Patents Examined by Eugene H. Eickholt
  • Patent number: 6799509
    Abstract: An ink furnishing apparatus comprises an ink fountain storing ink, an ink furnishing roller engaged with the ink fountain, withdrawing the ink in the ink fountain by rotations thereof and furnishing the ink to a printing plate, and an ink contacting member formed at substantially an entire length of the ink fountain in a width direction thereof and contactable with the ink in the ink fountain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mutsumi Naniwa
  • Patent number: 6799510
    Abstract: A lightweight, low-cost bridge mandrel applicable to the Flexographic printing process is adapted for mounting on the outer surface of a shaft or roller. The mandrel preferably includes a thin-walled, cylindrical metal tube having an inner surface, an outer surface, and two ends defining a length. An end cap is disposed at each end of the tube, each with a central bore to receive the shaft or roller. A polymeric layer is bonded directly or indirectly to the metal tube, thereby defining a precise, desired final diameter upon which to mount a printing sleeve. The metal tube is preferably steel, though aluminum and various metal or composite alloys may alternatively be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: New Hudson Corporation
    Inventor: Van R. Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 6796647
    Abstract: There are provided a method of forming an image on a card and an apparatus therefor, which are capable of properly carrying out printing of an image on a card and protection of the printed image in a simplified manner without changing the size of the card. A card is used which has an ink-fixing layer laminated on a surface of a substrate layer and an ink image-receiving layer peelably laminated on a surface of the ink-fixing layer. An image is printed on the card, while feeding the card, by an ink jet printing method using a sublimable dye ink. The card printed with the image is conveyed to a heating source, and subjected to heat treatment by the heating source to cause diffusion of the sublimable dye ink held in the ink image-receiving layer in the ink-fixing layer, and color development to form an image. The ink image-receiving layer is peeled off the card after the heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Zenta Kosaka, Kazuaki Morozumi, Kunihiko Matsuhashi, Yoshiki Minowa
  • Patent number: 6796230
    Abstract: A self-inking stamp with a stamp pad disposed in a container movably retained in a shaft in the frame of the stamp. To prevent the insertion into the shaft of non-genuine stamp pads the shaft and container are respectively provided with complementary keying features. In a preferred embodiment the keying feature consists of matching grooves and protrusions in the shaft and container, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Trodat GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Pichler, Peter Zindl
  • Patent number: 6795668
    Abstract: When a sensor in an image forming device detects fog on the photosensitive belt, the CPU of the image forming device controls the shutter in each toner hopper unit to open and drives a discharging auger to rotate, causing degraded toner to be discharged from the developing chamber into a waste toner accommodating chamber. After this discharging operation is completed, the CPU closes the shutter and begins driving a supply auger to rotate in order to supply new toner from the accommodating chamber into the developing chamber, thereby replacing most of the old toner in the developing chamber with new toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenjiro Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 6792853
    Abstract: A stencil printer of the present invention includes a print drum for wrapping a master therearound, a master making and conveying section for perforating a stencil paid out from a stencil roll while conveying it to thereby produce the master, a master stocking section for stocking the master being conveyed by the master making and conveying section, and a roller pair for conveying the master out of the master stocking section. A movable master guide selectively guides the stencil paid out from the stencil roll to the master stocking section or the roller pair. A stretching member adjoins the print drum and is movable between a contact position where it contacts the stencil present on the print drum to thereby exert a stretching force on the master and a released position where the former is released from the latter. The stretching member and movable master guide are interlocked to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Tohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomiya Mori, Masanori Takahashi, Kazuyoshi Kobayashi, Kengo Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 6792855
    Abstract: A flexographic machine comprising at least one inking unit that has lateral supporting means for a doctor body that forms at least partially an inking chamber and supports at least one first doctor blade and at least one second doctor blade; the inking unit further comprises elements for contrasting the inflection of the doctor body that occurs when the inking unit is in the active condition; the elements that contrast the inflection of the doctor body comprise elements adapted to apply a contrasting flexural action to the doctor body, at least when the inking unit is in the active condition; the contrasting flexural action is substantially equal and opposite to the flexural action affecting the doctor body when the inking unit is in the active condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Uteco Holding S.p.A
    Inventor: Agostino Renato Pertile
  • Patent number: 6791722
    Abstract: A synchronizing circuit and a timing adjusting circuit set a position of an exposure area by beam scanning as an additional value of a first setting value set in dot unit corresponding to the scanning of a pixel clock period and a second setting value set in tap unit corresponding to the scanning of a period smaller than the pixel clock period. A CPU controls the synchronizing circuit and the timing adjusting circuit so that the exposed position becomes an objective position. The CPU changes the second setting value to a first predetermined value by increasing the first setting value by one dot, in the case that the additional value is increased to reach a first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Komiya, Koji Tanimoto, Daisuke Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6789478
    Abstract: A device for controlling delivery of an amount of fluid has a first rotating device having at least one peripheral first fluid transfer section, a second rotating device having at least one peripheral second fluid transfer section, and a device for setting a phase between the first and second fluid transfer sections. The device may be used for providing ink or dampening solution in a printing press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Kent Dirksen Kasper, Lothar John Schroeder, Stephen Arthur Austin
  • Patent number: 6789479
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a printing sleeve on a press cylinder includes an inherently stiff annular holding element having an inner shape which is matched to the outer shape of the sleeve, and mutually facing ends defining a slit having a width. At least one clamp urges the ends toward each other to form a butt joint, so that the holding element can clamp the sleeve with a clamping force which is limited by the width of the slit. A device is provided for expanding the holding element so that the clamping force on the sleeve can be released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Josef Göttling, Thomas Hartmann
  • Patent number: 6786152
    Abstract: An ink metering system for a roller train in a printing machine which in the illustrated embodiment includes a fountain roller and a downstream train of rollers communicating with a plate or form cylinder of the printing press. One or more plating devices (12) are provided which each have a plate-like element (19) adjustably positionable with respect to a respective roller for leveling ink on the surface of the roller before or after passage through a contact zone with an adjacent roller in which ink is pulled off and separated between the rollers. The plating devices are relatively simple in construction and operation and provide stable ink guidance on the roller surfaces that noticeably improves print quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Hubert Zschetzsche, Peter Hummel, Robert Ortner
  • Patent number: 6786587
    Abstract: Upon performing printing using a dye ink and a pigment ink and in addition a treatment liquid making those inks insoluble, two kinds of inks consisted of the pigment ink and the dye ink are used. After applying the pigment ink on a printing medium, the dye ink is applied overlaying with the pigment ink. After mixing these inks on the printing medium, the treatment liquid which makes the inks insoluble, is applied. In the alternative, a mixed ink in which a pigment ink not requiring a dispersant and the dye, is used. After application of this mixed ink on the printing medium, the treatment liquid which makes the ink insoluble, is applied. Therefore, problem of “crack”, “soaking out”, “overflow” or lowering of OD value which can be caused upon reaction of the pigment ink and the dye ink or the mixed ink with the treatment liquid, can be solved to achieve high quality printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noribumi Koitabashi
  • Patent number: 6782822
    Abstract: A printing apparatus (10) for printing an image on a receiving substrate (20), the printing apparatus including: ink application means (11) for imagewise applying liquid ink to a side of the receiving substrate; a drying section (12) for drying the receiving substrate after the ink application; transportation means (13, 14, 15) for transporting the receiving substrate along a path (30-36) past the ink application means (11) and through the drying section (12); wherein the path (30-36) has a path section (30-36) between a first position (P1,P2) at the ink application means (11) and a second position (P3-P7) downstream the first position (P1,P2), the path section (30-36) having first (30) and second (32) substantially straight portions and a convex curve (31) between the first (30) and second (32) substantially straight portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert
    Inventors: Bart Verhoest, Dirk De Ruyter, Bart Verlinden
  • Patent number: 6782813
