Offset press with improved cylinder mounting

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6834580
  • Patent Number
    6,834,580
  • Date Filed
    Monday, July 22, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 28, 2004
    19 years ago
Abstract
The offset press comprises a frame, at least one plate cylinder, a press cylinder, and a blanket cylinder interposed between the plate cylinder and the press cylinder, together with bearing assemblies carried by the frame and receiving the longitudinal ends of the cylinders so that each cylinder is rotatable relative to the frame about a respective longitudinal central axis. Each of the longitudinal ends of at least a first cylinder are received in a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly, the second bearing assembly being spaced apart from the first bearing assembly along the longitudinal axis of the first cylinder.
Description




The invention relates to an offset press of the type comprising a frame, at least one plate cylinder, a press cylinder, and a blanket cylinder interposed between the plate cylinder and the press cylinder, and bearing assemblies carried by the frame and receiving the longitudinal ends of the cylinders so that each cylinder is free to rotate relative to the frame about a respective longitudinal central axis.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In such a press, each cylinder end is mounted in a frame via a rotary bearing assembly. Drive means serve to set the cylinders into rotation.




In operation, the plate carried by the plate cylinder is moistened and then inked. The plate transfers ink from its printing regions onto the blanket carried by the blanket cylinder. The blanket then transfers ink onto the paper to be printed which passes between the blanket cylinder and the press cylinder.




In order to be able to transfer the ink firstly from the plate to the blanket and secondly from the blanket to the paper, the plate cylinder, the blanket cylinder, and the press cylinder must press against one another in operation. The cylinders then exert radial bending forces on one another.




In order to prevent the cylinders deflecting too far under drive from these forces, which could prevent the press from operating properly, care is taken to ensure that each cylinder has a relatively small aspect ratio, i.e. that the length of each cylinder between its two end bearing assemblies divided by the diameter of the cylinder remains relatively small, and generally less than about 6.




Thus, the diameters of the cylinders in a press of the above-specified type are relatively large which leads to large weight and to manufacturing and installation costs that are relatively high.




This raises an additional problem for the plate cylinder which, because of its large circumference, makes it necessary either to use plates that are very long and are therefore complex to install, or else to install two plates each corresponding to half the circumference, likewise giving rise to high costs because of the larger number plates that need to be used in a given print run and because of the difficulties involved in installing two plates simultaneously on one plate cylinder.




OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




An object of the invention is to resolve those problems by providing a press of the above-specified type which enables the diameter of at least one cylinder to be reduced and thus enables the cost associated with the press to be reduced.




To this end, the invention provides an offset press of the above-specified type, wherein each of the longitudinal ends of at least a first cylinder are received in first and second bearing assemblies, the second bearing assembly being spaced apart from the first bearing assembly along the longitudinal axis of the first cylinder.




In particular embodiments, the offset press may comprise one or more of the following characteristics taken singly or in any technically feasible combination:




the press comprises off-centering means for each end of the first cylinder for positioning the first bearing assembly eccentrically relative to the second bearing assembly;




the first bearing assembly is movable relative to the frame between a first position in which its eccentricity is reduced or zero, and a second position in which its eccentricity relative to the second bearing assembly is greater, and the off-centering means comprise displacement means for moving the first bearing assembly between its first and second positions;




the first bearing assembly is mounted to pivot relative to the frame about an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis of the second bearing assembly;




the displacement means comprise an actuator extending between the frame and the first bearing assembly;




for each end of the first cylinder, the displacement means are adjustable to enable the first bearing assembly to be moved into a position that is intermediate between its first and second positions;




the first cylinder is the plate cylinder; and




the plate cylinder is of diameter smaller than that of the blanket cylinder.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention will be better understood on reading the following description given purely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a diagrammatic side view of a press of the invention;





FIG. 2

is a fragmentary diagrammatic section on line II—II of

FIG. 1

on a larger scale, this figure showing the bearing assemblies for mounting one end of the plate cylinder to the frame of the

FIG. 1

press;





FIG. 3

is a diagrammatic side view on a larger scale showing the

FIG. 2

bearing assemblies in a first relative position; and





FIG. 4

is a view analogous to

FIG. 3

, showing a second relative position of the bearing assemblies.











MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION





FIG. 1

is a diagram showing an offset press


1


essentially comprising a frame


2


, a plate cylinder


3


, a blanket cylinder


4


, and a press cylinder


5


.




The blanket cylinder


4


and the press cylinder


5


are of diameter identical to or double that of the plate cylinder


3


.




The frame


2


essentially comprises two side uprights


6


in the form of vertical panels, only one of which is visible in FIG.


1


. These uprights


6


are placed at opposite ends of the cylinders


3


to


5


.




As described below, the cylinders


3


to


5


are rotatably mounted at each of their ends to the uprights


6


, each cylinder being free to rotate about a respective longitudinal central axis A


3


, A


4


, or A


5


.




More precisely, and as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, each longitudinal end


31


of the plate cylinder


3


is rotatably mounted on the corresponding upright


6


via a laterally outer first bearing assembly


32


and a laterally inner second bearing assembly


33


.




Since the press


1


is substantially symmetrical about a vertical midplane, only the connection between one end


31


and the frame


2


is described below.




The bearing assemblies


32


and


33


are spaced apart from each other by a non-zero distance d along the longitudinal axis A


3


of the plate cylinder


3


.




Each of the bearing assemblies


32


and


33


includes a respective rolling bearing


34


. The rolling bearing


34


of the assembly


32


bears against a first region


35


of the end


31


in question. The bearing


34


of the assembly


33


bears against a second region


36


of the end


31


in question.




The bearings


34


possess central axes which constitute respectively the axes of the assemblies


32


and


33


. These axes are tangential to the axis A


3


in the regions


35


and


36


and they are referenced A


32


and A


33


.




It should be observed that the bearings


34


are not shown in

FIG. 1

in order to simplify the figure.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, the second assembly


33


comprises a bushing


331


secured to the corresponding upright


6


via a laterally outer flange


332


. The second assembly


33


is thus fixed relative to the frame


2


.




The bushing


331


has a stepped bore


333


.




This bore


333


comprises a laterally inner segment


334


centered on the axis A


3


, an intermediate segment


335


likewise centered on the axis A


3


but of smaller diameter than the segment


334


, and a laterally outer segment


336


of diameter greater than that of the intermediate segment


335


and disposed eccentrically relative to the axis A


3


. The segment


336


is centered on an axis P


3


situated in the same vertical plane as the axis A


3


and above it. Typically, the distance between the axis A


3


and the axis P


3


is 3 millimeters (mm).




The bearing


34


in the second assembly


33


is placed in the inner segment


334


of the bore


333


.




The first assembly


32


includes a moving support


321


. The support


321


is generally in the form of a circular plane plate centered on the axis P


3


and upwardly extended by a drive arm


322


.




A circular bore


323


is formed in the support


321


. This bore


323


is eccentric relative to the axis P


3


, the center of the bore


323


being situated substantially on the side of the axis P


3


that is opposite from the side on which the arm


322


is situated.




The support


321


is extended laterally inwards by a sleeve


324


received in the laterally outer segment


336


of the bore


333


of the bushing


331


such that the support


321


is capable of pivoting in the bushing


331


about the axis P


3


.




The bearing


34


in the first assembly


32


is received in the bore


323


of the support


321


. The assembly


32


is thus pivotally mounted relative to the frame


2


.




The offset press


1


also comprises at each end


31


of the plate cylinder


3


an adjustable displacement actuator


37


having a first end connected to the corresponding upright


6


and an opposite end connected to the arm


322


of the support


321


of the first bearing assembly


32


. The actuator


37


is typically a pneumatic actuator.




The actuator


37


serves to move the support


321


and thus the first bearing assembly


32


between two positions shown respectively in

FIGS. 1

to


3


and in FIG.


