Patents Examined by Lynn D. Hendrickson
  • Patent number: 5452655
    Abstract: An apparatus for printing a viscous material onto a surface of a board through the medium of a screen having openings therein. The apparatus comprises a viscous material dispenser (S) of the type having a box-like housing (A) in which a chamber (5) for containing the material and a slit-like bottom aperture (3) communicating therewith are provided. A pair of blades (2A, 2B) depend from the housing (A) on opposite sides of the bottom aperture (3). A rear wall (8) of the housing (A) comprises a fixed upper wall section (8A) and a lower flap wall section (8B) swingably and slidably connected thereto and depending therefrom. The lower flap wall section (8B) defines the rear side of the bottom aperture (3). One of said blades which serves as a squeegee blade is fixed to the flap wall section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Tani Denkikogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Okie Tani
  • Patent number: 5452660
    Abstract: A rotary printing press has a washing mechanism for washing ink residue off of the roller arrangement therein. The washing mechanism has a washing medium applicator and an arrangement of rollers which comprises a roller that can be positioned to split the flow of washing medium into two paths to direct the flow in essentially the shortest route possible to the distribution rollers located at the plate cylinder. The washing mechanism can also have a doctor-blade device for scraping the soiled washing medium from the rollers, and the doctor-blade device can be activated by the same mechanism which activates the positioning of the roller which splits the flow of washing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Lothar Stein
  • Patent number: 5450791
    Abstract: A marking device for marking designs on golf balls includes a housing in which an ink pad is disposed. At least one marking plug is removably mounted in the housing by a screw thread connection. One end of the marking plug includes a design projection. If more than one marking plug is provided, they have mutually different design projections. The housing has a door for exposing the ink pad. A marking plug can be unscrewed from the housing, and its design projection can be pressed against the exposed ink pad. The design projection can then be pressed against a golf ball to imprint the design upon the golf ball. The marking surface of the design projection can be concavely curved with the same radius of curvature as the outer periphery of the golf ball. The marking device can be dimensioned for being connected to a chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Inventor: Ronald J. Prohm
  • Patent number: 5450792
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for cleaning one or more of the rollers used in printing presses. Typically, the printing press features manual or automated devices for supplying cleaning solvent to the press during a washing operation. A blade assembly is pivotally disposed for engagement with the press roller. The blade assembly features a blade unit for scraping solid and liquid debris from the roller, and a receptacle trough for collecting used solvent as well as solid and liquid debris. In the improvement, a sheathing system is provided to supply protective sheath material to cover the blade assembly to keep the blade assembly clean during the washing operation. The sheath material preferably has a low coefficient of friction to prevent wearing of the components and is relatively thin to maintain the blade geometry for effective cleaning of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Baldwin Graphic Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Harold W. Gegenheimer, Charles R. Gasparrini, Walter H. Cano
  • Patent number: 5443003
    Abstract: A longitudinal strip for use in silkscreening, adapted to have attached thereto the screening fabric, said strip including an interlocking mechanism such that when the screen is under tension the strip is securely fastened to the side frame element of a retensionable silk screen frame. The strip may be preformed and the screen cut and attached thereto to reflect and accommodate the flexure of the frame when the tension, appropriate to the material, is applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Inventor: James D. Larson
  • Patent number: 5443557
    Abstract: A printing drum is rotatable supported by a fixed hollow cylindrical member at two axially spaced positions thereof so that the printing drum may be supported in a highly stable fashion and any mis-alignment of the printing drum can be avoided. Also, the interior of the fixed hollow cylindrical member provides an easily accessible space for accommodating a printing ink container and a pump for supplying printing ink. In particular, by using a squeegee blade instead of a squeegee roller, a particularly advantage can be obtained because the diameter of the fixed hollow cylindrical member can be such that an annular chamber defined between the fixed hollow cylindrical member and the inner circumferential surface of the printing drum is barely sufficient to accommodate the squeegee blade in the annular chamber, and the fixed hollow cylindrical member can provide a highly rigid support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5440981
