Patents Examined by Eugene H. Eickholt
  • Patent number: 6748859
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which combines an interchangeable ink cassette assembly and a printing press drawer. The ink cassette which includes an ink pan, an anilox roll, and a meter roll may be removably attached to a printing press drawer such that the ink pan and the rolls can be removed as an integral unit from the printing press. Removal of the ink pan and rolls facilitates cleaning of the rolls and the pan. Further, a second assembly may quickly replace the removed assembly to reduce significantly the downtime of the press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Goldburt, Dave Telken
  • Patent number: 6748867
    Abstract: A golf ball having a mark with a distinct appearance unrealizable by only changing in tint. Ink can be prepared by mixing one or more components which provide luster such as pearl particles, shell particles, mica particles and the like in an ink medium. Therefore, ink can be used for marking the surface of the golf ball by an indirect printing used with a transfer printing film or a direct printing such as a pad printing, a screen printing and the like. The composition of the ink is 5 to 150 parts by weight of the mica, pearl particles and the like. The mica, the pearl particles and the like are employed for flat forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuhei Kametani, Takashi Ohira, Susumu Muta
  • Patent number: 6745691
    Abstract: An ink supplying device for tape dispenser is disclosed to include a housing detachably mounted in the tape dispenser for receiving ink therein, a porous ink soaking layer mounted inside the housing and adapted to soak ink, and a fabric ink applying layer covered on the porous ink soaking layer and adapted to be contacted with the printing surface of a printing wheel of the tape dispenser for applying ink from the porous ink soaking layer to the printing surface of the printing wheel evenly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventor: Harrison Huang
  • Patent number: 6745689
    Abstract: A printing press includes an inking unit provided with a screen roller having, on a circumference thereof, a pattern formed of depressions fillable with a printing medium, another roller co-operatively engageable with the screen roller, and a drive device, the screen roller and the other roller being drivingly coupled with one another so that, after each revolution of the screen roller, a pattern depicted by the printing medium on the other roller in a form of printing medium accumulations has a slight offset, in circumferential direction, with respect to a pattern depicted on the other roller during a preceding revolution of the screen roller, so that the new printing medium accumulations are positionable on the other roller in at least approximately printing-medium free gaps in, respectively, adjacent printing medium residual accumulations; and a method of operating the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stephen Franklin, Martin John Callahan, Wolfgang Schönberger
  • Patent number: 6745693
    Abstract: A variable data lithographic printing device comprises surrounding a printing cylinder a photosensitive layer coater, an exposure source, optionally a developer, an inking applicator, optionally a transfer system, and optionally an eraser. During printing operation, each surface areas of the rotating cylinder continuously undergo the cycle of coating, imagewise exposure, optionally developing, inking, printing of inked images to the receiving medium, and optionally erasing processes. The developing means can be omitted if an ink and/or fountain solution developable photosensitive layer is used. In an alternative design, the cylinder is replaced with a continuous supply of a ribbon with lithographic substrate surface. In another alternative design, the cylinder and the coater are replaced with a continuous supply of a pre-sensitized ribbon comprising on a substrate a photosensitive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventor: Gary Ganghui Teng
  • Patent number: 6742456
    Abstract: A rapid prototyping system preferably includes a basic component in powder form selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, and one or more aluminosilicate glasses; an acidic component (polymeric, oligomeric or polymerizable low molecular weight acid or hydrolyzable acidic metal salt); and an aqueous binder capable of stimulating a crosslinking reaction between the basic component and the acidic component to form a three-dimensional printed object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Vladek Kasperchik, Terry M. Lambright
  • Patent number: 6739248
    Abstract: A seal for a chambered doctor blade (10) of a printing machine, in the form of a rubber-elastic body, which is inserted at the end of the chambered doctor blade in a seal holder (18) and, with an obliquely applied lip (24), lies against the periphery of a roller (12), against which the chambered doctor blade is placed, wherein the seal (20) has a second lip (24), which forms a V-shaped cross section with the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Fischer & Krecke GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Wilfried Kolbe, Klaus Schirrich, Lars Grüter
