Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6557469
-
Patent Number
6,557,469
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, November 28, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 6, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 101 4151
- 101 409
- 101 378
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A device for fixing a flexible plate having angled or beveled suspension edges to a cylinder utilizes a plurality of fastening elements located in a cylinder groove situated radially inwardly of a fastening slit. The fastening elements are engageable with the suspension legs under the influence of spring forces. Separate fastening elements can be used to engage the leading plate suspension leg depending on the direction of rotation of the cylinder.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to devices for fixing a flexible plate on a cylinder of a rotary printing press. The flexible plate has suspension legs which fit into a cylinder groove. Several fastening elements for the suspension legs are positioned in the cylinder groove. One of the suspension leg fastening elements may include a jamming roller.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A device for fixing a flexible printing plate on the forme cylinder of a rotary printing press having at least one cylinder groove extending in the axial direction is known from DE 43 35 140 C1.
A first, or leading suspension leg, which is beveled at an acute angle, is suspended at an edge of the first groove wall of the cylinder groove of the forme cylinder. A second, or trailing, suspension leg can be placed against the second groove wall, which second groove wall is extending approximately in the radial direction of the forme cylinder, of the cylinder groove. The cylinder groove contains a spindle which is pivotable around its axis. Two leaf springs, each of which is distributed over the width of the printing plate, are fastened on the spindle and can be brought into, or out of contact with the suspension legs in the course of pivoting the spindle.
DE 196 36 412 C1 discloses a cylinder on which pressure cams for clamping both suspension legs of a printing plate are arranged on a pivotable shaft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is directed to providing a device for fixing a flexible plate on a cylinder of a rotary printing press.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by providing the plate receiving cylinder with a cylinder groove which is accessed through a fastening slit. Suspension legs of the flexible plate are received in the fastening slit where they are engaged by fastening elements. One of the suspension legs can be fastened against an abutment in the cylinder groove wall by one of the fastening elements. Another of the fastening elements is a pivotable flap with a jamming roller arranged between the flap and one of the plate suspension legs.
The advantages to be obtained by the present invention consist, in particular, in that a rugged, simply constructed device is created, which can be produced cost-effectively. The device in accordance with the present invention can be displaced without the turning of a spindle in only two positions. A further advantage of the present invention lies in that in its axial extension it can consist of several short base bodies. It is possible because of this to remove the device laterally piece by piece from the cylinder groove, for example for maintenance purposes, without having to dismount the cylinder from the lateral frame. It is of particular advantage that the device can also be employed in case of a reversal of the direction of rotation of the cylinder supporting the plates, for example in connection with satellite printing units. An automatic plate feeding and removal by the use of known devices is possible.
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 sectional view, taken along line I—I of
FIG. 4
, with the cylinder, the plate and the air hose in a plate-holding or rest position and in an enlarged scale,
FIG. 2
, a sectional view taken along line II—II of
FIG. 4
, with the cylinder, the plate and the air hose in an enlarged scale,
FIG. 3
, a sectional view analogous to
FIG. 1
, with the device in a plate-removing or operating position, and in
FIG. 4
, a view from above on the device, without the cylinder and without the air hose in a partial enlarged representation and limited in the axial direction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
For receiving flexible plates
02
, a cylinder
01
, for example a plate or rubber blanket cylinder of a rotary printing press, is provided with at least one cylinder groove
03
extending in the axial direction. At a front edge
04
, pointing in the production direction A of the cylinder
01
, which cylinder
01
turns toward the right, or in a clockwise direction of rotation, the cylinder groove
03
will receive a front, or “leading”, beveled suspension leg
06
of the plate
02
with an opening angle α. The plate
02
furthermore has a rear, or “trailing” beveled suspension leg
07
, which is suspended from a second, rear edge
08
of the same cylinder groove
03
and which has an approximately right opening angle β, all as may be seen in FIG.
1
.
It is also possible to arrange two plates, for example two printing plates, on the circumference of the cylinder
01
. In this case, two diametrically opposing cylinder grooves are required in the circumferential direction of the cylinder
01
.
