Plates Patents (Class 101/395)
  • Patent number: 6698354
    Abstract: To produce a printing block, a relief is introduced into a surface of a printing block blank. To form the relief, material of the printing block blank is removed along tracks. The material is removed by radiation to form recesses, between which plateaus will be formed. The surface of the printing block blank located between the recesses is also removed by radiation in order to obtain lower-lying plateaus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Schablonentechnik Kufstein Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Josef Juffinger, Karl Thaler
  • Patent number: 6692604
    Abstract: A method for verifying an image (210) on a printing plate comprising the steps of: an overlay (310) forming the method consisting of: creating an imaged receiver sheet (140) having an image (210), a first thermal print layer (224), and a support layer; laminating an imageless receiver sheet (160) having a second thermal print layer (228) and a second support layer (170), which is preferably clear with the imaged receiver sheet (140), thereby encapsulating the image (210) between the first thermal print layer (224) and the second thermal print layer (228); removing the first support layer (150); removing the second support layer (170); adhering an overlay (310) to a printing plate having an image (210), using an electrostatic charge; and viewing the overlay (310) against the image (210) on the printing plate for image quality and content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Roger S. Kerr
  • Publication number: 20040025728
    Abstract: The invention relates to a line intaglio printing plate for producing a printed image with at least one engraved area in the printing plate surface, characterized in that the engraved area has one or more structural elements in which the edge area has a greater engraving depth than the inside area, the edge area and the inside area are directly adjacent, and the inside area is designed as a plateau that is lowered relative to the printing plate surface, to a method for producing the printing plates, to a data carrier with a printed image produced by line intaglio, and to a line intaglio printing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventor: Roger Adamczyk
  • Patent number: 6684782
    Abstract: A low-cost flexographic printing plate which does not require a conventional tackiness tape or a tacky-elastic foam in mounting on a printing press and is capable of repeated uses and of high-accuracy printing. A flexographic printing plate and a raw plate therefor, comprising a photo-curable resin layer, a support layer with a barrier performance, an adhesive layer to stick the photo-curable resin layer and the support layer to each other, and an elastic layer, wherein the photo-curable resin layer and the elastic layer serve as the outermost layers, wherein the outer surface of the elastic layer has a rereleasable tacky surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Kawamoto, Kenji Suzuki, Koichi Kusakawa, Toshiaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 6673519
    Abstract: A printing plate for computer-to plate lithography having a laser-ablatable member supported by a substrate. At least one portion of the laser-ablatable member is formed form an acrylic polymer containing laser-sensitive particles. The laser-sensitive particles absorb imaging radiation and cause the portion of the laser-ablatable member containing the laser sensitive particles and any overlying layers to be ablated. Alternatively, the printing plate may include a printing member with an initial affinity for a printing fluid that changes to another affinity to printing fluid upon treatment with radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Alcoa Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Bennett, Sallie L. Blake, Robert E. Bombalski, Daniel L. Serafin, Jean Ann Skiles
  • Patent number: 6666138
    Abstract: A sheet of elastomeric material that serves as a shock absorber and cushion for use between a printing plate, such as but not limited to a flexographic printing plate, and a printing cylinder during printing for compensating for variations in thickness, height and centricity of the printing cylinder and printing plate to prevent distortions in the image being printed that includes providing an elastomeric material having a longitudinal direction in the direction of circumferential travel of the cylinder circumference that includes a plurality or array of protrusions formed of the elastomeric material of predetermined cross-sectional shape and area and the material having a durometer to cushion the printing plate in such a way to provide the necessary compensation to ensure a high quality printed image at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Randazzo
  • Patent number: 6655281
    Abstract: An adhesive tape for flexographic printing including a first adhesive layer, a substrate on the first adhesive layer, and a second adhesive layer on the substrate. The substrate preferably includes a polymeric film layer and a foam layer, wherein the topography of the first and second adhesive layers is substantially independent of the topography of the polymeric film layer. The polymeric film is preferably substantially smooth, and at least one of the first and second adhesive layers is preferably substantially continuous and includes a regular pattern of permanent grooves. The grooves preferably have a depth of about 4 &mgr;m to about 200 &mgr;m, and a width of about 4 &mgr;m to about 200 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Robert C. Jordan, Craig A. Kapfer, Scott A. Van Wert
  • Publication number: 20030213392
