Machine for simultaneously turning and laser engraving printing cylinders

Claim 1

In a laser engraving machine for engraving cylindrical intaglio printing members including means for supporting and rotating a cylindrical printing member, a slide-way extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said printing member, a traversing carriage mounted for movement along said slide-way, and a primary sliding carriage mounted on said traversing carriage for movement in a direction transverse to said slide-way, said primary carriage carrying a laser engraving head, the improvement wherein a secondary sliding carriage is mounted on said primary sliding carriage for movement transverse to said slide-way, and wherein said primary and said secondary sliding carriages carry a turning tool holder and said laser engraving head whereby the relationship of said laser engraving head to said turning tool holder and hence to a turned surface of said printing member is set by movement of said secondary sliding carriage relative to said primary sliding carriage and then, thereafter, both said primary and said secondary sliding carriages are moved together as a single unit to turn and engrave said printing member simultaneously on a single pass of said traversing carriage.