Patent Publication Number: US-7219604-B2

Title: Transfer blanket, in particular rubber blanket, for a printing press

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to German application number 10 2004 021 498.0, filed 30 Apr.2004, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a transfer blanket, in particular a rubber blanket, for a printing press. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     In offset printing, it is conventional practice to transfer ink from a printing plate onto a printing material along an indirect path via a transfer blanket which is also called a rubber blanket. Here, a distinction is made between compressible and non-compressible rubber blankets, compressible rubber blankets optionally being used. Rubber blankets are able to compensate for unevennesses in the printing material at the printing locations. As rubber blankets of this type can age and be damaged with regard to their physical and chemical properties, they have to be exchangeable. For this purpose, the rubber blankets are fastened at clamping points within the printing press, it being intended for the clamping point to have dimensions which are as small as possible, for reasons of the printing quality. Here, it can be difficult to fasten the rubber blankets at a clamping point with correspondingly small dimensions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,321 B2 discloses a rubber blanket for a printing press, having a carrier layer and a covering layer, a plurality of intermediate layers being arranged between the carrier layer and the covering layer. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,321 B2, all of the intermediate layers and the covering layer are shortened compared with the carrier layer. The rubber blanket is then fastened at a clamping point of the printing press exclusively using the carrier layer. 
     DE 195 43 584 C1 likewise discloses a rubber blanket for a printing press. The rubber blanket disclosed in DE 195 43 584 C1 again has a carrier layer, a covering layer and a plurality of intermediate layers which are positioned between the carrier layer and the covering layer. All of the intermediate layers are of shortened configuration compared with the carrier layer, that section of the carrier layer which protrudes compared with the intermediate layers being of angled-away configuration. The rubber blanket is fastened at the clamping point of the printing press exclusively via this angled-away section of the carrier layer. The free ends of the intermediate layers are sealed via an angled-away portion of the covering layer. 
     Accordingly, a common feature of the transfer blankets or rubber blankets known from the prior art is that they are fastened at the clamping point of the printing press exclusively via the carrier layer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Proceeding from the foregoing, one aspect of the present invention includes providing a novel transfer blanket, in particular a rubber blanket, for a printing press. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, the sealing layer extends over the carrier layer in such a way that the transfer blanket can be fastened at the clamping point of the printing press at least via the carrier layer and the sealing layer. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a transfer blanket useful for a printing press comprises a carrier layer, a sealing layer, a covering layer, and at least one intermediate layer positioned between the carrier layer and the covering layer, the carrier layer protruding, compared with the at least one intermediate layer, at at least one end of the transfer blanket, using the at least one end the transfer blanket can be fastened at a clamping point of a printing press, wherein at least one of the at least one intermediate layer comprises shortened ends compared with the carrier layer, the shortened ends being sealed with the sealing layer, and wherein the sealing layer extends over the carrier layer so that the transfer blanket can be fastened at the clamping point of the printing press at least via the carrier layer and the sealing layer. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the covering layer comprises the sealing layer. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the sealing layer comprises a separate layer. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, each of the at least one intermediate layer is shortened compared with the carrier layer and the covering layer, the covering layer comprising the sealing layer, and the carrier layer and the covering layer being configured and arranged to permit exclusive fastening of the transfer blanket at the clamping point of the printing press. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the at least one intermediate layer is shortened compared with the carrier layer and the covering layer, the covering layer comprising the sealing layer, and the carrier layer, the covering layer, and an intermediate layer which immediately adjoins the covering layer being configured and arranged to permit fastening of the transfer blanket at the clamping point of the printing press. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the at least one intermediate layer tapers toward the clamping point, the covering layer comprising the sealing layer, and the carrier layer and the covering layer are configured and arranged to permit fastening of the transfer blanket at the clamping point. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the at least one intermediate layer is shortened compared with the carrier layer and the covering layer, the sealing layer comprising a separate layer, and the carrier layer, the sealing layer, and an intermediate layer which immediately adjoins the carrier layer are configured and arranged to permit fastening of the transfer blanket at the clamping point of the printing press. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a transfer blanket useful for a printing press comprises a carrier layer, a sealing layer, a covering layer, wherein the carrier layer protrudes, compared with the covering layer, at at least one end of the transfer blanket, the transfer blanket configured and arranged to be fastened at a clamping point of a printing press with the at least one end, wherein the covering layer comprises one end which is shortened compared with the carrier layer, the one end being sealed with the sealing layer, and wherein the sealing layer extends over the carrier layer so that the transfer blanket can be fastened at the clamping point of the printing press at least via the carrier layer and the sealing layer. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a transfer blanket useful for a printing press comprises a carrier layer, a covering layer, and at least one intermediate layer positioned between the carrier layer and the covering layer, wherein at least one of the at least one intermediate layer tapers toward a clamping point. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the transfer blanket comprises a rubber transfer blanket. 
