Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6401293
-
Patent Number
6,401,293
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, June 7, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 11, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Davidson, Davidson Kappel, LLC
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 015 2565
- 015 25651
- 101 425
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A bearer wipe holder includes a base and a fastener selectively movable with respect to the base, a wipe fitting between the base and the fastener, the fastener contacting the base through the wipe at least separate two locations when the wipe is between the base and the fastener. Also disclosed is a bearer wipe including a body having at least a first hole for receiving a pin of a wipe holder and a second hole or slot for receiving one of a second pin and a bolt of a bearer holder, as well as a method for wiping a bearer of a printing press comprising the steps of placing a wipe against a base of a bearer holder, placing a fastener over the wipe so that the fastener contacts the base at least two separate locations so as to firmly hold the wipe between the base and the fastener, and contacting the bearer with the wipe.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printing presses and more particularly to wipe holders for wipes for printing press bearers.
2. Background Information
Rotary printing presses have rotating cylinders for printing sheets or a web of material, such as paper.
When two cylinders next to each other run in a certain relationship to one another, for example 1:1, bearers often are provided at the end of the cylinders. For example, on an offset lithographic printing press, a plate cylinder bearer at the end of a plate cylinder can be in rolling contact with a blanket cylinder bearer at the end of the blanket cylinder. The bearers help ensure smooth rolling contact between the two cylinders.
The rolling surfaces of the bearers however often become fouled or contaminated, for example by printing inks and paper waste. Thus it has been known to provide wipes to wipe the rolling surfaces of the bearers. These wipes typically have been held by a wipe holder similar to a clip. The holder often provides an insufficient hold on the wipe and allows the wipe to lose contact with the bearer. The wipe can be knocked out of place or skew easily. The pressure applied to the bearer also is dependent upon the wipe material stiffness. In addition, a tool such as a screw driver is required to release the clip.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a bearer holder capable of holding the wipe firmly in place. Another alternate or additional object of the present invention is to provide a bearer wipe holder which does not permit skewing of the wipe. Yet another alternate or additional object of the present invention is to provide a holder which can be adjusted to compensate for different wipe material stiffness. Another alternate or additional object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for a tool to change wipes.
The present invention thus provides a bearer wipe holder comprising a base and a fastener selectively removable from the base, a wipe fitting between the base and the fastener, the fastener contacting the base through the wipe at least separate two locations when the wipe is between the base and the fastener.
By providing contact between the base and the fastener through the wipe at at least two separate locations, the wipe can be held firmly between the fastener and the base and be prevented from skewing.
Preferably, the base and the fastener are connected by at least two pins and a bolt. The pins preferably are fixed to at least one of the fastener and the base, and interact with holes in the other of the fastener and the base. The bolt preferably is a rotatably connected to the base, and is spring-loaded toward the base by a spring in the base operating on a knob at the base end of the bolt. The fastener preferably has an aperture through which a part of the bolt head can fit when the bolt is in a first rotational position, so that the fastener can permit replacement of the wipe. In a second rotational position, the bolt head tightly holds the wipe between the fastener and the base through contact of the wipe with a contact surface of the bolt head. The bolt can be rotated by hand by pulling against the spring force. Preferably a quarter turn of the bolt can provide for the fastener to be in a release or a fastening position.
The present invention also provides a bearer wipe comprising a felt body having at least a first hole for receiving a pin of a wipe holder and a second hole or slot for receiving one of a second pin and a bolt of a bearer holder. Preferably, the bearer wipe further includes a third hole or slot for receiving the other one of the second pin and the bolt.
The wipe preferably is made of felt and may be for example {fraction (3/16)} ths of an inch thick.
The present invention also provides a method for wiping a bearer of a printing press comprising the steps of:
placing a wipe against a base of a bearer holder; and
placing a fastener over the wipe so that the fastener contacts the base through the wipe at at least two separate locations so as to firmly hold the wipe between the base and the fastener.
Preferably, the method further includes using a rotatable bolt to tighten the fastener with respect to the base and the wipe.
In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of placing a wipe over a base of a bearer holder having two holes, aligning two wipe holes with the two holes, placing a wipe fastener with two pins over the wipe so that the two pins fit through the two wipe holes into the two holes. The fastener may then be fastened to hold the wipe tightly, preferably by a rotatable bolt.
The base of the wipe holder preferably is rotatably supported through a pin to permit for an adjustment of the contact angle of the wipe and the bearer. In this way, pressure against the bearer can be changed to compensate for different wipe stiffnesses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below by reference to the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
shows a schematized side view of a printing press with two bearer wipe holders of the present invention with wipes contacting the bearers of the press;
FIG. 2
shows a top view of a wipe according to the present invention;
FIG. 3
shows perspective view of the bearer wipe holder of the present invention;
FIG. 4
shows a side view of the bearer wipe holder of the present invention, showing the fastener in both positions;
FIG. 5
shows an end view of the bearer wipe holder of the present invention;
FIG. 6
shows an top view of the bearer wipe holder of the present invention;an
FIG. 7
shows a bearer wipe holder of the present invention with an inserted wipe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1
shows part of a printing press
1
having a plate cylinder bearer
10
and a blanket cylinder bearer
12
, with a first bearer wipe
20
being held by a first bearer wipe holder
30
and a second bearer wipe
22
being held by a second bearer holder
32
.
