Abstract: A printing machine having a plurality of printing mechanisms, a folding apparatus, and a control station with a video and audio communications system which provides for an exchange of data at any time between a printing plant in which the printing machine is installed and a remote diagnostic and maintenance station for purposes of maintenance, diagnosis and repair of the printing machine.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for establishing a reference position of ink-metering elements relative to a duct roller of a printing machine. The reference position is established by moving the ink-metering element toward the duct roller while acoustically sensing for contact. When a noise level indicative of the ink-metering element being in contact with the roller is detected, the reference, or zero position is established. At that precise moment, a representative value which varies with the distance between the element and the roller is stored as the zero position.

Abstract: A mechanism for selectively engaging the doctor blade in a washer for the blanket cylinder of a printing press. The mechanism permits independent control of doctor blade engagement and, through the use of a plurality of adjustably mounted fluid pressure actuators spaced along the length of the doctor blade, facilitates accurate blade alignment, thus preventing non-uniform wear of the doctor blade and the washer roller.

Abstract: Printing apparatus has at least one print station including a blanket cylinder in rolling contact with an impression cylinder, a print cylinder for supporting a lithographic plate, the plate cylinder being in rolling contact with the blanket cylinder, at least one discharge source for applying an image to a plate supported by the plate cylinder, and a motor for moving the energy source relative to the plate cylinder so that when the plate cylinder is rotated, the discharge source scans a raster on the surface of the plate supported by the plate cylinder. The apparatus may be configured as an in-line or central-impression type press. A controller responsive to picture signals representing an original document repeatedly actuates each discharge source momentarily during the scan thereof so that the discharge source forms on the plate surface an image comprised of dots corresponding to the original document.

Abstract: An ink pot device for an offset printing machine, comprising a fulcrum holder and an adjust piece that move back and forth, a link that is arranged between inner ends of said adjust piece and said fulcrum holder and eccentric cam that is equipped in the upper part of said link, in which ink keys are driven forwardly and backwardly to finely adjust the supply rates of ink, andAn ink pot device for an offset printing machine, comprising manual rotation knobs that are attached to a back/forth movable fulcrum holder and an adjust piece, in which ink keys are driven forwardly and backwardly to adjust the supply rates of ink, andAn ink pot device for a printing machine, comprising a stepping motor or a synchronous motor for driving said adjust piece, in which ink keys are driven forwardly and backwardly to adjust the supply rates of ink, andAn ink pot device for a printing machine, comprising engagement protrusion that are equipped on both side of a motor driving force transmission gear in such a manner as engageab

Abstract: Method of ink control in a printing press, includes optically measuring fields on sheets printed by the printing press, comparing an actual ink location for each measuring field, which is attained with the aid of the scanning, with a specified setpoint ink location and controlling inking elements of the printing press so as to reduce deviations in inking.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling ink supply amounts of individual zones by independently controlling gaps between an ink fountain roller and blades, the zones being obtained by dividing an axial length of a printing plate, includes a stepping motor arranged to correspond to each blade, a pulse generator directly coupled to the stepping motor, a waveshaper consisting of two AND gates and arranged in correspondence with the pulse generator, and a control unit including a CPU, an interface, and a memory. The stepping motor increases or decreases the gap between each blade and the ink fountain roller. The pulse generator generates two-phase pulse-like signals upon rotation of the stepping motor. The waveshaper waveshapes the pulse-like signals into two-phase pulse signals in accordance with hysteresis characteristics.

Abstract: A device for determining an amount of ink in an inking arrangement of a printing machine, which has a conversion unit for determining independently a conversion function with respect to each divided blade piece of an ink fountain and for calculating an average value of rotational angle or speed of an ink fountain roller. This construction can cope with a weary of each blade piece and the outer surface of the ink fountain roller.