     Still other aspects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of embodiments constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail, without being restricted thereto, using the drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1 : shows a diagrammatic cross section through a transfer blanket according to the invention, that is to say a rubber blanket, for a printing press, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2 : shows a diagrammatic cross section through a transfer blanket according to the invention, that is to say a rubber blanket, for a printing press, according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3 : shows a diagrammatic cross section through a transfer blanket according to the invention, that is to say a rubber blanket, for a printing press, according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4 : shows a diagrammatic cross section through a transfer blanket according to the invention, that is to say a rubber blanket, for a printing press, according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5 : shows a diagrammatic cross section through a transfer blanket according to the invention, that is to say a rubber blanket, for a printing press, according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawing figures, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements throughout the several figures. 
     In the following text, the present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of a transfer blanket according to the invention, which will be denoted rubber blanket  10  in the following text. The rubber blanket  10  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1  is of multi-ply or multi-layer configuration and has a carrier layer  11 , a covering layer  12  and, in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , three intermediate layers  13 ,  14  and  15 . A first intermediate layer  13  immediately adjoins the carrier layer  11  and is configured as a woven fabric layer. A second intermediate layer  15  immediately adjoins the covering layer  12  and is configured as a woven fabric layer, like the first intermediate layer  13 . A third intermediate layer  14  which is configured as a compressible layer is arranged between the first intermediate layer  13  and the second intermediate layer  15 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , all of the intermediate layers  13 ,  14  and  15  are of shortened configuration compared with the carrier layer  11 . Ends of the intermediate layers  13 ,  14  and  15  of shortened configuration are sealed by a sealing layer, the covering layer  12  directly forming the sealing layer  16  in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Here, the sealing layer  16  or the covering layer  12  extends over the carrier layer  11  in such a way that the rubber blanket  10  can be fastened at a clamping point  17  of a printing press (not shown in greater detail) via the carrier layer  11  and the covering layer  12 , and thus the sealing layer  16 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a further exemplary embodiment of a rubber blanket  18  according to the invention. The rubber blanket  18  of  FIG. 2  is again of multi-ply or multi-layer configuration, and it has a carrier layer  19 , a covering layer  20  and a total of three intermediate layers  21 ,  22  and  23 . The intermediate layers  21 ,  22  and  23  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2  correspond to the intermediate layers  13 ,  14  and  15  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , so that reference can be made to the above comments. The exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2  differs from the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1  in that, in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , only the intermediate layers  21  and  22  are of shortened configuration compared with the carrier layer  19 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the intermediate layer  23  which immediately adjoins the covering layer  20  extends over the region of the carrier layer  19 , in the same way as the covering layer  20 , the intermediate layer  23  and the covering layer  20  in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2  forming the sealing layer  24  for the intermediate layers  21  and  22  of shortened configuration. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the rubber blanket  18  is accordingly fastened in a clamping point  25  of a printing press via the carrier layer  19  and the sealing layer  24 , the sealing layer  24  being formed by the covering layer  20  and the intermediate layer  23 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a further exemplary embodiment of a rubber blanket  26  according to the invention. The rubber blanket  26  of  FIG. 3  is again of multi-ply or multi-layer configuration and has a carrier layer  27 , a covering layer  28  and three intermediate layers  29 ,  30  and  31 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the intermediate layers  30  and  31  and the covering layer  28  are of shortened configuration compared with the carrier layer  27  and the intermediate layer  29 , the intermediate layer  29  of non-shortened configuration immediately adjoining the carrier layer  27 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , there is a sealing layer  32  which is configured as a separate layer and which firstly seals the shortened ends of the two intermediate layers  30  and  31  and the shortened end of the covering layer  28 , and which secondly extends over the carrier layer  27  and the intermediate layer  29  in such a way that the rubber blanket  26  of  FIG. 3  is fastened in a clamping point  33  of the printing press via the carrier layer  27 , the intermediate layer  29  and the sealing layer  32 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a further exemplary embodiment of a rubber blanket  34  according to the invention. The rubber blanket of  FIG. 4  has a two-ply or two-layer construction comprising a carrier layer  35  and a covering layer  36 . The covering layer  36  is of shortened configuration compared with the carrier layer  35 , one shortened end of the covering layer  36  being sealed via a sealing layer  37  which is configured as a separate layer. The sealing layer  37  extends once again over the carrier layer  35  in such a way that the rubber blanket  34  can be fastened at a clamping point  38  of a printing press via the carrier layer  35  and the sealing layer  37 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a further exemplary embodiment of a rubber blanket  39  according to the invention. The rubber blanket  39  of  FIG. 5  is of multi-ply or multi-layer construction, and it has a carrier layer  40 , a covering layer  41  and a total of three intermediate layers  42 ,  43  and  44 . The intermediate layers  42 ,  43  and  44  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5  correspond to the intermediate layers  13 ,  14  and  15  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , so that reference can be made to the above comments. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5 , the intermediate layer  43  tapers in the direction of a clamping point  45 . In the same way as the covering layer  41  and the intermediate layer  42  which immediately adjoins the carrier layer  40 , the intermediate layer  44  which immediately adjoins the covering layer  41  extends over the region of the carrier layer  40 , the intermediate layer  44  and the covering layer  41  in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5  forming the sealing layer  46  for the shortened and tapered intermediate layer  43 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5 , the rubber blanket  39  is accordingly fastened in the clamping point  45  of a printing press via the carrier layer  40 , the intermediate layer  42  and the sealing layer  46 , the sealing layer  46  being formed by the covering layer  41  and the intermediate layer  44 . 
     The intermediate layer  43  of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5  is tapered by mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. The intermediate layer  43  is accordingly compressed or eroded in a tapering manner by the application of pressure, temperature and/or solvents. 
     Accordingly, a common feature of all of the exemplary embodiments according to  FIGS. 1 to 5  is that the rubber blankets  10 ,  18 ,  26 ,  34  and  39  are fastened at a clamping point  17 ,  25 ,  33 ,  38  and  45 , respectively, of a printing press via the carrier layer  11 ,  19 ,  27 ,  35  and  40 , respectively, and the sealing layer  16 ,  24 ,  32 ,  47  and  46 , respectively, at the clamping point. In addition, it is optionally possible for intermediate layers to be guided into the region of the clamping point. In the exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  5 , the clamping points  17 ,  25  and  33  are configured with U-shaped cross sections. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the clamping point  38  is of I-shaped design and engages beneath the carrier layer  35 . However, the clamping point  38  can also engage above the sealing layer  37 . Furthermore, the clamping points can be of L-shaped configuration. 
     The carrier layers  11 ,  19 ,  27 , 35  and  40  of the rubber blankets  10 ,  18 ,  26 , 34  and  39  of the exemplary embodiments according to  FIGS. 1 to 5  can be composed of plastic or be of metallic configuration. 
     While the invention has been described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes can be made, and equivalents employed, without departing from the scope of the invention. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein.