Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~
'T}lerrnal Transrer Type Record~ng Sheet arld
Apparatus for Maki.ng the Sarne
This invent:i.on rela-tes to therrnal transrer type
recording sheets or strips of` roll rorm wh:i.ch ].end theln-
selves to use wi-th, typically, hea-t-sensitive f'acs:i.ll~ .e
recorders, and -to an a~lparatus for the rnanuracture of' such
record.Lng sheets. More speci.f`ically, the inverlt:i.oll per-
ta:Lns to a strip or roll Or -thermal transrer -type record:i.llg
sheet bear:l.ng an end rnark f'or enabl:Lng tlle detect.~.on of~ the
f'act -that ~he str:Lp or roll is drawing to its end in use,
as well as to an apparatus .~ncluding means ror pr:i.nti.ng
such an end mark in a preassigned position on the recordi.rlg
sheet.
;~ 20 The racsi.m.ile recorder has been known and used
ex~ensively which employs a roll Or thermal transrer type
recording sheet, known as a donor roll, through which the
subJect copy is thermally transrerred to paper. Some rac
simile recorders on the market are further equipped to
detect the fact that the roll is being used up, and -to
.visually or audibly rorewarn the user o~ -the end Or - the
roll.
In order to make possible the automatic de-tec~ion
of the ract that the recording sheet is coming near to its
end, i-t has b~en practiced to provide an end marl~ having a
rerlective surrace on the sheet, in a position spaced a
prescribed distance from its end anchored -to the roll
shart. l`he end mark may be rormed either directly on one
side Or the base rilm Or the recording shee~ or on the
heat-soluble ink layer on the other side Or the base rilm .
The end mark is opticaIly detected by a sensor comprising a
:~ :
~ .
1~9~337
2 -
source Or :infrared radiat.i.on and a photodetector respolls;.ve
to such rad:i.at:i.o~ lexography and brush:l.ng represellt two
typi.cal conventlonal measures ror creat1.rlg such elld marlss.
Such conven-tional methods Or forlnillg end mar}ss
are objectionable ror several reasons. Firs-t, ror f':Le~xo-
graphic produc-ti.on of end marlss, -the printing :I.nk of' re-
rlective materia].:Ls pressed against the record.i.ng she0t ~.,y
a rubb0r-made reli.ef' plate. 'rhe recordillg sheet :I.s '30
tl~:Ln, how0ver, -that the relier plate terlds -to wrillk].e tho
sheet when pressed agains~ the same vla the ref'lect:l.ve
mater:i.al. ~t the sarne tirne, moreover, the rerlect:l.ve :i.nk
is easy to ooze out rrom between the record:l.llg sheet and
tllc plate, thereby rorming undesired bulges b0yond th0 due
boulldari0s of' the end marks. Such bulges not only blur
the bounding edcJes Or t~le end marks but alsc> malse th0ir
thi.ckness uneven.
Additional disadvantages Or rlexography ari.6e
; rrom the fact that berore prin-ting, the reflectlve i.nls on
the rubber plate i6 in the form of a film overlying the
protuberant parts Or the relier plate. The ink ri.lm tends
: to develope unevenness on its transrer from the plate to
the recording sheet, and it is difricult to con-trol -the
amount Or the ink so -transferred and, thererore, the thi.ck
ness Or the end mark so printed. The composition Or -the
: 25 ink is also subject to the restriction that it should con-
tain no such solvent as will attack the rubber plate. This
restriction impose additional limitat.ions on the choice of`
resins to be contained in the ink as a binder. According
ly, tlle desired dispersion characteristics Or the pi.gmen-t
or powdered metal contained in the ink are not easy -to
realize, with a consequent decrease in the quality Or the
printings. It is.a s~ill rurther weakness of flexography
that the rubber plates are susceptible -to derormation and
poor in durability.
The production Or end marks by brushing is also
objectionable because Or the poor quality of the marlsillgs
/
~L~9~33~7
~ l~rodllc~d~ What is worse, th:ls corlverltional rnetllod .i.s
very tilne-consum:l.ng and no-t suitable ror mechan.i.7ecl procluc-
-t.ion Or -the recordillg sheets on a large scale
~or the reasons se-t rorth in the roreKo:i.og~ t~le
end marks produced in accordance with the prior art, ei.thcr
by f`lexography or by brushillg, have of'ten been Or ullevell
thi.cklless and have rlot been derined clearly enoug~ uch
derective end marks have of~ten invi-ted mlsdetection by
lnf`rared sensors, with the resu:l.t that no waln:lng :I.s gene-
rated at the required tirne bef'ore the roll Or record:Lngshee-t is used up.
