CPC Definition - Subclass B41F

Last Updated Version: 2024.01
PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Machines or presses always include a fixed or static printing form, usually a printing plate, carrying a graphical and/or alphanumerical design forming the printing image,

after applying ink on the surface of said printing form, said inked image is applied by contact pressure onto the surface of a substrate which will form the printed matter,

machines or presses as a whole as well as all parts, details, objects and controls specifically adapted for use in such machines, e.g. drying, dampening, heating, cooling, cleaning, air blowing and suction devices,

feeding and/or handling of substrates to be printed upon is covered from the in-feed device through the whole machine down to the delivery device,

auxiliary folding, cutting, collecting and depositing specifically adapted for printing machines or presses in covered by B41F 13/54 - B41F 13/70,

machines or apparatus for printing operations in combination with other operations, e.g. embossing, are covered by B41F 19/00,

machines or apparatus for printing operations in combination with perforating operations are covered by B41G 7/00.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Apparatus or devices for printing for office or other commercial purposes

B41L

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Machines for manufacturing footwear incorporating printing or embossing apparatus

A43D

Spraying or atomizing of liquids/fluids or particles, nozzles

B05B

Apparatus for applying liquids/fluids in general

B05C

Processes for applying liquids/fluids in general

B05D

Cleaning in general

B08B

Working by laser beam in general

B23K 26/00

Cutting, severing, perforating, punching, stamping-out in general

B26D, B26F

Presses in general

B30B

Manufacture or reproduction of printing surfaces in general

B41C

Apparatus for mechanical reproduction of printing surfaces in general

B41D 1/00 - B41D 5/00

Shaping elastic or deformable material to printing surfaces

B41D 7/00

Apparatus for bronze or line printing, bordering, edging of sheets

B41G 1/00 - B41G 5/00

Auxiliary perforating in conjunction with printing

B41G 7/00

Selective printing mechanisms which have single types or characters or selectively activated printing elements, e.g. ink-jet or thermal print heads, for consecutively printing character by character and line by line; correction of typographical errors

B41J

Stamps, stamping or numbering apparatus or devices in general

B41K

Stencilling

B41L

Printing, duplicating marking or copying processes

B41M

Printing forms as such, e.g. printing plates, printing screens

B41N 1/00

Preparing for use and conserving printing surfaces

B41N 3/00

Layers, shells, covers, surfaces specifically adapted for use in printing machines or presses

B41N 6/00 - B41N 11/00

Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures

B42B

Bookbinding

B42C

Books, book covers, printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for

B42D

Sheets temporarily attached together, filing appliances

B42F

Implements for writing or drawing, e.g. pens

B43K

Articles for writing or drawing upon

B43L

Bureau accessories not otherwise provided for, opening and/or closing of envelopes, inserting documents into envelopes

B43M

Machines, apparatus or tools for sculpturing, carving, engraving, guilloching in general

B44B 1/00, B44B 3/00

Machines or apparatus for embossing in general

B44B 5/00

Machines, apparatus or tools for branding in general

B44B 7/00

Machines or apparatus for inlaying in general

B44B 9/00

Producing surface effects, mosaics, paperhanging in general

B44C

Painting or artistic drawing in general

B44D

Special designs or pictures in general

B44F

Label dispensers having printing equipment

B65C

Handling thin or filamentary material

B65H

Feeding and/or handling of sheet or web-like substrates in general

B65H 1/00 - B65H 47/00

Coating compositions: inks, paints, varnishes, lacquers, pastes or solids for printing

C09D

Adhesives

C09J

Paper making and production of cellulose in general

D21

Measuring, testing in general

G01

Measurement of light, measurement of colour, colorimetry

G01J

Optical elements in general

G02B

Photomechanical production of printing surfaces in general

G03F

Electrography and electrophotography in general

G03G

Controlling, regulating in general

G05B

Electric digital data processing

G06F

Digital output to print units

G06F 3/00

Ticket printing, franking apparatus

G07B

Displaying, advertising, signs, labels

G09F

Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents

H04N 1/00

Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general

H05K 3/00

Manufacturing printed circuits using screen printing type machines

H05K 3/12

Glossary of terms

In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Printing

always encompasses use of ink or colour

Print image or printing image

any design having any colour and or alphanumerical elements

Offset print or offset printing

using an intermediate element, most commonly a blanket cylinder, for transfer in one step of the whole inked print image on the printing element, most commonly on a printing plate, onto the surface of the substrate to be printed upon