An acute opening angle α, for example of up to 45°, is formed between the surface
11
of the cylinder
01
and a first cylinder wall
12
of the cylinder groove
03
. A second cylinder groove wall
13
also has an acute opening angle α in respect to a peripheral or circumferential surface
11
of cylinder
01
. Both edges
04
,
08
, which are also vertex points of the opening angles α, are separated by, and define a fastening slit
09
.
It is possible to also suspend a plate
23
by its suspension legs
24
,
26
on the cylinder
01
in such a way that its “leading”, acute-angled suspension leg
24
is suspended at the edge
08
, and its “trailing”, approximately right-angled suspension leg
26
is suspended at the edge
04
, as seen in FIG.
2
. Therefore the “leading” suspension leg
24
points in the production direction B toward the left, i.e. in a counterclockwise direction of rotation.
The fastening slit
09
is embodied so that its inner width f is sufficient such that at least two suspension legs
06
,
07
, which project into the cylinder groove
03
, can be placed therein next to each other.
In place of a printing plate or several printing plates placed next to each other, it is possible to also fasten flexible support plates with rubber blankets arranged on them on cylinder
01
.
The cylinder groove
03
can be approximately circular in cross section and is connected with the cylinder surface
11
through the fastening slit
09
.
A base body
14
, which is open in the direction toward the fastening slit
09
, is arranged in the cylinder groove
03
and has, for example, a cross section in the form of a longitudinally cut tube so that it is channel-shaped. In accordance with an embodiment represented in FIG.
1
and also in
FIG. 4
, this base body
14
can consist, in the axial direction, of several short base bodies
16
,
17
,
18
, which can be coupled with each other. Only three such short base bodies are represented in FIG.
4
. Such a coupling of the short base bodies can act interlockingly, for example, and can be implemented by sets of teeth
19
,
21
on both ends of the short base bodies
16
,
17
,
18
. The two outer sets of teeth
19
,
21
can be fixed in place at the cylinder end faces by the provision an end coupling element, not specifically represented.
A number of different clamping and/or jamming elements C, D, E are arranged in the interior
22
of each base body
14
, or
16
to
18
, such as shown by the example of the base body
17
in
FIG. 4
, and as described, as follows:
first clamping and/or jamming elements C for the “trailing” suspension leg
07
,
26
, which “trailing” suspension leg has an approximately right-angled opening angle β,
second clamping and/or jamming elements D for a suspension leg
06
, which is beveled at an acute angle α and is “leading” in the production direction A toward the right, as seen in
FIG. 1
,
third clamping and/or jamming elements E for a suspension leg
24
, which is beveled at an acute angle and is “leading” in the production direction B toward the left, as seen in FIG.
2
.
The channel-shaped base body
14
, or the short base bodies
16
to
18
, can be embodied to be C-shaped, U-shaped, round, oval or polygonal in cross section. The cross section of the cylinder groove
03
is matched to the respective cross section of the base body
14
, or short base bodies
16
to
18
.
The cross section of the base body
14
, or short base bodies
16
to
18
represented in
FIGS. 1 and 2
is embodied in a C-shape. One of its openings points approximately in the direction of the fastening slit
09
. The above described clamping and/or jamming elements, which are arranged so that they can be brought into or out of operating connection with the suspension legs
6
,
7
, or
24
,
28
, project through the opening facing slit
09
.
The first clamping and/or jamming elements C consist of a first flap
27
, which is pivotably seated in the base body
14
or
16
to
18
and whose longitudinal axis extends in an axis-parallel direction, and whose vertical axis extends in the radial direction in respect to the cylinder
01
. A lower end
28
of the first flap
27
, which is remote from the cylinder surface, enters into a slit
29
of the respective base body
14
, or
16
to
18
, and in this way forms a pivot bearing.
The first flap
27
has an axial length l, as seen in
FIG. 4
, which corresponds approximately to one-third of the total axial length of a base body
16
,
17
or
18
. An upper end
31
of the first flap
27
, which is close to the cylinder surface, has a cutout
32
, which is bounded on both sides by a respective arm
33
,
34
. Each arm
33
,
34
has an axial length m with a jamming surface
36
,
37
. The axial length m corresponds approximately to one-fourth of the total axial length l of the flap
27
. Each of the jamming surfaces
36
,
37
is in an operational connection with a respective jamming surface of an abutment
38
,
39
of the base body
14
, or of the respective short base bodies
16
to
18
, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
. The jamming surfaces of the abutment
38
,
39
are located, in the radial direction, below the fastening slit
09
. As represented in
FIGS. 2
,
3
, the arms
33
,
34
of the flap
27
can be bent off, approximately at right angles, pointing in the direction of the abutment
38
,
39
.
The pivotable first flap
27
can be brought from a plate-holding position into a plate-removing position against the force of a spring
41
, for example a compression spring fixed in place on the base body.
Actuation of the pivotable first flap
27
takes place by operation of an inflatable air hose
42
, which will be described in detail later.
The second clamping and/or jamming elements D for a beveled suspension leg
06
of the plate
02
“leading” toward the right in the production direction A consist of a second flap
43
, which is pivotably seated in the base body
14
or short base bodies
16
to
18
and extends, spaced at a distance by the air hose
42
, parallel with the flap
27
, as seen in
FIG. 1. A
lower side
44
of this second flap
43
enters into a slit
46
of the respective base body
14
, or the short base bodies
16
, or
18
, and constitutes a pivot bearing.
The second flap
43
has an axial length of n, as shown in FIG.
4
. This axial length approximately corresponds to the length of the cutout
32
, and to twice the axial length m.
The top
47
of the second flap
43
, which is near the cylinder surface, is bent at approximately right angles in the direction toward the first groove wall
12
, and its edge
49
projects into the cutout
32
of the flap
27
located between the arms
33
,
34
. A roller body, for example a jamming roller
48
, is maintained in the cutout
32
, and will be pressed against the “leading” suspension leg
06
resting against the first groove wall
12
, by the edge
49
of the flap
43
in response to the force of a spring
51
, for example a compression spring fixed in place on the base body.
Release or disengagement of the pivotable second flap
43
takes place by inflation of the inflatable air hose
42
located between the two flaps
27
,
43
, which can pivot, i.e. open, both flaps
27
,
43
against the force of the springs
41
,
51
.
The third clamping and/or jamming elements E for a beveled suspension leg
06
of the plate
23
“leading” toward the left in the production direction B, as seen in
FIG. 2
, consist of a third flap
52
, which is pivotably seated in the base body
14
or short base bodies
16
to
18
and is of a length l. A fourth flap
53
of equal length extends parallel with the third flap
52
and is kept at a distance by the air hose
42
. Both flaps
52
,
53
are respectively seated at their lower ends
54
,
56
, i.e. their ends remote from the cylinder surface
11
, in a slit
57
,
58
of the respective base body
14
, or short base bodies
16
to
18
, and can be actuated by the force of springs
59
,
61
, for example compression springs, as shown in FIG.
2
.
By its jamming surface or edge
63
extending in the axial direction, a top
62
of the third flap
52
is indirectly, i.e. with the interposition of a jamming roller
64
, in an operative connection with the second groove wall
13
, or with a “leading” suspension leg
24
of the plate
23
, resting against the second groove wall
13
. Here, the edge
63
of the top
62
of the third flap
52
is bent at approximately right angles, pointing in the direction of the second groove wall
13
. The jamming roller
64
is supported by an upper lateral face
66
of the fourth flap
53
. The base body
14
or the short base bodies
16
to
18
has a cutout
67
in the area of the jamming roller
64
.
The clamping and/or jamming elements C, D, E are arranged in an axial length of each short base body
16
to
18
, and therefore also in the one-piece base body
14
, in such a way that the length of a short base body
16
,
17
or
18
of
3
l corresponds to a number of lengths l, m, n of the clamping and/or jamming elements as seen in FIG.
4
and as follows:
3
l=
4
m
for
C+
2
n
for
D+l
for
E
The clamping and/or jamming elements C for the “trailing” suspension leg
07
or
26
are used with each jamming of the plates
02
or
23
. When using a plate
02
and the direction of rotation A of the cylinder
01
, the clamping and/or jamming elements D for the “leading” suspension leg
06
are additionally put into operation. But if a plate
23
is used when the cylinder
01
turns in the direction of rotation B, the clamping and/or jamming elements E are employed in place of the clamping and/or jamming elements D.