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a print element design which can be used to print an image on a substrate such as an absorbent disposable paper product. This invention also relates to a print plate which incorporates this print element design. The invention further relates to an absorbent disposable paper product which incorporates this element design. The print element design of the present invention reduces ink and fiber adherence to the printing plates thus resulting in improved printing press hygiene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nicholas James Nissing, Amanda K. Jones
  • Publication number: 20030192443
    Abstract: The surface of a structural component of a printing machine from which ink or oil-based contamination can be cleaned easily has a hydrophilic character.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Ralph Klarmann, Roland Dietrich, Thomas Bock
  • Publication number: 20030188649
    Abstract: Printing plate and method includes a printing member adhesively attached to a nonmetallic base suited for placement directly onto a printing cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: Phototype Engraving Company
    Inventor: William E. Hounshell
  • Patent number: 6609459
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and materials for producing digitally imaged short-run gravure printing plates and cylinders comprising the steps of providing an image-ready printing blank having a substrate, a UV curing layer, and an IR absorbing, UV-opaque layer. Alternatively, the blank plate can be provided in a two-part construction comprising the metallic substrate and an IR-sensitive film for either processless ablation or ablation transfer imaging Digital imaging of the blank plate is performed using an IR laser which causes selective ablation of areas of the upper IR absorbing layer, thus forming an image structure having exposed and unexposed areas on the underlying UV curing layer. The plate is then flood-cured with UV radiation and washed to better expose the hardened image structure areas of the UV curing layer which have formed and which provide the cells for holding printing ink for use in the gravure printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Creo Il Ltd.
    Inventor: Murray Figov
  • Publication number: 20030145747
    Abstract: The invention relates to a data carrier with a security printed image produced by intaglio printing. The security printed image consists of a plurality of contrasting structural elements disposed in exact register. A first part of the structural elements is designed to be relieflike and tactile and a second part of the structural elements flat and nontactile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Karlheinz Mayer, Roger Adamczyk, Peter Franz, Eckhard Braun
  • Patent number: 6599679
    Abstract: A photosensitive flexographic printing element for the production of flexographic printing plates by digital imaging by means of lasers which has an IR-ablative layer with a polyether-polyurethane as binder. A process for the production of flexographic printing plates using an element of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: BASF Drucksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Sabine Philipp, Jürgen Kaczun
  • Publication number: 20030116044
    Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald M. Buono, Joseph Carl Kalchbrenner, A. Keith Dye, Christopher G. Hayden
  • Patent number: 6578485
    Abstract: A lithographic printing plate substrate is conditioned for imaging in a printer engine by an edge protector adhered along at least one edge of the plate substrate, the edge protector being of a flexible material, being coextensive with the edge, having face portions adhered to portions of the opposite faces adjacent the edge, and having an edge portion overlying the edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Kodak Polychrome Graphics LLC
    Inventor: Patrick R. Friedman
  • Publication number: 20030101885
    Abstract: An adhesive tape for flexographic printing including a first adhesive layer, a substrate on the first adhesive layer, and a second adhesive layer on the substrate. The substrate preferably includes a polymeric film layer and a foam layer, wherein the topography of the first and second adhesive layers is substantially independent of the topography of the polymeric film layer. The polymeric film is preferably substantially smooth, and at least one of the first and second adhesive layers is preferably substantially continuous and includes a regular pattern of permanent grooves. The grooves preferably have a depth of about 4 &mgr;m to about 200 &mgr;m, and a width of about 4 &mgr;m to about 200 &mgr;m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Robert C. Jordan, Craig A. Kapfer, Scott A. Van Wert
  • Patent number: 6571708
    Abstract: A method for in-register pre-positioning a printing plate in a plate feeding device, wherein the printing plate is pre-positioned by a positioning device of the plate feeding device, and then fed to a plate cylinder and clamped into a leading edge clamping device of the plate cylinder, includes detecting the in-register pre-positioning by sensors and, if appropriate, correcting the pre-positioning, and then transferring the printing plate in-register to the leading edge clamping device of the plate cylinder; and a device for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stephan Rudzewitz, Frank Schumann
  • Publication number: 20030084803
