Abstract: An apparatus is comprised of a plurality of printing units for printing hollow elements. A conveying device conveys the hollow elements to be printed into a printing zone of at least one of the printing units. At least one of the printing units includes a plate cylinder to which a plate replacing mechanism is assigned.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for registration and loading of ferromagnetic metal-based printing plates to a magnetic drum. The apparatus comprises a magnetic cylinder equipped with registration holes; a loading table, a non-magnetic material spacer tray and at least one pair of registration pegs.

Abstract: An angular position adjusting device including a first member which holds an object having an axis of rotation, a second member which holds the first member rotatably about the axis of the object, and a rotating mechanism interposed between the first and second members and operable to rotate the first member relative to the second member about the axis of the object, and wherein one of the first and second members has an guiding surface formed to extend along an arc of a circle having a center at the axis of the object, the arc having a center angle smaller than 180°, and the other of the first and second members has a guided surface for sliding contact with the arcuate guiding surface, when the first member is rotated by the rotating mechanism relative to the second member, to adjust the angular position of the object about its axis.

Abstract: A press plate mounting apparatus has a press plate placement portion capable of holding a press plate having a partially formed print face region, and a plate cylinder holding portion that rotatably holds a plate cylinder onto which the press plate is mounted. Positioning cross marks are provided in a non-print region of the press plate. The press plate placement portion includes a suction surface that sucks the print face region, and a scale member provided at a position outward of the suction surface and extending in a predetermined direction. The scale member is able to contact the locating cross marks when the press plate is held at a predetermined position. The scale member has a scale that makes it possible to visually check a positional deviation of the press plate in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for positional adjustment of a plate cylinder in both lateral and circumferential directions thereof for image registration in a multicolor, offset rotary printing press. A lateral adjustment mechanism includes a spur gear which is motor driven bidirectionally, and which travels laterally back and forth, to cause lateral displacement of the plate cylinder. The gear has a pin erected eccentrically thereon for abutment against a fixed limit stop on the press frame in order to limit the bidirectional rotation of the gear and hence to prevent the plate cylinder from being driven laterally beyond limits. A circumferential adjustment mechanism includes another spur gear which is motor driven bidirectionally, and which also travels laterally back and forth, to cause circumferential displacement of the plate cylinder. This second gear has a double-ended pin extending eccentrically therethrough and having its ends projecting in opposite directions therefrom.

Abstract: A registering tool and registering method enables adhering of flexographic printing plates to the cylindrical surface of a rotary press plate cylinder in a manner which assures that the upper and lower edges of the plate are aligned in a strictly parallel relationship with the axis of rotation of the plate cylinder. The tool includes a channel shaped elongated bar having side walls with lower edges which are rested on the cylindrical surface of the cylinder in parallel relationship with the axis of the cylinder. A row of register pin receiving openings extends along a side wall of the bar in parallel relationship with the lower edge of the side wall. The printing plate is temporarily pinned to the bar with register pins which are inserted into registration holes in the printing plate that are equidistant from the upper edge of the plate. A first portion of the plate is then adhered to the cylinder.

Abstract: A plate mounter for mounting flexible printing plates on a printing cylinder used in flexographic and letterpress printing processes includes a frame and a table top having a top flat surface located above the frame for supporting the printing plate. The table top is horizontally slidable on lineal bearings towards and away from an operator of the plate mounter. Two opposing vertical support members are joined by a stabilizing bar with an attached handle. The vertical support members are attached to the frame such that they may be moved radially at the bottom end. In between the vertical support members are a plurality of carriage rods holding a horizontal adjustable cylinder carriage. The carriage slides to the left and right along the rods. Attached to the carriage is a tapered spindle facing the right vertical support member. A matching tapered spindle attaches to the right vertical support member. The spindles hold the printing cylinder.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for positioning flexible printing plates comprising at least two markings on a printing cylinder, a support device for the printing cylinder, a projection device for projecting reference marks on the printing cylinder at a location where the markings will have to come, a display device for displaying the markings and the reference markings, and a positioning table extending substantially horizontal for locating the printing plate to be positioned.

Abstract: The positions of horizontal lines on a layout cylinder of a printing plate mounting and proofing machine are located with automatic compensation for stretch that results from various parameters such as the diameter of a printing cylinder on which the layout will be used, and the thicknesses of the printing plates and printing plate backing. A display of the circumferential displacement of the layout cylinder, as the cylinder is rotated, provides the displacement with the necessary compensation for stretch, rather than the actual cylinder displacement.

Abstract: A printing press packing gauge is provided in the form of a channel member or saddle for lengthwise disposition along and support from a blanket cylinder with the open side of the channel member abutted and seated against the blanket cylinder and one end of the gauge including an elongated reciprocal sensor lengthwise shiftable relative to the channel member generally radially of the cylinder while an indicator spindle is mounted for lengthwise shifting longitudinally of the channel member and movement connecting structure in the form of a bellcrank pivotally supported from the channel member is provided and operatively connects the sensor with the spindle for simultaneous and equal shifting of the spindle relative to the channel member responsive to shifting of the sensor relative to the saddle member.

