Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A CONTINUOUS MULTIPRINTING SYSTEM AND MACHINE
The inventions refers to a continuous multiprinting system,
wherein the material to be printed moves successively along a
series of printing stations. It also refers to a machine incorpo-
rating said system and operating according it.
The technical problem to be solved relates mainly to the con-
-1trol and adjustment of the continuous printing machines, such as, ~ -
for example, multicolor printing, by means of a sequence of prin-
ting stations or units (rollers).
On this type of machines, the material to be printed, for exam-
ple, paper, fabric or others, passes along a plurality of prin-
ting atations, composed generally of rollers, on each of which
a color or graphic motif is successively printed until composing
the final desired figure. It is necessary, therefore, to initial-
ly prepare or adjust the machine according to the size and colorsfor obtaining the graph to be printed, this operation being car-
, ried out usually by changing the printing rollers by others having
`l an adequate diameter, or varying the quantity of said rollers. It
is, also, necessary a fine printing adjustment, which requires a
boring watch task of the longitudinal and transverse position of
¦ the material and each one of rollers. All these preparation andadjustment operations are required for every particular printing
work, which increases both times and costs of standing machine.
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In the state of the art, there are described systems and devi~
25 ces making easy to adjust printing stations. For example, the -~
European Patents 0313531 and O364424 describe a method for adjus-
ting the position of the material to be printed on each of the -
` printing stations, based on the reading and record of an initial
`I value of the material position to be printed, and of the position
value on each of the printing stations, comparing successively -
` said values to obtaing eventual discrepancies which are correc-
ted from the first printing station. The method is improved by
adding step to step motors to each printing station, the values
of said motors being also read and recorded.
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Both the system and machine of the invention start also from
the principle of determining ~he position of the material to be
printed on each of printing stations, according to the distance
to be traversed between said stations, but the aim being assuring
5 a correct position in each stations and the use of simplest and
cheapest means than those described until now, and providing high-
ly reliable issues.
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Other object of this invention is to provide a multicolor prin-
: ting system and machine not requiring a frequent replacement ofthe printing rollers according to the size of the work to be done.
; According to the invention, a continuous multiprinting system,
wherein a strip of the material to be printed moves along a series ~: :
of printing stations, consisting usually of printing rollers~ at
~ each of them the material to be printed is successively given a -~
~i 15 color or graphic motif, characterizes in that it comprises:
;l - driving rollers for driving the strip of material to be -
p~intedj constituted by at least a pair of rotating rollers betw-
een which the material to be printed moves, the rollers of each :
pair being axially and vertically aligned and each roller presen-
20 ting a raised cylindrical portion and a recessed cylindrical por- :~tion being adjustable at will the relative position of each ro- ~:
llers in each pair, so that the material to be printed is driven .`
when it engages the respective raised portionR of each roller and ;
it stops when, at the turning of each roller, the receæaed por~
25 tions match. . ~: .
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- printing means of the material strip to be printed, which ~ :~
are constituted by one or more consecutive pairs of printing ro-
llers between which the material to be printed moves, the rollers .
`~ of each pair being axially vertical aligned and each roller pre-
~'~ 30 senting a raised cylindrical portion and a recessed cylindrical
l portion, the.relative position of each roller in each pair being
`' adjustable at will, so that the material to be printed is prin-ted when it engages the respective raised portions of each rol-
ler, of which at lea8t one ls fitted with relief or printing
35 ~cliché, and it stops when, at the turning of each roller, the
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recessed portion match.
- tensioning means for tensioning the material to be printed,
working in opposition to the feeding of said material when it is
driven along the printing stations, and maintaining taut the ma-
terial to be printed when no driving force is exerted.
- marking means for marking the position of the material to
`~ ~ be printed at a moment preceding to start receiving a printing
at each of said stations, the material to be printed being stopped
at said moment, since it meets a coincidence position of the reces-
~ 10 sed portions of the driving rollers, and
;; - retaining means for retaining the material to be printed in
the marked position corresponding to the moment preceding to be
printed in each of said stations.
In a preferred embodiment of the system, the retaining means
~ 15 use physical signals effected by the marking means.
