Abstract:
Method and apparatus for automatic production of business forms. An image including character data to be included in the form are projected onto a photoconductive surface of a printing cylinder by a plurality of lasers. Toner, in the form of finely grained powder, is applied to the cylinder and the data is thereafter transferred to the web as it is continuously fed past the cylinder. After transfer of the character data to the web, the image is erased so that a new image may be projected onto the cylinder. As a result, printing is not limited by cylinder size, and a continuously varying image may be transferred to the web. As many as four printing or more cylinders may be arranged in series, each applying one of four primary colors to the web. The composition of the forms and the operation of the press are controlled by pre-selected computer programs.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically printing a web of paper in the production of business forms, or any form of printing that can adapt to this system, such as but not limited to, newspapers or publications with the copy transmitted nationwide from a central location, or as another example production of wallpaper from rolls with infinitely variable patterns. 
     In the art of manufacturing continuous, multi-part business forms, and in the printing press art in general, a major shortcoming is that the size of the print pattern is limited to the size, i.e., the diameter, of the printing cylinder. As a result, printing cylinders, must be changed often in order to accommodate various lengths or repeats in the desired work product. 
     According to one exemplary embodiment of this invention, the printing cylinder has an indeterminate length in the sense that it is able to print at any desired length or pattern repeat without the necessity of changing cylinders. In this respect, the cylinder surface may be regarded as a constantly moving surface, miles long, rather than any fixed size. This is because an ionized beam is projected onto the cylinder to create an image thereon which is transferred to a continuously moving web. As the cylinder revolves past the printing position, the image is erased and another image is formed, so as to present a constantly changing image to the web for continuous printing independent of cylinder size. 
     More specifically, the drum or print cylinder is provided with an image receiving photoconductor surface which is rotated past a charging or projection station where laser beams are utilized to project images on the cylinder surface. This is accomplished using laser printing technology such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,917. The cylinder is then rotated to a development station where a powder or toner is selectively deposited on only the charged image areas. When a plurality of colors are used for a particular business forms application, as many as four or more cylinders are employed, each applying a single color. 
     After the image is transferred to the web, the sheet or web is passed through heating and chilling sections to fix the toner or powder on the web. 
     Meanwhile, immediately after the images from the respective cylinders are transferred onto the web, the images are erased, again with the aid of laser beams which discharge the photoconductive surfaces of the respective cylinders. 
     Upon passing through the various printing stations, the web is fed through a standard punch ring to an image scanner. At this station, the printed image may be reproduced, again with the aid of laser beams, and converted to digital form and stored in the computer. Conventional feedback techniques are then employed to correct and/or improve specific areas of the form, or to make minor changes in the form format. 
     The web thereafter passes through laser operated punch heads and cross-perforation devices and is subsequently wound on a rewind roll. 
     It is to be understood that computer technology is employed to program the press to produce the desired printing, color application and so on at each of the printing stations. In a preferred embodiment, controls to the press as well as printing information are included in diskette or cassette form. 
     The press as described hereinabove has several attendant advantages. The overall weight of the press is substantially reduced, alleviating problems of readjustment and realignment due to distortion of heavy frame members and compression of floor contours. 
     The press as described hereinabove will enjoy reduced power consumption since large motors (e.g., 7.5 hp) are utilized only to draw the paper through the press, with smaller additional motors (adding perhaps another 4 or 5 hp) used in the individual subsystems. This is to be compared with conventional prior art printing presses which normally use in excess of 50-60 hp. 
     The press according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention eliminates the use of conventional negatives and plates, along with the necessary chemicals. The computerization of all controls also eliminates the need for numbering machines and problems associated therewith. 
     The immediate drying of the ink at the respective printing stations eliminates the necessity of conventional infrared and ultraviolet dryers. 
     Conventional makeready procedures are also radically altered. With the press according to this invention, the operator need only install a fresh roll of paper in the press, remove the finished roll, and select the appropriate program for manufacturing a form of the desired size and format. 
     It is further contemplated that even the loading and unloading of the paper rolls themselves may be automated to even further reduce the already minimized manual labor associated with press operation. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a business forms printing press in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the press illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a central control unit for the printing press illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a printing station in accordance with this invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of a printing station in accordance with this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the business forms press of this invention generally includes an infeed supply station 10 for a web W, one or more printing stations 12, a line hole punch ring station 14, an image scanning station 16, a laser slitter station 18, a laser punch station 20, a laser cross perforation station 22, additional detectors 24 and a rewind station 26. 
     The infeed station 10 includes a conventional paper supply roll 30, provided with web guides 32 and feed rollers 34. In accordance with this invention, at least one laser detector 36 is provided for monitoring web thickness. While large variations in thickness are not normally found within a single paper roll, the second or third roll used in a process may, in fact, contain thickness variations large enough to create stretch problems in the web. The laser detector serves to alert the press operator of variations beyond a predetermined acceptable minimum so that the problem may be corrected. Detectors using laser radiation for measuring web thickness are not new per se. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,971 for a representative example of the type of detector which can be utilized in this invention. 
     A pair of compensator rolls 38 are employed in order to indicate slack and uneven feed of paper from the supply roll 30. These rolls are operatively connected with the central computer control unit 52 which adjusts the infeed rolls 34 as required. 
     The printing station 12 includes a unique, indeterminate length printing cylinder 40 which, as earlier stated, enables printing to any desired length or repeat. 
