Lithographic web-fed rotary printing press

(54) LITHOGRAPHIC WEB-FED ROTARY PRINTING PRESS

(75) Inventors: Michael Robert Lemelin, Dover, NH (US); Dale Hiett Jackson, Newmarket, NH (US); Mark Bernard Dumais, Kennebunk, ME (US); John Sheridan Richards, Barrington, NH (US)

(73) Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG,

Heidelberg (DE)

( * ) Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 991 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/052,472

(22) Filed: Mar. 31, 1998

(51) Int. CI.7 B41F 7/10; B41C 1/00

(52) U.S. CI 101/138; 101/176; 101/180;

101/221

(58) Field of Search 101/136, 137,

101/138, 142, 143, 175, 176, 177, 179, 180, 181, 220, 221, 222, 223

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,240,346 A * 12/1980 Landis et al 101/180

4,281,595 A * 8/1981 Fujishiro 101/177

4,488,483 A * 12/1984 Kohara 101/178

4,774,883 A * 10/1988 Mailander 101/137

4,788,912 A * 12/1988 Fischer 101/177

5,134,934 A * 8/1992 Knauer et al 101/218

5,136,942 A 8/1992 Germann 101/177

5,467,710 A * 11/1995 Wirz 101/230

5,479,856 A * 1/1996 Wirz 101/183

5,660,108 A * 8/1997 Pensavecchia 101/177

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

DE 407 369 12/1924

DE 41 13 12 3/1925

DE 32 20 542 12/1983

DE 196 12 927 11/1996

EP 0 132 858 2/1985

GB 2 275 019 8/1994

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Stephen R. Funk

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Kenyon & Kenyon

(57) ABSTRACT

A web-fed rotary printing press (1) for alternatively printing, in a perfecting mode, a single web (10) or, in a nonperfecting mode, first and second webs (6, 8), comprises a first impression cylinder (16) having a plurality of first blanket cylinders (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders (24a, 24fc, 24c, 2Ad) arranged along a periphery of the first impression cylinder (16). A second impression cylinder (18) located adjacent to the first impression cylinder (16) has a plurality of second blanket cylinders (28a, 28fc, 28c, 28rf) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders (30a, 30fc, 30c, 30rf) arranged along a periphery thereof. In the perfecting mode, the single web (10) is passed over first impression cylinder (16) to be printed on a first side (10a) thereof and is afterwards passed through a gap (20) between the first and second impression cylinders (16, 18) to the second impression cylinder (18) to be printed on a second side (lOfc) thereof. In the non-perfecting mode, the first web (6) is passed over the first impression cylinder (16) and the second web (8) is passed over the second impression cylinder (18).

14 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets