An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of thermoplastic particles, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.

An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of thermoplastic particles, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.

This invention discloses an ink dispensing system for a printer using the nip area between the inking cylinder and the gravure/anilox cylinder as the sole source of inking. Our solution solves the problem of reducing the amount of ink present in the inking buffer, i.e. the nip area, of such printing machines, thereby accelerating the reaction time of an ink replacement and reducing the amount of waste and the cleaning time. The idea behind the invention is to provide ink to the nip area at selected locations when needed by using a dispensing apparatus that moves along the nip area.

There is described a multicolour letterpress printing press, in particular a numbering press, comprising a printing group (50) with at least a first letterpress (e.g. numbering) cylinder (51) and a second letterpress cylinder (52) which are inked by an associated inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81a, 81b, 82, 82a, 82b). The inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81a, 81b, 82, 82a, 82b) comprises (i) a first inking device (81) supplying ink to a first chablon cylinder (71), (ii) at least a second inking device (82) supplying ink to a second chablon cylinder (72), and (iii) an ink-collecting cylinder (60) contacting the first and second chablon cylinders (71, 72) and the first and second letterpress cylinders (51, 52). The ink-collecting cylinder (60) collects a first ink pattern (A, D) from the first chablon cylinder (71) and a second ink pattern (B, C) from the second chablon cylinder (72). As a result, a first multicolour pattern of inks (A-D) is formed on the ink-collecting cylinder (60), which first multicolour pattern of inks (A-D) is transferred onto the first letterpress cylinder (51). The ink-collecting cylinder (60) further collects a third ink pattern (A, D) from the first chablon cylinder (71) and a fourth ink pattern (B, C) from the second chablon cylinder (72), thereby forming a second multicolour pattern of inks (A D) on the ink-collecting cylinder (60), which second multicolour pattern of inks (A D) is transferred onto the second letterpress cylinder (52).

Examples include a device for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles contained in a coating agent applied to one side of a web-format or sheet-format substrate. An alignment device comprises one or more magnetic elements that, during normal operation, are fixed to a frame at the transport path and, in a working position, enter into magnetic interaction with magnetic or magnetizable particles on the substrate guided past the device along the transport path. The one or more magnetic elements are arranged at a carrier that extends transversely to the transport direction over a working width provided for processing the substrate. The carrier is mounted, on both sides, in or at a respective guide and can be moved in or at the guide, together with the one or more magnetic elements, along a movement path from the working position into a makeready position.

Examples include a device for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles contained in a coating agent applied to one side of a web-format or sheet-format substrate. An alignment device comprises one or more magnetic elements that, during normal operation, are fixed to a frame at the transport path and, in a working position, enter into magnetic interaction with magnetic or magnetizable particles on the substrate guided past the device along the transport path. The one or more magnetic elements are arranged at a carrier that extends transversely to the transport direction over a working width provided for processing the substrate. The carrier is mounted, on both sides, in or at a respective guide and can be moved in or at the guide, together with the one or more magnetic elements, along a movement path from the working position into a makeready position.

Examples include a cylinder having a holding means around the circumference and by which a substrate sheet can be picked up and held during rotation of the cylinder over a rotation angle range between when the substrate sheet is received and is transferred downstream. A rotary union includes a rotor rotating along with the cylinder which, at an end face, is arranged with a stator that does not rotate during regular operation. A vacuum pressure can be applied via the rotary union to suction openings provided around the circumference of the cylinder while running through an active rotation angle phase of the cylinder. The rotary union can be set in terms of a size of a passage angle sector determining the size of the active rotation angle phase and/or in terms of a position of the passage angle sector determining the position of the active rotation angle phase.

Examples include a cylinder having a holding means around the circumference and by which a substrate sheet can be picked up and held during rotation of the cylinder over a rotation angle range between when the substrate sheet is received and is transferred downstream. A rotary union includes a rotor rotating along with the cylinder which, at an end face, is arranged with a stator that does not rotate during regular operation. A vacuum pressure can be applied via the rotary union to suction openings provided around the circumference of the cylinder while running through an active rotation angle phase of the cylinder. The rotary union can be set in terms of a size of a passage angle sector determining the size of the active rotation angle phase and/or in terms of a position of the passage angle sector determining the position of the active rotation angle phase.

Examples include a cylinder having a holding means around the circumference and by which a substrate sheet can be picked up and held during rotation of the cylinder over a rotation angle range between when the substrate sheet is received and is transferred downstream. A rotary union includes a rotor rotating along with the cylinder which, at an end face, is arranged with a stator that does not rotate during regular operation. A vacuum pressure can be applied via the rotary union to suction openings provided around the circumference of the cylinder while running through an active rotation angle phase of the cylinder. The rotary union can be set in terms of a size of a passage angle sector determining the size of the active rotation angle phase and/or in terms of a position of the passage angle sector determining the position of the active rotation angle phase.

Examples include a cylinder having a holding means around the circumference and by which a substrate sheet can be picked up and held during rotation of the cylinder over a rotation angle range between when the substrate sheet is received and is transferred downstream. A rotary union includes a rotor rotating along with the cylinder which, at an end face, is arranged with a stator that does not rotate during regular operation. A vacuum pressure can be applied via the rotary union to suction openings provided around the circumference of the cylinder while running through an active rotation angle phase of the cylinder. The rotary union can be set in terms of a size of a passage angle sector determining the size of the active rotation angle phase and/or in terms of a position of the passage angle sector determining the position of the active rotation angle phase.