Patents by Inventor Ian M. Sillars

Ian M. Sillars has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4911073
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing a single image at a time in a flexographic printing environment. The present invention utilizes a flexographic plate cylinder which has been modified by forming a groove in its circumference. The groove extends partially around the circumference of the cylinder, leaving an area approximately equal to the area of a single flexographic plate. A belt having a plurality of flexographic plates mounted thereon is entrained about the printing cylinder coincident with the groove and raised area. The groove prevents transfer of the flexographic image to a film passing between the impression cylinder and printing cylinder. Only when the raised area is adjacent the impression cylinder will an image be transferred from a flexographic plate. In addition, only the plate over the raised area is inked when the flexographic belt passes an anilox inking roller. This prevents the accumulation of ink on plates that are not used for image transfer on a particular rotation of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Inventor: Ian M. Sillars
  • Patent number: 4893559
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing quasi random number tables comprising a printing press having one or more printing stations incorporating a plurality of endless belts, each entrained around a printing plate cylinder and an idle roller, each belt being a different length which is a multiple of a basic pitch value, and each belt having affixed to the outer surface thereof and arranged in a row along the length of the belt, a plurality of printing plates arranged to print an impression onto a web or other medium passing through the press in register with a similar impression printed by each other belt. In one form of the invention each plate prints a number such that each belt prints different numbers in register, forming larger numbers or tables whose digits change from impression to impression in a quasi random manner. In one form of the invention each printing station incorporates one said belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Inventor: Ian M. Sillars
  • Patent number: 4601239
    Abstract: Apparatus for printing quasi random number tables used in games of chance comprising a flexographic printing press, such as a Victory Kidder Press, provided with a number of cylinders of different circumferences arrayed about a central drum. Each circumference is a multiple of a basic pitch value and each cylinder is arranged to print columns of numbers or other symbols alongside similar columns printed by the other cylinders in a quasi random array.The tables may be printed on a large number of different materials such as; newspaper preprints, plastic film food wrappers, card, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Inventor: Ian M. Sillars
  • Patent number: 4541333
    Abstract: Apparatus for printing quasi number random tables used in games of chance onto newspaper preprints for convenient insertion into and distribution with newspapers. The apparatus comprises a flexographic printing press, such as a Victory Kidder press, provided with a number of cylinders of different circumferences arranged about a central drum. Each circumference is a multiple of a basic pitch value and each cylinder is arranged to print numbers or other symbols to be interspaced between numbers or symbols printed by other cylinders in a quasi random array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1985
    Inventor: Ian M. Sillars