Abstract: A portable table assembly for facilitating initial alignment in mounting of a metallic printing plate to a magnetic plate cylinder includes a table having a top surface for supporting the metallic printing plate. A roller is mounted in the table and is exposed on the top surface for guiding the metallic printing plate along the top surface. The roller has an axis perpendicular to a line defined by a direction the metallic printing plate moves when mounting the metallic printing plate from the top surface onto the magnetic plate cylinder. An arcuate bracket is mounted to a bottom side of the table and supports the top surface at a tangent to the plate cylinder with an upper edge of the table resting on the plate cylinder. The bracket engages a locating cylinder having an axis substantially parallel to the magnetic plate cylinder and lying adjacent to the magnetic plate cylinder.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting flexible printing plates on a printing cylinder includes a base rotatably supporting a printing cylinder in a predetermined position and an adjacent support table having a surface for supporting a flexible printing plate having a reference point thereon. Actuators move the support table along three orthogonal axes one of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the printing cylinder. The position of the reference point is sensed by a video camera and feedback signals representing the positions of the camera and the table with respect to the three axes are inputs to a computer. The computer determines the positional relationship between the reference point on the printing plate and the predetermined position of the printing cylinder and moves the support table to position the printing plate at a desired position for mounting on the printing cylinder.

Abstract: A method of in-register exposing and printing of a flexible letterpress form for spot varnishing, which comprises fixing on a copying cylinder in-register a flexible letterpress form having a register system in a region of the leading edge of the form, and exposing the form, then clamping the flexible letterpress form on a rubber-blanket cylinder having a greater diameter than that of the copying cylinder so as to compensate for distortion of a subject in circumferential direction during circular exposure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the degree of alignment or misalignment of various web offset lithograph printing press components is disclosed. An alignment block is provided having one surface with a modified curved "v" contour, and with a plurality of receptacles for holding register measuring components. The remaining sides of the alignment block are planar and mutually perpendicular. Register measuring components can be attached to extensions placed within the receptacles and those register measuring components are used to measure deviation of web offset press components from a reference point in the press. The alignment block is adaptable to receive dowel pins in the receptacles, which form a corner with the blocks that can be simply and easily placed upon a precisely positioned reference positions on the frame of a color unit of a web offset press.

Abstract: Provided by the present invention, is an apparatus for and a method of ensuring an accurate parallel alignment between working surfaces of various rolls or cylinders disposed in a print station of a package printing arrangement. Further, this invnetion provides a method of and an apparatus for establishing substantial synchronization of the rotational speed of the working surface of a printing plate cylinder with the linear speed of a substrate material to be printed in a package printing arrangement. Additionally, this invention teaches an apparatus for and a method of providing documentation of certain preselected screen values and a percent of an image maintained by a particular printing arrangement.

Abstract: In system and method for registering a flexographic printing plate on a printing cylinder, the printing plate is provided with two alignment holes. A first registration pin is moved with a precision adjustment device to a predetermined location adjacent the cylinder. One of the alignment holes is aligned with the first pin, and the first pin is moved into that hole. The printing plate is then adjusted to move the other hole into alignment with a second registration pin, and the second pin is moved into the other hole. The plate is then adhered to the printing cylinder, and the registration pins withdrawn.

Abstract: A sheet to be clamped includes registration holes at its edges. The leading and trailing ends of the sheet are superimposed, then positioned and clamped with respect to a cylinder by means of a clamping bar. The sheet is tensioned by use of an adjustable tensioner rod. Vernier-type scales on the sheet and cylinder aid in measuring and setting the desired tension. A longitudinal edge of the sheet is located by pins suitably located on the cylinder. In alternative embodiments, the clamping bar and tensioner rod are combined in a unit, or the clamping bar is formed in split sections to receive the sheet therebetween.

Abstract: A device and method for installing an adhesive-backed printing blanket on a cylinder is provided. The printing blanket has an adhesive backing for holding it on the cylinder and a leading edge substantially perpendicular to the edge of the blanket. The device comprises an angle bar having a generally orthogonal pair of leg forming an inside corner therebetween for receiving the leading edge of the printing blanket to be contiguous therewith. A first one of the legs has an inside surface being an adherend of limited adhesion, the periphery of the adhesive backing adjacent the leading edge being removably adherable thereto. The first leg also has an outside surface formed to be axially aligning with the cylinder when placed thereon. As a result, the leading edge of the printing blanket is held squarely in place on the angle bar while the printing blanket is wrapped evenly around the cylinder.

Abstract: A mounting device and method for positioning a printing plate on a press cylinder utilizes a transparent planar surface having a grid thereon. A cylinder can be lowered into the cradle and adhesively retain a flexible printing plate which has been alinged on the grid. The method employed provides an efficient time saving and accurate mounting process.

Abstract: A printing plate is directly mounted on a plate cylinder by first placing small holes in the non-image area of the printing plate on register holes in the plate cylinder and by then inserting register pins through the small holes and into the register holes so that the two holes are brought into complete registry with each other. Remounting a removed printing plate at the same position on the cylinder at which it was mounted before may be readily performed by relying on X-Y coordinates of the previous position for finding the corresponding register holes and then by reperforming the method as described above. This will result in a considerable reduction in the manpower required for the plate mounting operation and in the subsequent work to bring the plate into accurate registry with the cylinder.

Abstract: A machine for mounting a printing plate on a plate roll having an adhesively coated face. The machine includes a frame, means for rotatably mounting a plate roll on the frame in a selected position, a tilting framework swingably mounted on the frame and a pair of table sections mounted on the tilting framework on which the printing plate can be slideably mounted. A transparent grid plate is hingedly mounted on the tilting framework and can overlie the printing plate on the table sections. The printing plate can be advanced across the table section until the grid shows that the printing plate is properly aligned with the plate roll. Then a movable one of the table sections can be withdrawn and the printing plate can be advanced downwardly to bring a portion of the printing plate into engagement with the plate roll for attaching the printing plate to the plate roll. The plate roll can be turned to bring the rest of the printing plate into engagement with the adhesively coated face of the plate roll.