Driving mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing machine

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6202555
  • Patent Number
    6,202,555
  • Date Filed
    Monday, November 29, 1999
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 20, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A driving mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing machine utilizes a drive pinion that engages a drive gear of a cylinder which is supported in an eccentric bushing. The cylinder can be moved between print and non-print positions. The rotational axis of the drive pinion lies on a straight line defined by the axis of rotation of the cylinder and the axis of rotation of the eccentric bushing.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a driving mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing press. This cylinder is seated in a eccentric bushing and carries a drive gear on a journal of the cylinder. The drive gear is engaged by a drive pinion.




DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART




EP 0 644 048 A2 describes a drive mechanism for a group of cylinders of an offset rotary printing press by means of a toothed belt.




DE 3704314 C1 describes an arrangement for adjusting the backlash between the drive wheels of sheet-transporting cylinders of a rotary printing press. In this device, each cylinder is pivotably seated in eccentric bushings.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of the present invention is based on providing a drive mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing press.




The object is attained in accordance with the invention by the arrangement of the axes of rotation of a shiftable transfer cylinder, a fixed drive and a fixed printing cylinder in a manner that will minimize gear backlash when the transfer cylinder is shifted.




The advantages which can be obtained by the present invention rest, in particular, in that in connection with cylinders, whose axis of rotation can be changed in location, or respectively in position, a change in the backlash between a toothed gear of the cylinder and an assigned drive pinion is minimized when the position is changed.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




A preferred embodiment of the present invention is represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.




Shown are in:





FIG. 1

, a schematic side view of a drive mechanism of a cylinder;





FIG. 2

, a schematic top plan view on a drive mechanism of a cylinder; and in





FIG. 3

, an enlarged view of a portion of a drive mechanism, taken from FIG.


1


.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




A journal


01


of a rotating component


02


, for example of a roller of an inking, or of a dampening system, or a journal of a cylinder


02


of a print unit, or respectively a folding apparatus, of a rotary printing press is seated in a side frame


03


in a manner wherein its location can be changed by means of an eccentric bushing


04


, all as seen most clearly in FIG.


2


. As may be seen, the journal


01


of the cylinder


02


is seated by means of a bearing


06


in a bore


07


of the eccentric bushing


04


. A longitudinal axis


08


of this bore


07


of the eccentric bushing


04


, i.e. the axis of rotation


08


of the cylinder


02


, is offset by an eccentricity e


4


in relation to a longitudinal axis


09


of an outer surface


11


, i.e. a pivot axis


09


of the eccentric bushing


04


. This eccentric bushing


04


is arranged in the side frame


03


, and in rotable by means of a drive mechanism, not specifically represented. A first, for example a straight-fluted gear wheel


12


, and a second, for example a helical gear wheel


13


, for example a drive wheel


13


, are arranged on the journal


01


of the cylinder


02


.




In the present preferred embodiment, this cylinder


02


is designed as a transfer cylinder


02


of a print unit of an offset rotary printing press. A printing cylinder


14


is assigned to this transfer cylinder


02


. On its journal


16


, this printing cylinder


14


is provided with a gear wheel, for example a straight-fluted gear wheel


17


. The first gear wheel


12


of the transfer cylinder


02


and the gear wheel


17


of the printing cylinder


14


are in engagement with each other, so that the transfer cylinder


02


and the printing cylinder


14


are interlockingly coupled for being driven by means of the gear wheels


12


,


17


and constitute a first pair


28


of cylinders.




Preferably, this first pair


28


of cylinders is not interlockingly coupled with further cylinders for driving.




A drive pinion


18


is assigned to the second gear wheel


13


of the transfer cylinder


02


. This drive pinion


18


may be arranged directly on a rotor


19


of a motor


21


, whose position and/or rpm are controlled. The motor


21


is arranged, fixed in place, on the side frame


03


. However, the drive pinion


18


can have its own support, independent of the rotor


19


of the motor


21


, and can be connected via a coupling with the rotor


19


of the motor


21


. Additional gear wheels can be interposed between the drive pinion


18


connected with the rotor


19


of the motor


21


and the second gear wheel


13


of the transfer cylinder


02


. Preferably, the drive pinion


18


assigned to the rotor


19


of the motor


21


directly engages the gear wheel


13


of the transfer cylinder


02


.




A first straight line


22


is defined by an axis of rotation


23


of the drive pinion


18


and the pivot axis


09


of the eccentric bushing


04


as may be seen in both

FIGS. 1 and 3

.




A second straight line


24


extends through the axis of rotation


08


of the transfer cylinder


02


and the pivot axis


09


of the eccentric bushing


04


in a printing-on position.




In a printing-off position, the axis of rotation


08


of the transfer cylinder


02


is displaced into a position


08


′, and a straight line


24


′ extends through the axis of rotation


08


′ and the pivot axis


09


of the eccentric busing


04


.




The first straight line


22


and the second straight line


24


, or respectively


24


′, form an opening angle α, or respectively α′, in the printing-on position, or respectively in the printing-off position.




A value of this opening angle α, for example 15° in the printing-on position, is approximately equal, with a maximum difference of α-α′<10°, and for example 5°, to a value of the opening angle α′, for example −15°, in the printing-off position.




In the “printing-off” position, the axis of rotation


23


of a drive pinion


18


, a pivot axis


09


of the eccentric bushing


04


and an axis of rotation of the cylinder


02


are approximately located on the same straight line.




A third straight line


26


is defined by an axis of rotation


27


of a second cylinder


14


, for the axis of rotation of the printing cylinder


14


, and the axis of rotation


23


of the drive pinion


18


.




This third straight line


26


and the first straight line


22


form an opening angle β of from 160° to 200°.




If the transfer cylinder


02


is placed against, or is moved away from the printing cylinder


14


by pivoting the eccentric bushing


04


, a change in the backlash between the drive pinion


18


and the gear wheel


13


of the transfer cylinder


02


is minimal.




In the present preferred embodiment, the print unit is designed as a so-called bridge print unit. In this bridge print unit, a transfer cylinder


02


of a first pair


28


of cylinders,


02


and


04


works together with a transfer cylinder


02


of a second pair


29


of cylinders, as seen in FIG.


2


. These two pairs


28


,


29


of cylinders are preferably not interlockingly coupled with each other for being driven.




This first pair


28


of cylinders can also be used in so-called H-print units or in satellite print units.




It is also possible to drive only a single cylinder


02


, or also a plurality of cylinders which, for the purpose of being a driven, are interlockingly coupled with each other, by means of a drive pinion


18


arranged in accordance with the present invention.




Pulleys can also be arranged in place of the drive pinion


18


and the drive wheel


13


of the cylinder


02


, whose axes of rotation are arranged corresponding to the axes of rotation of the drive pinions


18


and the drive gear wheels


13


of the cylinders


02


.




