Control system for printing presses

Claim 2

Apparatus for implementing a system of controlling a plurality of printing presses, comprising a respective control device assigned to each of said printing presses, a central control apparatus connected to said control device of each of said printing presses, said central control apparatus including a printing plate reader for reading ink distribution data from a printing plate, a computer in said central control apparatus, a data-transfer and processing device in said central control apparatus connected to said computer for transmitting data to said control device assigned to each of said printing presses, said data including ink distribution data from the printing plate reader for controlling a given one of said printing presses for printing a given printing job independently of said computer, a microprocessor in said data transfer and processing device for controlling flow of information between said computer and said control device and a data transmission network interconnecting said control device, said central control apparatus, said printing plate reader, said computer, and said data-transfer and processing device.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, including data transfer means for feeding instructions, data operating systems, and applications programs from said computer to said data-transfer and processing device.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data-transfer and processing device comprises a plurality of inputs/outputs for communicating with the control devices, respectively, of the printing presses, and an input/output for communicating with said computer.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said data-transfer and processing device includes further inputs/outputs, and at least one mass storage device communicating with said further inputs/outputs.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said data-transfer and processing device further includes a third input/output, and a printing-plate reader communicating with said printing-plate reader via said third input/output.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1, including a densitometer connected to said control devices for measuring print quality.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1, including a printing-plate reader connected to said data-transfer and processing device for reading a printing plate.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said computer is a personal computer, and said data-transfer and processing device is formed as a plug-in card, and an expansion slot in said personal computer for receiving said data-transfer and processing device.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 1, including a driverless transport system connected to said central control apparatus.

Claim 11

Apparatus for controlling a plurality of printing presses comprising a central control apparatus, a printing plate reader for reading ink distribution data connected to said plurality of printing presses, a computer, a data network for transmitting printing data including ink distribution data to respective control devices assigned to respective printing presses.

Claim 12

Apparatus for controlling a plurality of printing presses comprising a central control apparatus, a printing plate reader for reading ink distribution data connected to said plurality of printing presses, a computer, a data network for transmitting printing data including ink distribution data to respective control devices assigned to respective printing presses.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10, including further data-processing devices connected to said data network.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10, including further data-communication devices connected to said central control apparatus.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10, including a driverless transport system connected to said data network.

Claim 16

Method for controlling production from a plurality of printing presses including a central control apparatus a data transfer and processing device, a microprocessor in said data transfer and processing device, including a printing plate reader for reading ink distribution data from a printing plate connected with each of the printing presses, and a data transmission network interconnecting said central control apparatus, said printing plate reader, said data transfer and processing device, and said microprocessor; a printing press control device, and an operator unit connected to each of the printing presses; and data communications lines interconnecting the printing presses, the control device, the microprocessor, and the operator unit for each of the printing presses with the central control apparatus; the method which comprises the steps of: entering into the central control apparatus printing job data and machine specific data, said printing job data including ink distribution data from the printing plate reader; transmitting with said data communications lines the job data and machine specific data to the respective control devices of the printing presses; controlling with said microprocessor the flow of job data and machine specific data to the respective control devices of the printing presses; and controlling a given printing press with the job, data and the machine specific data, for performing a given printing job.

Claim 17

Method for controlling production from a plurality of printing presses including a central control apparatus a data transfer and processing device, a microprocessor in said data transfer and processing device, including a printing plate reader for reading ink distribution data from a printing plate connected with each of the printing presses, and a data transmission network interconnecting said central control apparatus, said printing plate reader, said data transfer and processing device, and said microprocessor; a printing press control device, and an operator unit connected to each of the printing presses; and data communications lines interconnecting the printing presses, the control device, the microprocessor, and the operator unit for each of the printing presses with the central control apparatus; the method which comprises the steps of: entering into the central control apparatus printing job data and machine specific data, said printing job data including ink distribution data from the printing plate reader; transmitting with said data communications lines the job data and machine specific data to the respective control devices of the printing presses; controlling with said microprocessor the flow of job data and machine specific data to the respective control devices of the printing presses; and controlling a given printing press with the job, data and the machine specific data, for performing a given printing job.

Claim 18

Method according to claim 14, which includes transmitting the data from the control device to the central control apparatus after the given printing job is completed.

Claim 19

Method according to claim 14, which includes transmitting the data from the control device to the central control apparatus during the performance of the given printing job.

Claim 20

Method according to claim 14, which includes writing the data to a storage device via the central control apparatus, after performing the given printing job on the given printing press, when the given printing job has been performed only for a first time.

Claim 21

Method according to claim 17, which includes, in the event the printing job is a repeat job, reading the data from the storage device and feeding the data from the central control apparatus to the control device of one of the printing presses.

Claim 22

Method according to claim 18, which includes, for the repeat printing job, changing the data when one of the printing presses other than the given printing press is selected for performing the repeat printing job.