     In the present invention, each printing cylinder 40 (there may be as many as four or more arranged in series) is preferably constructed of aluminum and coated with a suitable photoconductive surface for receiving an image from an image projector 42. The projector 42 utilizes lasers to project an image onto the photosensitive recording medium applied on the drum surface. In this regard, it is to be appreciated that the drum or cylinder at each printing station should be mounted for easy installation and removal so that the cylinder may be removed periodically for recoating. 
     In a manner understood by those in the art of laser technology, the printing stations will receive, for example, alpha and numeric character data in electronic form from the main computer control unit 52, as will be described further hereinbelow, and, in response to such data, print the desired characters on the moving web W. Each printing station 12 may have its own light motor drive M and its own computer (not shown). This computer could have its own program to control spacing and tension of the web in that particular station, but would, of course, interface with the main computer control 52. 
     After the image is projected onto the surface of the cylinder, a toner in the form of powder is applied at 44. The powder should be extremely fine grained so that when it is picked up by the surface, there is no waste or extraneous material thereon. 
     After the characters have been applied to the web W as the drum surface rotates into engagement therewith, the powder is fused and chilled at 48, 50, respectively (see FIG. 4). Fusing temperatures should be greater than 300° F. 
     As the drum continues to revolve, the image is erased by an ionized image eraser 46. Here again, lasers are utilized to discharge the photoconductive surface of the printing drums or cylinders. Normally, the individual drums would be scanned to a required length, e.g., 24&#34; on a 28&#34; drum, and as the cylinder revolves past the printing point and the image is erased, a new or continuing image is projected on the cylinder. In this way, no open non-printing gaps are created. 
     It is to be understood that the size of the cylinder is not restricted to 28&#34;, but may be 22&#34; or 26&#34; or whatever size is most practical for the job at hand. In this regard, because of the effective infinite length of the cylinder, it is possible to print four (or more) 11&#34; images and create a four-part form on a single sheet length of the continuous web. Conventional printing presses, and even those with newer laser printers are unable to create such four-part forms. 
     The control and sequencing of the images to be projected on the drum will be discussed further hereinbelow. 
     As earlier stated, the laser drum printing station 12 described above is one of as many as four such stations, arranged in series along the path of travel of the web W, each one applying a different one of four primary colors. Obviously, the type and style of form will dictate the number of colors, and hence the number of stations required. 
     It will be understood that the press may be programmed to have the printing stations print in any given sequence, by color, so that, for example, the first station would print black; the second, red; the third, blue; and the fourth, green. 
     After exiting the printing stations, the web W passes through a conventional line hole punch ring station 14 and below an image scanner 16, and thereafter through a laser slitter 18, laser punch head 20 and laser cross perforation cutter 22. The size, location, spacing, and so on of the various holes and slits is governed by the use of pre-programmed information on diskettes or cassettes, insertable in the main control unit as described further herein. 
     The image scanner 16 reproduces the printed image and resolves the four color image in a lathe type mechanism, picks out the colors and separates them by digitilizing, and produces four separate negatives, one for each color. Rather than producing a negative, this information could be conveyed directly to the printing stations of the press, particularly to correct and/or improve the work product, or transmitted by computer link to a remote press or presses. 
     After passing between detectors 24, which insure proper alignment and tautness of the paper web W, the paper is rewound at a stand 26. 
     As is apparent from FIG. 2, the various components of the press are connected via cable 32 to the main central computer processing unit 52 which is described hereinbelow in more detail in association with FIG. 3. 
     In FIG. 3 there is illustrated a schematic diagram of the various components utilized to control the press of this invention. A forms composer with full color graphics, shown at 60, and a matrix color printer 62 for forms proofs are utilized in conjunction with a processor 64 and color scanner 66 to provide the central processor 52 with the necessary information regarding the four color composition of the forms. A console 68 is provided for inserting the various cassettes or diskettes for controlling each of the stations of the press, through the main computer control 52. 
     When the job is finished, the diskette is stored for a repeat order, and is ready to set the press for an exact repeat, or the diskette can be altered with new or deleted copy, without the necessity for resetting the total job, or reworking the press memory diskette section when needed. 
     Turning to FIG. 4, there is shown a close-up schematic of a laser printing station similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 but wherein the web W passes below a drum 40. A the drum rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the image is projected onto the photosensitive surface of the drum at 42 and powder is applied at 44. After the image is transferred to the web W, the powder is fused at 48 and chilled at 50, while immediately thereafter, the image on the drum is erased at 46. 
     In its broader aspects, the invention relates to the production of business forms by a process which includes the steps of (a) feeding a web from a supply roll to a printing station including at least one rotary printing cylinder; (b) projecting an image on the cylinder as said cylinder rotates; (c) applying toner to the cylinder; (d) transferring the image to the web as the cylinder rotates into engagement with the web; (e) erasing the image from the drum immediately after the drum disengages from the web; and (f) projecting a new image on the cylinder as the cylinder continues to rotate. 
     While the presently preferred process is carried out with printing stations utilizing laser printing technology, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that an ink jet type printer may also be employed. In FIG. 5, a web W is illustrated passing over and in contact with a drum 70 with an adjacent ink jet module 72 arranged to eject droplets of writing fluid or ink onto the web W in accordance with a selected computer program chosen to produce a particular business form. 
     The present invention has been described particularly in the context of printing business forms per se. It is contemplated that the computerized process of this invention may further be utilized to produce bar coding on the forms in a simple and efficient manner. It will be further appreciated that the indeterminate length cylinder as disclosed herein may also be advantageously employed in the production of other web-oriented processes, for example, in the publishing field, and in the printing of wallpaper. In the production of the latter, a customized product could be produced with a continuously varying pattern, i.e., at no point in a room need there be a pattern repeat. 
     It will be apparent that many additional changes and alterations may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow.