The present invention relates to a plate handling apparatus comprising a new plate inserting device which supplies a new plate to the plate cylinder of a printing press, an old plate removing device which removes an old plate from the plate cylinder, and a plate exchange device which removes the old plate from the plate cylinder and supplies the new plate to the plate cylinder.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,986, a conventional plate handling apparatus comprises a plate holding device which stores an old plate removed from a plate cylinder and holds a new plate to be supplied to the plate cylinder, the first guide device which guides the old plate removed from the plate cylinder to the plate holding device, and the second guide device which positions a new plate supplied from the plate holding device and guides it to the plate cylinder. In this arrangement, when the plate holding device is swung during plate removal, the old plate removed from the plate cylinder is guided to the plate holding device through the first guide device and stored in the plate holding device. Similarly, when the plate holding device is swung during plate supply, the new plate is moved to a plate supply position where the new plate can be supplied to the plate cylinder, and is supplied to the plate cylinder through the second guide device.
In the conventional plate handling apparatus described above, the second guide device which positions the new plate before inserting it in the plate cylinder is provided separately of the plate holding device. Also, the second guide device is arranged between the plate holding device and plate cylinder. When the plate size increases, although length of the outer surface of the plate cylinder increases, the diameter of the plate cylinder does not increase compared to the length of the outer surface, and the outer shape of an inking device or the like does not become bulky. Hence, the outer shape of a printing unit itself does not become bulky so much. Meanwhile, gaps among printing units lead to a restriction on the installation space in the factory and destabilization of the tension with respect to the web. Accordingly, there is a restriction to an increase in gaps among the printing units.
Therefore, in the conventional plate handling apparatus, if the plate size increases, the plate holding device or second guide device may come into contact with other members. When the plate size increases, the entire length of the plate holding device itself increases, and the lower end (rear end) of the plate holding device comes into contact with the floor. Hence, to increase the plate size is not easy. In particular, in the case of a perfecter, in a lower plate exchange device, the space between the floor and the web to be conveyed is restricted to a certain degree. Because the plate exchange device must be stored in the restricted space, an increase in plate size cannot be coped with.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate handling apparatus that can cope with an increase in plate size.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a plate handling apparatus comprising a loader which is supported to be movable substantially parallel to a paper convey direction and swingable in directions to come close to and be spaced apart from an outer surface of a plate cylinder to perform plate removal/supply, first driving means for moving the loader among a first position close to the plate cylinder, a second position spaced apart from the first position in the paper convey direction, and a third position which is between the first position and the second position, second driving means for swinging the loader among a first swing state where the loader is substantially perpendicular to the paper convey direction, a second swing state where the loader is inclined such that a distal end thereof faces the plate cylinder, and a third swing state which is between the first swing state and the second swing state, first detection means for detecting a position of the loader in the paper convey direction, and second detection means for detecting a swing state of the loader.
A plate handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9C and
The printing unit 83 comprises four printing units 99, 100, 101, and 102 arrayed in the paper convey direction. Each of the printing units 99, 100, 101, and 102 includes an upper printing unit 96A which prints on the obverse surface of the web 90 and a lower printing unit 96B which prints in the reverse surface of the web 90. The upper printing unit 96A has an upper plate cylinder 93 and an upper blanket cylinder 94 which is in contact with the upper plate cylinder 93. The lower printing unit 96B has a lower plate cylinder 2 and a lower blanket cylinder 95 which is in contact with the lower plate cylinder 2. The upper and lower blanket cylinders 94 and 95 are in contact with each other, between which the web 90 passes.
More specifically, when ink and dampening water from an inking device (not shown) and dampening device (not shown) are supplied to the plate cylinder 93 and plate cylinder 2, respectively, ink corresponding to the image of a plate mounted on the plate cylinder 93 and ink corresponding to the image of a plate mounted on the plate cylinder 2 are respectively transferred to the blanket cylinders 94 and 95. While the web 90 passes between the blanket cylinders 94 and 95, the images are printed on the two surfaces of the web 90.
The upper and lower printing units 96A and 96B comprise plate handling apparatuses to be described later. The plate handling apparatuses comprise loaders 7 and 97 which supply the new plates to the plate cylinders 2 and 93, respectively. A plate handling device 1 of the lower printing unit 96B will be described below. As shown in
The plate recovery unit 5 comprises a plate removal guide plate 11 fixed to a pair of frames 8 and 9 (
The coming-out preventive members 12 are arranged at the two ends in the paper widthwise direction of the plate removal guide plate 11 to oppose each other through a gap. The old plate removed from the plate cylinder 2 is guided between the plate removal guide plate 11 and coming-out preventive members 12 and recovered by the plate recovery unit 5. The old plate recovered by the plate recovery unit 5 moves in the loader 7 in a direction of an arrow B and discharged from between the coming-out preventive members 12 in the direction of the arrow B, as will be described later.
Inside the pair of frames 8 and 9, a pair of rails 15 extending in the paper convey direction (directions of an arrow A and the arrow B) are fixed to a bed 15a. A pair of base plates 16 are supported to be movable on the rails 15 in the directions of the arrows A and B. A pair of outer frames 17 (support members) extend upright on the base plates 16 to oppose each other.
A rod-less type first air cylinder 18 (first driving means) extending in the directions of the arrows A and B is fixed to the frame 8. One base plate 16 is fixed to a moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18. When the moving element 42 moves, the base plate 16 moves in the directions of the arrows A and B. Namely, the loader 7 is moved by the first air cylinder 18 substantially horizontally on the rails 15.
The loader 7 comprises a pair of inner frames 20 and 21 which oppose each other through a stud (not shown). The inner frames 20 and 21 are swingably and slidably supported by the outer frames 17 through second and third air cylinders 32 and 40. Thus, the loader 7 is also supported by the outer frames 17 to be swingable and slidable in the longitudinal direction of the loader 7. When the base plates 16 move in the directions of the arrows A and B, the loader 7 also moves in the directions of the arrows A and B.
One inner frame 20 has a slit-like elongated hole 23, as shown in
A plate removal/supply switching guide plate 26 which is supported to be swingable about a proximal end 26a as a pivot center is pivoted by an air cylinder (not shown) upward/downward (clockwise/counterclockwise in
When the plate removal/supply switching guide plate 26 pivots upward (clockwise) about the proximal end 26a as the pivot center (the state shown in
The swing structure and slide structure of the loader 7 will be described with reference to
Each second air cylinder 32 (second driving means) has a rod 33. The cylinder end of the air cylinder 32 is pivotally supported by the outer frame 17, and a support plate 34 is pivotally mounted on the end of the rod 33. A flat plate-like intermediate member 35 has one end fixed to the support plate 34 and the other end pivotally supported by the pivot shaft 30. The intermediate member 35 is supported by the pivot shaft 30 and the rod 33 of the air cylinder 32.
When the rod 33 of the air cylinder 32 moves forward/backward, the intermediate member 35 swings in the swing direction (directions of arrows C and D) of the loader 7 about the pivot shaft 30 as a swing center, as shown in
The loader 7 is supported by the intermediate member 35 such that it can move (slide) in the directions of the arrows E and F when the two sets of slide bearings 36 and 37 guide the rail portion 39 in the directions of the entire length (directions of arrows E and F) of the loader 7. Each third air cylinder 40 (third driving means) has a rod 41. The cylinder end of the third air cylinder 40 is fixed to the intermediate member 35. The end of the rod 41 is pivotally mounted on the inner frame 20 of the loader 7.
When the rod 41 of the air cylinder 40 moves forward/backward, the loader 7 moves in the directions of the arrows E and F. The loader 7 is also swingably supported by the outer frame 17 through the intermediate member 35. Therefore, when the intermediate member 35 is operated by the air cylinder 32 to swing in the directions of the arrows C and D about the pivot shaft 30 as a swing center, the loader 7 also swings through the intermediate member 35 about the pivot shaft 30 as a swing center.
Namely, the loader 7 is supported by the inner frame 20 through the intermediate member 35 to be swingable in the directions of the arrows C and D about the pivot shaft 30 as a swing center, and slidable in the directions of the arrows E and F.
