Abstract: Systems and related methods are provided for modulating web tension loss at the edge of spool-hosting cavities in a cylinder by displacing the feed path and/or the exit path of the web material.

Abstract: A form dampening roller driving apparatus in which to obviate a hickey a slip is caused to occur between a form dampening roller and a plate cylinder in their mutual area of contact by rotationally driving the form dampening roller and the plate cylinder so they rotate having a difference in peripheral speed between them, and wherein the peripheral speed of the form dampening roller is made variable as desired to make the slip ratio between it and the plate cylinder in their mutual area of contact variable as desired. To this end, the form dampening roller is geared to a vibrator roller, and independent of a main motor for rotationally driving the plate cylinder there is provided a further motor for rotationally driving the form dampening roller independently of the plate cylinder at a rate of rotation that is made arbitrarily variable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medium supplying apparatus that enables a user to easily remove medium and prevents medium from slanting or transferring improperly. The medium supplying apparatus comprises a first frame and a second frame that rotates freely with respect to the first frame. The first frame includes a first rotating section that rotates freely, a first fulcrum coupling section constructing a rotating fulcrum and a first lock coupling section. The second frame includes a pressing member, a second fulcrum coupling section constructing the rotating fulcrum by being coupled with the first fulcrum coupling section, and a second lock coupling section coupled selectively with the first lock coupling section. Because the first and second lock coupling sections are coupled selectively by relative movement, the second frame is locked or unlocked with respect to the first frame.

Abstract: A method and a device for automatically transmitting data from a pre-press stage (9) to a printing substrate processing machine (8) having at least one print unit (10) and one print form (11) for printing on a printing substrate (1). The method and the device are distinguished in that the data of the pre-press stage (9) to be transmitted to the printing substrate processing machine (8) are applied in an encoded form to the print form (11), and these data are able to be read out by the printing substrate processing machine (8). Also provided is a method and a device for automatically transmitting data from a first printing substrate processing machine (8) having at least one print unit (10) and one print form (11) for printing on a printing substrate (1), to a further printing substrate processing machine, in particular a folding machine.

Abstract: An ergonomic keyboard having a mount and a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of unbroken adjacent rows is provided. Each row is comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion, and a right portion. The left and right portions extend tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively. The arcuate portion, of each row is convex to the user side of the keyboard, and at least two keys in each arcuate portion are elongated. Alphanumeric indicia on the keys can be arranged in the QWERTY pattern.

Abstract: A planographic printing apparatus and method is provided for single fluid lithographic printing using a plate cylinder having a generally neutral pH hydrophilic material in the non-image areas.

Abstract: An inkjet apparatus includes a media drive means for moving a medium through a print zone of the apparatus, and also includes a carriage, in which a printhead is mounted, for traversing the pint zone in a second direction. The apparatus also includes restraining means, co-operating with the drive means, to restrain the advance of a first portion of the medium through the print zone when moved by the drive means. A method for controlling undulation on media in a inkjet apparatus includes moving a medium through the print zone, and restraining the movement through the print zone of a first portion of the medium.

Abstract: An on-press recording type lithographic printing method comprising mounting a plate material on a plate cylinder of a press, ejecting an oil-based ink onto the plate material from a recording head having a plurality of ejection channels utilizing an electrostatic field according to signals of image data to directly form an image on the surface of the plate material and prepare a printing plate, and then effecting the lithographic printing using the printing plate as it is, wherein the distance of the ejection channels is 170 &mgr;m, or more (150 dpi (150 dots per inch) or less as calculated in terms of resolution of recorded image).

Abstract: An optical instrument for determining properties of the imaging and non-imaging areas of offset printing plates is disclosed. A laser light source (30) directs a laser beam (35) at the surface layer (50) of an offset printing plate (60). A specularly reflected beam (45) is detected by a light detector (40). Additionally. scattered light (55) is detected by a light detector (50). The detectors (40, 50) produce light intensity signals for the reflected and scattered light, respectively. A data processor (70) processes the intensity signals to determine various properties relating to the dampening solution and ink present on the non-imaging and imaging areas of the printing plate, respectively. These properties include the thickness of dampening solution in non-imaging areas, the image density in imaging areas of a moving printing plate, and the occurrence of scumming in non-imaging areas of a printing plate.