,' In accordance with the system according to the invention, the
distance or gap between printing stations and between marking - ~
~`~ and retaining means is adjustable at will. Preferabl~" the distan- ~-
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ce or gap between printing stations and between marking and re-
taining means is adjustable according to the relative po~ition
: selected between each pair of driving rollers.
~;l As per the system of the invention, beside the pairs of dri-
ving and printing rollers, it can be foreseen pairs of rollers
for dieing the material to be printed, or substituting such
d~ieing rollers for the printing ones.
The present inventions refers also to a continuous multiprin-
ting machine, wherein the strip of material to be printed moves
along a series of printing stations, composed usually of printin~
rollers, at each of which the material to be printed is given
successively a color or graphic motif, characterized in that it
comprises:
- driving means of the`strip of material to be printed, consti-
tuted by, at least, a pair of rotating rollers between which the
material to be printed moves, the rollers of each pair being
aligned axial vertically, and presenting each roller a rai8ed cy-
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lindrical portion and a receRsed cylindrical portion, being adjus-
table at will the relative position of each roller in each pair,
so that the material to be printed i6 driven cuando it engages the
respective raised portions of each rollers, and it stops when, at
5 the turning of each roller, the recessed portions match.
- printing means for printing the strip of material to be prin-
ted , constituted by one or more consecutive pairs of printing
rl rollers between which the material to be printed moves, the rol- ~-
lers of each pair being axial vertically aligned, and presenting
10 each roller a raised cylindrical portion and a recessed cylindri-
can portion, being adjustable at will the relative position of
each roller in each pair, so that the material to be printed is
~, given a impring when it engageæ the respective raised portion of
;! each roller, of which one is, at least, fitted with a relief or
15 printing cIiché or plate, and it stops when, at the turning of
1 each~roller, the recessed portions match.
- tensioning means for tensioning the material to be printed,
3 working in opposition to the feed of said material when it is -
driven along the printing stations, and the~ maintain taut the
20 material to be printed when no driving force is exerted. ;~
- marking means for marking the position of the material to be
printed at a moment previous to start receiving a printing at
! each of said printing stations, the material to be printed being
stopped at said moment, since t corresponds to a coincidence po-
~; 25 sition of the recessed portions of the driving rollera, and
~l - retaining means for retaining the material to be printed in
the marked position corresponding to a moment previous to start
,~ receiving a printing at each of said stations.
In a preferred embodiment of the machine, the distance or gap
between printing stations, and between marking and retaining
means, is adjustable at will. Preferably, said distance or gap
between printing stations and between marking and retaining means
~`¦ is adjustable according to the relative position selected
35 between each pair of driving rollers.
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On the machine of this invention, besides pairs of driving
rollers, it can be foreseen pairs of dieing rollers to die the
material to be printed, or to substitute said dieing rollers for
the printing ones.
Preferably, on a machine according to the invention. the ten-
sioning means are constituted by a hollow roller, which is dril-
led and rotates in a sense as oppo~ed to the feed of the material,
~; and which is mounted in a casing which is open at the area corres-
ponding to the contacting sliding of the material to be printed
on said roller, which, when rotating, exerts, through its bor~ngs,
a suction of the material, since it is connected to an air intake :.
device. The marking means are constituted by a drilling or bo-
ring device of the material at several locations, preferably at
;: its side edges out of the printing or dieing zone. And the retai~
;l 15 ning means are constitutes by groups of multiple small claws which
l are bevelled to help the feeding sense of the material to be prin- .
- ted, and located in an adjacent position to the respective conduit .
.' groups through which a suction is exerted, 80 that the material to ~
be printed is.. permanently expoRed to.. be introduced and-.being re~ d.-
tained by said small claws as soon as the drilled holes cut on the
material by the marking device match with the claws.'
In othër possible embodiment, the driving means are discs, part
l of which periphery has a different diameter, acting on the edges .
.~ of t~he material.to be printed out of the printing or dieing zone. ~:
Likewise, it could be possible that at least one of the prin-
ting rollers in each pair of roller would be fully cylindrical.
