An oscillating roller system for a beverage can decorator is driven back and forth by a cam follower. A cam body having a cam is mounted to a frame of the inker system. Three oscillating cam roller assemblies are positioned about the cam body. Rotation of the cam oscillates the cam followers for each one of the oscillating rollers. Bearings of the oscillating roller assemblies includes an inlet gallery and outlet gallery for a closed loop lubrication system. The rollers are water cooled.

An oscillating roller system for a beverage can decorator is driven back and forth by a cam follower. A cam body having a cam is mounted to a frame of the inker system. Three oscillating cam roller assemblies are positioned about the cam body. Rotation of the cam oscillates the cam followers for each one of the oscillating rollers. Bearings of the oscillating roller assemblies includes an inlet gallery and outlet gallery for a closed loop lubrication system. The rollers are water cooled.

A can decorator having a blanket wheel and a plurality inking stations. Each of one or more of the inking stations comprises a rotatable shaft geared to the blanket wheel, a print cylinder mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft during printing operations, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the print cylinder on the rotatable shaft during set-up and for fixing the angular position for printing operations. There is further provided a rotary encoder for determining the angular position of the print cylinder relative to the rotatable shaft during set-up and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the angular position to an operator interface device.

A can decorator having a blanket wheel and a plurality inking stations. Each of one or more of the inking stations comprises a rotatable shaft geared to the blanket wheel, a print cylinder mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft during printing operations, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the print cylinder on the rotatable shaft during set-up and for fixing the angular position for printing operations. There is further provided a rotary encoder for determining the angular position of the print cylinder relative to the rotatable shaft during set-up and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the angular position to an operator interface device.

Plate cylinder driving devices of a printing machine are provided with a drive shaft driving the plate cylinder, a drive helical gear fixed to the drive shaft, and an anti-backlash helical gear rotatably connected to the drive shaft and is biased by at least a spring towards a direction for preventing backlash. Both the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear are engaged with the main gear, and a plate provided with plural holes accommodating rollers is provided between the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear. Friction between the anti-backlash gear and the drive gear is reduced by a simple mechanism in the plate cylinder driving devices in a printing machine.

Plate cylinder driving devices of a printing machine are provided with a drive shaft driving the plate cylinder, a drive helical gear fixed to the drive shaft, and an anti-backlash helical gear rotatably connected to the drive shaft and is biased by at least a spring towards a direction for preventing backlash. Both the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear are engaged with the main gear, and a plate provided with plural holes accommodating rollers is provided between the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear. Friction between the anti-backlash gear and the drive gear is reduced by a simple mechanism in the plate cylinder driving devices in a printing machine.

A method for registering a printing press, said printing press including a plurality of printing stations each for printing a respective color-image on a web, each said printing stations being associated with a respective different color, at least two pairs of said printing stations being un-registered, the method includes the procedures of identifying at least two regions-of-interest in the image to be printed, each including a respective different pair of two partially overlapping color-images, acquiring an image of the common area on the web, for each region-of-interest, chromatically separating the acquired image to determine two monochrome images respective of each region-of-interest, for each region-of-interest registering the two monochrome images respective thereof, registering a monochrome image respective of one region-of-interest with a monochrome image respective of another region-of-interest and determining a registration correction for each printing station according to the registration between the monochrome images.

A method for registering a printing press, said printing press including a plurality of printing stations each for printing a respective color-image on a web, each said printing stations being associated with a respective different color, at least two pairs of said printing stations being un-registered, the method includes the procedures of identifying at least two regions-of-interest in the image to be printed, each including a respective different pair of two partially overlapping color-images, acquiring an image of the common area on the web, for each region-of-interest, chromatically separating the acquired image to determine two monochrome images respective of each region-of-interest, for each region-of-interest registering the two monochrome images respective thereof, registering a monochrome image respective of one region-of-interest with a monochrome image respective of another region-of-interest and determining a registration correction for each printing station according to the registration between the monochrome images.

A method for checking the maintenance of register of printing images to be printed on two opposite sides of a printing material, in which the first side of the printing material is printed in a rotary printing press by a first printing unit cylinder, and in which the second side of the printing material, which lies opposite to first cite, is printed in the printing press by a second printing unit cylinder which interacts with the first printing unit cylinder. A printed image is printed by the first printing unit cylinder under the second printing unit cylinder. Afterwards, the printing material is printed in contact with the two interacting printing unit cylinders with the printing image, which is printed under the second printing unit cylinder, being printed onto the same side of the printing material together with an identical or a different printing image which is to be printed by the second printing unit cylinder during continuous printing of the rotary printing press. The printed images, which are printed together onto the same side of the printing material, are subsequently checked, with regard to their maintenance of register.

A method for checking the maintenance of register of printing images to be printed on two opposite sides of a printing material, in which the first side of the printing material is printed in a rotary printing press by a first printing unit cylinder, and in which the second side of the printing material, which lies opposite to first cite, is printed in the printing press by a second printing unit cylinder which interacts with the first printing unit cylinder. A printed image is printed by the first printing unit cylinder under the second printing unit cylinder. Afterwards, the printing material is printed in contact with the two interacting printing unit cylinders with the printing image, which is printed under the second printing unit cylinder, being printed onto the same side of the printing material together with an identical or a different printing image which is to be printed by the second printing unit cylinder during continuous printing of the rotary printing press. The printed images, which are printed together onto the same side of the printing material, are subsequently checked, with regard to their maintenance of register.