EP0863002B1 - Method and means for selecting the remote controlled ink metering elements of an inking device of a rotary printing press particularly for printing newspapers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for selecting remote-controlled ink fountains of rotary printing presses according to the generic term of Claims 1 and 9.

In the production of multi-color printed products in a printing press, especially a web-fed rotary printing press, the color to be printed Images in four separate single images for the colors black, cyan, magenta and yellow split, which are then transferred to corresponding printing plates, which are clamped onto the plate cylinders of the printing press. By successive overprinting of the four individual colors in the printing units on the paper web running through the printing press from the individual images again the composite original color print image.

About the amount of color and thus the appearance in the individual printing units The ink fountains of the printing units indicate that they can be changed individually Ink zone screws that lie side by side across the width of the print Paper web are arranged and the regulation of the amount of color in the enable each color zone. For example, 32 or 64 individuals Ink fountain keys within a ink fountain of a printing unit across the width of the be arranged to be printed paper web away.

To adjust the ink fountain keys, it is known from the prior art that Place print copy on a console and the amount of color in each Color zone via color zone adjustment elements or arranged below the printed copy Switching elements, e.g. B. buttons or LED displays with associated light pens, individually adaptable by remote control. The setting of the amount of color in the respective In practice, the color zone is usually compared by comparing one Original copies with the printed copies generated in the printing press made, the latter the operator of the printing press after passing the Folders removed as ready-cut and folded signatures.

Especially in newspaper printing, where depending on the number of to pages assembled into a newspaper one, two, three or more sheets of paper simultaneously with two or even four newspaper pages per web width at the same time are printed, which are then a corresponding number of folders supplied, the problem arises that the operator when checking the freshly printed newspaper pages no clear assignment between the respective Page and the associated color boxes or color zones can meet, if necessary To be able to change the amount of color in a color zone of a newspaper page.

This is how it is for the operator due to the different path paths and configuration of the printing units, particularly in the event of frequent changes of print run and one Large number of printed newspaper pages per newspaper is often very tedious, if not even impossible, a newspaper page in which a change in the amount of color is made must be, the associated ink fountain and the ink screws of the Assign color box. The assignment of the printed newspaper pages to the respective color boxes is further complicated by the fact that the print images of Newspaper pages often look similar, which helps identify the Print copies and their assignment to a color box and the contained therein Ink fountain keys can be very time consuming.

The object is achieved by the invention, a device and a method create which enable the operator to make an assignment between a printed page of a printed copy and the corresponding color box in a short time and with a high degree of reliability.

This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 9.

Further features of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

By the device according to the invention and the method according to the invention a preferred embodiment of the invention results for the operator in particular the advantage that he can choose the side of the finished one he chooses Print copies only anywhere on the surface of the console must place, and the associated color box, in which an adjustment of the Ink fountain keys should be made without operator intervention, d. H. without Complete entry of the section and page number of the respective copy page is selected automatically. According to a further embodiment, it is not required that the operator print the copy on the console in a particular positioned in a predetermined manner.

The present invention is more preferred in the following description Embodiments in connection with the accompanying, listed below Drawings explained in more detail.

Fig. 1

eine Bedienerstation einer Druckmaschine;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht der Komponenten des Systems der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 3

die Oberfläche einer Konsole, wobei ein und dieselbe Signatur an zwei verschiedenen Stellen auf der Konsolenoberfläche plaziert ist.

Show it:

Fig. 1

an operator station of a printing press;

Fig. 2

is a schematic view of the components of the system of the present invention;

Fig. 3

the surface of a console, the same signature being placed in two different places on the console surface.

1 shows an operator station 100, which is arranged above an operator console 2 Video camera 1 includes. The operator console 2 has a console surface 22 the operator 5 both an original copy 3 and one in the printing press freshly printed copy, which is also referred to below as a signature will be able to place. A light source 4 is connected to the console 2 via a support 24 connected. At the lower end of the console surface 22 there are several switching elements 6 arranged to adjust the amount of color in the color zones of each Ink boxes of the printing press are operated manually by operator 5. The Switching elements 6 can, for example, each have pairs of the respective color zones assigned buttons, which when pressing a first, for. B. the top button of a pair of buttons the amount of color in the respective color zone is increased and at Pressing the button below the pair the color amount of each Color zone is reduced. The currently set amount of color can be changed using several rows of LEDs arranged above the button pairs are displayed.

2 shows the individual components of the device according to the invention, which (a) for loading initial comparison or sample images and for determining their position and (b) to identify the pages of a printed signature and to Selection of the corresponding ink fountains or ink fountain keys of the ink fountains after Pressure can be used.

First, an original or a comparison copy 3 with those in the printing press illuminated for reproduction by a light source 4. The Comparative copy 3 can have several pages, for example the Total number of pages of a magazine to be printed. The operator turns the pages of the comparison copy 3, which is caused by the video camera 1 is recorded. An image digitizer 7 digitizes that of the Video camera 1 recorded images and stores the digitized images in one Image memory 9 from. After turning each page, the operator identifies by pressing z. B. page selection switches 10 the identity or the page and Section number of the page just recorded by the video camera. The Page number or section number or other identification feature of the page is then stored in the image memory 9 together with the digitized image.

In the following it is assumed that the page number of the signature with a specific color box of a printing unit for a specific web strand is linked, so that when the page number is known, the correct one is automatically assigned Color box is set in the associated printing unit of the relevant web strand. However, it can also be provided that the assignment between signature pages and ink boxes variable and depending on the respective print job becomes. In this case, it is assumed for the sake of simplicity that, if the The assignment of the correct page number or other identification feature Color box via a corresponding device, for. B. the central control device the printing press, is done automatically.

Alternatively, it is also possible for the digitized images and their associated ones Identification features or page and section numbers in the case of a digital generated original or comparative copy from a digital prepress system or possibly also provided by another external image source 27 and directly in the Image memory 9 can be read. There is also the possibility that the digital generation of the original or comparison images in the prepress system the image memory of the prepress system or an external image source Image memory 9 forms.

In the image memory 9, the digitized images of the original copy and the Page number or other identification feature of everyone in the Printing machine filed for printing.

After the machine prints a signature or image, the operator checks it Quality of the image to the correct color intensity. The operator opens the signature and opens the page he wishes to correct (and possibly at all has no page number) and places it on the console surface 22. Then that printed image taken by the video camera 1, by the image digitizer 7 digitized and in an image comparator 8 with the multitude of images stored in the image memory 9 compared. If a match is found the image comparator 8 gives the associated page number or the associated one Identification feature of the printed on the console surface 22 Image, for example, on a display not shown in the drawings on the Console surface 22.

To determine a match of the images by the image comparator 8 can different parameters may be required. For example, a certain percentage (e.g. 95% or 100%) of the digitized data of the printed image with the digitized data of the original image copy match. Alternatively, the Image comparator 8 also only a certain part of the image or images, e.g. B. the top right corner, compare.

Furthermore, the image digitizing device 7 can use data compression software included to compress the image data, and the compressed data can can also be compared by the image comparator 8.

The page number shown on the display or in some other way or by the comparison identified other identification feature can in the operator the simplest cases are then shown directly on the display. Using one The operator then assigns the corresponding color box to the page number in the table corresponding color, the intensity of which in one or more of the color zones of the Signature picture should be changed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the Assignment of the correct color box for the corresponding color to a previous one identified page number takes place automatically, for example via the central Control device of the printing press without the operator making the assignment independently must make. To do this, the operator positions the corresponding signature page in the the ink supply of a printing ink is to be changed in a specific ink zone, directly above the switching elements 6 of the console surface 22. In the case of one The operator then selects an image composed of several colors via an in the Figures not shown select button, the respective printing ink, the amount in one certain area or a certain zone of the signature image 13 can be changed should. The signature is aligned on the console surface 22 by the operator in such a way that the switching elements 6 with the color metering elements, d. H. e.g. B. the ink keys, match in the color box in question, what for on the console surface 22, for example, a stop can be provided against which the signature is created.

According to a further embodiment of the invention it can be provided that the correct assignment of the switching elements 6 to those corresponding to them Ink zone screws or in general ink metering elements takes place automatically without the signature on console surface 22 with respect to that below the signature arranged switching elements 6 must be aligned. As shown in Fig. 3, are z. B. 64 switching elements 6 in a row 16 on the console surface 22nd arranged, which correspond directly to the ink fountain keys, for example, which are arranged across the entire width of the printing press cylinder. In newspaper printing in particular, several ink fountains can be arranged side by side Be arranged across the width of the printing press cylinder, from which the different areas of the printing plate or plates, each one Correspond to signature page, with the same or with different colors be colored. For example, there are four printing plates on the plate cylinder Printing unit, so four ink boxes can be placed side by side over the Width of the printing press cylinder, each of which 16th Color zone screws, which with the switching elements 6 on the Console surface 22 correspond.

In order to assign the switching elements 6 arranged below the signature image 13 to the corresponding corresponding color zone screws of the corresponding To hit the color box, the camera 4 and the image comparator 8 identify the Position of at least one edge 15 of the signature image 13.

The edge identification can be carried out as follows. The Console surface 22 can be of a uniform color or a special pattern be provided. While the signature image 13 is on the console surface 22 and only partially covering it, the camera 4 takes the entire console surface 22 and the edge 15 of the signature image 13. The image digitizing device 7 then digitizes this information of the overall image and passes it to the image comparator 8 to. The image comparator 8 contains software that identifies which part of the digital information of the overall picture is the console surface (e.g. based on the uniform color or specially patterned area), and what part of the digital Image information corresponds to the signature image. Since each data point of the overall picture is one represents a specific location on the console surface 22, the image comparator 8 identify where each edge of the image 13 is located on the console surface 22 and over which row of switching elements 6 the image is located.

As soon as the image edge 15 of the signature image 13 is recognized, this also means that Place of signature image 13 and the associated row 16 of switching elements 6 clearly defined below the signature image 13. Based on the page number or the other identification features which the image compensator 8, as described above, by comparing the digitized image data of the signature image 13 with that previously receives stored image data of a sample image, the image comparator 8 arranges the arranged below the signature image 13 on the console surface 22 Switching elements 6 the associated ink screws or in general Color metering elements of the respective color box, which, as described above, by the image comparator 8 was determined. If the amount of color supplied in one Area of the signature image 13 arranged on the console surface 22 changed the operator presses the one located below this area Switching element 6 in a corresponding manner. The image comparator 8 sends in this case electrical signals to an ink fountain control unit 19 which are not shown in the figures shown servomotors of the associated ink zone screws in the respective Color box controls to the amount of color in the respective color zones of the To change signature image 13 according to the position of the switching elements 6. In the event of of multi-colored signature images 13, the operator must first have those in the figures Press the color selection key, not shown, to select the appropriate printing color, i. H. Select black, yellow, cyan or magenta, which in the above the pressed Switching element 16 lying area of the signature image 13 is to be changed. One of the selected color corresponding further electronic signal can be sent to the Ink fountain control unit 19 are sent, which depending on this and the signals transmitted by the image comparator 8, in particular those previously identified Page number of the signature image 13 that corresponds to the actuated switching element 6 corresponding color metering element, e.g. B. a color zone screw in the ink fountain selected color. Without the signature on the console surface 22 too move, the operator can thus directly switch elements 6 below the Press signature image 13 to correct the color.

3 in the illustration of FIG. 3 for the purpose of explanation assumed that the signature image 13 in exactly the right position on the Console surface 22 has been placed, i. H. in a position in which row 16 of Switching elements 6 exactly with the fan screws of the associated ink fountain matches, the operator would have the signature from the signature 13 ' previously indicated position to the position indicated by the signature image 13 have to move, if the assignment does not correspond to the previously described Embodiment of the invention is made automatically. By using the Device according to the invention is therefore unnecessary for the operator that Signature image 13 on the console surface 22 manually before pressing the To have to position switching elements 6, but he can actuate them directly, without aligning the signature beforehand.