Screen dots

very small coloured printed points on the surface of the printed substrate forming the printed image

Rotary machines

using at least one printing plate in cylindrical form

Synonyms and Keywords

In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used as synonyms:

  • "offset" and "lithographic"
  • "repellent" and "repellant"
Platen presses, i.e. presses in which printing is effected by at least one essentially-flat pressure-applying member co-operating with a flat type-bed
Definition statement

This place covers:

Printing technology having the same working principle as used since the very first printing machines made in Europe in the 15th century, e.g. from Guttenberg.

Types are almost rigid three-dimensional printing elements having on their top surface an alphanumerical or similar symbol, which latter will be inked for directly printing onto a substrate.

Cylinder presses, i.e. presses essentially comprising at least one cylinder co-operating with at least one flat type-bed
Definition statement

This place covers:

Printing technology mostly used in the 19th century.

Rotary letterpress machines {(office printing machines B41L 15/00)}
Definition statement

This place covers:

Letterpress or relief printing machines use the following printing forms or printing plates:

all parts of the surface of the printing plate accepting ink to form the printing image are raised above the level of the non-printing parts of the printing image not accepting ink.

Flexographic printing presses use a printing plate, wherein the raised parts forming the printing image are formed from flexible material, e.g. rubber.

Rotary lithographic machines {(such office printing machines B41L 7/00)}
Definition statement

This place covers:

Lithographic printing machines, which use the following printing forms or printing plates:

whole surface of the printing surface or plate is essentially even,

all parts of the surface of the printing plate forming the printing image have hydrophobic characteristics accepting ink to form the printing image,

whereas all the rest parts of the surface of said printing plate forming the non-printing part of the printing image have hydrophilic characteristics for repelling ink.

Rotary intaglio printing presses
Definition statement

This place covers:

Intaglio or heliographic printing machines, which use the following printing forms or printing plates:

all parts of the surface of the printing plate accepting ink to form the printing image are below the level, e.g. engraved, of the non-printing parts of the printing surface not accepting ink.

Rotary presses or machines having forme cylinders carrying a plurality of printing surfaces, or for performing letterpress, lithographic, or intaglio processes selectively or in combination
Definition statement

This place covers:

Rotary presses or machines, which have at least two printing units of different type or at least two printing plates of different type in one printing unit.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Screen printing apparatus or machines

B41F 15/00

Transfer printing apparatus or machines

B41F 16/00

Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for

B41F 17/00

Common details of rotary presses or machines
Definition statement

This place covers:

Driving devices adapted and/or used in rotary presses or machines, and their electric or hydraulic or mechanical features in form of constitutive elements, e.g. motors, gearings, couplings, clutches, rotary energy transmitters;

auxiliary devices or processes associated with the drives, e.g. vibration-dampers, noise reduction, lubrication;

driving devices associated with particular installations or situations;

brakes;

conveying or guiding webs through presses or machines including:

  • registering webs;
  • tensioning webs;
  • decurling webs.

Cylinders including forme cylinders, impression cylinders, transfer and offset cylinders and including their accessories;

cylinder registering devices;

cylinder tripping devices;

cylinder-impression adjustments;

cylinder lifting or adjusting devices;

cylinder bearings;

supports for bearings or supports for cylinders;

cylinder cooling and/or heating;

machines frames, guards and/or covers;

registering and control of registering with means for:

  • displacing forme cylinders or printing forms on a cylinder;
  • or acting on sheet or web-like substrates to be printing upon;
  • or acting on means for transporting the substrates through printing machines or presses.

