Patent ID: 7412924

Claim:
A printing blanket unit adapted for use with a printing blanket cylinder of a rotary printing press comprising: a dimensionally stable support plate including an exterior surface; an angled leading end leg on a leading end of said support plate; an angled trailing end leg on a trailing end of said support plate; a leading end fold on said support plate between said leading end leg and said exterior surface; a trailing end fold on said support plate between said trailing end leg and said exterior surface; a printing blanket on said exterior surface and having blanket leading and trailing ends with inside end surfaces situated adjacent said leading and trailing end folds; and a filler material at said leading and trailing blanket ends between said leading and trailing end folds and said leading and trailing blanket inside end surfaces, said filler material acting as a support element wherein, in an installed position of said printing blanket unit on the printing blanket cylinder, said leading end filler material and said trailing end filler material, which are provided with lateral facing surfaces of a complimentary shape, are adjacent each other at a spacing distance of between 0.2 mm and 0.8 mm.