a lithographic rotary printing press includes providing a flow stream of pressure air or other dry gas across the inking roller system to evaporate water entrained with the ink and which has migrated from the plate cylinder through the inking roller system as a result of application of water to the plate cylinder. An elongated distribution manifold is mounted on the press in proximity to the inking roller distribution system and preferably in proximity to one or more of the vibratory rollers in direct contact with the inking rollers engaged with the plate cylinder.

Abstract: To prevent introduction of paper scraps or torn paper into the inker of a web printing machine, a web paper tear sensor (17, 18) controls a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder-piston unit (25) which severs engagement between an ink supply roller (13) and an ink application roller (12) while maintaining contact of the ink application roller with the plate cylinder (4) of the printing machine; the greater quantity of ink on the ink application roller will cause paper to adhere to the ink application roller, and thus wrap itself about that roller, severance of contact with the ink supply roller (13) preventing introduction of torn paper into the inker.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing a design with a stencil screen including a resilient membrane formed by reversely-bent portions in the screen between a desired pattern defined by a paint-pervious opening in the screen and edge portions of the screen. The reversely-bent portions of the screen are filled with an elastomeric material and extend beyond the bent portions of the screen. A coating of an elastomeric material may be applied to the outside areas of the reversely-bent portions of the screen and adhered to the elastomeric material in the pocket of the screen by permeating the screen openings.

Abstract: A `flat` silk-screen printing machine is disclosed wherein the table is reciprocably displaced along an inclined table support between a raised, advanced, printing position wherein the table is parallel to and immediately below a horizontal screen and a lowered, retracted, access position in which the table is inclined and extends forwardly of the inclined table support so that the greater part of the table protrudes outwardly of the machine, thereby providing enhanced access for positioning and removing the substrate to be printed. The table is pivotally mounted on the inclined table support and pivoted by a combination of a linkage and fluid cylinder and is attached to a belt running along the inclined table supported for translation up and down the same.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for the production of silk screened textile goods. Workpieces are positioned on pedestals of a conveyor at a printing station and a silk screen design is then printed thereon. Cyclical operation of the conveyor incrementally advances the printed workpieces to a "drying" station where the printed designs is converted to solid form. The ink employed is plastisol based and is converted or "dried" to solid form primarily through polymerization. The "drying" station employs a heater element which selectively emits infra-red radiation spectrally limited to a wavelength range of three to four microns, a wavelength range at which the liquid plastisol exhibits a peak of radiation absorption. Operation of the conveyor is responsive to the rate at which an operator silk screens the workpieces with means being provided to retract the heater element from its operative position if this rate falls below a predetermined pace in order to avoid over exposure of the workpiece to the infra-red radiation.

Abstract: A duplicating stencil has its heading strip in the form of two separate regions separated by a perforation line.The holes on one region have a different arrangement from those on the other regions, so that tearing along the perforation line allows one region to be separated from the rest of the stencil and to leave the holes of the remaining region as the effective mounting holes.A single image field and a single top edge guide line apply for all of the heading strip regions.

Abstract: A pullout roller assembly for a printing press comprising an upper roller and a mounting therefor, the mounting including a bellcrank lever having an upright leg and a horizontal leg joined to the upright leg by an elbow. The roller is mounted on a fixed axis of rotation to the elbow and the outer end of the horizontal leg has a ball type universal connection to the frame of the press. The upper end of the upright leg has a pocket formed therein in which a spherical output end of a prime mover is positioned for exerting a force against a flat surface in the pocket without binding for biasing the lever and thus the pullout roller mounted thereon against the periphery of a companion roller, which is normally powered, for grasping a sheet or web of paper passing between the rollers and moving the paper through various stations of the press.

Abstract: A strip assembly for a printing device having an endless type band frictionally driven by drive and idler pulleys between print hammers and a platen comprises a wear strip and wiper strip attached together at a common end. The wiper strip has a wiper portion extending from the point of attachment which terminates in a scraper edge. A retention device mounted in proximity with the drive pulley comprises means connectable to the common end to hold said wear strip under tension and said wiper strip in spring loaded condition with the scraper edge in contact with the drive surface of the drive pulley for cleaning wear strip residue and other deposits from the pulleys and the type band.

Abstract: A screen printing machine has at least one printing station wherein rotary or flat screens are used. Downstream of the printing station, there is provided a heated continuously or discontinuously driven roller over the heated jacket of which the web is trained. The web preferably consists of impermeable material. The heated roller defines a drying path. A cooling unit is disposed downstream of the drying path and is preferably defined by a cooling roller which is connected to a cooling device. A web supplying roller is mounted at the inlet of the machine and a takeup roller is mounted downstream of the cooling unit. The transport of the web may be controlled during forward movement as well as during rearward movement. The machine is compact because the cooling unit and one of the web supplying and takeup rollers are disposed at a level below the printing station.

Abstract: A lightweight, thin walled, plural metal coated plastic sleeve for use in rotogravure or flexographic printing as well as a rotogravure printing cylinder are disclosed. The sleeve is supported internally and laterally by, for example, an expanding mandrel containing journal bearings and the resulting combination may be used as a rotogravure printing cylinder in a rotogravure printing machine. The sleeve and cylinder are lightweight and easy to handle and store and are adapted for quick changes in the printing machine without removal of the journals and the internal support. The particular method of making the sleeve enhances the adhesion of the copper to the plastic base.

Abstract: A system for automatically removing dust from a plate cylinder of a printing press has a laminated structure for inputting a dust removal position, which comprises (a) a printed circuit substrate bearing thereon a reference signal input circuit of comb form with numerous comb conductors and position signal read-out circuits alternatively interposed respectively between adjacent pairs of comb conductors and (b) a pressure-activated conductor sheet superposed in laminated state on and over the circuit substrate. When a printed material having a printing defect due to dust on the printing plate is laid over with correct register on this laminated structure, and the part of the defect is pressed, the nearest conductors of the input circuit and of the read-out circuit are shorted to designate the position of the defect. The resulting signal is processed and is sent to a dust removing mechanism to move a disk-shaped elastic dust removing head to the corresponding dust existing part of the printing plate.

Abstract: A writing instrument cartridge contains a loose fitting ball follower disposed within the cartridge between an end of a column of paste like ink exhibiting a yield value, and compressed gas contained in a sealed end of the cartridge. The ball follower is adapted to help peel the ink from the tube walls without contact and to prevent the gas from channeling through the ink and escaping from the cartridge past a ball point or nib during writing.