A ductor roller for printing machines has a shaft provided with an air supply pipe, plural individual ductor rollers, and plural electromagnetic valves, both connected to the shaft. The individual ductor rollers advance pneumatically by the electromagnetic valves. The individual ductor rollers have housings that are associated with the shaft and configured to move forward and backward; roller members configured to contact with the ink fountain roller and an ink distribution roller; and bearings connecting the roller members to the housings. The electromagnetic valves are placed in the housings. Protection members for the electromagnetic valves are oil-resistant, have circularly cylindrical or arc-like covers, and are associated with the shaft. They cover the side ends of the housings and are placed in the clearance between the individual ductor rollers. The protection members do not need an exchange, discharge cleaning liquid for printing machines along troughs and prevent the electromagnetic valves from being contaminated by the cleaning liquid.

A ductor roller for printing machines has a shaft provided with an air supply pipe, plural individual ductor rollers, and plural electromagnetic valves, both connected to the shaft. The individual ductor rollers advance pneumatically by the electromagnetic valves. The individual ductor rollers have housings that are associated with the shaft and configured to move forward and backward; roller members configured to contact with the ink fountain roller and an ink distribution roller; and bearings connecting the roller members to the housings. The electromagnetic valves are placed in the housings. Protection members for the electromagnetic valves are oil-resistant, have circularly cylindrical or arc-like covers, and are associated with the shaft. They cover the side ends of the housings and are placed in the clearance between the individual ductor rollers. The protection members do not need an exchange, discharge cleaning liquid for printing machines along troughs and prevent the electromagnetic valves from being contaminated by the cleaning liquid.

A printing machine has an ink fountain, a fountain roller in contact with the ink fountain, a ductor roller, at least an ink transfer roller and a controller configured and programmed to control the ductor roller. For the printing machine, individual graph data gr and its initial values gri, and average g of the graph data over the entire ductor roller and its initial value gi are used to change graph data gr and g during printing so as to cancel errors between measured printed densities and desired printed densities. An adjustment apparatus and method also achieve this task for such a printing machine.

A printing machine has an ink fountain, a fountain roller in contact with the ink fountain, a ductor roller, at least an ink transfer roller and a controller configured and programmed to control the ductor roller. For the printing machine, individual graph data gr and its initial values gri, and average g of the graph data over the entire ductor roller and its initial value gi are used to change graph data gr and g during printing so as to cancel errors between measured printed densities and desired printed densities. An adjustment apparatus and method also achieve this task for such a printing machine.

Provided is an ink supply device for a printer, which does not require cleaning process by manual work, even in the case where ink remains in gap portions between adjacent divided ink ductor rollers. A divided ink ductor roller cleaning unit 7 is provided, which includes a cleaning roller 21 having an outer periphery covered with a cleaning fabric 26 and having an axis parallel to an axis of a plurality of divided ink ductor rollers 4. The cleaning roller 21 is pressed against the plurality of divided ink ductor rollers 4, and the cleaning fabric 26 enters gap portions between the adjacent divided ink ductor rollers 4, whereby the divided ink ductor roller cleaning unit 7 wipes off ink adhering to outer peripheral portions of end faces of the divided ink ductor rollers 4.

An apparatus and methods of decorating exterior surfaces of metallic containers are provided. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a novel metering roller for an inking assembly of a decorator. An adjustment mechanism is operable to move the metering roller to a first ink transfer position during a decoration run. In the first ink transfer position, the metering roller receives ink from an ink roller without contacting the ink roller. In one embodiment, during the production run, the metering roller is in contact with and transfers ink to a transfer roller. When the decoration run stops, the adjustment mechanism can move the metering roller to a second dwell position such that the metering roller does not receive ink from the ink roller.

A liquid transfer apparatus includes: rollers configured to transfer supplied liquid to a blanket cylinder; a roller holding device configured to detachably hold the rollers and perform a rotating operation to move any one of the rollers to a predetermined position facing the blanket cylinder; and a contact-separation unit configured to bring the roller held by the roller holding device and disposed at the predetermined position into and out of contact with the blanket cylinder.

A liquid transfer apparatus includes: rollers configured to transfer supplied liquid to a blanket cylinder; a roller holding device configured to detachably hold the rollers and perform a rotating operation to move any one of the rollers to a predetermined position facing the blanket cylinder; and a contact-separation unit configured to bring the roller held by the roller holding device and disposed at the predetermined position into and out of contact with the blanket cylinder.

A printing press makes an ink reservoir between an ink fountain and an ink fountain roller and supplies ink to the plate cylinder via a ductor roller advancing and retracting towards and from the ink fountain roller. The printing press is provided with the ink fountain, a base supporting the ink fountain, a slide mechanism sliding the ink fountain along the base in order to control the clearance between the tip of the ink fountain and the ink fountain roller, a cleaner removing the ink from the ink fountain roller, an advancement and retraction mechanism for advancing and retracting the cleaner between a contact position to the ink fountain roller and a non-contact position, and a controller. The controller controls the slide mechanism and the advancement and retraction mechanism, enlarges the clearance in order to pass the dirt with the ink through the clearance, and makes the cleaner in contact with the ink fountain roller to remove the dirt with the ink.

A can inspection device includes a rotation device rotating cans, an imaging device taking images of rotating cans, and an image processor processing taken images. The imaging device includes a first camera taking an image of an entire can and a second camera taking an image of an opening-side end portion of the can. The image processor includes an image inspection means for inspecting whether printing is performed properly as compared with a master image by using the image taken by the first camera, a density measurement means for measuring densities in designated positions for respective colors by using the image taken by the first camera, and a printing misalignment value measurement means for measuring misalignment values with respect to set positions of printing misalignment inspection marks printed on the opening-side end portion of the can for respective colors by using the image taken by the second camera.