  • Patent number: 6739263
    Abstract: An artificial chamois leather type product is provided with a colour printed decoration on at least one face thereof, that face having material such as polyester chamois material (12) and the cover layer (10, 11), typically of a latex material is highly moisture permeable yet provides wear resistance to the product; the cover material is characterized by being devoid of colouring material which would deleteriously affect a colour printed image (13) printed onto the layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Investment Marketing Consortium Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Allan Conen
  • Patent number: 6739252
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for reversing sheet material in a sheet-processing machine having at least two printing units, a reversing drum with a gripper system, and an impression cylinder that can be operated as a storage drum in perfecting mode and to which a further gripper system for one edge of the sheet material is assigned. In perfecting mode, one of the edges of the sheet material is gripped at an angular offset before the transfer centerline between the reversing drum and the storage drum, before the edge of the sheet material fixed to the storage drum is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Günter Stephan, Karl-Heinz Helmstädter, Eckart Frankenberger, Hans-Peter Hiltwein
  • Patent number: 6736060
    Abstract: A printing unit is comprised of at least three rotating members, such as an impression cylinder, a forme cylinder that cooperates with the impression cylinder in a printing position, and a roller that cooperates with the forme cylinder. The two, cylinders and the roller may gave a zero rotational speed or a production rotational speed. At least two of the rotating member also have a set-up rotational speed that is different from the zero rotational speed and the production rotational speed of these rotating members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Bernd Kurt Masuch
  • Patent number: 6725772
    Abstract: A method provides reference profile density values for at least one color combination having a plurality of colors produced by a reference device using a reference colorant set, at least one overprint color combination having reference initial percent dot values (IPDVs); providing current profile density values for at least one color combination produced by a current device using a current colorant set, at least one color combination produced by the current colorant set having current IPDVs; quantifying reference theoretical percent dot values (TPDVs) as efficiency attributes using reference colorant set; quantifying current TPDVs as efficiency attributes using the current colorant set; and calculating factors that compensate for at least one difference between image data produced with the reference colorant set and image data to be printed with the current colorant set in response to reference efficiency attributes and current efficiency attributes, factors used to adjust and generate image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Ackley Martinez Company
    Inventors: Henry Martinez, Barry W. Krause, Charles Martinez
  • Patent number: 6722280
    Abstract: A method for loading and unloading substrates on a drum of an imaging engine is applicable to the loading of plates in a platesetter. The method comprises unclamping a trailing edge of a first substrate of the drum and clamping a header of a second substrate to the drum. The order in which these two steps are performed is not critical to the invention. For example, the clamping and unclamping can happen simultaneously. Alternatively, the unclamping of the trailing edge can occur before the clamping of the header, or visa versa. In any case, the drum is then rotated to eject the first substrate from the drum while installing the second substrate on the drum. The notion here is that, as the drum is rotated, one substrate is being ejected while a second substrate is being installed on the drum. Thereafter, the header of the first substrate is unclamped and the trailing edge of the second substrate is clamped to the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Agfa Corporation
    Inventor: Richard T. Shih
  • Patent number: 6718880
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for image formation, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium for use in the method for image formation. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film; forming an image on the intermediate transfer recording medium in its transfer portion; transferring the transfer portion onto an object; and, thereafter, again transferring the intermediate transfer recording medium in its next transfer portion once or more onto the object with the image formed thereon. In this case, in the intermediate transfer recording medium, a hologram image is set every at least second image plane, and an image can be formed on the transfer portion having the hologram image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Oshima, Kozo Odamura, Takayuki Imai, Tadahiro Ishida, Etsuo Takasaki
  • Patent number: 6715424
