Abstract: To provide ready access to printing cylinders, including, for example, a satellite cylinder (4), plate and blanket cylinders, and inkers and dampers of a printing system in which the printing couples and associated inkers and dampers are located, essentially, in Y configuration, the side walls of the machine are constructed to have two upstanding arms (2) and only a single support leg (3) to form an amputated or truncated H structure, leaving a space (S) beneath one of the upstanding arms (2) which provides ready access to an operator (I). The upstanding arm (2) which is not above the leg (3) is supported by a post or column structure 20 which, preferably, has a platform (22) thereon. The paper web can be guided in an upwardly extending path (A, B), from either side of the machine, and access to all cylinders and rollers is provided from the left and right side of the machine, respectively, under all paper path (A, B) conditions.

Abstract: To provide for multi-color printing while passing a substrate, such as cut sheets or a web (39, 67), only through a single printing line, so that paper, possibly of poor quality, will not be excessively saturated by damping liquid, and mechanically stressed by passage through a plurality of printing lines, the blanket cylinders (1-4; 30, 31; 50-53) of respective printing systems which each have plate cylinders, inkers and dampers, are positioned in ink and damping liquid transferring relation, so that a partial image to be printed, applied to a blanket cylinder (3, 31, 52) by a respective associated plate cylinder (7, 33, 56) is transferred to an adjacent contacting blanket cylinder (4, 30, 53) which, additionally, receives a second partial image to be printed from an associated respective plate cylinder (8, 32, 57). An impression or printing cylinder (17, 38, 66, 68) is provided, for contacting engagement of the printing substrate against the adjacent contacting blanket cylinder (4, 30, 53).

Abstract: A web-fed offset rotary printing machine is disclosed. First and second satellite printing units are utilized to perform multiple color recto and verso printing. The cylinder diameters and bearer ring diameters of the first satellite unit are capable of being varied with respect to those of the second unit to accurately control paper web tension and hence to accomplish a color registry which is highly accurate. Calibrated underlay sheets are used to adjust the cylinder diameters and thin, hard, flexible bands are secured on the outer peripheries of inner rings to vary the bearer ring diameters.

Abstract: Web letterpress equipment is converted to offset lithographic equipment by modification of a driven letterpress impression cylinder to receive an offset blanket, thereby producing an offset blanket cylinder. A letterpress plate cylinder is modified to become an offset plate cylinder with accompanying offset inking and dampening equipment. In one embodiment, a driven letterpress plate cylinder of a color hump is packed to become an offset impression cylinder cooperating with the offset blanket cylinder. In a second embodiment, the letterpress plate cylinder of the color hump is modified to an offset color plate cylinder and a driven offset impression cylinder is added to cooperate with the offset printed on one side of a web. When used in combination with similarly converted letterpress plate, impression and color hump plate cylinders, at least three colors may be offset printed on one side of a web or multiple colors printed on opposite sides thereof.

Abstract: To provide for change of direction of rotation of the impression cylinders in a 10-cylinder printing system, and selective operation of blanket-impression cylinder or blanket-blanket printing, at least some of the gears driving the cylinders are axially shiftable, and rotation-reversal gears can be selectively switched in position with respect to drive power to drive, directly, from a main shaft (11), the one impression cylinder (2) with further drive (22) of the second impression cylinder (1), directly or via a second rotation-reversal gear (19); or, for blanket-to-blanket operation, disengagement of the rubber blankets from the impression cylinders by shifting-away of the centers of rotation thereof, and drive from the main drive shaft of the respective rubber cylinders through plate cylinders (9, 10) closest to the main drive train, and subsequent drive of rubber cylinders (5, 6; 3, 4) and the associated plate cylinders (7, 8) through the rubber cylinder--rubber cylinder plate cylinder system.

Abstract: Letterset, rotary newspaper printing press systems, particularly a method of enhancing inking of the plate cylinder. The method includes defining a plurality of ink repository cells within the surface of the inking cylinder, immersing the repository cells within an ink reservoir, scraping excess ink from the surface of the plate cylinder and rotating the inking cylinder and ink-filled cells against the plate form roller or directly against the surface of the plate cylinder. Modifications of invention include increasing the amount of ink deposited on the plate cylinder by reducing the number of ink cells per lineal inch and reducing the amount of ink deposited on the plate cylinder by increasing the amount of ink repository cells per lineal inch.

Abstract: Rotary printing presses of the type embodying abutting plate cylinders and impression cylinders. Particularly, a bell crank mechanism pivotally mounted upon the press and connected to an eccentric bushing plate supporting the impression cylinder shaft, so as to apply impression or space the impression cylinder shaft with respect to the plate cylinder for web adjustment, repair, plate changes and the like without stopping the press.