While a preferred embodiment of a driving mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing press in accordance with the present invention has been set forth filly and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that a number of changes in, for example the type of printing being done, the material being printed on and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. A driving mechanism for cylinders of a rotary printing press comprising:an eccentric bushing supported for rotation and having a bushing bore and a bushing pivot axis; a transfer cylinder having a cylinder journal supported for rotation in said bushing bore and having a cylinder journal axis of rotation; a drive wheel supported on said cylinder journal and useable to rotate the cylinder; a drive pinion engagable with said drive wheel and having a drive pinion axis of rotation; a first straight line defined by said drive pinion axis of rotation and said bushing pivot axis; a second straight line defined by said bushing pivot axis and said cylinder journal axis of rotation, said first and said second straight lines intersecting and defining a first opening angle in the ranges between −20° and +20°′; a printing cylinder supported for rotation and having a printing cylinder axis of rotation; and a third line defined by said printing cylinder axis of rotation and said drive pinion axis of rotation, said third line intersecting said first line at a second opening angle in the range between 160° and 200°, said transfer cylinder and said printing cylinder directly contacting each other and forming a pair of cylinders.
  • 2. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein a value of said first opening angle in a printing on position is approximately equal to a value of said first opening angle in a printing off position.
  • 3. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said d rive wheel is a gear wheel.
  • 4. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said drive wheel and said drive pinion are pulleys.
  • 5. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said transfer cylinder is a transfer cylinder of an offset rotary printing press.
  • 6. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said transfer cylinder is a printing cylinder.
  • 7. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said transfer cylinder is a counter-print cylinder.
  • 8. The driving mechanism of claim 5 further including a printing cylinder interlockingly connected with said transfer cylinder.
  • 9. The driving mechanism of claim 1 wherein said bushing pivot axis, said cylinder journal axis of rotation and said printing cylinder axis of rotation are located on a common straight line in a printing off position.
  • 10. A driving mechanism for cylinders of a rotary printing press comprising:an eccentric bushing supported for rotation and having a bushing bore and a bushing pivot axis; a first cylinder including a cylinder journal supported in said bushing bore and rotatable about a cylinder journal axis of rotation; a first drive wheel supported on said cylinder journal; a drive pinion engageable with said first drive wheel and having a drive pinion axis of rotation; a first straight line defined by said drive pinion axis of rotation and said bushing pivot axis; a second straight line defined by said bushing pivot axis and said cylinder journal axis of rotation, said first and second straight lines intersecting at a first opening angle in the range of between +20° and −20°; a second drive wheel supported coaxially with said first drive wheel; and a second cylinder having a third drive wheel, said second drive wheel being in engagement with said third drive wheel and having a second cylinder axis of rotation.
  • 11. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein a value of said first opening angle in a printing on position is approximately equal to a value of said first opening angle in a printing off position.
  • 12. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said first, second, and third drive wheels are first, second and third gear wheels.
  • 13. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said first, second and third drive wheels, and said drive pinion are pulleys.
  • 14. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said first cylinder is a transfer cylinder of an offset rotary printing press.
  • 15. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said first cylinder is a printing cylinder.
  • 16. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said first cylinder is a counter-print cylinder.
  • 17. The driving mechanism of claim 14 further including a printing cylinder interlockingly connected with said transfer cylinder.
  • 18. The driving mechanism of claim 10 wherein said bushing pivot axis said cylinder journal axis of rotation, and said second cylinder axis of rotation are located on a common straight line in a printing off position.
  • 19. A driving mechanism for a cylinder of a rotary printing press comprising:an eccentric bushing supported for rotation and having a bushing bore and a bushing pivot axis; a cylinder journal of the cylinder, said cylinder journal supported for rotation in said bushing bore and rotatable about a cylinder journal axis of rotation; a drive wheel supported on said cylinder journal; a drive pinion engageable with said drive wheel and having a drive pinion axis of rotation; a drive motor having a rotor, said drive pinion being directly connected with said rotor; a first straight line defined by said drive pinion axis of rotation and said bushing pivot axis; and a second straight line defined by said bushing pivot axis and said cylinder journal axis of rotation, said first and second straight lines intersecting at a first opening angle in the range of between +20° and −20°.
  • 20. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein a value of said first opening angle in a printing on position is approximately equal to a value of said first opening angle in a printing off position.
  • 21. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein said drive wheel is a gear wheel.
  • 22. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein said drive wheel is a pulley.
  • 23. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein the cylinder is a transfer cylinder of an offset rotary printing press.
  • 24. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein the cylinder is a printing cylinder.
  • 25. The driving mechanism of claim 19 wherein the cylinder is a counter-print cylinder.
  • 26. The driving mechanism of claim 23 further including a printing cylinder interlockingly connected with said transfer cylinder.
  • 27. The driving mechanism of claim 19 further including a second cylinder having a second cylinder axis of rotation and wherein said bushing pivot axis, said cylinder journal axis of rotation, and said second cylinder axis of rotation are located on a common straight line in a printing off position.
  • 28. The driving mechanism of claim 22 wherein said axis of rotation of said transfer cylinder lies on a line defined by said drive pinion axis of rotation and said printing cylinder axis of rotation.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
197 22 379 May 1997 DE
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind 102e Date 371c Date
PCT/DE98/01432 WO 00 11/29/1999 11/29/1999
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO98/53995 12/3/1998 WO A
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
2821134 Brodie Jan 1958
3769910 Heimlicher et al. Nov 1973
4072104 Schaffer Feb 1978
4301728 Jaffee et al. Nov 1981
4756245 Roch Jul 1988
4945830 Maehara Aug 1990
5159878 Donelan Nov 1992
5423254 Kimura et al. Jun 1995
5706728 Motard et al. Jan 1998
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number Date Country
753695 Nov 1952 DE
1113220 Apr 1960 DE
1259356 Jan 1968 DE
3704314 C1 Jan 1988 DE
0644048 A2 Dec 1994 EP