Although the device according to the invention previously with reference to an inking unit Ink keys has been described, it is possible in the same way To use inking units with differently designed ink metering elements, in which the Color quantity in the respective color zones, for example via pumps or in other Way is adjustable.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1

Video camera

2nd

Operator console

3rd

Original copy / comparative copy

4th

Light source

5

operator

6

Switching elements

7

Image digitizing device

8th

Image comparator

9

Image storage

10th

Side selection switch

13

Signature image

13 '

Signature image

15

Edge of the signature image 13

15 '

Edge of the signature image 13 '

16

Row of switching elements 6

16 '

Row of switching elements 6

19th

Ink fountain control unit

22

Console surface

24th

Support

27

external image source

100

Operator station

Claims (13)

1. Device for supporting the remote-controlled selection of ink metering elements in ink fountains of rotary printing presses including a video camera (1) for recording a signature image (13) of a signature printed before in the rotary printing press, including a digitizer (7) for digitizing the signature image (13) recorded by the video camera (1), a memory device (9) in which a plurality of digitized sample images corresponding to the pages of the signature printed in the rotary printing press are stored together with a corresponding identification for the signature page, as well as an image comparator (8) which compares the digitized signature image (13) to the sample images stored in the memory device (9) and which displays the identification when noting a match of a stored sample image and the digitized signature image (13) or assigns the signature image (13) by means of the identification to the corresponding ink fountain of the printing press.
2. Device according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   display means are provided on which the identification determined by the image comparator (8) for the ink fountain of the respective printing unit is displayed to the operator of the printing press.
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   the device includes a console with a console surface (22) on which the signature image (13) of a signature printed before is stored and recorded by the video camera (1).
4. Device according to claim 3,
   characterized in that
   switching elements (6) are also provided on the console surface (22) by means of which the ink metering elements of the ink fountains are actuatable.
5. Device according to claim 4,
   characterized in that
   the image comparator (8) assigns the switching elements (6) to the corresponding ink metering elements in the ink fountains according to the identification determined before by the image comparator.
6. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   colour selection means are provided via which the colour of the signature image (13) to be adjusted is selectable.
7. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the identification are page numbers and/or section numbers.
8. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   means for inputting the identification are provided and that for inputting the sample images corresponding to the signature pages (13) into the memory device (9) the sample images of the video camera (1) are separately recorded and jointly stored with the identification input by the input means.
9. Method for supporting the remote-controlled selection of ink metering elements in ink fountains of rotary printing presses,
   characterized by
   the following steps:

   digitizing sample images corresponding to signature images of a signature to be printed in the rotary printing press,

   assigning an identification to each sample image and storing the sample images together with the corresponding identification in a memory device,

   digitizing a signature image to be adjusted with respect to the inking of a signature printed before in the printing press,

   comparing the digitized signature image with the digitized sample images and assigning the digitized signature image to an ink fountain of the printing press determining the inking of the signature image by means of the identification of a sample image substantially corresponding to the digitized signature image.
10. Method according to claim 9,
    characterized in that
    the signature image is placed on a console surface for digitizing of the signature image to be adjusted with respect to inking.
11. Method according to claim 9 or 10,
    characterized in that
    the identification is displayed to the operator.
12. Method according to claim 10,
    characterized in that
    the printed signature image is placed on the console surface above a set of switching elements and that the switching elements are assigned to the corresponding ink metering elements of the ink fountain determining the inking of the signature image.
13. Method according to claim 12,
    characterized in that
    that the signature image is digitized together with a part of the console surface, the edge of the signature image being identified on the basis of the inking or pattern of the console surface and being used for assigning the switching elements to the corresponding ink metering elements.

Images