    Abstract: A very low percentage dot screen is formed on a flexographic plate which prevents the severe compression normally found adjacent to zero percent areas of the flexographic plate. The dot screen reduces dot gain by distributing the compressive force of the flexographic printing plate on the printing surface. The total area of the dot screen is kept to a very low percentage of the total surface area being printed so that it will not alter perceived color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventor: Lawrence W. Gross
  • Patent number: 6555247
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy plate for a planographic printing plate capable of being provided with a satisfactory roughed surface by electrolytic etching. The aluminum alloy plate contains 0.1 to 0.6% of Fe, 0.01 to 0.2% of Si, 5 to 150 ppm of Cu, and balance of Al and unavoidable impurities and has a surface layer portion formed of a metastable phase dispersion layer in which metastable phase AlFe-based intermetallic compound particles are dispersed. The metastable intermetallic compound particles each act as a starting point for pits. The alloy plate is formed with a roughed surface which is reduced in unetching and uniformly formed with pits, by electrolytic etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Aluminum Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keitarou Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6550381
    Abstract: A transfer pad printing systems, pad printing plates and methods therefor including forming a metal plate having a Rockwell C scale hardness not less than approximately 55 and a thickness between approximately 0.015 inches and approximately 0.020 inches, preferably from a cold rolled strip steel, etching an image on the metal plate and mounting the metal plate on a base plate prior to transferring images therefrom with a transfer pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Guastaferri
  • Patent number: 6536342
    Abstract: Novel printing surfaces for off-set printing blankets are provided having a resilience of less than about 40% and an average surface roughness of less than about 0.5 microns. Such low-resilience printing surfaces have been found to transfer up to greater than 90% of the ink applied thereto and can be used to transfer ink on a wide variety of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: MacDermid Graphic Arts, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Rodgers
  • Publication number: 20030033948
    Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald M. Buono, Joseph Carl Kalchbrenner, A. Keith Dye, Christopher G. Hayden
  • Patent number: 6521390
    Abstract: Photosensitive printing element for preparing flexographic printing plates via computer-to-plate technology with a support, a photopolymerizable layer and an IR-ablatable layer substantially opaque to actinic radiation which comprises at least one heat-combustible polymeric binder, at least one IR-absorbing material and at least one aliphatic diester, and a process for making a flexographic printing plate using such an element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignees: BASF Drucksysteme GmbH, Agfa Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Alfred Leinenbach, Sabine Philipp, Eddy Daems, Hieronymus Andriessen, Luc Leenders
  • Patent number: 6520084
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention an elastomeric printing plate, with a printing surface finish that allows it to be used in flexographic printing, is grown by a method based on an inkjet process. By employing two different materials, one used as a removable filler, the printing plate is grown in inverted orientation with its printing surface against a modifying surface that modifies the growth of the printing plate and, in particular, ensures that the raised image on the printing plate has a smooth surface finish. The present invention allows the generation of a flexographic printing plate in a short time without the need for high power CO2 lasers and liquid processing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Creo Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Gelbart
  • Publication number: 20020195012
    Abstract: In the production of a printing block a relief is introduced into the surface of a printing block blank (1) in that material of the printing block blank (1) is removed along tracks by radiation. For this purpose relief regions of different depths along one and the same track in each case are produced by correspondingly frequent exposure to radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Josef Juffinger, Franz Kurz
  • Patent number: 6492095
    Abstract: flexographic printing plate having solid image areas which are covered by a plurality of very small and shallow cells similar to the ink carrying cells found in anilox ink metering rolls. These cells fill with ink during the plate inking step and reproduce solid image areas with better color saturation while at the same time reducing the halo typical of flexographic printing of solids. Associated with this plate is a method for producing the cells, including the use of an intermediate screened film and of a computer program for generating the film intermediate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: PCC Artwork Systems
    Inventor: Mark Samworth
  • Patent number: 6484634
    Abstract: A block copy sheet for lithographic printing plate to be interposed between a plate cylinder and a lithographic printing plate having a front surface and a back surface, at least the back surface being made of a material other than metals, wherein the block copy sheet have convex portions provided on a surface thereof, the convex portions having a predetermined shape so as to concave the back surface of the lithographic printing plate when pressed against the back surface of the lithographic printing plate, and wherein (1) the convex portions comprises a composite particle having protrusions provided on the surface thereof and having a hardness greater than that of the back surface of the lithographic printing plate and a particle diameter of from 1 &mgr;m to 100 &mgr;m, or (2) the convex portions comprises non-spherical fillers having an average length of from 1 &mgr;m to 200 &mgr;m and the contact area of the convex portions and the back surface of the lithographic printing plate is from 0.6% to 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seishi Kasai, Takao Nakayama, Hiroyuki Ohishi