    Abstract: A tubular printing blanket for a blanket cylinder in an offset printing press comprises a cylindrical sleeve, a compressible layer over the sleeve, and an inextensible layer over the compressible layer. The cylindrical sleeve is movable telescopically over a blanket cylinder. The compressible layer comprises a first seamless tubular body of elastomeric material containing compressible microspheres. The inextensible layer comprises a second seamless tubular body of elastomeric material containing a tubular sublayer of circumferentially inextensible material. A seamless tubular printing layer over the inextensible layer has a continuous, gapless cylindrical printing surface. Methods of manufacturing the tubular printing blanket are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberg Harris, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. Vrotacoe, Glenn A. Guaraldi, James R. Carlson, Gregory T. Squires
  • Patent number: 5440984
    Abstract: A device for clamping flexible printing plates on the plate cylinder of rotary printing presses can have tensioning bars provided in a recess of the plate cylinder, to which tensioning bars the ends of the printing plates can be fastened, and can also be provided with an apparatus for correcting the diagonal register of the plate cylinder by providing swivelling of the tensioning bars. The adjustment apparatus can be configured with relatively few joints and the adjustment can be done with as little play as possible and with only minimal influencing of the set values for the circumferential and lateral registers. The arrangement provides a configuration wherein at least one of the tensioning bars can be axially displaced during the swivelling of the tensioning bars in a circumferential direction within the plate cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Willi Becker
  • Patent number: 5440980
    Abstract: A squeegee apparatus for a screen printing machine wherein the vertical operation rod being connected to the moving shaft of the air cylinder fixed to the horizontal movement plate of the squeegee drive section, the cushion member being provided between the vertical operation rod and the vertical movement support rod of the squeegee holder, and the guide posts having stoppers at their top ends being provided on the vertical movement support rod which are slidably inserted through the guide sleeves of the vertical operation rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Minami Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Murakami, Kunio Kondo
  • Patent number: 5438921
    Abstract: The stencil printing device of the present invention comprises a mixing unit for receiving the first liquid from the first liquid storage container and the second liquid from the second liquid storage container, and producing printing ink by mixing the two liquids, a printing ink supply passage for conducting the printing ink produced by the mixing unit to an ink squeegee unit of a printing drum, ink amount sensor for detecting the amount of the printing ink in the ink squeegee unit, and ink supply control unit for controlling the amount of the printing ink that is supplied from the mixing unit to the ink squeegee unit according to the amount of printing ink detected by the ink amount sensor. Thus, a relatively large number of prints can be made with each bottle of printing ink so that the frequency of replacing the ink bottle may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5437227
    Abstract: A doctor arrangement for a rotary intaglio printing machine comprises a doctor to remove excess ink from the plate cylinder. The doctor is in the form of a band which extends parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate cylinder against which it is pressed by a doctor bar. The doctor band is so flexible that it can be wound on and unwound about axes which extend transversely to its longitudinal direction and the doctor band is so mounted and guided at the doctor bar that it is displaceable relative thereto in the longitudinal direction, the length of the doctor band being substantially greater than the axial length of the plate cylinder. A respective winding device for winding on and unwinding the doctor band is arranged in the region of each of the axial ends of the plate cylinder. A drive means displaces the doctor band along the doctor bar during the printing operation when the doctor band is unwound from the one winding device and wound on to the other winding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: U. E. Sebald Druck und Verlag GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Straubinger
  • Patent number: 5429048
    Abstract: An improved printing press includes a tubular-shaped printing blanket removably disposed on a blanket cylinder rotatably supported by a frame and having a continuous outer circumferential surface which is free of gaps. The printing blanket is disposed in rolling engagement with a conventional printing plate disposed on a plate cylinder having an axially extending gap in which opposite ends of the printing plate are secured. The printing blanket is removed by opening a portion of the frame and axially sliding the printing blanket off of the blanket cylinder. To assist in the removal or insertion of the printing blanket the blanket cylinder has passages which deliver a stream of air to the outer surface of the blanket cylinder which expands the inner circumferential surface of the printing blanket so that the blanket can be axially removed or inserted onto the blanket cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventors: John M. Gaffney, Glenn A. Guaraldi, James B. Vrotacoe
  • Patent number: 5429046
    Abstract: A dampening system for a printing apparatus includes a print plate, a printing cylinder contacting the print plate and adapted to supply water to the print plate, a feed device for feeding water to the printing cylinder, and a dampening roller adapted to transfer water from the feed means to the printing cylinder. The dampening roller comprises a roller having a dampening layer composed of a substrate through which is dispersed a plurality of minute hollow bodies. A plurality of the hollow bodies open towards the circumferential surface to form cells for transferring the water from the feed means to the printing cylinder. At least one of the size and the concentration of the hollow bodies dispersed within the substrate is selected depending on the amount of dampening water to be fed to the print plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushikigaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noriyuki Shiba, Yuichi Okamura, Kohmei Kawahara