Abstract: An exact setting of an ink supply at a doctor blade of a printing press, in particular an offset printing press, is performed with special set screws, which are positioned in appropriate through-bores directed to sections of the doctor blade. It is possible to make exact, fine adjustments with two-piece set screws having a duct-adjusting screw and a set bolt which have threads with different leads. Each set screw has a counter so that these adjustments can be made without loss of time and paper.

Abstract: Assembly for influencing inking in printing machines including a color density measuring device, a device for comparing nominal values and actual measured values, at least one electronic computer for linking the measured values with adjustment values, devices for metering ink feed zonewise to a printing plate and having ink metering elements with appertaining adjustment members and feed-back or reply devices, including a plurality of displays assigned to the ink metering elements for representing adjustment values of all ink zone adjustment members, respectively, of a printing unit, said displays providing exact recommendations to an operator of the assembly, before adjustment of the inking zone adjustment members, for adjusting the adjustment members to predetermined positioning nominal values and signaling to the operator absolute adjustment travel thereof both in magnitude and direction and a positioning device having means selective by the operator for following up the ink zone adjustment members individu

Abstract: A system and associated method for low cost image scanning and automatic ink adjustment control in a printing press. The system dispenses with automatically positioned densitometers and the system feedback which associates densitometer position with ink adjusters in the press. Instead, at the outset, image zones in a printed form are associated with ink zones on the press, as determined by the particular form being printed. The operator is then led to take manual densitometer readings of each image zone, and the system determines whether the reading is proper, whether it is within standards, and if the operator should advance to a reading of the next zone, so directs the operator.

Abstract: A system and a method for making fountain adjustments in a printing press. A press control panel has a plurality of key pairs for bidirectionally controlling associated fountain adjusters, and the system provides for zonal adjustment by defining zones which include a plurality of fountain adjusters and simultaneously adjusting all of the adjusters in a defined zone. A zone definition begins by detection of simultaneous actuation of both keys in a pair, and a zone is defined by actuation of a further key, the zone encompassing all adjusters lying between the actuated key pair and the further key. After definition of a zone, all of the adjusters in a zone are controlled by operation of one or two keys in the zone. Flexibility is provided to adjust all adjusters in the same direction and by the same amount, or to interpolate adjustments between adjusters.

Abstract: A system (and related method) for coordinating electronic zonal control of a printing press to a hard copy image of the printed form. The system supports a hard copy image in register with an optical source which projects an optical mark onto the image. The optical mark is traversed to selected points on the image. The zonal control information is stored in electronic memory means and can be displayed on an electronic display. Neither the electronic display nor the electronic memory have means for storing the actual image pattern. The electronic display has means for displaying a cursor and traversing the cursor across the displayed zone-by-zone information. The system provides means for translating coordinate information from the optical mark projected onto the hard copy image and controlling the cursor position on the electric display so as to correlate image positions from the hard copy with control zone information in the electronic display.

Abstract: A wireless control device for a large printing machine includes at least one portable hand unit having a transmitter, and a plurality of push buttons for selecting a desired command to be sent to one of a plurality of electronic control units associated with the printing machine. The commands are transmitted, by electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared waves, or by ultrasonic waves, to receiving and decoding units that are connected to each of the control units. To insure that the control units are not inadvertently actuated, signal verification circuiting can be provided. This circuitry enables a signal received by one of the receiving and decoding units to be retransmitted back to the hand unit, where it is compared with the original signal in the transmitter, to insure that the two coincide. A speech analysis system can be employed with the device to enable commands to be entered verbally.

Abstract: A device for adjusting the amount of ink supplied for use in a printing press includes an ink blade disposed along the longitudinal direction of an ink fountain roller, ink adjusters respectively disposed for each of the longitudinally divided areas of the ink blade so as to move each area toward or away from the ink fountain roller and thereby adjust the gap between the ink blade and the ink fountain roller, ink blade position detectors for detecting the position of the ink blade adjusted by the ink adjusters, and the ink blade position control means for controlling the position of the ink blade through the ink adjusters on the basis of the zero point of the ink blade position detectors.