A viscosity measurement device includes a measurement tool having a pump for feeding a printing liquid by pressure. The viscosity measurement device includes a passage part having a first passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a first area, and a second passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a second area smaller than the first area and which is arranged on an upstream side in a supply direction of the printing liquid with respect to the first passage part, the passage part being interposed in the supply path and arranged upward toward a downstream side in the supply direction of the printing liquid; and a sensor attached to the second passage part and measuring the fall time of the measurement tool in a prescribed vertical region in the second passage part.

Provided are a blade device equipped with a blade member which can accurately adjust pressing force due to a blade member, and a printing machine and a coating device equipped with the blade device.

A blade device 40 according to the present invention has: a blade member 41 contacting with a plate roll 10 to which coating material is to be applied; an upper holder 43 contacting with the blade member from one surface side of the blade member; a lower holder 44 contacting with the blade member from another surface side of the blade member; a tube 42 contacting with the blade member and configured to expand and contract by pressure of fluid; and a tube positioning part 43a which is provided on the upper holder and positions the tube closer to the roller, in a direction in which the blade member extends, than a tip end of the lower holder is The tube adjusts a pressing force, of the tip end of the blade member, against the roller by being expanded or contracted while being held by the tube positioning part and the blade member.

Recess printing units are usable for printing on a substrate and using associated methods for operation. The recess printing units comprise an intaglio printing cylinder, which provides an image-forming pattern of recesses on its circumference; and an inking unit for applying ink to the pattern of recesses that are provided on the intaglio printing cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder which has, in a region of its lateral surface, recesses corresponding to the recesses in the intaglio printing cylinder and to which recesses ink can be supplied by an ink application device in the region of an application point lying on the circumference of the first inking unit cylinder. A second inking unit cylinder cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and has, in a region of the lateral surface of the second inking unit cylinder, elevations corresponding to recesses in the intaglio printing cylinder or raised regions corresponding to regions of the image-forming pattern of recesses on the intaglio printing cylinder, which regions comprise recesses. The ink application device also comprises, on at least a downstream side of the application point, with respect to the operating direction of rotation of the inking unit cylinder comprising the recesses, a retaining device in the form of a doctor blade or an ink knife. The second inking unit cylinder comprises, on a lateral surface thereof, elevations corresponding to engraving on the intaglio printing cylinder.

Recess printing units are usable for printing on a substrate and using associated methods for operation. The recess printing units comprise an intaglio printing cylinder, which provides an image-forming pattern of recesses on its circumference; and an inking unit for applying ink to the pattern of recesses that are provided on the intaglio printing cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder which has, in a region of its lateral surface, recesses corresponding to the recesses in the intaglio printing cylinder and to which recesses ink can be supplied by an ink application device in the region of an application point lying on the circumference of the first inking unit cylinder. A second inking unit cylinder cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and has, in a region of the lateral surface of the second inking unit cylinder, elevations corresponding to recesses in the intaglio printing cylinder or raised regions corresponding to regions of the image-forming pattern of recesses on the intaglio printing cylinder, which regions comprise recesses. The ink application device also comprises, on at least a downstream side of the application point, with respect to the operating direction of rotation of the inking unit cylinder comprising the recesses, a retaining device in the form of a doctor blade or an ink knife. The second inking unit cylinder comprises, on a lateral surface thereof, elevations corresponding to engraving on the intaglio printing cylinder.

A viscosity measurement device includes a measurement tool having a pump for feeding a printing liquid by pressure. The viscosity measurement device includes a passage part having a first passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a first area, and a second passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a second area smaller than the first area and which is arranged on an upstream side in a supply direction of the printing liquid with respect to the first passage part, the passage part being interposed in the supply path and arranged upward toward a downstream side in the supply direction of the printing liquid; and a sensor attached to the second passage part and measuring the fall time of the measurement tool in a prescribed vertical region in the second passage part.

A roll transfer coating method for coating a coating material, which has been supplied from a coater head to a pattern surface of an intaglio roll, to a coating substrate. When the supply of the coating material is made, the supply is blocked off by a contact of the intaglio roll with the bottom surface of the coater head at a position facing the pattern surface of the intaglio roll, so that the coating material in a liquid state is supplied only into a recessed portion of the intaglio roll. Upon transferring the coating material onto the coating substrate which is being transported by a high-speed coating line, the temperature of the coating material on the pattern surface of the intaglio roll is maintained at or below a first form-changing temperature, so that the coating material in a gelled state is coated to the coating substrate.

In a digital inking system having an anilox member that carries a patterned metered layer of ink to a digital imaging member, and a doctor blade that removes excess ink from the surface of the anilox member resulting in the patterned metered layer, an overfill form roller in rolling contact with the anilox member adds an overcoat layer of ink on the patterned metered layer for transfer of both layers of ink to the digital imaging member. The overcoat layer of ink uniformly covers all regions of the anilox member and the mattered metered layer of ink, including lands of the anilox cell walls to make the combined layers of ink pattern-free.

An inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to one or more intaglio printing mediums by way of a selective inking cylinder provided in at least one device. The selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate that receives ink supplied by an associated inking unit. The selective inking plate comprises a coating that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions and perform selective transfer of ink at locations corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder and/or via a chablon cylinder carrying a chablon plate.

There are described various embodiments of an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder (8) of an intaglio printing press (1.sup.I; 1.sup.II; 1.sup.III ; 1.sup.IV; 1.sup.V), which intaglio printing cylinder carries one or more intaglio printing mediums (8a, 8b, 8c) that are inked by means of a plurality of inking devices (95; 95*; 95**; 905; 905*). The inking system is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums by means of a selective inking cylinder (98; 98*; 98**) provided in at least one of the inking devices, preferably in each of the inking devices. More precisely, the selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate (90a) receiving ink supplied by an associated inking unit (96/96a/97; 96*/96a*/97*; 96**/96a**; 906/906a/910/915; 906*/906a*/910*/915*), which selective inking plate comprises a coating (900) that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions (910) and perform selective transfer of ink at locations (920) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder (9) and/or via a chablon cylinder (99*; 99**) carrying a chablon plate (99a) comprising relief portions (99A) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit.

In a digital inking system having an anilox member that carries a patterned metered layer of ink to a digital imaging member, and a doctor blade that removes excess ink from the surface of the anilox member resulting in the patterned metered layer, an overfill form roller in rolling contact with the anilox member adds an overcoat layer of ink on the patterned metered layer for transfer of both layers of ink to the digital imaging member. The overcoat layer of ink uniformly covers all regions of the anilox member and the mattered metered layer of ink, including lands of the anilox cell walls to make the combined layers of ink pattern-free.