Abstract:
The nozzle has a channel (24) in which a cleaning solution is injected under pressure, and an outlet (26) through which the solution is sprayed against a cylinder. The outlet (26) is formed by a first part (23) and a second part (25), said second part (25) being movable with respect to said first part (23) in order to vary the size of said outlet (26).
Abstract:
The document comprises a decodable graphical representation (44) of encoded information, such as identifying characteristics. The graphical representation comprises layers of cells containing said encoded information and said layers are superposed on the document.
Abstract:
There is described an inspection system (10) for inspecting the quality of printed sheets which are transported by a sheet conveyor system comprising at least one sheet gripper system (3a, 3b) including a plurality of spaced-apart gripper bars (32) for holding the printed sheets by a leading edge thereof. The inspection system (10) comprises an optical quality control apparatus for carrying out inspection of a first side of the printed sheets while the printed sheets are being transported by the sheet gripper system (3b). The optical quality control apparatus includes a line camera (11 ) for scanning the first side of the printed sheets at an inspection location which is situated at a location proximate to a portion of the sheet gripper system (3b) where the gripper bars (32) transporting the printed sheets undergo a change of direction of displacement while the printed sheets are still being scanned by the line camera (11 ). The inspection system (10) further comprises a suction roller (50) that is placed in front of the optical path (B) of the line camera (11 ) along the path (A) of the printed sheets being transported by the sheet gripper system (3b), which suction roller (50) contacts a second side of the printed sheets opposite to the first side which is being scanned by the line camera (11 ), the suction roller (50) being driven at a selected circumferential speed to drive successive portions of the printed sheets being inspected by the quality control apparatus at a determined and controlled speed past the line camera (11 ).
Abstract:
There is described a method for controlled production of security documents, especially banknotes, wherein said security documents are subjected to a plurality of successive printing and processing operations (20.1, 20.2, ) on a plurality of processing stations. The method comprises the steps 5 of: (i)providing a computer network comprising a central server station (10) coupled via a data network (15) to a plurality of local computer stations (25.1, 25.2,, 26.1, 26.2, ), one local computer station (25.1, 25.2, ) being operatively coupled to each processing station (20.1, 20.2, );10 (ii)defining at least one production order, which production order involves the production of a desired volume of security documents according to a defined production workflow, this production order being subdivided into a plurality of production loads (30, 30*, 30**, ) each being assigned a machine- readable load identifier (35);15 (iii)assigning selected processing stations among available processing stations (20.1, 20.2, ) to carry out processing of the production order according to the production workflow; and (iv)selectively processing each production load (30, 30*, 30**, ) through the processing stations (20.1, 20.2, ) depending on the determined production 20 workflow of the corresponding production order defined for each production load, whereby each production load (30, 30*, 30**, ) is first subjected to a load acceptance procedure based on its machine-readable load identifier (35) before being authorized to be processed on a selected processing station among said available processing stations (20.1, 20.2, ).25 Also described isa system for carrying out said method.
Abstract:
There is described a method and an inking apparatus (50) for forming an ink pattern (80) on the surface of a form cylinder (15b) of a printing press, which ink pattern (80) exhibits, at least in part, a two-dimensional ink gradient extending in an axial direction and a circumferential direction on the surface of the form cylinder (15b). At least first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) are placed one after the other along an inking path of the ink train (20, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35a, 35b, 36, 37) inking the form cylinder (15b) for distributing ink in the axial and circumferential directions and means (200, 201, 210, 211, 212, 250, 251, 260, 261, 262) are provided for subjecting the first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) to cyclical oscillation movements in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.
Abstract:
There is described a numbering device (1 ) for carrying out numbering in sheet-fed or web-fed numbering presses, the numbering device (1 ) comprising a numbering unit (6) with rotatable numbering wheels (7) carrying alpha- numerical symbols thereon, which numbering wheels (7) are disposed next to each other and rotate about a common rotation axis (17), the numbering device (1 ) further comprising electro-mechanical actuation means for setting the position of the numbering wheels (7). The electro-mechanical actuation means are entirely located within the numbering device (1 ) and are mechanically autonomous, the electro-mechanical actuation means comprising a plurality of independent driving means (15, 18-23; 23*) for actuating a corresponding plurality of the numbering wheels.
