Abstract: This invention relates to a printing press including an impression cylinder and a plurality of printing units which include drive gears and plate cylinders which are movable into and out of engagement with the impression cylinder. The press also includes a driven central gear which is coaxial to the impression cylinder and in mesh with all plate cylinder drive gears. The plate cylinders are permitted to have a plate length which is not exactly equal to an integral multiple of the tooth pitch of the plate cylinder gears so that the peripheral length of the plate cylinder is not an integral multiple of the tooth pitch of the central gear. The central gear is operatively connected by a gear train to drive a gear that is secured to the stub shaft of the impression cylinder. The gear train includes a differential gear train which has an input member that is adapted to be driven by an infinitely controllable transmission or by a stepping motor or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for registration of screens used in ink transfer processes for the printing of patterns on substrates such as clothing and other articles. The apparatus includes a platen surface and registration members that are mounted for movement toward and away from opposite sides of the platen. A pair of the registration members are coupled so that they move in mirror image in relation to a fixed point on the platen. When the screen frame is positioned on the platen, the registration members are activated to move inwardly toward the fixed point on the platen to center the screen in relation to the fixed point. Artwork is applied to the screen in alignment with underlying indicia provided on the platen and the screen is then processed to form a stencil in the screen.

Abstract: A printer plate locating device used in the alignment of printer plates with respect to a screen or stencil holder of a screen printing machine. The present invention is particularly useful when used in a multi-station printing machine where the printing machine sequentially moves the printer plates into a printing station to affect the printing or image transfer. The present invention consists of two securely connected rigid plates and a system of actuators. The mounting plate 1 acts as a support or structural member for the rest of the apparatus. The alignment plate, being smaller in size than the mounting plate, provides edges against which the substrate locating devices of the printer plate make contact. In operation, the present invention is fastened to the screen holder in place of a screen or stencil on the first station of the machine.

Abstract: A method of registration correction by turning a flexible plate about a point on a cylinder of a press, which includes determining data regarding a deviation from registration of a defined register rotation in at least one of a circumferential, side and angular position of the plate from a specimen made from the plate, and issuing adjustment commands initiating adjustment operations in devices provided in the press for respectively turning the plate and for effecting circumferential and side register, the adjustment commands taking into account the determined data, so as to finally correct the register of a pattern produced by the printing plate.

Abstract: A machine to facilitate the mounting of flexographic printing plates and for obtaining proofs thereof. The machine includes an impression cylinder supported for rotation on a fixed axis, the impression cylinder making contact with printing plates on a plate cylinder and rotating concurrently therewith to print a proof on the impression cylinder. The plate cylinder is movable from a proofing state in which it makes contact with the impression cylinder to a mounting state in which it is separated therefrom. The flexographic printing plate to be mounted is provided with registration holes and lies on a support tray shiftable from a retracted position displaced from the plate cylinder in its mounting state to an operative position in which its leading edge is parallel to the axis of the plate cylinder and tangentially engages the surface thereof.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a cabinet for holding a stack of color-coded screen units for use in applying ink through a numeral stencil onto a garment. Stationary screen-supporting structure is provided for receiving each screen unit to be used and positioning and holding it in the same single operative location. More particularly, the screen-supporting structure and the screen unit have cooperating registration structure. A platen is provided for supporting the garment. The platen is linearly and laterally manually movable between central and left and right offset printing positions. Thus the garment may be positioned so that ink may be applied through the stencil onto the appropriate location on the garment. Registration structure is provided to control the positioning of the platen, to enable the user to accurately position the platen at one of the three printing positions for a numeral of a particular size.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus capable of uniformly applying a paste onto a screen to accomplish fining of a printed pattern and formation of a fined printed pattern. The apparatus includes a pair of laterally movable printing heads alternately actuated for printing and each including a doctor plate and a squeegee which are vertically movably arranged. The doctor plates of the printing heads being arranged laterally opposite to each other on the screen. The doctor plates each serve to apply a paste onto the screen while transferring the paste on the screen and the squeegees each act ot press the screen against a printed object after application of the paste onto the screen by the doctor plate corresponding thereto.

Abstract: A silk screen printing frame that consists of a frame that can accommodate two smaller screens that fit into the larger frame. A set of the smaller screens range from 0-9, thus a total of 20 screens will accommodate all numbers from 0-99. Alignment and centering of the numbers on the work product is accomplished by a centering and alignment indices and a uniquely configurated numeral "1" screen.