Patent ID: 6148726
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: B41N

Abstract:
A tubular blanket for use in a printing machine which operates to make printing on any one web selected from a plurality of webs of different widths and has (i) a blanket barrel having a width larger than the width of the widest web, (ii) a plurality of tubular blankets to be selected one at a time, which corresponds to the selected web, for being mounted on the blanket barrel, each of the plural tubular blankets having a width substantially equal to the width of the blanket barrel, and (iii) an impression cylinder having a width larger than the width of the widest web and disposed radially opposite to the blanket barrel for holding the selected web between confronting circumferential surfaces of the selected tubular blanket and the impression cylinder while printing takes place on one side of the selected web, said blanket being one of the plural tubular blankets and corresponding to a predetermined one of the plural webs and comprising:a central blanket section having a width substantially equal to the width of the predetermined web and having a circumferential surface engageable with the predetermined web during printing; anda pair of marginal blanket sections disposed one at each of the opposite ends of said central blanket section;each of said marginal blanket sections having a diameter less than the diameter of said central blanket section so that, when said tubular blanket is mounted on the blanket barrel so as to radially confront the impression cylinder, an ink escape gap is defined between a circumferential surface of each of said marginal blanket sections and the circumferential surface of the impression cylinder.