Abstract:
The system comprises a wiping tank (1 ), a wiping roller (2) rotatably supported in the wiping tank and having a circumferential surface and cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the wiping roller, said cleaning means comprising at least a first spray unit (4) for spraying clean wiping solution against the surface of the wiping roller and a drying blade (12) placed downstream of said first spray unit with respect to a direction of rotation of said wiping roller for removing wiping solution residues from the surface of the wiping roller. The cleaning means further comprise a cleaning assembly including at least one supporting plate (5; 25) with a series of holes (5', 30, 31 , 32, 33) and holding means (7, 8, 10, 11 ) for holding the supporting plate, said supporting plate being conformed to extend parallel to a part of the circumferential surface of the wiping roller without touching said wiping roller. The cleaning assembly further comprising at least a cleaning sheet (6; 26, 26a, 26b) made of porous material placed on said supporting plate and in contact with the surface of said wiping roller for removing ink therefrom. The first spray unit (4) is disposed before an upstream end of the cleaning assembly with the respect to the direction of rotation of the wiping roller (2) in such a way as to spray clean wiping solution directly between the surface of the wiping roller (2) and the upstream end of the cleaning assembly.
Abstract:
There is described a sheet inspection system for a sheet-fed recto-verso printing press of the type comprising two printing cylinders (10, 20) for carrying out simultaneous recto-verso printing of the sheets, said sheet inspection system comprising at least a first inspection device (100) for taking an image of a first side of the printed sheets. The first inspection device (100) comprises a first line image sensor (110) for performing line-scanning image acquisition of the first side of the printed sheets, and the first inspection device (100) is disposed in such a way that the first line image sensor visually acquires an image of a printed sheet while the said printed sheet is still adhering onto the surface of a first one (10) of the two printing cylinders (10, 20) of the printing press and immediately before the said printed sheet is transferred to a chain gripper system (5) of the printing press. Also described is a printing press equipped with the inspection system.
Abstract:
There is described a web-fed or sheet-fed printing machine for security papers, in particular banknotes, comprising a machine frame (100) in which is located a main printing group (10, 13, 15, 20, 23, 25), the printing machine further comprising an additional printing group (1, 2, 8; 1, 2', 8; 1 ,2'', 8), independent of the main printing group, placed upstream of the main printing group with respect to a direction of displacement of the web or sheets for performing additional printing of the security papers prior to printing by said main printing group. The additional printing group comprises an inking module (1) containing at least one inking device (3), and a printing module (2; 2'; 2'') comprising a cylinder arrangement including a plurality of cylinders (4, 5; 4', 5', 6', 7'; 4'', 5'', 6'', 7''), the printing module being interposed between the inking module and the machine frame of the printing machine. The additional printing group is constructed in such a manner that the printing module can be decoupled from the inking module and the machine frame for replacement by another printing module without this requiring removal of said inking module (1) from the printing machine.
Abstract:
There is described an apparatus (1) for coating a cylinder (C), in particular a wiping cylinder of an intaglio printing press, with a plastic composition comprising, inter alia, heating means (6) for applying radiant heat to the cylinder throughout its length, the heating means being disposed in a movable hood part (7) adapted to be moved on top of the cylinder for applying heat thereto or away from the cylinder to allow mounting or dismounting of the cylinder (C) on or from the apparatus. In the closed state, the hood part forms an interior space enclosing the cylinder. The hood part includes a hood body (71) and a window panel (72, 73) mounted on a front side of said hood body to allow a human operator to monitor deposition of the plastic composition onto the surface of the cylinder. The hood body and window panel are constructed in such a manner that, when the hood part is moved on top of the cylinder, the window panel lies above the position where the coating unit (4) cooperates with the cylinder during coating.