  • Publication number: 20020083855
    Abstract: A method, associated software and resulting printing plate having both solid and halftone areas comprising ink cells. Ink cells may be provided in the solid areas according to a first pattern with a first density and size of cells per unit area, and in the halftone areas superposed on selected numbers of halftone dots. The selection of halftone dots with superposed ink cells may be according to a second pattern with a second density and size of cells in the halftone area that is a function of halftone dot size and that may or may not be related to the first pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventor: Mark Samworth
  • Patent number: 6374735
    Abstract: A plate cylinder has formed therein a groove extending parallel to the cylinder axis and having a depth direction thereof set at an angle to a plane tangent to the plate cylinder at the groove, so that the opposite sides of the groove are at acute and obtuse angles, respectively, to that plane. For use with this plate cylinder, the printing plate has two staggered series of spaced lugs formed on a pair of meeting edges of its image-bearing major part. The two series of lugs are bent at approximately the same acute and obtuse angles, respectively, to the major part as the opposite sides of the groove are to the tangential plane. For mounting the plate to the cylinder, the acute-angled series of lugs of the plate are first inserted in the groove in the cylinder so as to hook these lugs onto the acute-angled leading side of the groove. Then the plate is wrapped around the cylinder by rotating the same in a prescribed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masayoshi Satoh, Shinji Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20020043168
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a substrate for use in the production of lithographic printing plates, the process comprising the steps of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Felton Rudolph Mayers, Tu Vinh Chau
  • Patent number: 6367381
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a laser imaged printing plate. First, a solid, uncured printing plate is modified with both a UV absorber and an IR absorber. This is most conveniently done by constructing a multilayer slip film comprising at least two layers wherein at least one layer comprises a strong UV absorber, and wherein at least one other layer comprises an IR absorber having high absorptivity. The multilayer slip film is already adapted for use with a printing plate and is applied in the usual fashion to the surface of the uncured printing plate. The printing plate with the multilayer slip film can be stored for a time, or used immediately, as the printer's needs dictate. In use, the multilayer slip film is ablated from the photopolymer using an IR laser operating at a selected wavelength to create an in situ negative. The resulting negative can be subjected to typical UV flood exposure and development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Polyfibron Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rustom Sam Kanga
  • Patent number: 6354205
    Abstract: A printing plate made of rolled sheet metal strip for extra-wide machines with an increased service life is made having a length and width arranged obliquely to the rolling direction of the sheet metal. A process for producing rectangular panels from rolled sheet metal strip with main directions running obliquely with respect to the rolling direction to produce such printing plates includes cutting the sides of the rectangular panels obliquely to the rolling direction of the sheet metal strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Klaus T. Reichel
  • Publication number: 20020025496
    Abstract: A plate making film has a layer provided on a transparent substrate, the layer consisting essentially of a polymeric compound composed of a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1):
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventors: OSAMU KAKISHITA, JUN NISHIOKA, SHIGEKI NISHIMURA, KAZUO KUZUKAWA
  • Patent number: 6318256
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a first plate cylinder and a second plate cylinder. Each plate cylinder supports a plate mounted peripherally thereof having two image areas. Four ink feeders contact and feed inks to the image areas on the plate when mounted on the first and second plate cylinders. A first blanket cylinder has a diameter equal to a diameter of the first plate cylinder and is contactable therewith. A second blanket cylinder has a diameter equal to a diameter of the second plate cylinder and is contactable therewith. An impression cylinder having a diameter half the diameter of either the first and second plate cylinders as well as the first and second blanket cylinders, is contactable with the first and second blanket cylinders. A pair of grippers that each hold an end of the printing paper maintain two sheets of printing paper peripherally of the impression cylinder. A paper feed cylinder feeds the printing paper to the impression cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Hirai
  • Patent number: 6247403
