Patent ID: 6393982
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: B41F

Abstract:
A sheet-fed printing machine for printing sheets in a plurality of colors utilizing an indirect printing process, the printing machine comprising, in combination:a sheet-feeding unit, a plurality of printing units each of which includes a plate cylinder having a plurality of printing plates mounted thereon capable of transferring two differently colored partial images of a multicolor print image, a plurality of inking mechanisms which can be brought into and out of operative engagement with the plurality of plate cylinders on each revolution of the plate cylinder, and a rubber cylinder having a diameter corresponding to twice the multicolor print image length and two working surfaces, and a printing cylinder which together with the rubber cylinder defines a printing zone, wherein each sheet is conducted two times through the printing zone by the printing cylinder in order to print the multicolor print image on the sheet, a plurality of sheet-guiding cylinders each of which is configured to transport only a single sheet at a time, said plurality of sheet-guiding cylinders including at least one sheet transfer cylinder having a diameter corresponding to twice the multicolor print image length arranged between each adjacent pair of printing units, an auxiliary discharge unit for receiving sheets printed with only a partial print image, wherein said plurality of sheet guiding cylinders includes a discharge cylinder which is arranged to feed sheets with only a partial print image to said auxiliary discharge unit, and a main discharge unit for receiving sheets printed with the multicolor print image.