Patent ID: 6422143
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: B41F,B41P

Abstract:
A flexographic preview printer comprising an inking unit and a printing unit,said inking unit having an inking roller in contact with an anilox roller for transferring ink from the inking roller to the anilox roller and a doctor blade for precision metering of the ink on the surface of the anilox roller; said printing unit having a plate roller with an image to be printed and a drive roller for moving a substrate through a nip between the drive roller and the plate roller, said nip adjustable to the thickness of the substrate, said inking unit powered by a first gear train connected to a first motor through a throw-out clutch, said first motor initially activated and adapted to rotate the inking roller and the anilox roller at a set slow speed, said printing unit powered by a second gear train meshed with first gear train through a throw-in clutch and driven by a second motor, said second motor initially inactivated and adapted to rotate the plate roller and the drive roller at an adjustable speed that is higher than the speed at which the first motor rotates the inking roller and the anilox roller, said second motor activated when said plate roller is selectively brought into contact with the anilox roller, said anilox roller being in a rotational ratio of one to one with the plate roller, and said second motor driving the second gear train and said second gear train driving the first gear train through the throw-in clutch when the second motor is activated, said first gear train being disengaged from the first motor through the throw-out clutch when the first gear train is driven by the second gear train, whereby the inking unit is rotated at a set slow speed by the first motor and then disengaged from the first motor when the second motor is activated rotating the printing and inking units at an adjustable faster speed.