    Abstract: A method for the production of printed surfaces which are fluorescent under ultraviolet (UV) light uses either a single color or four-color print process in which the base colors of yellow, blue and red and special color tones contain fluorescent pigments, which are not visible under normal light but visible under UV light, in a fixed ratio to the pigments which are colorfast under high intensity light. The method of this invention can be carried out easily to apply and the numerous printing steps previously required are avoided. One advantage is that pictures printed with fluorescent colors appear to give a complete three-dimensional effect at night under UV light with an authentic stepless color reproduction of all tones when daylight effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Brightsign GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Beckmann, Jan Kamp, Stephan Meuter
  • Patent number: 6783291
    Abstract: A printer using a roll of paper having an easy structure and ease of maintenance. A bottom plate (10a) of a printer body unit (10) is attached to a bottom plate (31) of a connecting member (30). At the side wall (32) of the connecting member, a cutter unit (20) is attached so as to be rotatable around the pivot P. A platen (40) is attached to the cutter unit through a platen support member (50). A print head (12) has a printing surface (12a) and a rear surface (12b). The printing surface and the rear surface are arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate (10a) of the printer body unit. When the printer is not used, the cutter unit is rotated upwardly at about 90 degrees, so that the platen is located on the non-printing surface side of the print head, opposite to a printing surface, with respect to a rear surface of the print head. Thus, the place above the print head becomes widely open, and the maintenance of the print head can be easily operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Tsuchiya, Hiromi Ohtsuka, Fumio Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6783804
    Abstract: A cast coated printing sheet providing high paper gloss and smoothness, desirable printing performance characteristics, and enhanced printed product attributes. The cast coated sheet comprises a substrate and a brushed coating layer comprising (a) a pigment, (b) a functionally effective amount of latex such that a dried unbrushed layer of the coating will not adhere sufficiently to the casting surface to allow the unbrushed layer to be cast, and (c) a functionally effective amount of brushing agent such that damage to the coating layer surface during brushing is minimized. The invention further provides methods for manufacturing such cast coated printing sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: S.D. Warren Services Company
    Inventor: Paul G. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 6779789
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique for accurately identifying advertising forms for insertion into different publications. In an implementation, the method includes providing the advertising forms with a lap area, and printing a lap identifier onto the lap area. The lap identifier includes at least one of a publication name and an issue code so that the advertising forms can be properly correlated with the publication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Media Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Lynda McKay
  • Patent number: 6779449
    Abstract: A carrying sleeve, for painting and transfer forms of a metal material, the initial form of which is a rectangular thin-walled flat sheet. The sheet is bent into the desired hollow cylindrical form and the edges of the sheet which point toward one another are permanently connected together. The sleeve surface is processed in order to form a homogeneous continuous outer surface, so that continuous printing can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Eduard Hoffmann, Wolfgang Prem, Johann Winterholler
  • Patent number: 6779788
    Abstract: A web of printed paper is cut into sections by a cutting cylinder while riding on a folding cylinder, and each paper section has its midpart subsequently pushed by a folding blade on the folding cylinder into a jaw cavity formed in the surface of a jaw cylinder in order to be folded into the form of a signature while being transferred from the folding cylinder onto the jaw cylinder. Mounted adjacent the opposite ends of the jaw cavity in the jaw cylinder are a pair of hooks which are cammed into and out of the space that is created by the midpart of each paper section upon insertion in the jaw cavity. The paper section has its midpart positively retained in the jaw cavity while being folded. A set of fixed and movable jaws is also provided in the jaw cavity and functions mostly to fold the paper section rather than to grip the same against accidental detachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Takahashi, Hiroyuki Fujinuma
  • Patent number: 6779446
    Abstract: The invention relates to the drive of a printing machine. Cylinders and functional groups are to be driven with low technical expenditure. To this end, all form cylinders (1.1, 1.2)in a printing unit, for example, are driven respectively by separate electric motors (7) and are not in mechanical drive connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Josef Hajek, Johann Königer, Michael Schramm, Peter Gröbner