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A better understanding of-the.:sy~tem:.and:ma~bin~ of the.inv.en-
tion will be provided starting from .the following description -
which is.an example of a p~actical embodiment, with reference to
`i 30 accompanying dr~in~,in which:
Figures 1 - 3 are schematic side views of an examplè of dri-
;~ ving and printing rollers used in the system and machine of the -~ invention.
.~ Figure 4 is a side .elevational view of the scheme of a prin-
. 35 ting machine according to the system of the invention.
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Figure 5 is a ~chematic detail of an example of tensioning
device of the material to be printed.
Figure 6 is a schematic detail of an example of retaining de-
vice of the material to be printed.
Figur~ 7 is a side elevational view of a printing machine -
according to the invention.
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Figures l through 3 show schematically in an elevational view
an example of driving and printing rollers usable according to
the system of the invention. In these Figure , said rollers are
designated ~ith the general reference lO and are arranged in pairs
of same elements, said pairs being vertically aligned through -
their rotation axles 13. As it can be seen, each roller is the
re~ult of the bonding of two coaxial cylindrical portions having
different diameter but o~ same height, the bonding being made in
the sense of its generatrix. They could also be described as cy-
lindrical rollers fitted with a peripheral projection, also peri-
pheral, under the general reference ll.
Between the pairs of rollers lO, the material to be printed 20
-is~d~awn during the roller ~O rbtation, varying the distance at
20 -which said material 20 will contact the projecting portions lI
j o~ the rollers according to the relative initial position of said
portions on each roller lO, the material 20 being free of contact
;, when~ at its rotation, the entering or of less diameter portions
12 o~f each pair of rollers match.
In Figure l, the contact travel between rollers lO and mate-
rial 20~will be maximal as for the illustrated axample, and the
travel will be lesser in the case of Figure 2, and there is no
contact between rollers lO and material 20 in Figure 3.
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Th~`control or adjustment of the relative position of each rol-
lèr lO in each pair ia attained by rotating them about their res-
pective turning axis 13. In general, it will suffice to act on
one only axis 13 in each pair to obtain the desired relative po-
~sition.
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Referring to the scheme of Figure 4, it can be seen the presen-
ce of a series of pairs of rollers having the same characteristics
as the above-mentioned and de~igned under the general reference
- 10, but now they must be differentiated between printing rollers,
with a relief or cliché-holder 30, for example for flexography,
typography, offset or other printing systems, and driving rollers -~
40 for driving the material to be printed 20, which are prefera-
~bly located at the exit of the machine (right hand of Figure).
Rollers 30 are provided with the corresponding relief or prin-
ting cliché (not shown), located at the greater diameter portion
11 of said rollers; for example, at the upper ones of each pair ~-
! for printing the material 20 on a face, or in both of each pair ~ ;~
in case of printing on both faces of the material 20.
The dimensions of the graphic motif to be printed on material
20 are known and according to same the position of the driving
i and printing rollers (40, 30) will be adjusted. The driving ro-
llers 40 will be adjusted specially for the longitudinal displa-
cement required by the graphic motif, since their driving func-
tion does not eæsentially affect the transverse dimenæion of said
graphic motif.
All rollers 30 and 40 are rotatory driven at the same speed,
for example, with only one motor and driving means. Theorically,
; since the outer diameter of rollers 30, 40 is equal to their ro-
tatory speed, the adjustment of the position of the respective
rollers 30, 40 in each pair and the distance between consecutive
pairs will imply that the graphic motif to be printed on the ma-
terial 20 wilI arrIve at each pair of rollers 30, 40 in the ade-
quate position to receive other color or graphic motif. Neverthe-
I les, on multiple printings on continuous strip, there are flexu-
-` 30 ral effects, resilience and 31iding of material 20 between rol-
lers 30,40, which effects are sufficient for altering the quality
of the printing, for which reason it i8 necessary to dispose of
~, a system as~uring the arrival of the material 20 at each pair or
~1 printing roller station 30 in ~he adequate position.
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This can be obtained according to the work performed,by the
rollers 30, 40 when they take the before mentioned shape 10,
s 11, 12, combined with tensioning means 50, marking means 60 and
retaining means 70, for the continuous strip of material to be
5 printed 20.
