Kenneth J Jackson

US Patent:

6433890, Aug 13, 2002

Filed:

Sep 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/159926

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Kenneth William Jackson - Dayton OH

Assignee:

MDC Max Daetwyler AG

International Classification:

B41C 102

US Classification:

358 19, 358 329, 358 33, 358 331, 347 18

Abstract:

This invention relates to a system and method for intelligently placing in a periodic and/or random manner a plurality of whetting areas which facilitate lubricating and/or cooling a doctor blade in a printing press when the cylinder is placed therein. The system and method includes one or more routines which analyzes engraving/etching data and any associated white-span length. One or more whetting areas are placed in a periodic or random pattern in response thereto. The whetting areas facilitate lubricating and/or cooling the doctor blade so that it does not heat beyond a predetermined level, thereby avoiding scoring of the cylinder and problems associated with deterioration of print quality or length of cylinder life resulting from thermo-dynamic expansion and/or undesired evaporation of ink associated with areas which make up the image.

US Patent:

6525839, Feb 25, 2003

Filed:

Apr 2, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/285128

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Kenneth William Jackson - Dayton OH
David R. Seitz - Vandalia OH

Assignee:

MDC Max Daetwyler AG

International Classification:

B41C 1045

US Classification:

358 331, 409131

Abstract:

An engraving method and apparatus for engraving a cylinder for printing an intaglio pattern and/or non-intaglio pattern on a web of material. The engraver includes a driver for rotatably driving the cylinder and a computer for controlling the operation of the engraver and for generating an intaglio engraving signal corresponding to an intaglio pattern and a non-intaglio signal for a gravure pattern. The engraver also uses an engraving head for engraving the cylinder with the intaglio pattern and the gravure pattern during the rotation of the cylinder in response to the intaglio engraving signal and non-intaglio signal. The invention includes an intaglio engraved pattern and method for engraving engraved areas having bottoms which are generally planar.

US Patent:

56710631, Sep 23, 1997

Filed:

Apr 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/431710

Inventors:

Eric R. Auberry - Beavercreek OH
David L. Flannery - Englewood OH
Kenneth William Jackson - Dayton OH
David R. Seitz - Vandalia OH
Eric J. Serenius - Springboro OH

Assignee:

Ohio Electronic Engravers, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

B41C 102

US Classification:

358299

Abstract:

An engraving system for engraving printing cells in a gravure printing cylinder uses a video camera for feedback control of printing cell width. A setup procedure for the engraving system involves engraving an isolated test cell and a series of adjacent test cells, the latter being engraved under steady state engraving conditions. The isolated test cell is located through a search sequence which establishes a strobe control count for a strobe trigger unit. The strobe control count then is adjusted for steady state engraving by acquiring and centering a steady state test cell. Cell width is measured by creating video runtable sets for a plurality of overlapping video boxes and finding a maximum connected run length which meets predetermined acceptance criteria.

US Patent:

56754205, Oct 7, 1997

Filed:

Jan 23, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/376858

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Kenneth William Jackson - Dayton OH
David R. Seitz - Vandalia OH

Assignee:

Ohio Electronic Engravers, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

H04N 121
H04N 104

US Classification:

358299

Abstract:

This invention relates to an engraving method and apparatus for engraving a cylinder for printing an intaglio pattern on a web of material. The engraver comprises a driver for rotatably driving the cylinder and a computer for controlling the operation of the engraver and for generating an intaglio engraving signal corresponding to the predetermined intaglio pattern. The engraver also comprises an engraving head comprising a stylus having a generally flat cutting edge or surface. The engraving head also is capable of engraving at response times of less than 200-300 microseconds, thereby enabling the engraving head to engrave the intaglio pattern on the cylinder during the rotation of the cylinder in response to the intaglio engraving signal. The apparatus and method also comprise a fine line boost routine for facilitating engraving fine areas or lines of the intaglio pattern. There is also provided apparatus and method for controlling ink flow in large engraved areas or intaglio trenches.

US Patent:

6007230, Dec 28, 1999

Filed:

May 30, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/865733

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Mark Burns - Fairborn OH
Neal Clements - Mt. Orab OH
Louis Jacques Duchesneau - Centerville OH
John W. Fraser - Dayton OH
Kenneth W. Jackson - Dayton OH

Assignee:

Ohio Electronic Engravers, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

G06F 1900

US Classification:

36447402

Abstract:

The invention is characterized in that it comprises a toolpath generating routine and system for generating a plurality of control points directly from image data representing an image to be engraved. The control points are used to generate a toolpath which, in turn, will be used to energize an engraving head such that a tool or stylus will engrave a pattern of engraved areas in response to the toolpath. An engraving system and method for engraving at least one engraved area is shown having an engraving head tuner for tuning an engraving head such that the frequency characteristic of the engraving head defines a substantially constant gain for frequencies less than a predetermined frequency. The invention is further characterized in that it incudes a system and method for interactively or automatically tuning the engraving head, interactively adjusting the filter characteristics (including the filter coefficients for the filters used on the engraving head) and for being responsive to the type of image data (whether continuous tone data or linework data). The invention is characterized in that it synthesizes the screening function so as to more accurately reproduce the image to be engraved by engraving multiple frequency cells where single cells would be engraved in the past.

US Patent:

60259213, Feb 15, 2000

Filed:

Sep 2, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/922087

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Kenneth W. Jackson - Dayton OH
David R. Seitz - Vandalia OH

Assignee:

Ohio Electronics Engravers, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

H04N 121

US Classification:

358 11

Abstract:

This invention relates to an engraving method and apparatus for engraving a cylinder for printing an intaglio pattern on a web of material. The engraver comprises a driver for rotatably driving the cylinder and a controller for controlling the operation of the engraver and for generating an intaglio engraving signal corresponding to the predetermined intaglio pattern. The engraver also comprises an engraving head comprising a stylus having a generally flat cutting edge or surface. The engraving head also is capable of engraving at response times of less than 200-300 microseconds, thereby enabling the engraving head to engrave the intaglio pattern on the cylinder during the rotation of the cylinder in response to the intaglio engraving signal. The apparatus and method also comprise a fine line boost routine for facilitating engraving fine areas or lines of the intaglio pattern. There is also provided apparatus and method for controlling ink flow in large engraved areas or intaglio trenches.

US Patent:

58925899, Apr 6, 1999

Filed:

Jul 1, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/886488

Inventors:

Tony D. Beckett - Dayton OH
Kenneth William Jackson - Dayton OH
David R. Seitz - Vandalia OH

Assignee:

Ohio Electronic Engravers, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

H04N 121

US Classification:

358299

Abstract:

An engraving method and apparatus for engraving a cylinder for printing an intaglio pattern and/or non-intaglio pattern on a web of material. The engraver includes a driver for rotatably driving the cylinder and a computer for controlling the operation of the engraver and for generating an intaglio engraving signal corresponding to an intaglio pattern and a non-intaglio signal for a gravure pattern. The engraver also uses an engraving head for engraving the cylinder with the intaglio pattern and the gravure pattern during the rotation of the cylinder in response to the intaglio engraving signal and non-intaglio signal.