The present invention relates to a plate inserting device for inserting the distal end bent portion of a new plate into the groove portion of a plate cylinder.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,986 a conventional plate inserting device comprises a plate cylinder on which a plate is to be mounted and a plate-inserting press roller which is pivotally supported to be able to be thrown on/off with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder. When inserting a plate, the plate cylinder is rotated with the press roller being in contact with the outer surface of the plate cylinder. Then, the press roller abuts against the distal end bent portion of the new plate to be supplied to the plate cylinder so as to insert the distal end bent portion of the new plate into the groove portion of the plate cylinder.
In the conventional plate inserting device described above, as the press roller is supported rotatably, it rotates when inserting the distal end bent portion of the new plate into the groove portion of the plate cylinder. Hence, as shown in
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate inserting device which prevents a plate from being mounted in a state shifted in the widthwise direction of the plate, so the new plate attaching accuracy is improved.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a plate inserting device comprising a plate cylinder which has a groove portion in an outer surface thereof to extend in an axial direction and on an outer surface of which a plate is to be mounted, a roller which is rotatably supported to be able to come close to and separate from the outer surface of the plate cylinder and which comes into contact with the outer surface of the plate cylinder, when a distal end bent portion of a new plate is to be inserted in the groove portion of the plate cylinder, to press the distal end bent portion of the new plate, and braking means for braking rotation of the roller in relation to insertion operation of the distal end bent portion of the new plate into the groove portion of the plate cylinder.
A plate inserting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
A plate inserting device 1 shown in
The loader 2 is supported by frames (not shown) to be swingable clockwise or counterclockwise in
A plate storing portion 11 for storing the new plate 5 is formed in the loader 2 to extend in the longitudinal direction of the loader 2. The new plate 5 stored in the plate storing portion 11 is held by its own weight as its rear end bent portion (not shown) is supported by a bar (not shown). When the new plate 5 held in the plate storing portion 11 is to be supplied from the loader 2 to the plate cylinder 6, the new plate 5 moves from the position indicated by an alternate long and two short dashed line in
In this state, when the support bar is released, the new plate 5 is pushed out in a direction B, and the distal end bent portion 5a projects from the lower end of the loader 2 and is guided to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, as indicated by an alternate long and short dashed line in
A driving section which brings the roller 3 into contact with and separates it from the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6 will be described with reference to
An air cylinder driving solenoid valve 60 to drive the air cylinder 15 has three ports A, B, and P, as shown in
The solenoid valve 60 is selectively switched between two modes, i.e., a mode in which the port A is connected to the port P and the port B is opened to the atmospheric pressure, and a mode in which the port B is connected to the port P and the port A is opened to the atmospheric pressure.
The switching solenoid valve 63 has three ports, i.e., the port P and ports P1 and P2. Of the three ports, the port P1 is connected to a pump 68 through an air tube 64 and regulator 66, and the port P2 is connected to the pump 68 through an air tube 65 and the regulators 66 and 67. The switching solenoid valve 63 is switched between two modes, i.e., a mode in which the port P1 is connected to the port P and the port P2 is closed, and a mode in which the port P1 is closed and the port P2 is connected to the port P.
The pressure adjusting regulator 66 sets the pressure of air discharged from the pump 68 to the high pressure and supplies it to the port P1 of the switching solenoid valve 63. The pressure adjusting regulator 67 is connected to the discharge side of the regulator 66, sets the pressure to a relatively low pressure, and supplies the low pressure to the port P2 of the switching solenoid valve 63.
As shown in
One end of a moving element 19 is fixed to the distal end of the rod 17. The substantial center of a lever 21 is pivotally mounted on the other end of the moving element 19 through a pin 20. One end of the lever 21 is swingably, pivotally supported through a shaft 22 extending vertically between the frames 17. The other end of the lever 21 rotatably supports the roller 3 through a bearing holder 23. A plurality of large-diameter portions 3a are formed on the outer surface of the roller 3 equidistantly in the axial direction.
When the rod 17 of the first air cylinder 15 moves backward, the roller 3 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, as indicated by an alternate long and two shirt dashed line in
A braking unit for the roller 3 will be described. As shown in
In this arrangement, after the rod 17 of the first air cylinder 15 moves forward and the roller 3 comes into contact with the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, the rod 26 of the second air cylinder 25 moves forward. When the rod 26 moves forward, the press member 4 also moves forward through the connecting element 27 and stud 28 to press the outer surface of the roller 3. Thus, the press member 4 brakes the roller 3 to regulate its rotation.
A plate gripping portion will be described with reference to
In this arrangement, when the winding rod 33 is pivoted clockwise in
As shown in
Plate insertion operation in the plate inserting device having the above arrangement will be described.
When an air cylinder (not shown) is actuated, the loader 2 pivots clockwise in
As described above, the pressure of air to be supplied to the port P2 by the regulator 67 is set to be relatively lower than the pressure of air to be supplied to the port P1 by the regulator 66. As low-pressure air is supplied to the end-side port 15A of the first air cylinder 15, the pressing force of the roller 3 with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, which is generated by the first air cylinder 15, becomes low.