It is to be understood that when rollers 30, 40 have comple-
ted their rotation with contact with the greater diameter parts
! 11, the, material 20 liberates from the rollers 30, 40, i.e., -
it is not subject to driving or-dragging, and it stops until the
10 moment that said parts 11 contact again with it . As previously
mentioned, the resiliency, flexure and sliding between material
20 and rollers 30, 40 contribute to modify the printing quality.
. To mitigate these defects of printing quality, it is first ne-
cessar to keep a tautness on the material 20 compensating for
15 the strains peculiar to the resiliency and flexure of material 20
', and to avoid a possible sliding between rollers 30, 40 during
the driving or dragging of said material. Means 50 perform this
tasks. Secondly, once this tautness has been obtained by means
~31 50, it will necessary to mark the correct consecutive printing
20 positions of material 2Q under tension, this task being perfor-
~' med by the means 60. Lastly, there is a fleed for means-providing
a material 20 retsntion in each correct determined position,
J~ ~ until being driven-or dragged towards a new printing station,
~ the means 70 performing this operation. ~-
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The tensioning means 50 should be of a type allowing the ~a-
terial 20 to be fed under tension;and maintain the material 20
tautness when this is driving free by rollers 30,40. Figure 5
j shows details of an example of embodiment of such a means 50
", by a hollow roller (51), which is drilled at its perphery and
~l 30 mounted with a turning possibility in a casing which is !open
I . ~ . .
~' at a zone c~rresponding to the contact sliding of. the material
to be printed 20 on said roller 51, which, during its turning, -
transmits, through its borings, a material suction 20, since ~ ~ -
` it is connected, through its axle 53, to a suction device (not --
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shown). The turning direction of roller 51 is reverse to the
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feeding ofimaterial 20, which, combined with the suction, impels ~;
the material 20 to slide under resistance on said roller 51, so
creating the desired stress which is adjusted by acting on the :.:speed and suction. The sides of the open portion of the ca~
5 sing 52 act also as a transverse guide for the strip of material : -~
20. ~:
The marking means 60 of the correct or desired position of.the
material to be printed 20 are located, preferably, betwe~n the dri- :
ving rollers 40 and are constituted by a drilling or boring devi-
ce of the material 20. In the illustrated example (Figure 6),
these means are an aligned and spaced pair of multiple drills 61
which will drill the material 20, preferably at its side edges,
out of the printing zone.
The retaining means 70 will be constituted, preferably, by
devices making use of the signals of the previous marking 60. -
For example (Figure 6), pairs of groups of multiple claws 71
.` which are bevelled to favour the feeding sense of the material
20, located in a position adjacent to groups of orifices or con-
- duits 72 through which a suction is created from a collecting
;. 20 cone 73,-connected to a inlet device (not shown). In this way,
~ the Taterial 20 is permanently exposed to be introduced and re-
main held by small claws 71 as soon as these claws coincide - :~
i with the drillings 62 cut on the material to be printed 20,
in a previous position, by the marking device 60. :
Starting from the described means and elements, the basic
operation of a printing machine according to the system of the :~
invention is as follow j with special reference to Figs. 4 and 7.
Once the machine has been fed with the material to be prin-
ted 20, bhe distances between printing roller stations 30 and
.~ 30 between the marking device 60 a~d the retaining device 70 are
to be adjusted. The material to be printed 20 is driven mainly -~
by rollers 40, and in som.e~extent, by the printing rollers 30 - : :
`~ turning, all them 30, 40,at the same speed and being adjusted
in eaoh pair for a same position of their greater diameter parts
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11~ It is to be understood that the driving of the material 20
is only carried out during the time lasting the contact between
said material and parts 11 of rollers,' and that the tensioning de-
vice 50 is kept rotating in a reverse sense to that of driving
device 20, which overcomes the suction resistance of roller 51,
and keeps under the adequate stress during the printing cycle.