  • Patent number: 5423252
    Abstract: A printer for printing predetermined patterns of letters, figures, marks and the like on surfaces of solid articles such as tablets or capsule articles which includes a horizontal carrier for carrying the regularly arranged solid articles in a horizontal direction, an ink pattern transfer device for transferring the patterns on the surfaces of the solid articles, a print quality judging device for judging the quality of the printed ink patterns and an inferior article remover for automatically removing articles of inferior print quality from the manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Japan Elanco Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taizo Yamamoto, Hirokazu Konishi
  • Patent number: 5419255
    Abstract: A device for creating a printing pattern on an endless form sleeve utilizes a pattern forming head that is cooperatively positioned with an outer surface of an endless, sleeve. The sleeve has an inner ply of a ferromagnetic material and is supported in part by a support cylinder which may also be magnetic. A sleeve tensioning assembly is used to tension that part of the endless sleeve which is not supported by the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Albert-Frankenthal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Roland Reffert
  • Patent number: 5413042
    Abstract: A lock-up assembly (20) for securing a printing plate (22) on a plate cylinder (10) includes a rotatable lock bar (32) and a spring biased linkage mechanism (36). The linkage mechanism (36) has a first over-center condition in which it rotates the lock bar (32) toward a locked position, and has a second over-center condition in which it rotates the lock bar (32) toward an unlocked position. A movable blocking member (82) blocks the linkage mechanism (36) from switching to the second over-center condition under the influence of centrifugal force when the cylinder (10) is rotating during a printing operation. A hand held tool (40) engages the linkage mechanism (36) to switch it between the first and second over-center conditions upon manual manipulation of the tool (40). The tool (40) also engages the blocking member (82) to move the blocking member (82) from the first position to the second position when the tool (40) is moved into engagement with the linkage mechanism ( 36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Gregory W. Weiss, John M. Gaffney, John J. Dowling
  • Patent number: 5413044
    Abstract: A ready-made fabric sack with an elastic string around the periphery of the sack opening to be placed over a transfer cylinder in a printing press. When placed over the transfer cylinder, the inherent resiliency of the fabric and string causes the sack to envelop the cylinder to provide a resilient fabric surface which prevents smearing and streaking of wet printed sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Inventors: William B. Wu, Brian Yu
  • Patent number: 5413043
    Abstract: The printing apparatus with a forme cylinder which has in its interior a first roller for winding off a printing foil which can be pulled onto the outer surface of the forme cylinder, and a second roller for winding up the printing foil which has been pulled onto the outer surface of the forme cylinder. The forme cylinder has in its outer surface a single opening for a recess into the interior of the forme cylinder. The first roller and the second roller are together arranged in the recess. The printing foil can be wound from the first roller onto the outer surface of the forme cylinder and from the outer surface onto the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Hartmut Fuhrmann, Josef Gottling, Wolfram Fischer
  • Patent number: 5410957
    Abstract: A screen printing apparatus includes a screen frame disposed above a ceramic green-sheet, and a screen on which an electrode pattern is formed is held by the screen frame. A cover is detachably attached to the screen frame by making a recess formed on upper surface of the screen frame engage with a projection formed on a lower end surface of the cover. An interior of the cover becomes an airtight state substantially except for a stitch portion of the screen. Therefore, when a vapor pressure of a volatile solvent of an electrode paste becomes to be saturated in the interior of the cover after volatilization of the volatile solvent to some extent, the volatile solvent of the electrode paste is prevented from further volatilizing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Tanaka, Kenichi Yamada, Taketsugu Ogura
  • Patent number: 5410958
    Abstract: A process is provided for printing fabric, including fabric used in the making ties and other clothing articles. The process includes the step of stabilizing the fabric so that it can be subjected to printing processes without the degree of fabric deformation that would otherwise take place. A backing sheet of kraft paper or other suitable material is used to stabilize the fabric. In one embodiment, the fabric is stabilized so that it can be pulled through a lithographic printing apparatus. Alternatively, the stabilized fabric can be subjected to screen printing processes. The invention is also directed to the stabilized fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventor: Gary D. Sharpe