Then, the air cylinder (not shown) operates to pivot the plate supply guide plate 12 clockwise in
At this time, the corner 5b of the distal end bent portion 5a abuts against the outer surface of the roller 3 within the range of an angle α from a contact point C of the plate cylinder 6 and roller 3 in a circumferential direction in the upstream rotational direction of the roller 3. The angle α is set at such an angle that the distal end bent portion 5a abutting against the outer surface of the roller 3 is reliably guided toward the contact point C by the outer surface of the roller 3. According to this embodiment, α=90°. After this, the plate cylinder 6 is pivoted clockwise in
When the potentiometer 103 detects the rotational phase of the plate cylinder 6 which corresponds to insertion start of the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 into the elongated groove 32, the controller 101 drives the second air cylinder 25. When the second air cylinder 25 is driven, the rod 26 moves forward to move the press member 4 forward through the connecting element 27 and stud 28 so as to press the outer surface of the roller 3. Thus, the press member 4 brakes the roller 3 and regulates its rotation. Hence, the press member 4, second air cylinder 25, rod 26, connecting element 27, and stud 28 constitute a rotation braking unit (40) (braking means) of the roller 3.
In this manner, the roller 3 is regulated from being rotated by the contact pressure with the plate cylinder 6 to follow the rotation of the plate cylinder 6, so the rotation of the roller 3 is kept stopped. Thus, the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is also prevented from being moved by the rotation of the roller 3. Hence, as the plate cylinder 6 rotates, the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is reliably inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6 by the roller 3, as shown in
As shown in
If an insertion error is not detected by the autoswitch 15a, it is indirectly confirmed that the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6. Subsequently, when the potentiometer 103 detects the rotational phase of the plate cylinder 6 corresponding to insertion completion of the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5, the controller 101 controls the second air cylinder 25 to move the rod 26 backward. Thus, braking on the roller 3 is canceled, so the roller 3 can rotate. More specifically, braking on the roller 3 takes place within a range from a state (
As shown in
The pressure of air to be supplied to the port P1 by the regulator 66 is set to be relatively higher than the pressure of air to be supplied to the port P2 by the regulator 67. Thus, high-pressure air is supplied to the end-side port 15A of the first air cylinder 15 to increase the pressing force of the roller 3, generated by the first air cylinder 15, with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6. More specifically, the range to decrease the pressing force of the roller 3, generated by the first air cylinder 15, with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6 is defined as a range from a state (
In this manner, the end limit of the range to decrease the pressing force of the roller 3 with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6 is set not at the timing at which the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6, but at the timing, slightly delayed from this timing, at which the plate cylinder 6 is pivoted. Then, when a plate insertion error in which the new plate 5 enters between the plate cylinder 6 and roller 3 occurs and the printing press is stopped because the plate insertion error is detected, even if the printing press overruns until the plate cylinder 6 stops, the plate cylinder 6 and roller 3 will not deform the new plate 5. Thus, when a plate insertion error occurs, the new plate 5 can be reused.
If the roller 3 has been braked from a state (
After the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6, braking that has been applied to the roller 3 is canceled, so the roller 3 can rotate. Accordingly, friction caused by slippery does not occur between the roller 3 and the new plate 5 which is wound around the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, so damage to the new plate 5 can be prevented. After the distal end bent portion 5a of the new plate 5 is inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6, the pressing force of the roller 3 with respect to the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6 is increased. Accordingly, the new plate 5 can be mounted in tight contact with the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, so a plate mounting error can be prevented.
When the plate cylinder 6 is rotated substantially by one revolution so the new plate 5 is mounted on the outer surface of the plate cylinder 6, the air cylinder driving solenoid valve 60 is switched by the actuation of the other solenoid to the mode in which the port P is connected to the port B and the port A is opened to the atmospheric pressure, as shown in
According to this embodiment, considering a plate insertion error, the timing to switch the contact pressure of the roller 3 with respect to the plate cylinder 6 from low to high is slightly delayed from the timing at which the new plate 5 is completely inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6. If plate insertion error detection is not performed, the contact pressure may be switched immediately after the new plate 5 is completely inserted in the elongated groove 32 of the plate cylinder 6.
Although the case has been described in which the roller 3 is supported rotatably, the present invention can also be applied to a case in which the roller which is directly driven by the motor to rotate or stop is rotated to follow the rotation of the plate cylinder 6.
As has been described above, according to the present invention, the distal end bent portion of the new plate can be inserted in the groove portion of the plate cylinder accurately and reliably, so the plate mounting accuracy with respect to the plate cylinder improves. Damage to the new plate to be wound around the outer surface of the plate cylinder can be prevented. A new plate insertion error can be detected. When a plate insertion error occurs, the plate can be reused.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2005-191244 | Jun 2005 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5617792 | Rau et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
5868072 | Nishi | Feb 1999 | A |
6393986 | Tobe et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
6973876 | Nakano et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070006759 A1 | Jan 2007 | US |