As soon as the contact of parts 11 on the material 20 is
finished, the material 20 stops and the tensioning device 50
tends to drive it in a reverse sense in its turning and suction,
which does not happen when the material 20 is retained by the
insertion of the small claws 71 into ~ groups of drillings 62 ~ -
previously performed by the drills 61 (Fig. 6). Nevertheless,
the material 20 is stilltaut by the action of device 50. While,
rollers 30, 40 will go on turning and a few moments before their
parts 11 contact again the material 20, the drills 61 will start
to operate, so marking the correct position of material 20 at a
time before starting the printing cycle on each of the consecu-
tive stations or pair of rollers 30. The synchronism device between
the rotation of the rollers and the marking operation has not been
20 shown, and it can be performed, for example, by means of cams or -~
any other means.
In this way, the material 20 is driven in succession towards
the next station or printing roller pair 30, and it is released
from its contact before arriving at said station, when the -
claws 71 are introduced into the drillings 62 cut during the mar~king of the preceding position, so impeding the material 20 to~
mQve back, and defining with a great precision the position in wichi
the next printing rollers 30 will fall upon the material 20. ! :
In fact, the drilling 62 surpass lightly the respective posi-
tions of claws 71, and the insertion of these claw~ into said dril-
lings is carried out when the material to be printed 20 is lightly
driven and taut in areverse sense by the device 50. Nevertheless,
this little play or displacement tolerance, deliberately created
upon adjusting the pairs of driving roller~ 40, does not impair
35 to determinate the co~rect posdtion of the material 20, since the ~-
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marking operation is performed at the moment said material 20 iB
retained by the clamps 71 and free of contact with rollers 30,
40, æo that the distance between consecutive marked rollers is
invariable.
Figure 7 shows with most detail an example of a machine accor-
ding to the invention, wherein the pneumatic means 31, 41 with
~ iwhich the pairs of rollers 30, 40, are separated when a printing
- operation is finished or upon preparing a new one, are seen. In
that position separated from rollers 30,40 by means of the ad-
justing controls 32, 42, the adjustment of the relative position
located between pairs of rollers 30, 40 corresponding to the
size of the cliché or graphic motif to be printed, is attained,
with the help of a scale or similar indicator device located on ~ -
` the frame or bed of the machine, which also serves to fix the
distance between the marking means 60 and the retaining means 70.
The printing stations or roller pairs 30 can be longitudinally
displaced on guides 80, and whe~ adjusted they will be spaced
each other at a distance which will be a multiple of the longi-
tudinal dimension of the cliché or graphic motif to be printed.
`20 Once the machine i8 opera1;ing, it may be necessary to carry out ~-~
``a fine adjustment of the longitudinal or transverse position of
the pairs of rollers 30, which is attained by acting on the ad-
ijustment controls 32, 33.
;~The material to be printed 20 is supplied, for example, -
from a spool 81, creating the formation of a controlled loop
219 for example, by a photoelectric cell 22, in order to make
easy the consecutive drivings of rollers 30, 40, and small re-
'overies of the tensioning device 50.
From the above description, it is as~essed, in addition of
the precision attained by a work of continuouæ, consecutiveand multiple printing, the speed and simplicity of the pre~ent
machine for each printing work and the easiness of placement of
the printing rollers 30 according to different size of cliché or
`,printing without the need for being replaced.
Al~o, the numerous variations and replacements through techni-
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cal and equivalent means which can be introduced into a machine
according to the invention are understable, in particular about
~ its tensioning 50, marking 60 and retaining 70 devices. For exam-
;!i ple, the driving rollers 40 cculd be simple discs shaped in two
diameters actuating on the edges of the material to be printed 20
on which the marking is caused, so avoiding every contact with the ~ ~1
fresh printed surface of this material. Il would be also poæsible
that the printing rollers 30 were fully cylindrical, the dragging
i' of the material 20 being carried out only by driving rollers or - -~
discs 40, or only cylindrical the cliché holding roller.
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Besides, and keeping the same principle of embodiment and per-
,~ formance of the invention, at the end of the series of printing ro-llers 30 or after the dragging rollers 40, dieing or cutting rol-
lers of the~ material 20 (not shown) could be incorporated.
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