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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a drive mechanism for the cylinders of
a printing press.
A plurality of drive motors are assigned to the cylinders and are arranged
axially offset.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A rotary offset printing press with rubber blanket and plate cylinders is
known from EP 0 644 048 A2. For being driven together, these rubber
blanket and plate cylinders have been combined in pairs into cylinder
groups by a mechanical coupling. Each of these cylinder groups is driven
by its own drive motor.
DE 44 30 693 A1 discloses printing units of a rotary offset printing press,
wherein at least one cylinder is individually driven. Associated plate and
rubber blanket cylinders are combined into groups for being driven.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,090 A describes an ink duct with individually
adjustable inking blades. These inking blades are adjusted by means of
step motors, which are arranged in an offset manner.
JP-A 56-21860 discloses individually driven cylinders of a printing unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is has the object of providing a drive mechanism for
cylinders of a printing press.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the
provision of a plurality of drive motors for the cylinders of the printing
press. At least two of the drive motors assigned to the cylinders are
arranged offset in respect to each other in the axial direction of the
cylinders.
With the drive mechanism for cylinders of a printing press in accordance
with the present invention, it is possible, in an advantageous manner, to
use drive motors whose diameter is greater than the diameter of the
cylinder for adjoining cylinders having their own drive motor.
Such an arrangement of the drive motors also allows satisfactory access for
maintenance and repair work of the drive motors. This access is also
facilitated in case of drive motors whose diameter is less than the
diameter of the associated cylinder.
If movable cylinders, for example rubber blanket cylinders seated in
eccentric bushings, are connected by means of a coupling, for example a
universal joint shaft, with a drive motor, a small angular offset of the
coupling is achieved by an arrangement which is distanced from a lateral
frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
preferred embodiments of the present invention are represented in the
drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows. Shown
are in:
FIG. 1, the schematic representation of a view from above on a printing
unit of a first preferred embodiment,
FIG. 2, the schematic representation of a lateral view from the right side
of a printing unit without a lateral frame of the first preferred
embodiment, and in
FIG. 3, the schematic representation of a view from above on a printing
unit of a second preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMETS
In the present, first preferred embodiment as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 a
printing unit 1 of an offset rotary printing press is embodied in the form
of a so-called nine piece satellite printing unit. This printing unit 1 is
essentially formed by four printing cylinders 2, 3, 4 and 6 and by four
transfer cylinders, 7, 8, 9, 11, for example printing cylinders 2, 3, 4
and 6 and rubber blanket cylinders, 7, 8, 9, 11, and by a counter-pressure
cylinder 12. The rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11 can be selectively
placed against the counter-pressure cylinder 12 for printing a web. It is
also possible to place adjoining rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11
selectively against each other, which adjoining blanket cylinders then
print the front and back of a web.
These printing and rubber blanket cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6; 7, 8, 9, 11 are
provided with journals, which are seated in lateral frames 13, 14 of the
offset rotary printing press. In a known manner, the printing and/or
rubber blanket cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 are arranged to be moved
into or out of contact with each other and with cylinder 12, for example
by means of eccentric bushings. For example, the rubber blanket cylinders
7, 8, 9, 11 can be arranged to be moved into or out of contact with the
associated printing cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and/or with the counter-pressure
cylinder 12. The printing cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 can also be moved into or
out of contact with the rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11.
The journals of the printing and rubber blanket cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8,
9, 11 extend through the lateral frame 13 at a drive side of the printing
unit 1. In the first preferred present exemplary embodiment, each cylinder
2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 has its own drive mechanism which may be, for
example a position-controlled electric motor 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23,
24, 26, as seen in FIG. 1 and 2. The rotors of these drive motors 16, 17,
18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 are connected, for example directly, i.e.
