This patent application is the U.S. national phase, under 35 USC 371, of PCT/DE2003/003643, filed Nov. 3, 2003; published as WO 2004/067278 A1 on Aug. 12, 2004 and claiming priority to DE 103 02 213, filed Jan. 22, 2003, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is directed to printing presses having at least one forme cylinder. An inking unit and a printing forme changing device are alternatingly moved into or out of engagement with the forme cylinder.
A method and a device for operating a single- or a multi-color printing installation, preferably a printing press of satellite construction, is known from DE 34 46 619 A1. That printing press has at least one first stationary machine group, with a counterpressure cylinder and with preferably four transfer cylinders, as well as at least one second, displaceable machine group having at least an arrangement consisting of a forme cylinder, an inking unit and a dampening unit. An arrangement of a forme cylinder, an inking unit and a dampening unit is assigned to each transfer cylinder. The displaceable machine group contains all of these arrangements in a common frame. All of its forme cylinders can be simultaneously brought into contact or out of contact with their assigned transfer cylinders. A printing forme changing device, adapted for working together with a forme cylinder, is not provided.
A multi-color sheet-fed rotary printing press is known from DE 1 169 959 B1. An inking unit can be moved away, along an inclined track, from the assigned forme cylinder of a printing group which is fixedly arranged in place in the printing press. No printing forme changing device working together with a forme cylinder, is provided in this prior art printing press.
A printing group with a central frame section and with two lateral frames, which two lateral frames are arranged on opposite sides of the central frame section and which are movable and, in particular, which are displaceable, is known from DE 102 21 330 A1. Forme cylinders and associated transfer cylinders are arranged in the central frame section. Inking systems, which are assigned to the forme cylinders, are arranged in the lateral frames. In an operating state, in which the lateral frames are moved away from the central frame section, and thus are separated, a printing forme changing device is brought into an operative position with respect to a forme cylinder, in place of an inking unit which had been placed against this forme cylinder. A motor-driven mechanism, preferably a linear motor, is provided for the lateral frames, and a drive unit is provided for moving the printing forme changing device. The movements of the inking unit and of the printing forme changing device occur independently of each other and occur one after the other.
The object of the present invention is directed to providing printing presses with at least one forme cylinder, wherein an inking unit and a printing forme changing device can be alternatingly placed against the forme cylinder or can be moved away from it.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the provision of a printing press having at least one forme cylinder. An inking unit and a printing forme changing device are alternatingly positionable against the forme cylinder or are movable away from it. The movements of the inking unit and of the printing forme changing device are coordinated with each other, either by a common drive mechanism, by being fixedly connected with each other, or by the provision of a common control device for each of the two separate drive motors which may be used to move the two elements.
The advantages which can be gained by the present invention consist, in particular, in that it is not necessary to position both an inking unit as well as a printing forme changing device simultaneously in a structural space immediately adjoining the printing group, i.e. in the movable sections of the printing press. Since, in the course of operating the printing group, either only the printing forme changing device or only the inking unit is placed into contact with the forme cylinder at any one time, these two devices can be alternatingly brought into engagement with the forme cylinder to which they are assigned. It is advantageous if the movement of the printing forme changing device is coupled with movement of the inking unit. In that case, the printing forme changing device does not require its own transport device and requires no drive mechanisms, which leads to a simplification and to a cost reduction of the printing press. If individual drive mechanisms are provided, these individual drives are advantageously connected with each other by a common control in such a way that the printing forme changing device and the inking unit sequentially or together perform movements which are matched to each other.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.
Shown are in:
A printing press 01 is shown, by way of example, in
In the embodiment shown by way of example in
The printing press 01 has at least one element 08, 09, which is movable, in the manner of a carriage, and in which movable carriage element 08, 09 at least one inking unit 11, 12 is arranged. The inking unit 11, 12, with its associated roller arrangement, is assigned to a forme cylinder 06, 07 and can be brought into engagement with the forme cylinder 06, 07 to which it is assigned. In the example shown in
Preferably a number of inking units 11, 12, corresponding to the number of forme cylinders 06, 07, is provided in each movable element 08, 09. However, dampening units which, in particular, are assigned to the inking units 11, 12 can also be located in the movable elements 08, 09 of the printing press 01, which dampening units have not been represented in
Each of the movable elements 08, 09 can be configured as a frame, for example, frame walls located opposite each other, and wherein all of the machine elements which are required for the devices to be arranged in each of the moveable elements 08, 09, such as inking unit rollers which are a part of the inking units 11, 12, ink fountains, and the like are attached, are seated or are fastened on the frame walls, and in particular, extend between them. The stationary element 02 of the printing press 01 can also include a frame assembly including, for example, two oppositely located frame walls, in which stationary element 02 frame assembly the printing unit, with all its cylinders, is arranged. Thus, the frame assemblies each constitute a mounting frame for receiving diverse machine elements and each frame assembly combines defined machine components into a structural component or into a functional unit.
The movable elements 08, 09 of the printing press 01 are each movable or displaceable, for example, in a translatory manner, by the provision of suitable transport devices 13, 14 which are assigned to them. The movement preferably extends radially, in relation to the forme cylinders 06, 07, as well as substantially horizontally in the direction indicated by the arrows x which are represented in
It is furthermore possible to see, from a review of
Printing forme changing devices 26, 27, as depicted schematically in
For this reason, at least one movably supported printing forme changing device 26, 27 is provided, and which can be placed, alternatingly with an inking unit 11, 12, against or can be moved away from a forme cylinder 06, 07. The movements of the inking unit 11 or 12 and of the printing forme changing device 26 or 27 are coupled with each other. This means that the movements of the inking unit 11 or 12 and of the printing forme changing device 26 or 27 do not occur independently of each other. Instead, the inking unit 11, 12 and the printing forme changing device 26, 27 are connected with each other so that they will always act together in such a way that the movements of the inking unit 11, 12 and of the printing forme changing device 26, 27, which movements are aimed in opposite directions away from and toward the forme cylinder 06, 07, take place simultaneously.
For example, it is possible to provide several different printing forme changing devices 26, 27 in connection with every movable element 08,09 of the printing press 01, and wherein each one of the printing forme changing devices 26, 27 acts together with one of the inking units 11, 12 which is arranged in the movable elements 08, 09. The printing forme changing devices 26, 27 are preferably arranged on the driven side of the printing press 01.
The combined action of a printing forme changing device 26, 27 and of an associated inking unit 11, 12 is represented by way of example in
A mechanically operated guidance of these alternating elements is accomplished with the aid of rollers 36, 37, 38, 39, which, as seen in
In the side elevation view of
It is also possible to provide, as represented in
It is common to the several disclosed preferred embodiments of the subject invention that a defined inking unit 11, 12 and a defined printing forme changing device 26, 27 can always be alternatingly brought into engagement with a defined forme cylinder 06, 07 to which they are assigned only selectively in turn, and thus, as indicated above, alternatingly, and not at the same time. For this purpose, the movement required for bringing the inking unit 11, 12 into and out of contact is preferably cooperatively coupled with the movement required of the printing forme changing device 26, 27 to bring it into and out of contact.
This cooperative coupling can advantageously be realized by a forced mechanical guidance device, so that a drive mechanism, which is required for the movement of the inking unit 11, 12, is also used for the movement of the printing forme changing device 26, 27. The employment of the drive mechanism of the inking unit 11, 12 to also accomplish the movement of the printing forme changing device 26, 27 is easily possible, as a rule, because the inking unit 11, 12 is preferably arranged in a movable element 08, 09 of the printing press 01, and wherein that movable element 08, 09, which preferably consists of a frame with various roller devices arranged therein, has a substantially much greater mass than the printing forme changing device 26, 27 which is connected with it. The mass of the movable element 08, 09 and the mass of the printing forme changing device 26, 27 associated with it can be at a ratio of 30:1 or greater, for example. In actual operations, drive mechanisms, of suitable output classes, are used for the required mass acceleration. The drive mechanism made available for the movement of the movable elements 08, 09, and therefore also of the inking unit 11, 12, has sufficient output reserves for easily taking on the movement of the printing forme changing device 26, 27 in addition to the movement of the inking unit 11, 12.
It is also possible, in accordance with the present invention, to provide the printing forme changing device 26, 27 with its own drive mechanism for accomplishing its movement. This separate drive mechanism may be, for example, an actuating drive, whose control device takes into consideration the movement of the movable element 08, 09. A coupling of the movement is realized, by use of the control device, wherein the control can take place, for example, electrically, electronically or pneumatically. Thus, the control device preferably includes a program-controlled run-off control which, for the individual drive mechanisms, takes into consideration the dependence of the movement of the printing forme changing device 26, 27 on the movement of the movable elements 08, 09. Accordingly, their movements, which are performed in sequence or simultaneously, are matched to each other, as needed, with the aim of reducing set-up times and therefore also reducing non-productive times of the printing press 01.
While preferred embodiments of printing presses comprising at least one printing cylinder, in accordance with the present invention, have been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes in, for example, the drives for the transfer and forme cylinders, the specific structures of the inking units and of the printing forme changing devices, 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 appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103 02 213 | Jan 2003 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE03/03643 | 11/3/2003 | WO | 00 | 4/5/2006 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2004/067278 | 8/12/2004 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060236880 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |