Patents by Inventor Steven Flemming

Steven Flemming 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: 11932004
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for ink control in a printing press, wherein, during an ongoing printing process, an opaque ink (02) is printed onto a print substrate (01) in a first printing unit (06), and subsequently a transparent printing ink (03) is printed onto the opaque ink (02) in a second printing unit (07), at least one actual value of the optical density of the opaque ink (02) being ascertained by a first detection device (08) for this opaque ink (02) printed onto the print substrate (01), a film thickness of this opaque ink (02) to be applied onto the print substrate (01) being set at the relevant printing unit (06) by a control unit (11) detecting the at least one actual value of the optical density of this opaque ink (02), as a function of a previously ascertained value of the optical density of the surface of the unprinted print substrate (01), in such a way that the at least one actual value of the optical density of this opaque ink (02) detected by the first detection device (08) correspon
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Steven Flemming
  • Publication number: 20240083163
    Abstract: The ink in a printing press is controlled during a printing process in which an opaque ink is printed onto a substrate in a first printing unit and a transparent ink is printed onto the opaque ink in a second printing unit. An optical density value of the transparent ink is ascertained by a detection device for the transparent ink printed onto the previously printed opaque ink. A film thickness of the transparent ink is set at the second printing unit by a control unit that detects the optical density value of the transparent ink as a function of the film thickness of the opaque ink, or as a function of an optical density value of the opaque ink, so that the optical density value of the transparent ink corresponds to a target value set at the control unit for the transparent ink, and considering a transparent ink tolerance range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventor: Steven FLEMMING
  • Patent number: 11813840
    Abstract: In some examples, a print control strip includes at least one control patch configured as an element for color management. The element for color management may be configured to measure a color density and/or at least one spectral value and/or an area of coverage of individual printed printing colors. The print control strip further includes at least one control patch configured as a printing mark. The printing mark is configured for aligning a substrate in a transport direction and/or in a transverse direction. Additionally, the print control strip includes at least one control patch configured as a plate recognition patch. The plate recognition patch is configured to assign at least one printing color used to a printing plate and/or to an application mechanism and/or is configured for such assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Steven Flemming, Ulrich Köhler, Christian Pilz, Carsten Reinsch, Martin Riese
  • Publication number: 20230191774
    Abstract: In some examples, a print control strip includes at least one control patch configured as an element for color management. The element for color management may be configured to measure a color density and/or at least one spectral value and/or an area of coverage of individual printed printing colors. The print control strip further includes at least one control patch configured as a printing mark. The printing mark is configured for aligning a substrate in a transport direction and/or in a transverse direction. Additionally, the print control strip includes at least one control patch configured as a plate recognition patch. The plate recognition patch is configured to assign at least one printing color used to a printing plate and/or to an application mechanism and/or is configured for such assignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Steven FLEMMING, Ulrich KÖHLER, Christian PILZ, Carsten REINSCH, Martin RIESE
  • Patent number: 11173702
    Abstract: A method is provided for setting a layer thickness of a covering coating material to be applied to a substrate by an application device. The coating material is applied to the substrate in a printing machine or in a paper-processing machine. The coating material is applied at various points on the substrate by the use of the application device in a machine process. At each of at least one first point on the substrate, the coating material is applied in a grid having a plurality of grid points, and at each of at least one other second point on the substrate, the coating material is applied over the full area. Each first point on the substrate forms a grid zone and each second point on the substrate forms a solid zone. A control unit connected to a sensing device determines respective values of the optical density of the layer of the coating material applied on the points on the substrate using data captured by the sensing device at the first and second points on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Steven Flemming
  • Publication number: 20210162734
    Abstract: A method is provided for setting a layer thickness of a covering coating material to be applied to a substrate by an application device. The coating material is applied to the substrate in a printing machine or in a paper-processing machine. The coating material is applied at various points on the substrate by the use of the application device in a machine process. At each of at least one first point on the substrate, the coating material is applied in a grid having a plurality of grid points, and at each of at least one other second point on the substrate, the coating material is applied over the full area. Each first point on the substrate forms a grid zone and each second point on the substrate forms a solid zone. A control unit connected to a sensing device determines respective values of the optical density of the layer of the coating material applied on the points on the substrate using data captured by the sensing device at the first and second points on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventor: Steven FLEMMING
  • Patent number: 10549524
    Abstract: A control station of a printing machine has at least one surface for receiving a sheet-like printing substrate, a measuring device for measuring a measurement variable of the sheet-like printing substrate on the surface, at least one camera for capturing at least one gesture performed by a person at the control station, and an image-processing device for processing and evaluating images captured by the camera. The measuring device has a measuring beam extending above the sheet-like printing substrate. The measuring beam of the measuring device can be moved over the sheet-type printing substrate on the surface. The camera which captures each at least one gesture, is arranged in or on the movable measuring beam. The measuring beam is driven by a controlled or by an at least controllable motor in order to carry out the movement. Controlling of the motor of the measuring beam is actuated by at least one gesture performed by the person in a capturing region of the camera and captured by the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer AG
    Inventors: Steven Flemming, Jens Lochmüller, Gero Kosel, Stefan Budach, Martina Noack
  • Publication number: 20190143673
    Abstract: A control station of a printing machine has at least one surface for receiving a sheet-like printing substrate, a measuring device for measuring a measurement variable of the sheet-like printing substrate on the surface, at least one camera for capturing at least one gesture performed by a person at the control station, and an image-processing device for processing and evaluating images captured by the camera. The measuring device has a measuring beam extending above the sheet-like printing substrate. The measuring beam of the measuring device can be moved over the sheet-type printing substrate on the surface. The camera which captures each at least one gesture, is arranged in or on the movable measuring beam. The measuring beam is driven by a controlled or by an at least controllable motor in order to carry out the movement. Controlling of the motor of the measuring beam is actuated by at least one gesture performed by the person in a capturing region of the camera and captured by the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Steven FLEMMING, Jens LOCHMÜLLER, Gero KOSEL, Stefan BUDACH, Martina NOACK
  • Patent number: 8230787
    Abstract: An area coverage, which is carried out by a volume of printing ink transferred to a print stock by an inking unit of a printing press, can be adjusted. An ink feed to the inking unit can be disengaged in zones or can be interrupted in the inking and upon reaching of a final phase of a printing process which was previously carried out by the printing press. The volume of printing ink remaining on the print stock after such a disengagement or interruption in the ink feed in the inking unit in the final phase of the printing process previously carried out by the printing press, is transferred to the print stock until the area coverage made by the volume of printing ink transferred to the print stock equals a specified target value of area coverage for an impression of a subsequent printing process. A corresponding method is also provided for execution in a printing press that has a plurality of printing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Steven Flemming, Harald Heinrich Willeke
  • Publication number: 20110297027
    Abstract: An area coverage, which is carried out by a volume of printing ink transferred to a print stock by an inking unit of a printing press, can be adjusted. An ink feed to the inking unit can be disengaged in zones or can be interrupted in the inking and upon reaching of a final phase of a printing process which was previously carried out by the printing press. The volume of printing ink remaining on the print stock after such a disengagement or interruption in the ink feed in the inking unit in the final phase of the printing process previously carried out by the printing press, is transferred to the print stock until the area coverage made by the volume of printing ink transferred to the print stock equals a specified target value of area coverage for an impression of a subsequent printing process. A corresponding method is also provided for execution in a printing press that has a plurality of printing units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: Steven Flemming, Harald Heinrich Willeke