Patent ID: 8246769

Claim:
A speed control method for controlling film running speed of a transfer device that includes a film running mechanism that enables a transfer film to run along both a first film running path causing the transfer film to be positioned away from a cylinder and a second film running path causing the transfer film to be positioned close to the cylinder, and a transfer section that presses the transfer film onto a printed sheet of paper transferred by the cylinder to transfer a pattern of the transfer film onto the printed sheet of paper while the film running mechanism keeps the transfer film running along the second film running path, the method comprising: holding the transfer film in running stopped state relative to the cylinder held in rotating state when the transfer film is located at the first film running path; generating a pseudo pulse signal which is not based on a pulse signal outputted according to a rotational number of the cylinder; starting the drive of the transfer device based on the pseudo pulse signal different from a pulse signal outputted according to the rotational number of the cylinder, when the transfer film held in running stopped state is moved from the first film running path to the second film running path to run in a docking or interlocking engagement with the cylinder held in rotating state, and performing speed matching control to match the film miming speed of the transfer device to the rotational speed of the cylinder; and switching a control mode from the speed matching control into synchronization control that synchronizes the rotational speed of the cylinder with the film miming speed of the transfer device based on the pulse signal from the cylinder, after the matching of the speeds.