Known app~ra-tus f'or the rnanufacture of'ro:l:l.s of'
rec:ordillg sheets with elld marks thereoll have also had cl:ir-
r:Lculti.es ln connection Wit}l -the applicatioll of' end marks.
lleretorore, the end rnarks have been rormed orf-line in
longitudinally spaced groups on a continuous web of' base
film wi-th a heat-soluble ink layer thereon. The web has a
width several times greater than -that Or each strip of'
recording sheet to be produced, and each group of' end marks
are arranged side by side in the transverse direction Or
the web. Then, by a separate apparatus, the web has been
: slitted longitudinally i.nto the required narrower strips of
recordi.ng each bearing an end mark thereon.
. ~n objec-t:ion to this conventional me-thod Or manu-
racture is that ir the end-marked web wrinkles or developes
other derects while being sli-tted, one roll length of' the
web has had to be discarded. Another weakness is -the inef
riciency Or production due to the ract -that the application
Or end mar~ss to the web and the slitting Or the end-marked
web require separate machines totally disconnected f`rom
each other.
Accordingly, it is an objec-t Or the invention to
provide a roll or strip Or thermal transf~er type recording
sheet having an end mark so rormed as to assure infallible
de-tection by an optical sensor in order to warn the user Or
the approaching end Or the strip.
~3~33~
1~ .
~ notller ob~cct Or the inventloll is to prov:icln all
a~paratus f'or ef'ric,ierlt rnanuf'acture of~ such a roll, or strip
Or recordirlg shee-t llaving -the end marls.
The -thermal transrer type recording sheet :Ln
accordance with the invent,ion has a s-trip Or base f~ lm w:ltl
a heat-soluble ink layer rorrne(l on one s:i.cle ther'eor. Arl
end mark ls rormed on either s:Lde Or'tile recordirlg sheet .~-Jt
least in a preassigned position spaced a prescribed d.i6-
tance rrom that end Or the recording sheet which :Ls at-
tached to a roll shart ror roll:Lng up the recordillg sheet
-thereon. In order -to enable accura-te detection by arl
optical sensor, the end marls is f`ormed by gravure printing
witll use Or an ink that rerlects light.
Thus the invention teaches the gravure printing
rerlective end marks. As is well known, gravure pr:Ln-t
ing is such that the ink which has been con-ta:Lned in a
multiplicity of' ink cells or minute depressions in t1le
surface or,the gravure printing plate is transT~erred to a
printing sur~ace (in this case, to either Or the opposite
surraces of the recording sheet) in the rorm of rine do-tsl
Gravure printing orrers -the derinite advantage over f'lexo-
graphy that the ink is not susceptible to rlow on therecording sheet surrace when transferred rrom the cells in
the plate. The capacities Or the ink cells de-termine the
amount Or tlle ink to be printed and, in consequence, the
thickness Or the printing. It is therefore easy -to create
extremely thin end marl~s Or cons-tant thi.ckness. The bound-
aries Or the end marks will be sharply derined since there
will be no oozing Or the ink beyond the bounding edges.
Such end marks are, Or course, accurately detectable by
optical sensors Or conventional design, ma~ing possible the
timely change o~ -the donor rolls. Gravure printing pro-
vides the additional advantage or~ permitting the use Or
:
~'31;~37
pr-actically any .ink so that ~he i.nventi.on totally over-
COllle9 the no-ted dirf'iculties heretorore encourltered w:i.th
rlexographi.c printing of' end marks.
The invention also prov:ides an apparatus f'or the
manurac-ture Or the above described thermal transrer type
record.i.ng sheet cornprising web supply means for conti.r
uously supplyi.ng a web having an e:Longate s-trip of' base
r1.1rn with a heat soluble ink layer rormed on one s:i.de
thereor, reed rneans for continuously f'eeding the wob f'rorn
the web supply means gravure printing rneans for f'ormi.rlg a
set Or end marks on either surf'ace Or the web be.Lng red by
t;he reed means, the set Or end marks being spaced f'rom one
another in -the transverse direction Or the web actuat:lng
means ~'or actuating -the gravure print.ing meallS ror causing
tlle sarne to rorm the end marks in preassigned longi-tudinal.
positions on the web and slitting means for longitudinally
slitting the web into a plurality Or strips Or therlnal
transfer type recording sheet each being one Or -the end
rnarks.
It should be appreciated in connection with -the
above disclosecl apparatus Or the invention that the gravure
printing Or the end marks on the web and the slitt.i.ng of'
the end marked web are per~orrned in one and the sarne appa
ratus while the web is being red con-tinuously there-through.
The efriciency Or production is thus materially ~nhanced in
comparison with the conventinal case wherein the printing
Or -the end marlss and the slitting Or the web have been
errected in separate devices. As a rurther advantage eve
ir the web wrinkles or surfers some other derect while
bei.ng slitted only the defective part Or the web rnay be
removed so -that the waste of the web can be reduced to .3
minimum.