    Abstract: A sheet of elastomeric material that serves as a shock absorber and cushion for use between a flexographic printing plate and a printing cylinder during printing for compensating for variations in thickness, height and centricity of the printing cylinder and flexographic printing plate to prevent distortions in the image being printed that includes providing an elastomeric sheet having a longitudinal direction in the direction of circumferential travel of the cylinder circumference that includes a plurality or array of protrusions formed of the elastomeric material of predetermined cross-sectional shape and area and the material having a durometer to cushion the flexographic plate in such a way to provide the necessary compensation to ensure a high quality printed image at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Randazzo
  • Patent number: 6234079
    Abstract: A reusable printing plate for recess or relief printing. The reusable printing plate features a number of adjacent printing cells, each of which can be independently alternated between a printing mode and a non-printing mode. In the printing mode the printing cell acquires a configuration for receiving and retaining a printing substance. In the non-printing mode the printing cell acquires a configuration which does not receive and retain the printing substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventor: Roberto Igal Chertkow
  • Patent number: 6223655
    Abstract: A flexible printing plate or continuous printing roll comprising a printing layer formed of an elastomeric composition including an epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) component and a natural rubber component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: The Moore Company
    Inventors: Mark Shanbaum, Patrick J. Curtin
  • Patent number: 6223654
    Abstract: A printing plate for an offset printing machine which comprises an electrically non-conductive material adapted for mounting on a plate cylinder of the printing machine and which has cuts in at least one area thereof adapted to cooperate with register pins arranged on the plate cylinder. An electrically conductive layer is arranged on the printing plate in the area of the cuts for making electrical contact with the register pins to facilitate proper mounting of the plate on the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Bernd Lindner, Berthold Seib
  • Patent number: 6213018
    Abstract: A flexographic printing plate having solid image areas which are covered by a plurality of very small and shallow cells similar to the ink carrying cells found in anilox ink metering rolls. These cells fill with ink during the plate inking step and reproduce solid image areas with better color saturation while at the same time reducing the halo typical of flexographic printing of solids. Associated with this plate is a method for producing the cells, including the use of an intermediate screened film and of a computer program for generating the film intermediate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: PCC Artwork Systems
    Inventor: Mark Samworth
  • Patent number: 6209455
    Abstract: To facilitate the attachment and adjustment of a printing plate on the outer surface of the plate cylinder of a printing machine, a layer of friction-reducing material is applied to the underside of the printing plate or the outer surface of the plate cylinder or both. The friction-reducing, sliding material may be a thermoset material, a thermoplastic material or an inorganic dry lubricant. The sliding material may be burnt into the supporting surface or bonded thereto by an adhesion promoting substrate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Claus Simeth
  • Patent number: 6161479
    Abstract: A lithographic printing plate comprises a plate body with a plurality of predetermined breaking points formed therein. The breaking points extend from a leading end to a trailing end of the printing plate. The predetermined breaking points define edges of sub-plates, each carrying an image which corresponds to a newspaper page of a newspaper to be printed with the lithographic printing plate. The printing plate can be mounted on the plate cylinder of a lithographic rotary printing press as one piece and can afterwards be broken up at the predetermined breaking points, in order to exchange one of the sub-plates against another sub-plate for a new print job, in case of an edition change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Robert Richard Murray
  • Patent number: 6158345
    Abstract: A method for compensating for image distortion imparted on a flexographic printing plate is disclosed. The compensation scheme reduces the distortion effect caused by stretching of the image when the printing plate is wrapped around the cylindrical drum of a printing press. The compensation scheme predicts the localized distortion on different parts of the image caused by variations in the undercut depth and density of the image features on the plate. By so doing, the scaling factor is varied in accordance with the predicted localized distortion in the different parts of the image, so as to minimize the distortion effect over the entire printing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Creo SRL
    Inventor: Daniel Gelbart
  • Patent number: 6071369
    Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for making a lithographic printing plate comprising the image-wise exposure of a heat-sensitive imaging element with a laser and developing said imaging element by rinsing it with plain water or an aqueous solution. To improve ink-uptake the imaging element is exposed on an external drum recorder whereby the pixel dwell time of the laser is above 0.1 .mu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert, N.V.
