FLEXIBLE IMAGE TRANSFER BLANKET HAVING NON-EXTENSIBLE BACKING

摘要

A flexible image transfer blanket (15) is provided which has a non-extensible backing which is easy to mount onto conventional blanket cylinders, which requires no packing (but which can be used with packing), which does not need to be retensioned during operation, and which prints to the gap better than conventional fabric-reinforced blankets. The image transfer blanket is adapted to be mounted onto a blanket cylinder (12) and includes first and second ends (22), with at least one of the first and second ends being adapted to be inserted into an axially-extending gap (16) in the blanket cylinder. The blanket includes an image transfer surface layer (38), at least one woven fabric ply (36), and a nonextensible base layer (20). The at least one woven fabric ply includes both warp and weft fibers, with the weft fibers being oriented so that when the blanket is mounted on the blanket cylinder the weft fibers extend circumferentially about the blanket cylinder.