The first detection unit which detects the position of the loader in the directions of the arrows A and B will be described with reference to
The air cylinder 18 further includes first and second autoswitches 44 and 45 (first and second state detection switches in claim 12). The first autoswitch 44 detects that the moving element 42 has located at the moving end limit in the direction of the arrow A. At this time, the loader 7 is located at the “first position” close to the printing unit 100, as shown in
A detection target member 46 is fixed on the base plate 16, as shown in
The first detection target element 47 is kept detected by the proximity switch 49 since the loader 7 is located from the “first position” to the “third position”. The second detection target element 48 is detected by the proximity switch 50 when the loader 7 is located at the “third position”.
The range of the “third position” of the loader 7 in the directions of the arrows A and B has a length in which the loader 7 moves in the directions of the arrows A and B and the second detection target element 48 is detected by the proximity switch 50, i.e., a length corresponding to the length “W” of the second detection target element 48. The first and second detection target elements 47 and 48 and the first and second proximity switches 49 and 50 form a first detection unit 51.
When the loader 7 is located between the “third position” and “first position”, the first proximity switch 49 detects the first detection target element 47, and the second proximity switch 50 does not detect the second detection target element 48. When the loader 7 is located between the “third position” and “second position”, the first proximity switch 49 does not detect the first detection target element 47, and the second proximity switch 50 does not detect the second detection target element 48 either.
In other words, the first detection unit 51 detects that the loader 7 is located at the “third position” and that the loader 7 is between the “third position” and “first position” and between the “third position” and “second position”.
The second detection unit which detects the swing state of the loader 7 in the directions of the arrows C and D will be described with reference to
When the rod 33 of the air cylinder 32 moves backward to be located at the first moving end limit, the loader 7 is set in the vertical “first swing state” as indicated by an alternate long and short dashed line in
As shown in
An arcuate third detection target member 58 (first detection target portion in claims 14 to 18) is fixed to the intermediate member 35. The third detection target member 58 is arranged to be spaced apart from the pivot shaft 30 by the distance “R1”. A fourth detection target portion 59 (second detection target portion in claims 14 to 18) projects from the third detection target member 58 toward the pivot shaft 30. The fourth detection target portion 59 is spaced apart from the pivot shaft 30 by the distance “R2”.
A third proximity switch 55 (first stationary switch in claims 14 to 18) detects the third detection target member 58 when the loader 7 is between the “first swing state” and “third swing state”. A fourth proximity switch 56 (second stationary switch in claims 14 to 18) detects the fourth detection target portion 59 when the loader 7 is in the “third swing state”. The third and fourth detection target members 58 and 59 and the third and fourth proximity switches 55 and 56 form a second detection unit 60.
When the loader 7 is between the “third swing state” and “first swing state”, the third proximity switch 55 detects the third detection target member 58, and the fourth proximity switch 56 does not detect the fourth detection target portion 59. When the loader 7 is between the “third swing state” and “second swing state”, the third proximity switch 55 does not detect the third detection target member 58, and the fourth proximity switch 56 does not detect the fourth detection target portion 59, either.
In other words, the second detection unit 60 detects that the loader 7 is located in the “third swing state” and that the loader 7 is between the “third swing state” and “first swing state” and between the “third swing state” and “second swing state”.
As shown in
As shown in
An air supply switching device which supplies air to the air cylinders 18, 32, and 40 that move, swing, and slide the loader 7 will be described with reference to
The port P1 is connected to a port 18A, which moves the moving element 42 of the air cylinder 18 in the direction of the arrow B, through a throttle valve 71 with a check valve. The port P2 is connected to a port 18B, which moves the moving element 42 of the air cylinder 18 in the direction of the arrow A, through a throttle valve 71 with a check valve.
When one solenoid 70a of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 operates, the port P1 is connected to the port P0 and the port P2 is opened to the atmosphere. When the other solenoid 70b of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 operates, the port P2 is connected to the port P0 and the port P1 is opened to the atmosphere.
When the two solenoids 70a and 70b do not operate, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 is set in the neutral mode, and air discharge from the ports P1 and P2 is regulated by a spring (not shown). Namely, the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 is a double-solenoid, center spring type solenoid valve which can be switched among three positions.
With this arrangement, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 can position the loader 7 at three positions, i.e., the “first position”, “second position”, and “third position”. Since one solenoid valve can control the three positions of the loader 7, the structure can be simplified. Also, the apparatus can be downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Referring to
When one solenoid 73a of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 operates, the port P1 is connected to the port P0 and the port P2 is opened to the atmosphere. When the other solenoid 73b of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 operates, the port P2 is connected to the port P0 and the port P1 is opened to the atmosphere.