Abstract: The printing element is in the shape of a propeller. All the printing elements in a printing dot have S-shaped sides of equal length all round. The lands between adjoining printing elements are of constant width all round a printing element. Due to this figuration, it is possible for a printing element to be mirrored about a central axis while preserving the form of the printing element, in such a way that only rounded corners are obtained because otherwise pointed corners would produce an erratic image and moiré patterns. This printing element form is thus particularly important for four-color printing.

Abstract: A reduction to the traveling motion of bottles along a delivery conveyor in an intermittent motion decorating machine is provided by one of a pair of workpiece feed cams rotatably supported in a side-by-side relation to rotate about spaced horizontal axes lying in a common horizontal plane. The workpiece feed cams have feed cam tracks for receiving cam followers of each of plurality of vertical bottle carriers. One of the feed cam tracks reduces the speed of the bottle carriers from a relatively high entry speed corresponding to the through put speed in the decorating machine to the speed of the deliver conveyor for more densely populating the delivery conveyor with workpieces. Carrier transfer members at each of opposite ends of the workpiece feed cams transfer the bottle carriers from one to the other of the workpiece feed cams. A drive rotates the workpiece feed cams, carrier return cams and carrier transfer members.

Abstract: A lithographic printing method of supplying emulsion ink to a lithographic printing plate via a form roller, and disrupting emulsion on the form roller. The degree of the emulsion's disruption before printing has started is different from the degree of disruption after printing has started. The duration of an idling mode can be shortened with the added advantage of reducing the development of waste paper right after the start of printing.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for removing ink-accepting areas from a printing master by laser ablation, characterized in that the printing master comprises a substrate which comprises a support and a base layer, wherein the base layer contains a crosslinked hydrophilic binder and a metal oxide. The base layer prevents deterioration of the quality of the substrate due to the laser ablation. In a preferred embodiment, the same substrate is used in a number of consecutive printing cycles of on-press coating, on-press exposure, printing and cleaning.

Abstract: A holder is provided for holding an article in a machine for decorating articles, the holder including a base member, a format plate arranged releasably above the base member with an opening in the format plate for receiving the article, and an intermediate plate between the base member and the format plate. On its side facing the format plate the intermediate plate has a layer of soft material, such as a plastic film, to support the article. The intermediate plate and the format plate are easily releasably mounted on the base member. To replace the film, the intermediate plate with film can be removed from the holder and replaced by another intermediate plate carrying a fresh film.

Abstract: A stencil is made by thermally forming perforations arranged in both a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction in a thermoplastic resin film of heat-sensitive stencil material by the use of a heat source which is heated through supply of energy. Supply of energy to the heat source is cut so that the quotient obtained by dividing a maximum diameter of a perforation at the time at which supply of energy to the heat source is cut by the energizing time is not smaller than 0.015 m/s and not larger than 0.23 m/s.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate support is provided which becomes a support of a PS plate which has excellent ability to withstand repeated printing, and in which defects in appearance, such as dirtying and the like, do not occur. Also provided are a method of manufacturing the lithographic printing plate support and a PS plate which has such merits.

Abstract: A printing system making use of a lithographic printing plate has been disclosed, the system comprising the steps of image-wise exposing to infrared light a heat sensitive imaging element, the element being optionally present on the printing press before starting the image-wise exposing step to infrared light, wherein the element comprises, on a lithographic base with a hydrophilic surface thereupon, an image-forming layer including hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles and a hydrophilic polymer binder, and, optionally, an infrared absorbing compound, wherein the hydrophobic polymer particles contain more than 0.1 wt % of nitrogen and have an average particle size diameter in the range from 0.015 to 0.

Abstract: A method for removing ink-accepting areas of a lithographic printing master is disclosed which enables to recycle the lithographic substrate of the printing master. The method comprises after a cleaning step a treatment of the recycled substrate with an aqueous solution having a pH<7.

Abstract: A color density measuring step is executed for measuring color densities of unprinted areas on prints. Then, a determining step is executed for determining from the color densities of the unprinted areas on the prints whether ink tinting has occurred. When the determining step determines that ink tinting has occurred, a dampening water adjusting step is executed for adjusting a dampening water feeding rate after feeding dampening water in an increased rate once. A variation in the ink feeding rate is prohibited for a predetermined waiting time after feeding dampening water in the increased rate once in the dampening water adjusting step.

Abstract: A lithographic dampening control system measures the color strength of various tones of ink printed in multiple lateral locations across the width of a printing press to determine optimum dampening and controls multiple dampening control devices. By measuring and correcting for excess or inadequate dampening solution, proper dampening is maintained despite variations such as increased evaporation at machine edges due to heat from bearing friction.