Patent ID: 7571677

Claim:
A web-fed offset printing unit comprising: a first cylinder; a second, transfer cylinder cooperating with said first cylinder when said first and second cylinders are in a placed together position contacting each other; a contact zone between said first and second cylinders in said placed together position; an elastic, compressible layer on a surface of said transfer cylinder, said elastic, compressible layer exhibiting a contact pressure in response to a deformation of said elastic, compressible layer, a spring characteristic of said elastic, compressible layer, which is expressed as a ratio of a change in said contact pressure to a change in said deformation of said elastic compressible layer, being less than 700 (N/cm 2 )/mm in a range of an operating pressure for said contact pressure from 80 to 180 N/cm 2 and in a range of said deformation from 0.16 mm to 0.38 mm; a width of said contact zone, said width being perpendicular to a plane connecting axes of rotation of said first and second cylinders, said width resulting from an indentation of said elastic layer when said first and second cylinders are in said placed together position, said width being at least 10 mm; and a second, transfer cylinder effective diameter, said contact zone width being at least 5% of said effective diameter.