When the two solenoids 73a and 73b do not operate, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 is set in the neutral mode, and air discharge from the ports P1 and P2 is regulated by a spring (not shown). Namely, the second air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 is a double-solenoid, center spring type solenoid valve which can be switched among three positions.
With this arrangement, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 can set the loader 7 in three swing states, i.e., the “first swing state”, “second swing state”, and “third swing state”. Since one solenoid valve can control the three swing states of the loader 7, the structure can be simplified. Also, the apparatus can be downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Referring to
When one solenoid 75a of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 75 operates, the port P1 is connected to the port P0 and the port P2 is opened to the atmosphere. When the other solenoid 75b of the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 75 operates, the port P2 is connected to the port P0 and the port P1 is opened to the atmosphere.
When the two solenoids 75a and 75b do not operate, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 75 is set in the neutral mode, and air discharge from the ports P1 and P2 is regulated by a spring (not shown). Namely, the third air cylinder driving solenoid valve 75 is a double-solenoid, center spring type solenoid valve which can be switched among three positions.
Plate exchange operation in the plate handling apparatus having the above arrangement will be described with reference to
If “NO” in step S2, when the first proximity switch 49 detects the first detection target element 47 (step S3), it is recognized that the loader 7 is located in the direction of the arrow A from the “third position”. Then, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 moves in the direction of the arrow B to move the loader 7 in the direction of the arrow B (step S4). Namely, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 70a (
When the second proximity switch 50 detects the second detection target element 48 (step S5), it is recognized that the loader 7 is located at the “third position”. In response to this, the controller 68 cancels the operative state of one solenoid 70a of the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70. Thus, the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 is set in the neutral mode, and the state wherein the loader 7 is located at the “third position” is held, as shown in
If “NO” in step S3, it is recognized that the loader 7 is located in the direction of the arrow B from the “third position”. Therefore, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 moves in the direction of the arrow A (step S6) so as to move the loader 7 in the direction of the arrow A. Namely, the controller 68 sets the other solenoid 70b (
When the second proximity switch 50 detects the second detection target element 48 (step S7), it is recognized that the loader 7 has located at the “third position”. In response to this, the controller 68 cancels the operative state of the other solenoid 70b of the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70. Accordingly, the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 is set in the neutral mode, and the state wherein the loader 7 is located at the “third position” is held, as shown in
If “NO” in step S7, the loader 7 is kept moving in the direction of the arrow A through the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 until the second proximity switch 50 detects the second detection target element 48.
In this manner, wherever the loader 7 may be located after maintenance, it can be reliably positioned at the “third position” by the first detection unit 51, as shown in
When the movement of the loader 7 to the “third position” is ended, the rod 33 of the second air cylinder 32 extends (step S8). Namely, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 73a (
When the fourth proximity switch 56 of the second detection unit 60 detects the fourth detection target portion 59 (step S9), the loader 7 pivots in the direction of the arrow D by the angle α, as shown in
In step S9, if the fourth proximity switch 56 of the second detection unit 60 does not detect the fourth detection target portion 59, the rod 33 of the second air cylinder 32 keeps extending until the detection target portion 59 is detected. At this time, if the swing position of the loader 7 is shifted from the “third swing state” in the direction of the arrow C, the third proximity switch 55 detects the third detection target member 58, and the fourth proximity switch 56 does not detect the fourth detection target portion 59, as shown in
In this case, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 73a of the second air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 in the operative state. Thus, the port P1 of the second air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 is connected to the port P0, and the port P2 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, the rod 33 keeps moving forward until the fourth proximity switch 56 detects the fourth detection target portion 59.
If the fourth detection target member 58 exceeds the fourth proximity switch 56 and the swing position of the loader 7 is shifted from the “third swing position” in the direction of the arrow D, the third proximity switch 55 does not detect the third detection target member 58, and the fourth proximity switch 56 does not detect the fourth detection target portion 59. In this case, the controller 68 sets the other solenoid 73b of the third air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 in the operative state.
