Patent ID: 7513196

Claim:
A device for regulating at least one register in a printing press comprising: at least first and second printing groups; at least one forme cylinder, one transfer cylinder and one counter-pressure cylinder in each of said at least first and second printing groups, said at least first and second printing groups being adapted to each print one color of a multiple color printed image on an imprinting substrate being printed in multiple colors in said at least first and second printing groups and travelling in a substrate direction of travel; an image sensor, said image sensor being usable to record a picture of said multiple color printed image of an entire width of said imprinting substrate extending transversely to said substrate direction of travel; an evaluating unit, usable to receive said picture of said entire width of said multiple color printed image recorded during a running production of said printing press and to compare multiple parameters of said picture with a previously recorded multiple color printed reference picture, and to separate said picture of said multiple color printed image and said reference picture each into separate color components and to perform a relative position determination of each of said separate color components of said picture of said printed image with respect to each of said separate color components of said previously recorded multiple color printed reference picture; a forme cylinder drive mechanism for each of said at least first and second printing groups and adapted to be controlled separately from a drive mechanism for said counter-pressure cylinder assigned to each said forme cylinder; an actuator for each said forme cylinder drive mechanism, said evaluation unit being adapted to generate a separate actuating command to each said forme cylinder drive mechanism actuator to selectively regulate a register of each respective one of said forme cylinders in response to said relative position determination of each of said color components of said picture of said multiple color image with respect to each of said color components of said previously recorded multiple color printed reference picture as provided by said image sensor; and a pre-printing stage located upstream, in said direction of travel of said substrate, said printing press, said previously recorded multiple color printed reference picture being formed in said pre-printing stage, said reference picture having proper registration of said multiple color image.