The base body
14
, or the short base bodies
16
to
18
, are preferably arranged in a manner fixed against relative rotation in the cylinder groove
03
.
The inflatable air hose
42
extends, in one piece, over the entire length of the cylinder groove
03
. On one of its ends, the air hose
42
is provided with a valve, for example, and is charged with compressed air when needed via a connection line, not specifically represented, to the cylinder journal, and by means of a known rotary lead-in.
If the device is intended to be brought from the plate holding position or position of rest, as depicted in
FIG. 1
into the plate-removing, or operating position, as depicted in
FIG. 3
, the air hose
42
is charged with compressed air at a pressure of approximately six bar. The plates or flaps
27
,
43
and
52
,
53
are pivoted away from each other against the force of the springs
41
,
51
and
59
,
61
. In the course of this, the suspension legs
06
,
07
, or
24
,
26
, are released as depicted in FIG.
3
.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the force of the pressure of each spring
51
, as well as each spring
59
,
61
, is respectively greater than the force of the pressure of the spring
41
. Initially, the air hose
42
is charged with an air pressure of approximately three bar. Therefore the force of the pressure exerted by the air hose
42
is greater than the force of the pressure of the spring
41
and less than the force of the pressure of the springs
41
,
59
or
61
. The first flap
27
shown in
FIGS. 1 and 3
is pivoted and the jamming surfaces
36
,
37
come out of contact with the rear suspension leg
07
, or
26
. The “trailing” end can snap out of the fastening slit
09
because of the inherent tension of the plate
02
, or
23
with its suspension leg
07
or
26
and can thereafter be grasped.
The result of increasing the air pressure in the air hose
42
to approximately six bar is that the force of the pressure exerted by the air hose
42
now is also greater than the force of the pressure of the springs
41
,
59
or
61
, so that the suspension leg
06
, or
24
, is also released.
While a preferred embodiment of a device for fixing a flexible plate, in accordance with the present invention, has been described fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that a number of changes in, for example, the overall size of the cylinder, the specific type of flexible plates secured to the cylinder, and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is to be limited only by the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A cylinder of a rotary printing press in combination with a device for securing a flexible plate having suspension legs on the cylinder comprising:a fastening slit in the cylinder; a cylinder groove positioned radially inwardly of said fastening slit and connected with said fastening slit, said cylinder groove having a cylinder groove wall with an abutment; a plurality of plate suspension leg fastening elements in said cylinder groove, at least one of said fastening elements being a pivotable flap; and at least one roller body in said cylinder groove, said roller body being positioned between said pivotable flap and said abutment, wherein one of the suspension legs is a leading suspension leg angled at an acute angle and further wherein the leading suspension leg can be placed between said roller body and said abutment.
- 2. The combination of claim 1 further including at least one base body arranged in said cylinder groove.
- 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said at lease one base body has an opening and further wherein suspension leg engaging portions of said fastening elements project through said opening.
- 4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said at least one base body is c-shaped in cross section.
- 5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said at least one base body is comprised of a plurality of short base bodies extending in an axial direction of the cylinder and adapted to be coupled with each other.
- 6. The combination of claim 2 wherein said at least one base body is arranged in said cylinder groove fixed against rotation.
- 7. The combination of claim 1 further including an inflatable air hose, said inflatable air hose being adapted to bring said fastening elements out of operative contact with the suspension legs.
- 8. The combination of claim 1 further wherein said pivotable flap includes a cutout and said at least one roller body is located in said cutout on said pivotable flap.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
199 24 784 |
May 1999 |
DE |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/DE00/01699 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO00/73074 |
7/12/2000 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
2973710 |
Hantscho |
Mar 1961 |
A |
5010818 |
Wallschlaeger, Sr. |
Apr 1991 |
A |
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
38 12 137 |
Jan 1989 |
DE |
43 35 140 |
Feb 1995 |
DE |
196 36 412 |
Jan 1998 |
DE |
1499664 |
Sep 1967 |
FR |
2 206 534 |
May 1988 |
GB |