Registering adjustment for multi-color printing

Claim 1

IN A SHEET-FED MULTI-COLOR PRINTING PRESS HAVING A PLURALITY OF PRINTING STATIONS FOR SEQUENTIAL PRINTING OF SUPERIMPOSED IMAGES ON CONGRUENT AREAS OF SHEETS FED THROUGH ALL SAID STATIONS AND HAVING AN IMPRESSION CYLINGER AT EACH SAID PRINTING STATION FOR RECEIVING SAID SHEETS TO BE PRINTED AND FOR IMPRESSION THEREOF AGAINST A PRINTING PLATE AT EACH SAID STATION AND IN WHICH SAID SHEETS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DIMENSIONAL VARIATIONS AND DEFORMATIONS DURING SAID PRINTING OF SAID SEQUENTIAL IMAGES THEREON, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF SHEET GRIPPING MEANS ON SAID IMPRESSION CYLINDER GRIPPING THE AXIALLY EXTENDING LEADING EDGE OF EACH SAID SHEET FED THERETO, AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SAID GRIPPERS SPACED AXIALLY ALONG SAID CYLINDER AND NORMALLY AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH RESPECT THERETO, AN ARTICULATED RAIL ALONG SAID CYLINDER WITH PORTIONS THEREOF INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THEREOF, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SHEET GRIPPERS ALONG SAID ARTICULATED RAIL, MEANS FOR DISPLACING SELECTED PORTIONS OF SAID ARTICULATED RAIL AND SAID GRIPPERS MOUNTED THEREON INTO AND OUT OF AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CYLINDER FOR DISTORTING SAID LEADING EDGE OF SAID SHEETS EFFECTING CONCOMITANT DISTORTING OF THE AREA OF SAID SHEETS TO BE PRINTED FOR COMPENSATING FOR SAID DIMENSIONAL VARIATIONS AND DEFORMATIONS THEREOF, SAID DISTORTION OF SAID SHEETS BEING POSITIVELY MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE PASSAGE OF EACH SAID SHEET THROUGH EACH SAID PRINTING STATION, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE EXTENT AND DIRECTION OF SAID SELECTIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID ARTICULATED RAIL AND SAID GRIPPERS THEREON FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTORTION OF SAID SHEETS TO COMPENSATE FOR SAID DIMENSIONAL VARIATIONS AND DEFORMATIONS THEREOF DURING SAID PRINTING AT EACH SAID PRINTING STATION.