Abstract: A printing blanket is provided having a porous non-extensible backing which allows moisture to pass out of the blanket during printing operations. The porous non-extensible backing ply may comprise a metal wire mesh, expanded metal, or a metal or polymer sheet having a plurality of apertures formed therein. The printing blanket is adhered to the first surface of the non-extensible backing ply and may include a compressible ply, a surface ply, and one or more reinforcing plies.

Abstract: A flexible image transfer blanket is provided which has a non-extensible backing which is easy to mount onto conventional blanket cylinders, which requires no packing (but which can be used with packing), which does not need to be retensioned during operation, and which prints to the gap better than conventional fabric-reinforced blankets. The image transfer blanket is adapted to be mounted onto a blanket cylinder and includes first and second ends, with at least one of the first and second ends being adapted to be inserted into an axially-extending gap in the blanket cylinder. The blanket includes a image transfer surface layer, at least one woven fabric ply, and a non-extensible base layer. The at least one woven fabric ply includes both warp and weft fibers, with the weft fibers being oriented so that when the blanket is mounted on the blanket cylinder the weft fibers extend circumferentially about the blanket cylinder.

Abstract: A flexible image transfer blanket is provided which has a non-extensible backing which is easy to mount onto conventional blanket cylinders, which requires no packing (but which can be used with packing), which does not need to be retensioned during operation, and which prints to the gap better than conventional fabric-reinforced blankets. The image transfer blanket is adapted to be mounted onto a blanket cylinder and includes first and second ends, with at least one of the first and second ends being adapted to be inserted into an axially-extending gap in the blanket cylinder. The blanket includes a image transfer surface layer, at least one woven fabric ply, and a nonextensible base layer. The at least one woven fabric ply includes both warp and weft fibers, with the weft fibers being oriented so that when the blanket is mounted on the blanket cylinder the weft fibers extend circumferentially about the blanket cylinder.

Abstract: A screw feeder for particulate solids comprises a trough section including a first chamber with a trough shaped side wall downwardly converging to a longitudinally tapered aperture. A screw chamber encloses a space below and connecting with the aperture. The screw chamber houses a feed screw which enters a feeder section in a transition region at the front wall of the agitator chamber. An agitator draws material away from the transition region of the agitator chamber.

Abstract: A volumetric dry material feeder comprising a movable wall hopper. Nesting lower and end wall hopper components receive and clamp a flexible diaphragm sheet in position to overlie mutually opposing hopper walls and to receive and isolate the material therefrom. A pair of thrust plates are each located between the diaphragm and a hopper wall and alternately displaced relative thereto at differing frequencies to produce a continually varying combination of thrust plate movements.