US4015522A — Multicolor sheet-fed printing press

Claim 1

Independent Claim 234 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising, a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, first and second transfer drums interposed in series between the outlet sprocket and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of the sheets to the latter, the first transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit, and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, and means for receiving sheets from the second impression cylinder and for delivering them at a delivery point.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 234 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising, a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, first and second transfer drums interposed in series between the outlet sprocket and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of the sheets to the latter, the first transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit, and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, and means for receiving sheets from the second impression cylinder and for delivering them at a delivery point.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the sprockets are rotated at the angular speed of the transfer drums but have a pitch diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the transfer drum.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 108 words

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the conveyor chain has grippers evenly spaced thereon departing and arriving in synchronism with the rotation of the respective impression cylinders, the chain being driven at a speed which is slightly less than the peripheral speed of the transfer drums, and the chain having a length sufficient to produce a time delay between printing in the first press unit and printing in the second unit sufficient to produce absorption of the ink of the first printing to substantially dry state before the sheet is acted upon in the second press unit thereby to prevent smearing of the first-printed image.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 123 words

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the surface of the sheet which has been printed by the first press unit faces inwardly on the conveyor chain, a first vacuum brake provided along the conveyor chain at the region of approach to the outlet sprocket for engaging the presented outside surface of the sheet for controlling flutter of the sheet engaged by the leading edge and including a second vacuum brake provided along the conveyor at the region of departure of the conveyor chain from the outlet sprocket for engaging the presented outside surface of the sheet so as to control fluttering of the sheet upon its reversal when the trailing edge thereof is gripped by the auxiliary set of grippers.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 89 words

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the outlet sprocket has a coaxially connected sprocket drum, the sprocket drum having a plurality of peripheral vacuum chambers extending the length of the drum and arranged side by side communicating with orifices on the surface of the drum, a source of vacuum, and means for coupling the chambers to the source of vacuum during a predetermined portion of the rotative cycle for holding a conveyed sheet in a predetermined registered position with respect to the sprocket drum and sprocket.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which the outlet sprocket has a pitch diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the sprocket drum.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 54 words

The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which the coupling means includes conduits connected to the respective chambers, means for commutatively connecting the conduits to the source of vacuum, and valves interposed in at least some of the conduits for silencing of selected chambers depending upon the length of the sheets being handled.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 249 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising, a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, a transfer drum interposed between the outlet sprocket and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of sheets to the latter, the transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit, and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, means for driving the conveyor chain at a speed which is slightly less than the peripheral speed of the transfer drum, and means for receiving sheets from the second impression cylinder and for delivering them at a delivery point.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 249 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising, a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, a transfer drum interposed between the outlet sprocket and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of sheets to the latter, the transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit, and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet at the outlet sprocket and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, means for driving the conveyor chain at a speed which is slightly less than the peripheral speed of the transfer drum, and means for receiving sheets from the second impression cylinder and for delivering them at a delivery point.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 273 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, a sprocket drum concentric with the outlet sprocket, first and second transfer drums interposed in series between the sprocket drum and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of sheets to the latter, the first transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet from the sprocket drum for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet from the sprocket drum and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, and a vacuum plenum on the downstream side of the sprocket drum and spaced from the sprocket drum for lifting the sheet clear of the sprocket drum and for braking the movement thereof incident to the gripping of the trailing edge of the sheet by the auxiliary set of grippers.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 273 words

In a multicolor sheet fed printing press installation, the combination comprising a first press unit having means including a first impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a second press unit having means including a second impression cylinder for printing on one side of a sheet, a conveyor comprising an endless conveyor chain having grippers and trained about an inlet sprocket in the first press unit for taking a sheet from the first impression cylinder and trained about an outlet sprocket in the second press unit for delivering the sheet to the second impression cylinder, a sprocket drum concentric with the outlet sprocket, first and second transfer drums interposed in series between the sprocket drum and the second impression cylinder for controlling the feeding of sheets to the latter, the first transfer drum having (1) means including a normal set of grippers for gripping the leading edge of the sheet from the sprocket drum for printing on a first side of the sheet in the second press unit and (2) means including an auxiliary set of grippers for gripping the trailing edge of the sheet from the sprocket drum and for transferring the gripped edge to the normal set of grippers, thereby to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side of the sheet in the second press unit, and a vacuum plenum on the downstream side of the sprocket drum and spaced from the sprocket drum for lifting the sheet clear of the sprocket drum and for braking the movement thereof incident to the gripping of the trailing edge of the sheet by the auxiliary set of grippers.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 54 words

The combination as claimed in claim 9 in which the sprocket drum is perforated and includes means for applying vacuum through the perforations over an arc of the drum preceding the location of the vacuum plenum to keep the sheet in accurate register on the drum until removed by the auxiliary set of grippers.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-04-04	1980-10-04	1981-04-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-04-04	1984-10-04	1985-04-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-04-04	1988-10-04	1989-04-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Multicolor sheet-fed printing press

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