without a gear, such as, or by means of a gear, for example an integrated
planetary gear, with the journals of the respective cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6;
7, 8, 9, 11, 12. Also, a compensating coupling 27 is arranged in an
advantageous manner between each of the drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 21,
22, 23, 24, 26 and the associated journals of the cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6, 7,
8, 9, 11, 12. In the first preferred embodiment, a double-joint coupling
28, for example a universal joint, is arranged, fixed against relative
rotation, between the journals of the movable rubber blanket cylinders 7,
8, 9, 11 and the respective associated drive motor 21, 22, 23, 24 for each
rubber blanket cylinder. In the present preferred embodiment, the drive
motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 are arranged fixed in place on
the frame. The drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 are
represented schematically in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in a cylinder shape. This
does not necessarily mean that they have to be embodied exactly in a
cylinder shape, instead, it is intended for other geometric shapes (for
example cube-shaped), or projecting parts, to be included by the
schematically depicted cylinder shape
In the present exemplary embodiment, all drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 21,
22, 23, 24, 26 are identical and have a greater diameter d16, d19, d21,
d24, d26 than the diameters d2, d6, d7, d11, d12 of the associated
cylinders. However, it is also possible to employ different drive motors
within a printing unit.
The drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, or respectively 26, of the printing
cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and of the counter-pressure cylinder 12 are arranged
in a first plane 29, as seen in FIG. 1. The drive motors 21, 22, 23, 24 of
the rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11 are arranged in a second plane 31
also as seen in FIG. 1. The first plane 29 and the second plane 31 are
spaced apart, are we parallel with each other and extend vertically in
respect to the axes of rotation of the cylinders.
The drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, or respectively 26, of the printing
cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and of the counter-pressure cylinder 12 are spaced
apart from each other in the axial direction of the cylinder, i.e. they
are arranged offset with respect to the other drive motors.
In place of the motor groupings groups provided for the printing, or
respectively counter-pressure cylinders, and for the rubber blanket
cylinders, it is also possible to provide motor groupings. However, it is
common to all such arrangements or motor groupings that at least the drive
motors of cylinders, which work directly together, are arranged offset
with respect to each other in the axial direction.
The length l of the axial offset as seen in FIG. 1 advantageously
corresponds to at least a length 116, 119, 121, 124, 126 of a housing of a
drive motor 16, 19, 21, 24, 26.
In a second preferred embodiment, as seen in FIG. 3 the drive motors 21,
22, 23, 24, of the rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11 are arranged on
the first lateral frame 13 which is the so-called drive side SII, and the
drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, of the printing cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and
of the counter-pressure cylinder 12 are arranged on the second lateral
frame 14 which is the so-called operating side SI. The drive motors 21,
22, 23, 24 assigned to the journals of the rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8,
9, 11 are arranged opposite the drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 26 assigned
to the opposite journals of the printing cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and of the
counter-pressure cylinder 12. The drive motors 21, 22, 23, 24, of the
rubber blanket cylinders 7, 8, 9, 11 are assigned to the first lateral
frame 13, and the drive motors 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, of the printing
cylinders 2, 3, 4, 6 and of the counter-pressure cylinder 12 are assigned
to the second lateral frame 14, i.e. fastened directly or indirectly on
the lateral frame 13, or respectively 14.
The drive motors, arranged in an offset manner, can also be used in a ten
piece satellite printing unit in particular, instead of in a nine piece
satellite printing unit, wherein preferably each cylinder has its own
drive motor assigned.
In these described preferred embodiments, each cylinder of a printing unit
is assigned its own drive motor. It is also possible to drive cylinder
groups, for example consisting of printing and transfer cylinders,
respectively by means of a drive motor within a printing unit. In this
case, the drive motors are also offset with respect to each other in the
axial direction. For example, the drive motors of the cylinder groups in
respect to a drive motor of a counter-pressure cylinder can be offset.
This arrangement of drive motors can also be employed in a folding
apparatus or in other units, such as a roll changer a superstructure of a
printing press.
While preferred embodiments of a drive mechanism for the cylinder of a
printing press have been set forth 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 sizes of the various cylinders, the specific
types of cylinders and the like could be made without departing from the
true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly
limited only by the following claims:
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