Patent EP0199520A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0199520A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Gravure printing press and method of manufacturing the same
Assignee: Observer Ltd
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Filing: 1986-04-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-04-14
Abstract
Abstract A printing press comprises a rotatable cylindrical surface (6) carrying a gravure printing image and ink is applied to the surface by an inking unit comprising a pressurised ink duct. The ink duct is bounded by the surface (6), a doctor blade (12) and a sealing member (11). ink is supplied to the duct under pressure from a source and excess ink is returned to the source. The image may be on a plate mounted on a plate cylinder (6) in a readily removable manner. The press may be produced by conversion of a letterpress printing machine for newspaper production.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas Cliffe Ledgard
- 👤 James Cox
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:44
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F27/00; B41F27/02; B41F27/12; B41F27/1281; B41F9/00; B41F9/06; B41F9/061; B41F9/065
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A gravure printing press comprising: (i) a cylindrical surface (6) carrying a gravure printing image, (ii) a means (35,37,38,39) of rotating said surface about its cylindrical axis, (iii) a means of applying ink to said surface, and (iv) a means (29) of contacting said surface with material (28) to be printed so as to transfer ink from said surface to said material characterised in that said means of applying ink to said surface is in the form of an inking unit comprising:- (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by said surface, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with said surface, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from an ink source (22) to said duct and thence into contact with said surface, and (c) a means (27) of returning to said source ink in excess of that retained by said surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A gravure printing press comprising: (i) a cylindrical surface (6) carrying a gravure printing image, (ii) a means (35,37,38,39) of rotating said surface about its cylindrical axis, (iii) a means of applying ink to said surface, and (iv) a means (29) of contacting said surface with material (28) to be printed so as to transfer ink from said surface to said material characterised in that said means of applying ink to said surface is in the form of an inking unit comprising:- (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by said surface, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with said surface, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from an ink source (22) to said duct and thence into contact with said surface, and (c) a means (27) of returning to said source ink in excess of that retained by said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A press as claimed in claim 1 wherein said axially extending sealing member is spaced from said surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
A press as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the ink duct includes a protruding edge (14) extending towards but spaced from said surface so as to divide the ink duct into a first zone (15) including an ink inlet (18) to receive ink from the ink supplying means and a second zone (16) including an ink outlet (21) to discharge ink to the ink returning means whereby during printing ink flows between said protruding edge and said surface and is subjected to a pressure increase in said second zone due to the rotation of said surface about its axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A press as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the ink duct has a width corresponding to the axial length of the cylindrical surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A press as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a plurality of said inking units is provided, the ink ducts of each unit being arranged side by side along the axial length of the cylindrical surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said cylindrical surface carrying the gravure image is the surface of a gravure printing plate (6) mounted on a plate cylinder (4).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A press as claimed in claim 6 wherein the printing plate is held on the plate cylinder by magnets (117)(158).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
A press as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein a first end (165) of the printing plate is provided with a recessed portion and the length of the printing plate is such that, when mounted on the opiate cylinder, the second end (170) overlaps the first end and lies in the recessed portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A press as claimed in claim 8 wherein a gap is left between the portion of the printing plate adjacent the recessed portion and the second end overlapping said recessed portion and.said gap is filled with filler material (172).
Claim 11
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of manufacturing a gravure printing press characterised in that it comprises (i) providing a letter press printing machine comprising (a) side frames (1), (b) a plate cylinder (4) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and carrying a thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate, (c) a train of ink rollers (42,43,44,45) for transferring ink from a source (22) to the printing plate and (d) an impression cylinder (29) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and located so as to contact material (28) to be printed with the printing plate so as to transfer ink to said material from the printing plate, (ii) removing the thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate from the plate cylinder and replacing the same with a thin gravure printing plate (6) with the interposition of shim plates (115)(152,153) to compensate for the difference in printing plate thickness, and (iii) removing the train of ink rollers and replacing the same with an inking unit comprising: (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by the gravure printing plate, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with the gravure printing plate, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from the ink source to said duct and thence into contact with said gravure printing plate, and (c) a means (27) of returning to the source ink in excess of that retained by the gravure printing plate.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of manufacturing a gravure printing press characterised in that it comprises (i) providing a letter press printing machine comprising (a) side frames (1), (b) a plate cylinder (4) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and carrying a thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate, (c) a train of ink rollers (42,43,44,45) for transferring ink from a source (22) to the printing plate and (d) an impression cylinder (29) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and located so as to contact material (28) to be printed with the printing plate so as to transfer ink to said material from the printing plate, (ii) removing the thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate from the plate cylinder and replacing the same with a thin gravure printing plate (6) with the interposition of shim plates (115)(152,153) to compensate for the difference in printing plate thickness, and (iii) removing the train of ink rollers and replacing the same with an inking unit comprising: (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by the gravure printing plate, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with the gravure printing plate, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from the ink source to said duct and thence into contact with said gravure printing plate, and (c) a means (27) of returning to the source ink in excess of that retained by the gravure printing plate.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
251 words
A method of manufacturing a gravure printing press characterised in that it comprises (i) providing a letter press printing machine comprising (a) side frames (1), (b) a plate cylinder (4) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and carrying a thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate, (c) a train of ink rollers (42,43,44,45) for transferring ink from a source (22) to the printing plate and (d) an impression cylinder (29) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and located so as to contact material (28) to be printed with the printing plate so as to transfer ink to said material from the printing plate, (ii) removing the thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate and the plate cylinder and replacing the same with a larger plate cylinder carrying a thin gravure printing plate (6) and having the same overall diameter, and (iii) removing the train of ink rollers and replacing the same with an inking unit comprising: (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by the gravure printing plate, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with the gravure printing plate, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from the ink source to said duct and thence into contact with said gravure printing plate, and (c) a means (27) of returning to the source ink in excess of that retained by the gravure printing plate.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
251 words
A method of manufacturing a gravure printing press characterised in that it comprises (i) providing a letter press printing machine comprising (a) side frames (1), (b) a plate cylinder (4) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and carrying a thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate, (c) a train of ink rollers (42,43,44,45) for transferring ink from a source (22) to the printing plate and (d) an impression cylinder (29) mounted for rotation in the side frames about its cylindrical axis and located so as to contact material (28) to be printed with the printing plate so as to transfer ink to said material from the printing plate, (ii) removing the thick stereotype or photopolymer printing plate and the plate cylinder and replacing the same with a larger plate cylinder carrying a thin gravure printing plate (6) and having the same overall diameter, and (iii) removing the train of ink rollers and replacing the same with an inking unit comprising: (a) a substantially closed axially extending ink duct for containing ink under pressure, said ink duct being bounded by the gravure printing plate, an axially extending doctor blade (12) in contact with the gravure printing plate, and an axially extending sealing member (11), (b) a means (23,26) of supplying ink from the ink source to said duct and thence into contact with said gravure printing plate, and (c) a means (27) of returning to the source ink in excess of that retained by the gravure printing plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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