Patent ID: 7574956

Claim:
A proofing tool, comprising: an anilox roll having a first end and a second end; an transfer roll having a first end and a second end, the transfer roll and the anilox roll being shiftable relative to each other between an engaged position wherein the transfer roll is engaged with the anilox roll and a disengaged position wherein the transfer roll is disengaged from the anilox roll; an anilox support member supporting the anilox roll, the anilox support member comprising a first yoke having a first arm that supports the first end of the anilox roll and a second arm that supports the second end of the anilox roll; a transfer support member supporting the transfer roll such that the anilox roll and the transfer roll are oriented substantially parallel and separated by a nip distance the transfer support member comprising a second yoke having a third arm that supports the first end of the transfer roll and a fourth arm that supports the second end of the transfer roll; and an adjustable positive stop nip adjustment mechanism operably connected to the anilox roll and the transfer roll, the adjustable positive stop nip adjustment mechanism having a first adjustment member including a first positive stop located proximate the first end of the anilox roll, and the first end of the transfer roll and interposed between and in contact with the first arm and the third arm near where the first arm supports the first end of the anilox roll and the third arm supports the first end of the transfer roll when the first positive stop is engaged and a second adjustment member including a second positive stop located proximate the second end of the anilox roll and the second end of the transfer roll and interposed between and in contact with the second arm and the fourth arm near where the second arm supports the second end of the anilox roll and the fourth arm supports the second end of the transfer roll when the second positive stop is engaged and being adjustable wherein the first adjustment member adjusts the nip distance between the first end of the anilox roll and the first end of the transfer roll by altering a first distance between the first arm and the third arm and the second adjustment member adjusts the nip distance between the second end of the anilox roll and the second end of the transfer roll by altering a second distance between the second arm and the fourth arm and the first adjustment member and second adjustment member are operable independently of each other whereby when the anilox roll and the transfer roll are in the engaged position the positive stop prevents the nip distance from being smaller than a set value, the set value being adjustable from zero to a non-zero value and the parallelism of the anilox roll and the transfer roll is adjustable.