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view Or the
~l~91337
tl-lerlllal -transf'or type recordillg s}leet in accordallce w:i.th
the iZ-lVell tion, the record.ing sheet being shown in roll
~'orm and with an end mark forlnecl thereon;
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional v:i.ew of'
the recording sheet taken along -the line II-II in F:igure 1;
Figure 3 is a view si.rnilar to Figure 1 but show~
ing an alternatlve rorm Or recording sheet :Ln accordarlce
witll-the invention;
. Figurc ll is a diagrammat.ic representat:Lol-l Or a
mocle Or use Or the recording sheet in accordance with the
invcllt:lon, -the figure being part:Lcularly explanQtory Or tho
way in wh:l.ch the end marls on the recording shoet :Ls opti-
cal:Ly detected;
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of'-the
aparatus f'or the manufacture of' the recording sh~et :i.ll
accordance wi-t}i the invention;
Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevation Or the
gravure prin-ti.ng section Or the apparatus Or F:igure 5;
Figure 7 is a still more enlarged side elevatior
Or some parts Or the gravur~ printing sec-tion shown in
Figure 6;
Figuro 8 is an enlarged, left halld sidc elevat.i.on
Or sorne parts Or the gravure printing section shown in
Figure 6;
Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view Or -the
drier provided in the gravure printing section Or the
apparatus Or Figure 5;
Figure 10 is a fragrnentary side elevation Or the
drier Or Figure 9; and
Figure 11 is an~enlarged diagramrnatic representa-
tion of the slitting section included in the apparatus Or
Figure 5.
The inven-tion is shown in Figure 1 as cmbodled in
'3~337
a thermal transrer type record:i.ng sheot 1 Or roll f'orm.
Wound on a ro:Ll shart 2, the Colltilluous str:Lp of' recordirlg
sheet 1 is shown paid o~f tlleref'roln ln the directiorl Or tllc
arrow ~ to such an extent that a relatively small lel-lgth of~
the strip is lert on the roll shart.
As lllustra-ted cross-sectionally in Figure 2,
which is taken along the line II-II in Figure 1, thc re-
cording sheet 1 has a base filM la on one side of' wll:l.cl
there is rormed a layor lb of heat-soluble ink f'or the
recording Or tlle subject copy by thermal transf'er. 'llhe
base f'ilm la can be fabricated f~rorn æuch plastics as poly-
estcr, polypropylene, cellophane, acetate and polycarbo-
nate, as well as rrom papers such as condenser paper and
par,lff'in paper. Polyester rilm is recornmended. Th~ hoa-l;-
lS solublo inls layer lb can be conventiorlally co~npounded pri-
mar:lly of' a pigment, -thermoplastic resin, and waxes. 'I'he
heat-soluble ink may be ap~liedto a thickness Or tilreo to
eight microns ror unrailing production Or hi.gh qual:i.-ty
marlcings.
~s has been known heretorore, the recording sheet
1 is intended ror use in the rorm Or a roll on the roll
shaft 2. Unrolled from the roll shart 2, the recordi.ng
sheet 1 .is to have its heat-soluble ink layer lb held
against a desired surf`ace so as to permit -thermal transrer-
red thereto under the action Or a thermal head. Tlle re-
cording sheet 1 will be gradually unwound rrom the roll
shart 2 with the progress Or such recording, until an end
marls 3 becomes revealed as shown in Figure 1. Desi.gned to
enable the detection Or the approaching end Or the record
i.ng sheet, the end mark 3 is herein shown as a narrow strip
extending alongside a longitudinal edge Or -the recording
sheet 1 to a relatively short lengt}l in a position spaced a
prescribed distance from the end Or the recording sheet
which is anchored to the roll shart 2. Figure 1 shows the
end mark 3 rormed on that side Or the recording shee-t 1
which is opposite to the side where the heat-soluble :ink
1337
:Layer lb i.s f'ormed. Alternat:Lvely, however, tl-le end mark
may be rormed on -the ink layer lb, as :i.nd:ica-ted by -the
dashed l-ines in l~igure 2, W:i.t1lou-t the rlsk Or interreri.ng
with recordi.ng.
'i'he end marls 3 take,s the rorrn of' a layer of
l:ight~ref'lective layer rorrned by gravure prin-ting to a
th.;.ckness Or one to six rni.crons in accordance with the
inverltiotl, 'The ink ror use :Ln the gravure printi]lg of' the
end marls 2 should prererably be silver or gold in co].or ror
optirnum rerlect:Lvi-ty. Such a silver- or gold-colored end
marlc will favorably shi.eld the underlying base rilm la or
heat-soluble ink layer lb, wh:Lch may be black in color, and
will provide a rnarlsedly rerlect:i.ve surrace against -the darls
background.
Gravure printing inlss suitable for the provisi.on
Or -the silver- or gold-colored reflective layer may contain
metal such as aluminum in rinely divided rorm. Such metal
particles -tend to settle during the storage or use Or the
iniss, so that a white pigment may be added as required to
mlnimize -the settling tendency. The rollowing is a list Or
some specifi.c exarnples Or gravure prin-ting inks that may be
employed for the provision of the light-rerlective layer:
Gravure printing ink 1:
Aluminum paste ...................... 13 par-ts
"VA-HRll30'1 ......................... 87 parts
I'he cornposition Or the "VA-HR430" is:
Vinylidene fluoride ............... 8 . 7 parts
Carbon fluoride .................... 6.5 par-ts
Methyl ethyl ketone ........... ,,, 47 .0 parts
Toluene ........................... ; ~.6 parts
"M-AT BC-TF" ...................... 21.7 par-ts
"M-AT Mark FC113" ................... 6.5 parts
A.' * trade-marks
~9~337
9 ~
'I'he "M-A'I' ~C~ "' is compounded Or 10 parts
"'I'erlon" (tradernarls) powder, llo parts acrylic polyol, 30
parts me-thyl ethyl ketone, ancl ~0 parts Or addi-tives. The
"M-~T Mar~s ~C113" is compounded Or 30 parts grart polymer
wax, 65 parts -to:luene, and five parts ethyl acetate.
Gravure printing ink 2:
Alumillum paste .................... ~.0 parts
Ni-trocellu:Lose .................. 16.5 parts
~os:Ln ester ....................... 3.0 p~rts
Wax ............................... l~.5 parts
Castor o:ll ........................ 3.0 parts
Dioctyl rnalate .................... 3.0 parts
Toluene ........................... 20.0 parts
Isopropyl alcohol ................ 1ll.0 parts
Ethyl aceta-te .................... 2~.0 parts
; Gravure printing ink 3:
Gravure printing ink 2 .......... 6L~.o par-ts
"CM 950 White" .................... 36.o parts
The "CM 950 White" is cornposed primarily Or 2ll.0
parts -ti-tanium oxide, 26.0 parts varnish, and 14.0 parts
wax.
~hite gravure printing inks such as those con-
taining titanium whi.te might be employed ror -the rerlective
layer. An ob~ect:Lon to such white printing inks, however,
is that they tend -to invite errors in detection by reason
Or var-lable degrees Or whiteness and, in conseguence, Or
re~lection orrered thereby. Silver or gold inks are pre-
erable rrom the standpoint Or greater accuracy Or detec-
tioll .
The creation Or the rerlective layer constitut:ingthe end mark 3 by gravure printing ofrers some definite
advantages. First, at the time Or printing, the ink that
has been contained in a multiplicity Or minute ink cells on
,
* trade-mark
,~
lX~ 7
~ 10 --
tlle surrace of tile gravure pri.nt:lng plate is trarlsfctred to
the base fi.lm la or to the heat~soluble ink layer 1~ :in -tle
forin Or ri.ne dots Or irlvar.iably minirna:l thicknesG. .So
rormed -the end mark 3 as a whole is of course of nlini.-
rllal constan-t thickness wl-th its bounding edges very
sharply derined to close dimens:Lonal tolerances. .~uch an
end mark wi.ll be positively detected by an opt:Lcal serlsor.
Tlle close dimensional tolerances Or the end Inark make it
possible to increase its size (in this case w:L~th) tv the
maximum determined by ttle relative posit:ioncll accuracy Or
the end mark and -the associatecl inrrared sensor. ~ further
advarltage Or gravure print:Lrlg :Ls that unl:i.lse flexography
or otller types Or letterpress it will not wrinkle tlle
recording sheet no ma-tter how thirl i-t may be. ~url;llerlnore
si.nce gravure printing lends itselr -to use w:ith a greater
variety Or inks than other printing processes tllere may be
ernployed inks Or the highest possible reflectivity wi.-th
respec-t to inf`rared rays.
Prererably in the use Or a plastic base ~:ilm ror
tlle recording sheet 1 an additional layer for preventing
the sticking Or the recording sheet to the thermal head may
be rormed on tha-t si.de Or the recording sheet which wi.ll
come into contact with the thermal head.
As desired a second end rnark may be formed on
the recording sheet 1 in a posi-tion farther away frolll its
end attached to the roll shaft 2 than the first end mark 3
as indicated by way Or example at 3A in Figure 3. ~he
second end mark 3A is herein shown as a series Or relative--
ly shor-t strips rormed by gravure printing lilce the rirst
end mark 3. The second end mark 3A is intended to serve
the purpose Or forewarlling the approach Or the end Or the
recording sheet 1 before the first end marls 3 is de-tected
ror warning the fact that the rernaining length Or -the
recording sheet is so little as to warrant -the installment -
Or a néw roll.
Figure 4 is explanatory Or a mode Or use Or the
1~ 37
the~ l tra1lsrer type record-l.r1g s~1eet l l'aid of'f I'[oln a
supply rol:l lR on the roll shaft 2, the cont.i.nuol1s str~ of'
recordi.ng sheet l travels in the arrow-rnarked direct:i.on
over a guide roll ll -then between a thern1al head 5 al1c1 a
backup roll 6, and then over another gui.de roll 7, to be
wound up on a -takeup roll shart 8.
A sheet Or paper 9 to be recorded on the other
hand, :Ls f'ed rrom a paper supply tray not shown ar1d
placed against the recording sheet l. The subject copy is
tl1errr~ lly recorded on t}1e paper 9 via the record:Lng s11eet 1
as t~iéy travel in contact with each other between the
-thermal head 5 and khe backup ro:Ll 6.
The end mark 3 in the rorrn of' a ref:Lecti.ve strip
w:Lll appear as shown i.n ~igure l when the recordlng sheet l
draws near the end on the supply roll shaf't 2. As p:Lctured
in Flgure 11, the end rnark 3 so revealed w:ill come opposi.te
an :Lnrrared sensor cornprising a ligh-t source l0 and a
photodetector ll. Emitted rrom the light source l0 tlle
inrrared rays will impinge on the end marls 3 thereby to be
reflected toward the photode-tector ll. Thus the infrared
sensor detects the fact that the recording shee-t l i.s being
used up. An alarm 12 is shown connected to the photode-
tec-tor ll ror warning ~he approach Or the end Or the re~
cording sheet l upon detection Or the end mark 3.
As is clear from the f'oregoing the therrnal
transf'er type recording sheet in accordance wi.th the inven-
tion makes it possible to infallibly ascertain the approach
Or its end on the supply roll shart when used with a con--
ven-tional heat-sensi.tive recording device equipped with an
infrared sensor. A new roll of recording sheet may be
readily loaded in the recording device when the old roll :is
used up.
It has been stated that -the end mark formed as
taught by the invention is of constant thickness, with its
entire surface ofrering an unvarying degree of reflec-tiv-
ity. This reature gains the following advantage. ~rhe
1~3~337
~ 12 -
-tllerlnal transrer recordi.ng sheet .i.n general unavo:i.clclh:Ly
f'lutters during i.ts -~ravel from supply rol:l to tclkeup ro].:L,
alld the heat-soluble ink layer Or tlle recording shect i.s
not necessarily Or constant thickness. For these reasons
the re~'lécted infrared rays inev:Ltably con-tain some no:i.se.
Some conventlonal therrnal transfer recording dev.Lces have
been designed to detect the end mark ln the race of' some
sucll noise contained in the rerlected light. T}lese Icnc~wn
devices may fail -to detect an elld marls Or irrey,u:Lar ref'lec--
tiv:i.ty because the inf'rared rays rerlected by SUCII all ClJd
3 Inark Inay include a noise componellt s:i.rn:Llar to thclt con-
ta:Lned in the l:Lght reflected f'rorn -the other surf'ace of' t~le
recording s}leet. It is thererore apparent -tlla-t the erld
marls of' ullvarying thiclsness and reflectivi-ty in ~ccordance
with the inventlon serves to elirninate such malf'unct.i.onir
of'-the known recording devices.
~n apparatus for the manufacture Or the above
therrnal transfer -type recordin~ sheet will now be described
Wit]l rererence to Figures 5-11.
As will be seen rrom Figure 5, the apparatus
broadly comprises a web supply section '14, a leader tape
spl:icing section 15, a gravure end marlc printing secti.on
16, a slitting section.17, and a recording sheet wincling
section 18.
The web fed rrom the supply section lll is equiva-
lent in construction to the recording sheet 1, having -the
base film la with a coating lb Or heat-soluble ink pre-
rorrned on one side thereof, except that the end marls 3 is
absent and that the web is two or more times w:ider, and
many -tirnes longer, than each roll Or recording sl-eet 1 to
be manuractured. Figure 5 shows that the web is sup~orted
in the form Or a roll 20 on a roll suppor-t 21 of the web
supply section 14. As indicated at S in the sarne figure~
: the web is guided by a series of guide rolls 23 f`rom the
supply section 14 to the leader tape splicing section 15.
In thls splicing section 15 the web is transversely cut
~;~'3~33'7
:i.nto successi.ve lengths each egua:l to that Or each roll or'
recording sheet to be manuractured, and tapes Or the same
w.l.dth as -the web are spliced to the lead.ing and tra:i.ling
ends Or each length Or the web S for the ease of subsequent
handling. As desired however, the kape rnay be splic~ed only
to the trailing end Or each severed length Or the web S.
Then, guided by another serles of' guide rolls 21l,
the l~eb S i8 d:Lrected to the gravure printing sectioll 16,
wllere a group Or end marks 3, each shown in ~:Lgures 1 and
2 are printed on each length Or thé web in ~u~tapos:Lt:l.on
:Ln :i.ts transverse direct:Lon. The second end marks 3~,
~igure 3, may or may not be printed on the web at thi.s
gravure printing section 16.
Following the printlng of the end marks 3, -to-
gether with or without the second end marks 3A -the web S
travels on to the slitting section 17, where the broad web
is longitudinally slit-ted into a plurality of narrower
strips Or thermal transfer type recording sheet each con-
s-tructed as in Figures 1 and 2. Then the individual strips
of' recording sheet are wound into rolls 26 at the winding
sec-tion 18.
The aroresaid series Or guide rolls 23 and 2ll and
many other rolls provided subse~uen-tly constitute in com
bination feed means ror continuously feeding the web
through the apparatus.
The web supply section lLI and the leader tape
spl.icing section 15 can be Or conventional or any sui.table
construction and thus form no features of the invention.
Only the gravure printing section 16 and slitting section
17 of the illustrated apparatus will thererore be described
in greater detail herea~'ter.
Figure 6 shows the details of the gravure print--
ing section 16 on an enlarged scale. 'The gravure printing
section 16 has a framework 29 having a gravure prin-ting
unit 30 mounted therein. ~he web S is fed -to th.i.s printing
unit 30 via the noted ser:ies Or guide rolls 2l~ and another
'
~.2~tl:337
gui(1e roll 3l. On the dowrJs-tLeam side Or the pri,nt:i.n~ unit
30 the ~eb S is direc-ted upwardly anc1 away f'roln the pr:int-
ing section 16 via guide roll9 32, 331 34, 35 and 36-
Fi~ure 7 is a de-tailed representation, or-l a st~Ll
more enlarged scale, Or the printing un:Lt 30. It comprises
a pla-te cyl:inder 37 , an irnpress:Lon cylinder 38 -thereovel,
and an ink pan 39 underlying -the pla-te cylinder. 'I'he .ink
pan 39 is shown -to contaln gravure prlnt:ing ink llo in w11lch
the plate cylinder 37 ls partly dipped. It is understood
th~t the plate cyllnder 37 has f`ormed there:Lr1 a m~llt:ipl:Lc-
.tty Or gravure ink cells pat-terr1ed ko p~i.nt the des:i.red en(l
rnarks on the web S. Provided on bo-th sides Or the pl.ate
cyl:f.nder 37 are a pair Or doctor blade rnour1ts 42 eac:h
supportlng a doctor blade 4l ror scraping an excess amollr1t
Or ink Orr the surrace Or the plate cylinder 37. l'hese
doctor blade mounts have each a doctor blade adjus-tment
knob 1l3 to be manipula-ted f`or fine adjustrnent Or the asso-
; ~ ciated doctor blade 4l w.ith respect to -the pla-te surf'ace Or
the cylinder 37. Only either Or the two doctor blades 4l
is actually used ror printing, as will be later e~plained
in more detail.
As shown also in Figure 8, the irnpression cylin-
der 38 is mounted rast on a shart which has .i-ts oppos:i.te
ends rotatably supported by a pair Or bearing bloc}ss 1l5
~5 which are capable Or sliding up and down along respective
upstanding guide rails 46. Consequently, the irnpression
cylinder 38 is i-tself also movable up and down with respect
to the plate cylinder 37. For such vertical displacernent
of` the irnpression cylinder 38 over a relatively long
30 stroke, a pair Or air cylinders Cl are mounted to a support
48 bridging the top ends Or the guide rails 46. The piston
rods 50 depending from the air cylinders Cl are coupled to
the respec-tive bearing blocks 45. The, air cylinders Cl are
to be contracted, as at the time Or the change Or the plate
35 cylinder 37, ror raising the impression cylinder 38 to the
position indicated at 38 ' in Figure 7.
~3 ~
- 15 -
Another pa:Lr Or air cylinders C2 hclve -t:ilei.r head
ends pi.n-jointed at 52 to -the guicle ra.i.ls ll6. Ille clel)end~
:ing p:lston rod 53 Or each a:Lr cylinder C2 is al80 pirlned at
5ll to one end of a lever 55. Medially pivoted on 1 fixed
pi.n 56, each lever 55 rotatably carries a roller 57 on its
other end. The rollers 57 on the pair of levers 55 rnake
rolling engagement with the undersides Or the re~pect:Lve
bearing blocks ll5 Accordi.ngly, upon ex-tens:Loll of` t}-le
cylinders C2, the levers 55 will pivot in a cloc~sw:Lse
dlrection, as viewed in Figure 7, -thereby l:Lfting the
bear:l.ng blocks 1~5 and impression cylinder 38 away rrolrl the
plate cylinder 37.
As is conven-t:Lonal Wit}l usual gr~vure pr.intirlg
pres6es, the web S is threaded over the guide roll 31, then
betwcen plate cylinder 37 and impression cylinder 38, and
thell under the guide roll 32 to be directed upwardly.
Figure 8 indicates tha-t an appropri.ate dr.i.ve
mechanism M is coupled to the plate cylinder 37 for impar!--
ing ro-tation thereto. For prin-ting, not only mus-t the
plate cylinder 37 be rotated, and the web S fed to the
printing uni-t 30, but also the impression cylinder 38 must
be lowered to engage the web between itself and the p:late
cylinder 37. Thus the pair Or air cylirlders C2 may be
contracted ror lowering the impression cylinder 38 alld
hence ror setting the printing unit 30 into opera-tion as
required.
With rererence back to Figure 6 a prin-ting drier
60 is provided adjacent the upward path Or the web S rrorn
the printing unit 30. The drier 60 is provided with a fan
61 mounted atop the framework 2g, an air heater 62, and a
duct 63 ror conveying to the drier 60 the stream of air
tha-t has been created by the fan 61 and subsequently heated
by the heater 62.
The detailed construction Or the printing drier
60 will become apparent rrom a study Or Figures 9 and 10.
Extending ~rom the air heater 62, the duct 63 terminates in
3~;~3
- 16 -
a boxllke outlet enclosure 66 having a plura].:Lty of' a:ir
out].et s].ots 65 cut in its rront f~ace direc-ted towa~-d t!lc
web S. Each ex-tending along the path Or the web S -t~le
outlet slots 65 are equal in number to the individual
9 trips Or recording sheet 1 into which'the web S is to bc
sli-tted subsequently. Disposed within the outlet enc:Losure
66 alld just interior:Ly of' the outlet slots 65 are shutters
67 pivotal:Ly suppoted by respective rotatable sharts 68.
These sharts are each coupled to one end of a link 69 ~he
other end of` which is pivo-ted at 71 -to a commoll actucltillg
bar '70. ~n ups-tanding air cyl-lnder C3 has its p:i.s tOIl rod
72 coupled to -the actuating bar 70. There~ore as thc
actuating bar 70 is raised rrom its Figure 10 positiol-l by
the air cylinder C3 the shutters 67 wi.ll close -the outlet
slots 65. The heated air will issue f'rom the outlet slots
65 only when the cylinder C3 is extended to open the shut-
ters 67. The ou-tlet slots 65 are disposed respectively
along the paths Or the end marks that have been pr:inted on
the web S in side by side relation in its -transeverse
direct:ion by the printing unit 30 for drying the end rnarlss
irnmediately after their printing.
. Arter having the end marks printed thereon and
subsequently dried in -the prin-ti.ng section 16 the web ~ :is
directed by gui.de rolls 75 into the slitting sect:ion 17.
Being itselr Or known construction ~he siitt:i.ng sect:ion 1'l
will be described briefly. 'f'he web S travels from tlle
guide rolls 75 to additional guide rolls 76 and 77 and then
to a master roll '78. Then as illustra-ted on an enlarged
scale in Figure 11 the web S passes over a guide roll 79
on to a pair of slitter rolls 80a and 80b. The slitter
roll 80a rotates about a rixed axis whereas the other
slitter roll 80b is rotatably mounted to an arm 81 pivo-t-
able about an pin or shaft 82. The fixed-axis slitter roll
80a ror example is conventionally provided with annular
sli.tting blades. The strips Or recording shee-t created by
slitting the web S are directed away from the slitting
,, . . .. ~ . . .. ... ... . ~, ~ . .
~9~3;~7
l7
sect:Loll 17 via e:Lther Or two dividing rolls ~3a and 83b to
be wound into the rolls 26 Or the recording slleet willd:Lng
section 18.
As seen in both Figures 5 and 11 -the rnaster rol1.
78 is provided Wit}l a revolution sensor clrcuit 90 for
sensing each revolution Or the master roll and .i.n corlse
quence the length Or the printed weh S that has been fed.
lhe sensor circuit 90 is rurther constructed to count the
pulses representative of the revol~ltions Or the rrlclYter roll
7~. When the pulses are counted up to a preset nulnber
i.ndicative Or a desired posi.ti.on on the web S where tl-le
prilltillg Or the end marks are -to be started the pai.r o~
ai.r cylin(lers C2 are contracted thereby perrni.tt:Lng -the
impression cylinder 3~ which has been lifted away rrom tlle
plate cyli.nder 37 to be lowered to engage the web S be-
tween plate cylinder arld impression cylinder. The printing
of the end marks is now started on the web S.