Auxiliary devices for:

  • numbering;
  • folding;
  • cutting;
  • collecting;
  • or depositing.
References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Portable hand-operated numbering devices in general

B41K 1/16, B41K 1/18

Numbering apparatus in general

B41K 3/10, B41K 3/12

Printing forms as such in general, e.g. printing plates or printing screens

B41N 1/00

Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs in general

B65H 23/00

Screen printers
Definition statement

This place covers:

screen printing apparatus, which always use a perforated printing screen, the perforated parts forming the printing image.

Apparatus and machines adapted to print on sheets or webs of any material, e.g. including textiles, and

adapted to print on any substrate having any shape, e.g. filamentary, cylindrical, polyhedral, conical, spherical and all kind of irregularly shaped three-dimensional surfaces.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Selective printing

B41J 2/005

Stencil printing apparatus or machines

B41L 13/00

Manufacturing printed circuits

H05K 3/12

Transfer printing apparatus
Definition statement

This place covers:

Machines or presses which always use a sheet or web-like coloured or preprinted transfer element,

a printing element, usually a printing plate, applying by contact pressure said transfer element onto a substrate to be printed upon.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Machines or presses for printing and embossing

B41F 19/02

Apparatus or machines for applying decalcomanias

B65C

Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
Definition statement

This place covers:

Pad printing apparatus,

textile printing apparatus,

printing apparatus using at least one printing belt,

printing apparatus for printing or numbering on non sheet- or web-like substrates having the following three-dimensional shapes:

  • filamentary
  • cylindrical of indefinite or definite length,
  • polyhedral articles having flat surfaces,
  • mainly conical,
  • essentially spherical or
  • all curved surfaces not otherwise provided for,

or printing on specific articles, e.g.

books, manifolding sets e.g. booklets, calendars, tablets, pills, knitted fabric and hollow articles.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Platen presses

B41F 1/00

Cylinder presses

B41F 3/00

Rotary letterpress machines

B41F 5/00

Rotary lithographic machines

B41F 7/00

Rotary intaglio printing presses

B41F 9/00

Screen printers

B41F 15/00

Transfer printing apparatus

B41F 16/00

Typewriters, selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet or thermal print heads

B41J

Hand stamps, plier-like tools for printing or punching tickets or the like

B41K

Addressing machines or other office printing equipment

B41L

Stencil printing apparatus

B41L 13/00

Coding or marking of packaging material or of completed Packages in packaging machines

B65B 61/00

Ticket-printing and issuing apparatus

G07B

Apparatus or machines for carrying out printing operations combined with other operations
Definition statement

This place covers:

Embossing operations are herein considered to deform the substrate without colouring the substrate.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Transfer printing apparatus without embossing

B41F 16/00

Auxiliary perforating apparatus associated with printing devices

B41G 7/00

Machines or apparatus for embossing decorations or marks in general

B44B 5/00

Processes for applying transfer pictures, e.g. decalcomania

B44C 1/16

Pressing or stamping ornamental designs on surfaces in general

B44C 1/24

Coding or marking in association with packaging

B65B 61/00

Label dispensers having printing equipment

B65C

Devices for conveying sheets through printing apparatus or machines (through platen presses B41F 1/28)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Devices or apparatus for conveying sheets

and devices or apparatus for guiding sheets.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Printing apparatus or machines through platen presses

B41F 1/28

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Devices or apparatus for smoothing or de-curling sheets

B41F 25/00

Feeding sheets to or from printing apparatus or machines

B65H

Means preventing smudging of machine parts or printed articles (B41F 23/00 takes precedence)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Printing machine elements having specific materials or surfaces,

guiding means using air pressure.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Cleaning means for substrates to be printed upon or for printed substrates

B41F 23/00

Cleaning means for printing machines or parts thereof in general

B41F 35/00

Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing
Definition statement

This place covers:

Cleaning devices for sheets or webs or other substrates to be printed upon,

Dampening or heat drying or cooling devices acting before and/or after printing,

Powder applying means, and

Print finishing devices including glossing or varnishing devices.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Spraying of liquids/fluids or particles in general, nozzles