FIG. 2
shows a top view of wipe
22
having a contact surface
23
for contacting bearer
10
. Wipe
22
preferably is made of felt. Wipe
22
has two pin holes
24
,
25
and a slot
26
, to enable wipe
22
of the present invention to be held firmly by bearer wipe holder
32
.
Wipe
22
is able to be fastened to wipe holder
32
, which is shown in more detail in FIG.
3
. Wipe holder
32
in
FIG. 3
is shown in a closed position without wipe
22
for clarity purposes. Wipe
22
fits between a fastener
31
and a holder base
33
, as shown in FIG.
7
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, fastener
31
has two pins
44
,
45
, which fit into holes
24
,
25
(FIG.
2
), respectively, of wipe
22
.
Slot
26
of wipe
22
(
FIG. 2
) fits around a bolt
46
so that bolt
46
contacts the base and the fastener through wipe
20
and bolt
46
is surrounded on three sides by wipe
20
. Bolt
46
includes a head section
50
, and as shown in
FIG. 4
, a flanged section
52
at the end of bolt
46
opposite head
50
. Flanged section
52
is limited in one direction so that it cannot extend fully beyond a surface
53
of base
33
. However flanged section
52
can move in the other direction (upward in
FIG. 4
) through a cut-out
54
in base
33
. In cut-out
54
is a spring
55
which acts to push flanged section
52
and thus bolt
46
toward surface
53
(downward in FIG.
4
). Thus head
50
is forced in the direction of base
33
. Head
50
however may be pulled manually against the action of spring
55
so that head
50
can move away from base
33
and may be rotated.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, fastener
31
has a aperture
49
, through which a first end
60
of head
50
can fit when oriented
90
degrees from the position shown in FIG.
3
. Aperture
49
has dimensions X and W. First end
60
has dimensions D and Y, and second end
62
has dimension L and R. The following relationships apply:
D>X;
D<W; and
X>Y.
Thus first end
60
can pass through aperture
49
in an unlocking orientation of head
50
which is 90 degrees from that shown in FIG.
3
. Fastener
31
preferably is not removable from the holder, as preferably L>W and/or R>X so that second end
62
cannot pass through aperture
49
.
Once aperture
49
of fastener
31
passes first end
60
, pins
44
,
45
are lifted beyond base
33
so that a wipe
20
(
FIG. 2
) can be inserted into wipe holder
30
. In this position, fastener
31
is in position
31
A, as shown in
FIG. 4
, and head
50
in position
50
A. Thus wipes
22
can be exchanged easily without the need for a separate tool. To fasten the wipe again, fastener
31
is moved over end
60
of head
50
, and bolt
46
is rotated 90 degrees to attain the position shown in
FIG. 3
again and fasten fastener
31
against wipe
22
. Pins
44
,
45
thus fit into holes
24
,
25
, respectively, of wipe
22
(FIG.
2
), so that wipe
22
is prevented from skewing or releasing. The spring action of spring
55
also operates so that second end
62
pulls fastener
31
against wipe
22
, thereby increasing the hold of holder
30
on wipe
22
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, base
33
can be held in a selectively rotatable fashion by a pin
70
to a frame. Thus an angle of contact between the wipe
22
and bearer
12
(
FIG. 1
) can be adjusted to compensate for different wipe stiffnesses.
FIGS. 5 and 6
show end and top views respectively of holder
32
, with numbers similar to those identified in
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
It should be understood that the wipe holder
30
and wipe
20
shown in
FIG. 1
are generally of similar construction to wipe holder
32
and wipe
22
.
Claims
- 1. A bearer wipe holder comprising:a base; and a fastener selectively movable with respect to the base, a wipe fitting between the base and the fastener, the fastener contacting the base through apertures in the wipe at a first location and a second separate location when the wipe is between the base and the fastener.
- 2. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 1 further comprising a rotatable bolt for connecting the fastener to the base.
- 3. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 2 wherein the bolt has a head section for contacting an outer surface of the fastener, the outer surface of the fastener being opposite an inner surface of the fastener facing the base.
- 4. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 3 wherein the bolt is spring-loaded so that the head section is forced against the outer surface.
- 5. The bearer wiper as recited in claim 2 wherein the bolt fits through an aperture in the fastener.
- 6. A bearer wipe holder comprising:a base; and a fastener selectively movable with respect to the base, a wipe fitting between the base and the fastener, the fastener contacting the base through the wipe at a first location and a second separate location when the wipe is between the base and the fastener; and at least two pins, the base and the fastener being connected at the first and second locations through the at least two pins which pass through holes in the wipe.
- 7. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 6 wherein the at least two pins are fixed to the fastener, and the base has two holes for accepting the at least two pins.
- 8. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 6 further comprising a rotatable bolt for connecting the fastener to the base.
- 9. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 8 wherein the bolt has a head section for contacting an outer surface of the fastener, the outer surface of the fastener being opposite an inner surface of the fastener facing the base.
- 10. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 9 wherein the bolt is spring-loaded so that the head section is forced against the outer surface.
- 11. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 8 wherein the bolt fits through an aperture in the fastener.
- 12. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 6 further comprising a bolt, the bearer wipe including a third hole or slot for receiving the bolt.
- 13. The bearer wipe holder as recited in claim 6 wherein the bearer wipe is made of felt.
US Referenced Citations (5)