EP0123305A2 — Register control system for a printing press

Claim 1

Independent Claim 194 words

A register control system for a printing press, the combination comprising: optical scanner means (18, 19) positioned to detect a register pattern (25) on a moving web (6), which pattern includes register marks (113 to 116) produced by a plurality of separately adjustable printing units (2 to 5), the optical scanner means being operable to generate an electrical signal indicative of the relative position of each register mark; a processor (15) coupled to the optical scanner means to receive the electrical signal and including: (a) means for designating a reference printing unit, (b) means for establishing the relative position of each register mark produced by the other printing units with respect to the register mark produced by the designated reference printing unit, (c) means for establishing a desired position for each of the other printing units, (d) means for comparing each established relative position with the corresponding desired position to produce a register error for each of the other printing units which indicates their misregister with respect to the reference printing unit, and (e) means for adjusting the position of each printing unit in response to its associated register error to reduce its misregister.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 194 words

A register control system for a printing press, the combination comprising: optical scanner means (18, 19) positioned to detect a register pattern (25) on a moving web (6), which pattern includes register marks (113 to 116) produced by a plurality of separately adjustable printing units (2 to 5), the optical scanner means being operable to generate an electrical signal indicative of the relative position of each register mark; a processor (15) coupled to the optical scanner means to receive the electrical signal and including: (a) means for designating a reference printing unit, (b) means for establishing the relative position of each register mark produced by the other printing units with respect to the register mark produced by the designated reference printing unit, (c) means for establishing a desired position for each of the other printing units, (d) means for comparing each established relative position with the corresponding desired position to produce a register error for each of the other printing units which indicates their misregister with respect to the reference printing unit, and (e) means for adjusting the position of each printing unit in response to its associated register error to reduce its misregister.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 99 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 in which each printing unit (2 to 5) has a rotational and a lateral position adjustment, the means for establishing the relative position of each register mark with respect to the register mark produced by the designated reference printing unit provides a lateral relative position and a rotational relative position, separate lateral and rotational desired positions are established for each of the other printing units, and separate lateral and rotational register errors are produced for separately operating the respective lateral and rotational adjustments of each of the other printing units.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 43 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 in which a keyboard (16) is coupled to the processor and the processor includes means for receiving position offset data from the keyboard and adding such position offset data to a selected desired position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 119 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 in which each register mark (113 to 116) is divided into an upper section (260) and a lower section (261) and in which the length (L) of the register mark taken along any longitudinal axis through the register mark is a constant value where: X U = longitudinal dimension of upper section, X L = longitudinal dimension of lower section, and the processor (15) includes error detection means for summing the lengths of the signals produced by the optical scanner means as it detects both the upper and lower sections of each register mark, and for indicating an error when the sum deviates a preset amount from said constant value.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 in which each register mark (113 to 116) is comprised of two sections (260, 261) and the optical scanner means produces two voltage pulses when it detects each register mark and the two sections are shaped such that the relative duration of the two voltage pulses indicates the lateral misregister of the printing unit which produced the register mark.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 67 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 in which said means for adjusting the position of each printing unit includes: means for averaging successive ones of the register errors to produce an average register error for each of the other printing units; and means for reducing the misregister of each of the other printing units when its associated average register error exceeds a selected amount.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 41 words

The register control system as recited in claim 6 in which the means for adjusting the position of each printing unit also includes: means for calculating the standard deviation of successive ones of the register errors to produce said selected amount.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 58 words

The register control system as recited in claim 1 the processor (15) further includes: (f) means for establishing a time delay interval when the position of a printing unit is adjusted to reduce misregister; and (g) means for inhibiting the position adjustment of each printing unit until the time delay interval associated with that printing unit has expired.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 158 words

A register control system for a printing press, the combination comprising: optical scanner means (18, 19) mounted to detect a series of register patterns (25) on a moving web (6) and being operable to generate an electrical signal indicative of the register of each printing unit (2 to 5) in the press; adjusting means (26 to 30) for moving the optical scanner laterally across the moving web in response to an adjustment command; tracking means (15, 17) connected to receive the electrical signal from the optical scanner means (18, 19) and being operable to generate adjustment commands to the adjusting means (26 to 30) to maintain the optical scanner means (18, 19) in alignment with the register patterns on the moving web; and processor means (15, 17, 20) connected to receive the electrical signal from the optical scanner means (18, 19) and being operable in response thereto to control the register of the printing units (2 to 5).

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 158 words

A register control system for a printing press, the combination comprising: optical scanner means (18, 19) mounted to detect a series of register patterns (25) on a moving web (6) and being operable to generate an electrical signal indicative of the register of each printing unit (2 to 5) in the press; adjusting means (26 to 30) for moving the optical scanner laterally across the moving web in response to an adjustment command; tracking means (15, 17) connected to receive the electrical signal from the optical scanner means (18, 19) and being operable to generate adjustment commands to the adjusting means (26 to 30) to maintain the optical scanner means (18, 19) in alignment with the register patterns on the moving web; and processor means (15, 17, 20) connected to receive the electrical signal from the optical scanner means (18, 19) and being operable in response thereto to control the register of the printing units (2 to 5).

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 48 words

The register control system as recited in claim 6 in which the optical scanner means (18, 19) includes a scanner interface circuit (90A, 90B) which converts the analog signal (110) from an optical scanner device to a digital signal (117) comprised of voltage pulses of substantially uniform amplitude.

Register control system for a printing press

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