Abstract: An attractive, economical, dependable frame protector and process are provided to minimize tearing, puncturing, scratching, and loosening of printing screens as well as to protect and extend the useful life of a printing screen frame. The frame protector comprises a special expandable clamp with an annular body portion and lips which clamp the printing screen. The lips of the clamp can be taped to the printing screen. The clamp annularly surrounds and covers the frame member. The annular body portion includes a printing screen frame-engagable clamping member with a bight that is shaped and arranged to complement the contour of and clamp a frame member of a printing screen frame.

Abstract: A rotatable pick engager for use with a printer for precisely timing the engagement of a paper stack with a pick roller during the picking of a sheet from the stack, greatly reducing top of sheet variability, skewing and multiple picks.

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.

Abstract: A squeegee device for applying a substance to a web of material, comprising lateral boundary plates for the squeegee slidably guided in a direction normal to the web, the boundary plates being provided with inserts of magnetizable material, which can be attracted by a magnet arranged beneath the web of material.

Abstract: To provide a paper guide roller on which freshly printed ink does not smear while, still, the roller has a surface which is sufficiently rough so that it can be rotated by frictional engagement with a paper web passing thereover, the roller is formed with a base body, typically of steel or cast iron, on which a jacket (3) is placed. In accordance with the present invention, the jacket (3) has two layers, a first layer (4) of ultra-high molecular plastic material, for example polyethylene or polytetrafluorothylene, and a second layer (5) thereover, which has glass balls or beads (6) mixed therein. The material of the second layer can be the same as the first, or different; the glass balls or beads project by a distance of about 20% of their diameter from the second layer. A suitable thickness for the first layer is about 0.3 mm, and the glass balls or beads may have diameters of between 0.2 to 1 mm.

Abstract: According to the present invention, even when a position of a printing cylinder is changed, a relative distance to a cleaning unit is invariable. Hence, a contact pressure of the cleaning unit with the printing cylinder is always kept constant. Movable plates are supported on a fixed plate and drivable in reciprocation towards and away from the printing cylinder by an actuator. A first movable plate is mounted with a positioning roller capable of rotationally contacting a bearer of the printing cylinder, thereby positioning the cleaning unit mounted on the second movable plate. The second movable plate is provided with a contact pressure adjusting mechanism of the cleaning unit. Even when changing a rotational center of the printing cylinder by the positioning roller rotationally contacting the bearer, the cleaning unit can be always set at a constant contact pressure.

Abstract: An assembly for forming or embossing a decorative pattern on at least one exposed surface of an elongated slat particularly of the type used in a vertical blind assembly. A pair of driven rollers are designed, disposed, dimensioned and configured to engage opposite sides of a slat immediately subsequent to its formation by a plastic extruder. The exterior surface of one of the rollers has the decorative patterns formed thereon and when forced into confronting engagement with an exposed surface of the slat, the decorative pattern is transferred by an embossing technique. The temperature of the rollers are regulated to facilitate transfer of the decorative pattern, continuous movement of the slat through the rollers and formation of the transverse or cross-sectional configuration of the slat concurrently to placing the decorative pattern thereon.

Abstract: A composite printing device comprises a portable printer and a tape printer case removably engageable with the portable printer from below. The portable printer includes a bottom printing head, a pair of drive wheels and a pair of idle wheels. The tape printer case accommodates a tape roll for supplying a tape, a platen for guiding the tape, and a feed roller for feeding the tape from the tape roll. When the tape printer case is engaged with the portable printer, the printing head faces the tape guided by the platen while the drive wheel is operatively connected to the feed roller for rotationally driving the feed roller.

Abstract: In the case of a web breakage detector for web processing machines and more particularly for web feed printing machines, comprising a device for monitoring the web tension and adapted to produce a signal in the event of the web tension decreasing, a high degree of reliability and ease of operation are possible if said monitoring device is designed in the form of a pressure measuring device, which comprises a web pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in a gap delimited during normal operation on the one hand by the web and on the other hand by a stationary cover passed by the web, such sensor being adapted to produce a signal in the event of a pressure drop occurring in the gap.

Abstract: A respirator for emergency oxygen supply for passengers in aircraft, with a mounting container (1), which can be closed with a lid (2), is fastened above the row of seats, and accommodates at least one breathing mask and an exothermic chemical oxygen generator (3) connected to the breathing mask in a holder (4, 5). The pivotability of the lid of the mounting container is improved by rigidly arranging the holder on the mounting container (1) such that it permits the oxygen generator (3) to change its place by pivoting in the case of use.

Abstract: An apparatus for placement of a doctor blade bar against an ink-dispensing roller utilizes spaced lifting or camming strips on doctor blade base support beams and cooperating counter strips or cam followers on doctor blade supporting base bodies to move the doctor blades toward or away from the screen roller. The slopes of the two inclined lifting strips on each support beam are preferably different from each other.