The revolution sensor circuit 90 carl also detect
the ~act that each group of printed end marks have been ~ed
to -the drier 60 whereupon the air cylinder C3 will be
extended to open the shu-tters 67 and so -to permit the drier
to appl~ the heated air through the ou-tlet slots 65 -to the
end marks. The application of` the heated air will be
ins-talltly suspended when the group of end marlcs travels
past the outlet slots 65 as then the air cylinder C3 will
be contracted under the control Or the revolution sensor
circuit 90. ~s indicated in Figure 10 the shu-tters 67 may
be opened when the leading ends Or each group Or end marks
come to a position spaced a preassigned distance X upstream
f`rom the outlet slots 65 and ma~ be closed when the -trail-
ing ends Or the end marks reach a position spaced a preas-
signed distance Y downstream rrom the outlet slots both
under -the control Or the revolution sensor circuit 90.
In the operation Or the apparatus construc-ted as
in the forego:ing the broad web S that has been unwound
rrorn its roll 20 is cut into the re~uired lengths and
~l~9~L33~
leader tapes are spliced to the:ir ends irl the spli.cing
.sect:i.on 15. Thell in the gravure printing sectiorl 16 a
group Or end marks are printed in prescribed posi.t.i.on.s on
each length Or the web S by the print:ing unit 30 ancl only
the end marlcs are dried by the drier 60 without adverscly
arrecting -the other part Or the web. Then, i.n the slitking
section 17 each leng.th Or the printed web is sl:Ltted
long:Ltudinal:Ly into a plurallty of therlllal transrel type
recording stri.ps of the required w:Ldth. lhese str:l.ps are
then wourld i.nto the rolls 26. Fach rol:L has a leader tape
~o:lned to its outer end.
As has been set forth in connection wi.th ~i.gure
2, the end marls 3 rnay be rormed e:Lther direc-tly Oll or-c s:i.de
ol` the base f.illn la or Oll the heat~soluble irlk layer lb on
the other side Or the base rilm. The end rnarlcs Inay be
printed on e:L-ther side of the web S depending upon whether
-the web is threaded along the path indicated by the solid
l:ine in Figure 6 or as represented by -the phantom li.ne
designated S' in the same figure, over successive addi.tio
al guide rolls 92 93 and 94, -then over the noted gulde
roll 32 then be-tween plate cylinder 37 and impression
cylinder 38 and then over the guide roll 31. Tlle dr:ier 60
may be held out of operatlon when the web is tl~readed along
the alternat:Lve path S'; instead, another similar dr:i.er 60'
may be used ror drying the printed end marks on the web S.
Although the invention has been described hereln-
be~ore in terms Or sorne preferable embodiments thereor. it
is understood that various modifications may be rnade in
SUCII embodiments without departing rrom the scope of the
invention For exarnple, an infrared heater or heaters or
other types Or heat radiators may be employed ror drying
the printed end marks on the web. Such driers or heaters
may rurther be adapted to dry only those parts of the end
marks which need immediate drying. Still further -the
temperatures Or -the heated airstreams issuing froln the
outlet slots may be individually controlled ror each slot.
1~9~L3;~7
- 19 -
As reclu:i.red, moreover, the heater 62 may be erlergi.z,c(l at a
preset moment preceding the commencemerlt Or prillti.ng, i.ll
order that surrici.ent heat energy may be availablc at the
time Or dry:ing.
~s an additional possible.rnod:i.f:i.cation, the plate
cylinder rnay be heated during the printing Or the end marks
for the hJ.gher quality of the printings. It :Ls a].sc~ urlder-
stood that the drier or driers will be unnece6sary :i.r the
ink contains no convent:Lollal solvent but i8 cc~lnE)03e(l Or a
p:Lglllerlt and a binder.
Among the advantages gained by the apparatus ror
the rnanuf'acture of' the -therrnal transrer type recorcl:illg
sheet :in accordarlce witll the :lnvention is the ract tllclt .i.t
can ef'rectuate both the pri.nti.ng Or the end mark~ and,
sut)stalltially concurrently therewith, the sli.tting of' the
web in-to the :ind:Lvidual s-trips Or recording slleet. The
recording sheet with the end marks thereon can thus be
manuractured rnore efriciently than by the convent:ional
pract`ice Or forming of`f-line the end marks on the web. As
a further advantage, even if wrinkles or other derects
develop during sli-t-ting, only the defective parts of` the
sheet may be removed thereby minimizing the was-te Or tl~e
sheet materials.