Abstract: Web letterpress equipment is converted to offset lithographic equipment by modification of a driven letterpress impression cylinder to receive an offset blanket, thereby producing an offset blanket cylinder. A letterpress plate cylinder is modified to become an offset plate cylinder with accompanying offset inking and dampening equipment. In one embodiment a drive letterpress plate cylinder of a color hump is packed to become an offset impression cylinder cooperating with the offset blanket cylinder. In a second embodiment the letterpress plate cylinder of the color hump is modified to an offset color plate cylinder and a driven offset impression cylinder is added to cooperate with the offset blanket cylinder. In this manner at least two colors may be offset printed on one side of a web.

Abstract: A pair of three cylinders train units and a four cylinder train unit are provided in relationship such that a pair of impression cylinders of the former are adjacent to a pair of blanket cylinders of the latter, respectively.The blanket cylinders of the latter are switched between a first position in which the blanket cylinders make contact with each other and with their respective plate cylinders and a second position in which the blanket cylinders are isolated from each other, make contact with their respective plate cylinders and with their respective impression cylinders of the three cylinder train units.The switching between extreme positions can be completed in one motion by an angle increase shifting mechanism using gears which are added to the switching means.Throw-off means for the blanket cylinders can be diverged independently and branchingly from each extreme position by a pin clutch mechanism which is added to the switching means.

Abstract: A web fed offset printing press unit (42) including a frame (12), an auxiliary frame (44), a pair of plate cylinders (46 and 46a), a first blanket cylinder (48), a second blanket cylinder (50), a common impression cylinder (56) and an auxiliary impression cylinder (58) is disclosed. The second blanket cylinder is swung bodily through a short radius arc between a first end position in rolling contact with the common impression cylinder and a second end position in rolling contact with the auxiliary impression cylinder.In one arrangement, the second blanket cylinder is journaled in an eccentric sleeve (76) at each end and linkage (86) is switchable between the two modes of operation with a throw-off position associated with each.A method for converting a web fed letterpress unit (10) into a web fed offset printing press unit for multicolor or two-sided printing is disclosed.

Abstract: A rotary cylindrical-screen printing apparatus for specularly printing equal patterns and/or colors onto the opposite faces of a fabric is disclosed, comprising two rotary screen printing machines, each equipped with electromechanical means for synchronizing the speed of the belt with the speed of the printing rollers, in which said machines are coupled by arranging one machine over the other, the fabric entering the underlying machine and thereafter entering the second upper machine which prints the opposite face of the fabric, the second machine comprising a transmission roller associated with its belt having a diameter equal to at least twice the diameter of the contiguous roller of the first machine, the apparatus comprising means for synchronizing the speeds of the printing rollers of two machines, including a transducer linked to the speed of the belt of a machine, whose outgoing frequency signal is sent to pilot the electrohydraulic motors controlling the printing rollers of both machines and means for

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying newsprint ink and dampening fluid to a lithographic printing plate, the apparatus comprising an ink metering roller in rolling pressure indented relation with a transfer roller having an oleophillic surface and a dampening fluid transfer roller having a hydrophillic surface each of the transfer rollers being driven by a reversible variable speed motor. The transfer rollers are in pressure indented relationship with a form roller which transfers a thin film of ink and dampening fluid to the printing plate. An excess of ink is supplied to the nip between the metering roller and the transfer roller to produce the thin film of ink which may be further conditioned by an ink storage roller prior to entry of the film of ink into the ink transfer nip between the transfer roller and the form roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for a changeable satellite printing mechanism of a rotary printing machine in which at least two main subject matter printing cylinders, that is, cylinders directly carrying subject matter to be printed, or transfer cylinders, can be selectively engaged with a common counter cylinder or with each other, in which arrangement the main subject matter printing cylinders can be selectively coupled with the counter cylinder or with each other while maintaining registry by selective teeth engagement of one or two sets of cylinder gears secured to the drive shafts of the printing cylinders, and at least one of the two subject matter cylinders is rotatable about a predetermined angle upon shifting of their drive shafts.

Abstract: A paper web is continuously moved by rotary drive rollers through a series of printing machines having pairs of printing rollers movable between inoperative and printing positions, and controlled and operated so that successive web sections are imprinted by the correlated printing machines only once whereby a plurality of type areas representing printed pages are printed on both sides of each web section in a predetermined pattern. After cutting of the web sections into sheets, and after collecting and folding the sheets, consecutive printed pages follow each other in a folded book.