B05B

Apparatus for applying liquids/fluids in general

B05C

Processes for applying liquids/fluids in general

B05D

After-treatment of articles without altering their shape; Apparatus therefor

B29C 71/00

Cleaning or degreasing of metallic material by chemical methods other than electrolysis

C23G

Processes or apparatus for adding material to the pulp or to the paper

D21H 23/00

After-treatment of paper not provided for in groups D21H 17/00-D21H 23/00

D21H 25/00

Cooling in general

F25B, F25D

Drying in general

F26B

Devices for pressing sheets or webs against cylinders, e.g. for smoothing purposes
Definition statement

This place covers:

Means for acting mechanically and/or pneumatically onto the sheets or webs.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Apparatus for taking-out curl from webs in general

B65H 23/34

Devices for attaching printing elements or formes to supports (attaching by chemical means B41N 6/00)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Registering printing elements or printing forms to supports,

feeding printing elements or printing formes to forme cylinders or type-beds,

removing printing elements or printing formes from forme cylinders or type-beds,

tensioning devices for flexible printing plates,

flexing devices for flexible printing plates

and devices for filling cylinder gaps and/or removing the filler.

Devices for attaching coverings or make-ready devices; Guiding devices for coverings (make-ready devices B41N 6/00)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Devices for attaching sheet-like flexible coverings, usually blankets, and/or cylindrical coverings, usually blankets, and devices for attaching underlays.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Make-ready devices

B41N 6/00

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Blankets or like coverings per se in printing machines in general

B41N 10/00

Inking arrangements or devices (inking units for platen presses B41F 1/40; inking units for cylinder presses B41F 3/81)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Inking arrangements or devices including accessories specifically adapted for an inking arrangement like

driving means,

remote control of duct keys,

heating or cooling means,

recovering printing ink.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Inking units for platen presses

B41F 1/40

Inking units for cylinder presses

B41F 3/81

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Measuring and controlling consumption of ink

B41F 33/00

Applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general

B05

For typewriters or selective printing mechanisms

B41J

Shells for inking rollers

B41N 7/06

Glossary of terms

In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Ink rail devices

two duct blades cooperating with the cylindrical surface of an inking roller having s screened surface, e.g. an anilox roller

Screen roller or anilox roller

roller having almost its whole cylindrical surface formed by a plurality of evenly distributed small engraved cells all having the same size

Indicating, counting, warning, control or safety devices (arrangements of counting devices in platen presses B41F 1/00 {, B41F 1/58; arrangements of counting devices} in cylinder presses B41F 3/84; ink supply or metering devices B41F 31/02)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Central control units,

programming systems to sequence of machine operations,

means for starting up the machine,

safety devices preventing damage of machine parts including web break detection,

safety devices preventing injury to the operators,

devices for scanning printing formes and/or printed matter for quality control,

measuring the thickness of liquid films,

measuring or controlling the consumption of ink,

measuring contact pressure,

sensors,

counters

and marks, e.g. registering marks, on printed material.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Arrangements of counting devices in platen presses

B41F 1/00, B41F 1/58

Cylinder presses

B41F 3/84

Ink supply or metering devices

B41F 31/02

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms

B41J 29/20

Ink ribbons characterised by the material fromwhich they are woven

B41J 31/02

Counting mechanisms; counting of objects

G06M

Glossary of terms

In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Tripping

removing machine parts in/out of operating position into non-operating position

Arrangements of indicating devices, e.g. counters
References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

In typewriters or selective printing mechanisms

B41J 29/20

In manifolding apparatus or the like

B41L 39/00

Cleaning arrangements or devices {(in manifolding apparatus or the like B41L 41/00)}
Definition statement

This place covers:

Devices for cleaning parts removed from a printing machine,

cleaning means being part of a printing press including:

means for cleaning adapted to a specific purpose, e.g. cleaning of inking rollers or offset cylinders,

or means for cleaning being characterised by the cleaning method or device, e.g. wiping devices, spraying devices, suction devices,

means for recovering used solvents or residues,

and selection of materials or products for cleaning.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Cleaning of printed substrates or substrates to be printed upon

B41F 23/00

Cleaning in general

B08B