4


.




In the position of

FIGS. 1

to


3


, referred to as a “first” position, the axis A


32


of the first assembly


32


and the axis A


33


of the second assembly


33


coincide.




The first bearing assembly


32


thus possesses zero eccentricity relative to the second bearing blanket


33


.




The longitudinal axis A


3


of the plate cylinder


3


is thus rectilinear and the plate cylinder


3


is not subjected to any bending stress.




In the position shown in

FIG. 4

, referred to as the “second” position, the actuator


37


has caused the support


321


to pivot clockwise relative to the frame


2


about the pivot axis P


3


.




Thus, the axis A


32


of the first bearing assembly


32


has pivoted about the axis P


3


and no longer coincides with the axis A


33


of the second bearing assembly


33


.




The axis A


32


is thus offset radially relative to the axis A


33


substantially in the direction of the bending force F exerted by the blanket cylinder


4


on the plate cylinder


3


when the press


1


is in operation.




The longitudinal axis A


3


of the plate cylinder


3


is thus flexed so as to be tangential to the axes A


32


and A


33


in the corresponding regions


35


and


36


at the ends


31


of the cylinder


3


.




Thus, the plate cylinder


3


is prestressed in bending to oppose the force F. The first and second positions of the second bearing assembly


32


are end-of-stroke positions.




It should be observed that in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the pivot angle of the support


321


between its two positions and the distances between the axes P


3


, A


33


, and A


32


are exaggerated in order to show up more clearly.




It should also be observed that the bearings


34


in the assemblies


32


and


33


are omitted from

FIGS. 3 and 4

in order to simplify the figures.




As can be seen in

FIG. 1

, each longitudinal end


41


of the blanket cylinder


4


is mounted to the corresponding upright


6


in the prior art manner by means of a single bearing assembly


42


that is movable relative to the upright


6


. The structure of the bearing assembly


42


is analogous to that of an assembly


32


and thus comprises a support


421


mounted to pivot on the corresponding upright


6


about an axis P


4


. The support


421


is extended by a drive arm


422


. The support


421


has a bore


423


on axis A


42


that is eccentric relative to the axis P


4


and that receives the corresponding end


41


of the blanket cylinder


4


. An actuator


47


of adjustable displacement is connected to the upright


6


and to the arm


422


to drive the support


421


to pivot about the axis P


4


and thus to move the axis A


4


of the cylinder


4


towards or away from the blanket cylinder


3


.




Each longitudinal end


51


of the press cylinder


5


is mounted to the corresponding upright


6


in the prior art manner by means of a single bearing assembly


52


that is movable relative to the upright


6


. This assembly


52


is analogous in structure to an assembly


32


and thus comprises a support


521


pivotally mounted on the corresponding upright to pivot about an axis PS. The support


521


is extended by a drive arm


522


. The support


521


presents a bore


523


on an axis A


52


that is eccentric relative to the axis P


5


and it receives the corresponding end


51


of the press cylinder


5


. An actuator


57


of adjustable displacement is connected to the upright


6


and to the arm


522


to drive the support


521


to pivot about the axis P


5


and thus to move the axis A


5


of the cylinder


5


towards or away from the blanket cylinder


4


.




Finally, the press


1


has conventional means (not shown) for rotating the cylinders


3


to


5


about their respective axes A


3


to A


5


.




In order to use the press


1


, the moving bearing assemblies


42


and


52


are used to move the corresponding longitudinal axes A


4


and A


5


of the cylinders


4


and


5


so as to position them relative to the axis A


3


in such a manner as to enable ink to be transferred in satisfactory manner from the plate carried by the cylinder


3


to the blanket carried by the cylinder


4


and on to the paper for printing as it passes between the cylinders


4


and


5


.




Such relative positioning is entirely conventional for the person skilled in the art and is therefore not described in greater detail.




Prior to this positioning, the first bearing assemblies


32


of the plate cylinder


3


are moved from their first position towards their second position or towards some intermediate position under drive from the actuators


37


.




The cylinder


3


thus flexes as described above. In this way, when the blanket cylinder


4


is pressed against the plate cylinder


3


in order to transfer ink in satisfactory manner, the bending force F applied by the blanket cylinder


4


against the plate cylinder


3


is compensated by the prestress of the plate cylinder


3


created by the first bearing assemblies


32


being eccentric relative to the second bearing assemblies


33


.




Thus, the overall deformation of the cylinder


3


while the offset press


1


is in operation, e.g. as measured by the deformation displacement of the cylinder


3


is caused to be particularly small. As a result the diameter of the cylinder


3


and thus its associated weight and cost can be reduced.




By using adjustable actuators


37


, the amount of prestress applied to the cylinder


3


can be adjusted to an acceptable value by placing the bearing assemblies


32


in positions that are intermediate between their first and second positions.




In reality, the bending of the plate cylinder


3


is limited firstly because of the presence of two longitudinally spaced-apart bearing assemblies


32


and


33


at each end


31


of the plate cylinder


3


, and secondly because of the two bearing assemblies


32


and


33


being mutually eccentric when the press


1


is in operation.




It should be observed that the first of these characteristics can be used alone in order to limit bending of the plate cylinder


3


.




It has thus been found that under identical operating conditions, using two end bearing assemblies that are fixed and longitudinally spaced apart serves to halve the deformation deflection of the plate cylinder


3


.




More generally, the above principles can be applied separately or otherwise to each of the cylinders


3


,


4


, and


5


of the offset press


1


in order to reduce their respective diameters, even though they are particularly advantageous for the plate cylinder


3


since they then avoid problems associated with mounting plates of large dimensions or with mounting two plates simultaneously.




Thus, the diameters of the cylinders


4


and


5


can also be reduced independently or otherwise of the diameter of the cylinder


3


.



Claims
  • 1. An offset press of the type comprising a frame, at least one plate cylinder, a press cylinder, and a blanket cylinder interposed between the plate cylinder and the press cylinder, and bearing assemblies carried by the frame and receiving the longitudinal ends of the cylinders so that each cylinder is rotatable relative to the frame about a respective longitudinal central axis, wherein each of the longitudinal ends of at least a first cylinder of said plate, press, and blanket cylinders is received in first and second bearing assemblies carried by the frame whereby the longitudinal ends of the first cylinder are rotatable in the first and second bearing assemblies with respect to the frame, the second bearing assembly being spaced apart from the first bearing assembly along the longitudinal axis of the first cylinder, the offset press further including off-centering means for each end of the first cylinder adapted to position the first bearing assembly eccentrically relative to the second bearing assembly, wherein the first bearing assembly is movable relative to the frame between a first position in which its eccentricity relative to the second bearing assembly is reduced or zero, and a second position in which its eccentricity relative to the second bearing assembly is greater, and wherein the off-centering means comprise displacement means for moving the first bearing assembly between its first and second positions.
  • 2. A press according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing assembly is mounted to pivot relative to the frame about an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis of the second bearing assembly.
  • 3. A press according to claim 1, wherein the displacement means comprise an actuator extending between the frame and the first bearing assembly.
  • 4. A press according to claim 1, wherein, for each end of the first cylinder, the displacement means are adjustable to enable the first bearing assembly to be moved into a position that is intermediate between its first and second positions.
  • 5. A press according to claim 1, wherein the first cylinder is a plate cylinder.
  • 6. A press according to claim 5, wherein the plate cylinder is of a diameter smaller than that of the blanket cylinder.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
01 09815 Jul 2001 FR
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
3732813 Vir Singh et al. May 1973 A
4200045 Toropainen Apr 1980 A
4351237 Tappert et al. Sep 1982 A
5746132 Parks et al. May 1998 A
6109180 Guaraldi et al. Aug 2000 A
6314881 Gotting Nov 2001 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
0 686 502 Dec 1995 EP