    Inventors: Joan Vermeersch, Marc Van Damme, Johan Van Hunsel, Fred Marland
  • Patent number: 6070527
    Abstract: A plate material for laser plate making contains a thermoplastic resin, a light absorbing agent and a water repellent or an oil repellent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Chemicals Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Yamane, Osamu Majima
  • Patent number: 6044761
    Abstract: A coating plate is provided for use in applying a coating material over selected areas of printed material produced in lithographic, flexographic, letterpress, or other types of printing presses. The coating plate is formed of a light-transmitting sheet-form carrier and a light-transmitting sheet-form applicator adhesively affixed to the carrier by a pressure-sensitive releasable adhesive. In preparing the coating plate for use in applying a coating to selected areas of printed material, a pattern sheet is provided with indicia indicating the selected areas of the printed material to be coated. The pattern sheet is placed under the coating plate. Utilizing the indicia of the pattern as a guide, the operator utilizes a knife or other suitable cutting instrument to cut through the applicator sheet around the areas indicated by the pattern sheet to be utilized as coating areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Inventor: Myer H. Hecht
  • Patent number: 5988066
    Abstract: A sheet material suitable for imaging by laser radiation includes a substrate, an adhesive layer comprising a thermoplastic or elastomeric polymer coated onto the substrate, and a particle layer adhered to the adhesive layer and comprising a plurality of carbon or metal or mineral particles that are subject to laser ablation. The particle layer preferably contains alumina particles. The adhesive layer may be filled with particles and is preferably filled with titanium dioxide particles that are more sensitive to laser radiation than the thermoplastic or elastomeric polymer. Preferably, a silicone or silicate layer that is not subject to laser ablation overlies the particle layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Aluminum Company of America
    Inventors: Edward C. Robinson, Jean Ann Skiles, Larry F. Wieserman
  • Patent number: 5945202
    Abstract: The invention provides an ink-oozing plate for a stamp with an ink-impregnated part having stamp-ink impregnable open cells, where the printing face of the stamp comprises a stamp ink-oozing part and a stamp ink-non-oozing part, where the stamp ink-non-oozing part is concave and is 0.01 mm or more lower than the ink-oozing part, the stamp ink-non-oozing part being made of a stamp material-molten part and a penetrating molten-mixing part where a heat-fusing substance penetrating part and a stamp material-molten part are present together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichi Ando
  • Patent number: 5884560
    Abstract: The invention relates to a printing form for a rotary relief-printing method, in which the printing dots transferring the printing ink constitute a half-tone screen and are superimposed by a relief structure constituted by indentations. Such printing forms are used, for example in flexographic printing methods for printing glass plates, for example display screens having a luminescent material coating. In the manufacture of these screens, the printing ink must be applied homogeneously and the ink dots appearing in the printed image must have a uniform border area. According to the invention, the printing form is to this end implemented in such a way that the relief structures are arranged homogeneously relative to the printing dots and, if the printing dots are periodically spread across the printing form, these relief structures are superimposed on the printing dots preferably with the same period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Joachim Opitz, Ralf Raue, Jurgen Reck, Christoph Hars, Joachim Sonnenschein
  • Patent number: 5878664
    Abstract: A printing system has a print cylinder on which a raised printing surface is formed in situ preferably by a "rapid prototyping" or "fused deposition modelling" machine operating with electronic images from a computer image processing system. After a printing operation has been completed, and it is necessary to print another image for the next printing operation, the former printing surface is removed in situ from the print cylinder by abrading, scraping, cutting, etc. and the next printing surface with the new image is formed in situ on the same printing cylinder in the same manner described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Inventor: Theodore J Hartka
  • Patent number: 5816164
    Abstract: Method of controlling imaging of a printing form includes producing on printing material or stock, with a printing press, control patches of an imaged printing form, generating image signals with an image-detecting device from the control patches of the imaged printing form produced on the printing material, and determining with an evaluating device any deviations of the generated image signals from respective reference image signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Loffler