    Abstract: An ink supply controller capable of generating a proper ink curve from a result of printing even when there is a small difference in image area percentage between ink key regions is provided. The ink supply controller includes an old job data storing element for storing old job data; a new job data acquiring element for acquiring new job data; an ink curve generating element for generating an ink curve based on the old job data and the new job data; an ink curve display element for displaying the generated ink curve; and an updating element for updating the old job data by using the generating ink curve. The ink curve generating element acquires data parameters for generation of the ink curve from both the old job data and the new job data to set an approximate curve obtained from a distribution of these data parameters as a new ink curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaharu Yamamoto, Kazuya Takeda
  • Patent number: 6712002
    Abstract: A printing machine having an inking unit which prevents overinking of the printing cylinder upon increases in printing speed, such as during start-up of a printing operation. The inking unit includes an ink supply, two roll trains each comprising a plurality of inking rolls for communicating ink from the ink supply to a plurality of ink applicator rolls associated with the printing cylinder, with at least one inking roll in each roll train being displaceable in phase with an increase in printing speed for interrupting the respective roll train and preventing excessive ink application to the printing cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Sonke Herbst, Elmar Jung, Uwe Puschel, Peter Schramm
  • Patent number: 6712004
    Abstract: A plate inserting apparatus includes a locking portion and suction pad, and a solenoid valve. The locking portion and suction pad hold a plate to which an elastic restoration force is applied. The solenoid valve releases the plate held by the locking portion and suction pad. The plate released by the solenoid valve is inserted into a plate clamp device provided in a plate cylinder by its elastic restoration force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Takanobu Aoki
  • Patent number: 6708615
    Abstract: A powder apparatus for a printing press includes delivery chains or a transfer cylinder, spray nozzles, and a circular columnar rotary member or transfer cylinder. The delivery chains or transfer cylinder has gripper units or grippers for holding and moving in a sheet convey direction a sheet having a printing surface. The spray nozzles spray a powder toward the printing surface of the sheet which is being conveyed by the delivery chains or transfer cylinder. The rotary member or transfer cylinder is provided downstream of the spray nozzles in the sheet convey direction and is supported rotatably. The rotary member or transfer cylinder has at least one notch that opposes the gripper units or grippers, during rotation, which move along with sheet convey operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 6705785
    Abstract: A guide strip removal system includes a pair of guide strip removal devices positioned on opposite sides of a printer outlet where a continuous sheet of paper is discharged. The guide strip removal devices each include a pair of plate members secured together in a spaced apart parallel relationship to define a narrow slot therebetween. The plate members each have a corner portion delineated from a planar main body portion by respective narrow slits that extend from front edges of the plate members toward rear edges thereof. The corner portions are angled away from the main body portions to create paths for the side edge guide strips that diverge abruptly away from paths for the marginal side edge portions of the printer paper. The side edge guide strips are thereby removed from the marginal side edge portions of the, paper without the use of any moving parts or cutting blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Inventor: Richard White
  • Patent number: 6705223
    Abstract: An inking unit for a printing machine includes at least one roller, an ink container adjacent to the roller, a metering doctor blade disposed on the ink container and being engageable with the roller, and a movable displacer element for setting a printing ink level in the ink container relative to the metering doctor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Schönberger
  • Patent number: 6705603
    Abstract: A binding apparatus has a switching flapper 15 switching a feed path for feeding papers to either an upper discharge port or a lower discharge port, a discharge roller 20 provided on the upper discharge port, and a shutter 13, a stapler 14 and a discharge roller 12 provided on the lower discharge port. The discharge roller 12 can feed the papers in a direction opposite to a general paper feed direction, and the shutter 13 stops the papers on a specified position and positions the same when the papers are fed in the opposite direction. The stapler 14 staples the positioned papers. The discharge roller 12 presses the papers against the shutter 13, registers the papers, and discharges the papers in the general paper feed direction after the papers are stapled. Consequently, a miniature paper binding apparatus having a simple structure can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kirino, Takeshi Katoh