Thus, the port P2 of the third air cylinder driving solenoid valve 73 is connected to the port P0 and the port P1 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, the rod 33 keeps moving backward until the fourth proximity switch 56 detects the fourth detection target portion 59. In this manner, the loader 7 is reliably set in the “third swing state” by the second detection unit 60.
As shown in
After the loader 7 is set in the “third swing state”, the rod 41 of the third air cylinder 40 is retracted (step S10). More specifically, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 75a (
When the fifth autoswitch 65 in the second air cylinder 40 detects that the rod 41 has moved backward to the moving end limit (step S11), it is recognized that the loader 7 has moved in the direction of the arrow F, as shown in
Therefore, even when the plate size increases and the entire length of the loader 7 increases, the lower end of the loader 7 does not abut against the floor 103. Thus, an increase in plate size can be coped with without increasing the size of the printing unit 100.
If “NO” in step S11, the rod 41 of the third air cylinder 40 keeps retracting until the fifth autoswitch 65 in the third air cylinder 40 detects the rod 41. Then, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 moves in the direction of the air cylinder 18 (step S12). Namely, the controller 68 sets the other solenoid 70b (
When the moving element 42 moves to the moving end limit in the direction of the arrow A, the first autoswitch 44 in the first air cylinder 18 detects the moving element 42 (step S13). The controller 68 sets the other solenoid 70b (
If “NO” in step S13, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 keeps moving in the direction of the arrow A until the first autoswitch 44 in the first air cylinder 18 detects the moving element 42. Then, the rod 33 of the second air cylinder 32 extends (step S14). Namely, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 73a (
When the loader 7 pivots by the angle β in the direction of the arrow D, as shown in
If “NO” in step S15, the rod 33 in the second air cylinder 32 keeps extending until the fourth autoswitch 54 in the second air cylinder 32 detects the rod 33. When the loader 7 is held in the “second swing state”, the trailing edge of the old plate is removed from the plate gripping portion 3 of the plate cylinder 2, and the plate cylinder 2 is rotated substantially through one revolution in the opposite direction (clockwise in
When plate removal is ended, the plate removal/supply switching guide plate 26 is pivoted by an air cylinder (not shown) counterclockwise in
When the plate exchange described above is ended, the rod 33 of the second air cylinder 32 retracts in the state shown in
When the loader 7 pivots in the direction of the arrow C and is set at the angle α, as shown in
Then, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 moves in the direction of the arrow B (step S18). Namely, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 70a (
When the second proximity switch 50 detects the second detection target element 48 (step S19), the controller 68 sets one solenoid 70a of the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 in the inoperative state. Thus, the first air cylinder driving solenoid valve 70 is set in the neutral mode, and the state wherein the loader 7 is located at the “third position” is held, as shown in
Then, the rod 41 of the third air cylinder 40 extends (step S20). Namely, the controller 68 sets the other solenoid 75b (
When the rod 41 has moved forward until the moving end limit and the loader 7 moves in the direction of the arrow E, as shown in
Then, the rod 33 of the second air cylinder 32 retracts (step S22). Namely, the controller 68 sets the other solenoid 73b (
When the loader 7 pivots in the direction of the arrow C through the angle α and is set in the vertical “first swing state”, as shown in
Then, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 moves in the direction of the arrow B (step S24). Namely, the controller 68 sets one solenoid 70a (
When the moving element 42 has moved to the moving end limit in the direction of the arrow B, the second autoswitch 45 in the first air cylinder 18 detects the moving element 42 (step S25). The controller 68 sets one solenoid 70a (
If “NO” in step S25, the moving element 42 of the first air cylinder 18 keeps moving in the direction of the arrow B until the second autoswitch 45 in the first air cylinder 18 detects the moving element 42. In this state, the old plate recovered by the plate recovery unit 5 is extracted in the direction of the arrow B, as described above.
As has been described above, according to the present invention, the loader is reliably positioned at the “third position” in the “third swing state” by the first and second detection units. When the plate is to be removed or supplied by the loader, the loader will not come into contact with other constituent components. Since the loader can be directly positioned at the “third position”, the plate exchange time can be shortened.
Even if the plate size increases, the loader does not come into contact with other constituent components. Thus, an increase in plate size can be coped with. As the structure is simplified, the apparatus can be downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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163755/2005 | Jun 2005 | JP | national |