Abstract: An electrically-powered, diver-borne air compressor is used with a draw-type snorkel to supply air from above the surface to a swimmer. The use of a non-positive displacement compressor--e.g. a blower--allows a shallowly submerged swimmer to breathe through the apparatus when the motor is turned off, which provides extended battery life. The compressor is selected to provide an adequate volume of air to a diver submerged at the depth limit set by the length of the flexible air conduit leading from the surface to his/her mouthpiece. In the simplest embodiment of the invention, the excess air supplied to a less deeply submerged diver is vented through an exhaust valve. In other embodiments, which offer improved operational efficiency at the cost of greater complexity, this otherwise excess air is stored in a tank. When the tank becomes full the compressor is turned off (either manually or automatically) until the stored air is exhausted.

Abstract: A sheet-cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sheet (6) that is to be printed, before it runs into the printing mechanism (2) of a sheet-fed printing press. A backing cloth (20), which is contacted with the sheet (6) that is to be printed with the help of the positioning means, is used to clean the sheet (6) that is to be printed. A transporting apparatus (26, 24, 28) transports the backing cloth (20), so that other moist sections (32) of the backing cloth (20) are consecutively brought into contact with the sheet (6) that is to be printed.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus capable of easily and accurately mounting a plate to a predetermined position of the circumferential surface of a plate cylinder. A safety cover for covering the circumferential surface of a plate cylinder is suspended and is vertically opened/closed by a hydraulic cylinder. A plate reception member and a plate holder are mounted on the safety cover to hold a plate to be mounted on the plate cylinder. In mounting of the plate, the safety cover is opened, and the lower end of the plate is removed from the plate holder and is inserted into a plate lockup device mounted in the plate cylinder. At this time, notches formed at the lower end of the plate are respectively engaged with reference pins formed on the plate lockup device. When the upper end of the plate is inserted into the plate press member, the notches of the plate are fitted on the reference pins by the weight of the plate and the behavior of the plate press member.

Abstract: A personal check amount stamping device for printing the exact amount of a check to be written on the face of the check form, in at least three locations. This printing of the exact amount by the writer of the check insures that the bank will not mis-interpret the amount of the check, and also obviates the job of printing the check amount on the bottom of the check by the bank employees.

Abstract: A paper guide mechanism for a serial printer wherein print paper can be prevented from being soiled by contact thereof with an ink ribbon or an ink ribbon guide plate while also leaping out of the ink ribbon through a printing hole of the ink ribbon guide plate is prevented. A paper guide plate is disposed in such a manner as to assure a gap from a print head so that the ink ribbon may not leap out readily from the printing hole of the ink ribbon guide plate mounted on the paper guide plate. The paper guide plate is so shaped that, when the ink ribbon guide plate is mounted on the paper guide plate, the ink ribbon guide plate presents a concave configuration toward the platen so as to prevent contact between the ink ribbon guide plate and print paper as far as possible.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a printing machine cylinder or the like by pressing a cleaning cloth against the outer periphery of the cylinder or the like is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cloth unit assembly including a cloth cassette and a cloth unit. The cleaning cloth is accommodated in the cloth cassette, and the cloth unit has a space for accommodating the cloth cassette. The cloth unit is provided with pressurizing means for pressing the cleaning cloth fed from the cloth cassette against the cylinder or the like. The cloth cassette has an engagement projection specifying the kind of the cylinder to be cleaned, while the cloth unit has an engagement projection matched to the engagement recess of the cloth cassette.

Abstract: A composite stencil screen assembly including a uniformly-prestressed resilient backing screen attached to a frame and a metallic wire mesh stencil screen attached to the backing screen. A predetermined portion of the backing screen is removed after the stencil screen is attached thereto in order to permit the pre-stressing force in the backing screen to uniformly pre-stress the stencil screen in all directions to impart a tight, wrinkle-free, high-quality printing surface to the stencil screen. In a preferred embodiment, the assembly is retensioned subsequent to removal of the predetermined portion of the backing screen. The composite construction is uncomplicated in design, resists metal fatigue of the wire mesh stencil screen, is effectively used in non-thermally dependent and thermally dependent printing operations, and has a long service life.

Abstract: A doctor blade for an inking unit of a rotary printing press utilizes one or more plates or elastic bars to limit whirl flow of the ink in the distribution chamber. The plate and/or elastic bar partially divides the ink chamber. As a result, the creation of whirls is controlled and limited.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge comprises a substantially cylindrical cartridge body comprised of upper and lower casing halves. A ribbon supply reel is rotatably housed in the cartridge body having an ink ribbon wound therearound. Affixed to a leading edge of the ink ribbon, a pull sheet is attached which includes an opening allowing easy chucking of the ribbon cartridge in a printer. Also provided on the pull sheet are cut-out portions so arranged as to prevent creasing of the ink ribbon during use. When the ink ribbon has been completely used, the used ribbon is retracted back into the cartridge for easy removal from the printer.