Anti-marking coverings for printing presses

• US 20050106968A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brite Ideas Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brite Ideas Incorporated
• Inventors: Rizika, Daniel J., Litman, Gary, Llanes, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/110
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 22/00 Means preventing smudging of machine parts or printed articles B41F23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 3/00 Cylinder presses, i.e. presses essentially comprising at least one cylinder co-operating with at least one flat type-bed
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/14 Multicolour printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/18 Printing one ink over another
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/909 Resilient layer, e.g. printer's blanket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24496 Foamed or cellular component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249959 Void-containing component is wood or paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249962 Void-containing component has a continuous matrix of fibers only [e.g., porous paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249964 Fibers of defined composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24999 Inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249991 Synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249992 Linear or thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/8305 Miscellaneous [e.g., treated surfaces, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2164 Coating or impregnation specified as water repellent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2213 : Coating or impregnation is specified as weather proof, water vapor resistant, or moisture resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2221 : Coating or impregnation is specified as water proof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2418 : Coating or impregnation increases electrical conductivity or anti-static quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3325 : Including a foamed layer or component

Abstract

In a printing press and attached onto the transfer cylinders, an anti-marking system that uniformly supports the transport and the release of the wet printed sheet from one station to the next. The anti-marking sheet consists of a two plus layer system, the outer layer being a textured surface and the inner layer being a microcellular material that is both compressible and resilient. The outer textured layer may be treated with either conductive/anti-static layers or an ink repellent layer or both. The two plus layer system is easily attached to both transfer cylinders and tracking/skeleton wheels using any combination of fixtures from Velcro™, magnetic, metallic, and pressure sensitive double sided tape to elastic loops.

Claims

1. An anti-marking sheet for mounting on a transfer cylinder or skeleton or tracking wheels in a printing machine to uniformly support a freshly printed sheet material as it is conveyed from a first print station to a next station without marking, the anti-marking sheet comprising:

a flexible substrate layer having opposed first and second sides and a textured surface protruding from the first side;

a flexible microcellular material that is resilient to compressive forces provided on the second side of the flexible substrate.

2. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, further comprising a coating or substrate adhered to a backside of the flexible microcellular layer.

3. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the anti-marking sheet is treated with an ink-repellent compound.

4. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the anti-marking sheet is treated with an anti-static or conductive coating.

5. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the textured surface comprises a plurality of partially exposed spheroidal shaped elements having exposed convex portions ranging from about 0.1-20 thousandths of an inch.

6. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the textured surface is a fabric.

7. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the flexible microcellular material is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a closed cell foam or open cell foam and has a density of about 2-60 lbs/cubic ft.

8. The anti-marking sheet of claim 7, wherein the foam comprises a urethane or polyolefin.

9. The anti-marking sheet of claim 8, wherein the foam comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl acetate or a combination thereof.

10. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the flexible microcellular material is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a rubber-like polymer saturated paper or fabric, a compressible cork, and a compressible fiber.

11. The anti-marking sheet of claim 3, wherein an anti-static or conductive coating is applied to the anti-marking sheet prior to, or simultaneously with the application of the ink repellent

12. The anti-marking sheet of claim 3, wherein said ink repellent compound comprises a silicone or fluorocarbon.

13. The anti-marking sheet of claim 4, wherein the anti-static or conductive coating comprises ionic elements, salts, carbon, graphite, aluminum, silver, nickel, tin, or stainless steel

14. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein holes are perforated in the anti-marking sheet in a pattern corresponding to air flow holes provided in a specific press cylinder to facilitate pressurized air flow and suction through the flexible microcellular material layered sheet to aid in the transport of the freshly printed sheet and prevention of its marking.

15. A method of making an anti-marking jacket using the anti-marking sheet of claim_ 1 whereby the anti-marking jacket easily and quickly attaches onto a cylinder or tracking or skeleton wheels of a printing press, the method comprising the steps of:

precutting the anti-marking sheet to fit the dimension of the cylinder, the cut anti-marking sheet having two longitudinal edges corresponding to the cylinder'"'"'s longitudinal length; and

affixing to each longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet a means for attaching it to an edge of the cylinder.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises at least one elastic loop adhered to the longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching is configured to be affixed to the cylinder of a Heidelberg SM-74 press and comprises a re-usable fixture that attaches to one longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a magnetic means at each longitudinal edge or along the entire backside of the anti-marking sheet.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a hook and loop fastening material for affixing the anti-marking sheet to the cylinder or tracking or skeleton wheels that have hook and loop mating material.

20. The method claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive means for affixing the anti-marking sheet adhesively to the cylinder.