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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a folding assembly of a web-fed rotary printing press, and to a web-fed rotary printing press. The folding assembly includes a first group of at least two formers, and at least one additional former which is
offset vertically with respect to the first group.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
DE 25 28 008 A1 shows a printing press for a direct printing method, and having forme cylinders which can be equipped with six printing plates in the axial direction, and with two printing plates in the circumferential direction, and having
counter-pressure cylinders which can be supplied with three printing blankets in the axial direction, and with one printing blanket in the circumferential direction. The printing plates, which are arranged side-by-side, as well as the printing blankets,
which are arranged side-by-side, are each arranged offset in the circumferential direction.
DE 25 10 057 A1 also discloses a printing press for the direct printing method. The forme cylinder, which works together with a counter-pressure cylinder, supports six printing plates over its width and two printing plates on its circumference.
A printing group with forme, transfer and counter-pressure cylinders is known from JP 56-021860 A. Each one of the three cylinders is driven by its own drive motor.
A triple-width web-fed rotary printing press, with two formers arranged on two levels, that are located one on top of the other, is known from DE 41 28 797 A1.
A printing press with printing groups of a width of six newspaper pages is known from "Newspapers & Technology", December 2000. The printing groups are configured as bridge printing groups. The transfer cylinders are covered by rubber blanket
sleeves.
WO 01/70608 A1 discloses a turning bar arrangement, in which two turning bars, which are substantially of a partial web width, are displaceably arranged on a support transversely to the direction of the incoming partial web. A register roller is
arranged at the respective sides outside of the lateral frames. Its longitudinal axis extends substantially parallel with the lateral frame. It can also be displaced along a rail in a direction transverse to the direction of the incoming partial web.
A folding assembly is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,501. Two formers are arranged above one another wherein, after passing over lead rollers, webs are linearly cut ahead of a third former, the partial webs are turned by 90.degree. via a
third former, and are subsequently combined into two strands and are conducted to the two formers which are arranged above one another.
A folding assembly with two groups of formers, which are offset with respect to each other, is known from EP 1 072 551 A2. A harp, i.e. a group of collection, receiving or harp rollers, is arranged above each of the groups of formers, over which
the respective partial webs are conducted to the assigned groups of formers.
A folding assembly is known from WO 97/17200 A2. Cut partial webs, which are offset transversely with respect to each other, are conducted to various formers. The formers, that are arranged horizontally side-by-side, are also partially arranged
vertically offset with respect to each other.
DE 44 19 217 A1 shows a superstructure of a web-fed rotary printing press with a turning device. Partial webs are offset by one-half of a partial web width in order to conduct them on top of each other and to a common former.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is directed to producing a folding assembly of a web-fed rotary printing press, and to a web-fed rotary printing press.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the provision of a folding structure of a web-fed rotary printing press that has a first group of at least two formers and at least one additional former which is vertically
offset with respect to the first group. The formers in the first group are arranged transverse to the running direction of the partial webs. They are also arranged side-by-side and at least partially intersecting in a horizontal plane. A plane of
symmetry of at least one former in the first group, and of the additional former are located in alignment with a partial web passing in a straight line through the printing press. A common pair of lead rollers are assigned to the two aligned formers.
The press may print six pages arranged side-by-side.
The advantages to be gained by the present invention rest, in particular, in that a simple, cost-effective and space-saving construction, together with the provision of a high variability of the product or intermediate product, is made possible.
Advantages also lie, in particular, in that, in comparison to double-width printing presses, the production dependability is considerably increased with the same target size of a product. Also, when retaining the number of printing units, the
yield of the printing press, or of each printing group, can be increased by 50%.
The number of roll changers, and their associated investment costs, the frequency of roll changes and the resultant loss of production dependability, as well as the set-up time when drawing in webs and the increase in cycle times, can all be
reduced for the same production size in comparison with a double-width printing press.
In an advantageous embodiment, the printing units are structured as nine-cylinder satellite printing units, which results in high precision of the ink register, and otherwise in a low-oscillation construction. Oscillations are also reduced by
the advantageous arrangement, structure and fastening of dressings on the cylinders. For one, openings on the shell surface in the circumferential direction are minimized. It is furthermore also possible to arrange the openings, at least on the
transfer cylinder, alternatingly offset in the circumferential direction, in such a way, that a closed shell surface always works together with the forme or satellite cylinder, at least over the length of a section of the forme or satellite cylinder.
Thirdly, out-of-roundness and production costs are minimized because, although channels which are axially dispersed on the barrel over its entire effective length are provided, openings in the direction toward the shell surface only exist in the
mentioned sections. Devices for fastening of dressing ends and/or fillers are selectively inserted into the channels.
At least six devices for the axial positioning of printing formes are arranged in the channel or channels of the forme cylinders. These devices are embodied, for example, as register pins that are positively acting together with the printing
forme ends, which are arranged inside the channel and which can be axially movable manually or by remote control.
For equipping the forme cylinders with printing formes which can be reproduced with exact registration and color congruence, the configuration of the printing groups with associated pressing devices is advantageous. Because of these, it is
possible to fix dressings, resting on the shell surface of the cylinders, in place by use of respectively at least one pressing element, as needed, while one end of a dressing or of several dressings is or are released for being removed or attached.
The drive mechanism of the satellite cylinder, or cylinders, which is mechanically independent of the pairs of cylinders, offers particular advantages, with respect to a possibility of a variable operation. Thus it is possible, for example, to
perform a set-up operation during production, for example a flying printing forme change, or a forme washing. On the other hand, a web can be drawn in while other cylinders, or other pairs of cylinders, are stopped or are being cycled through a set-up
program. If rubber blankets, with positively or negatively conveying properties, are present, it is also advantageous to operate the satellite cylinder with a surface speed which differs from that of the remaining cylinders.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, a superstructure of the printing press has at least one longitudinal cutting device with at least five cutters, which cutters are spaced apart from each other transversely to the paper
conveying direction. In an advantageous embodiment, two register elements, which can be moved transversely, with respect to the paper conveying direction, are provided for each printing tower, or respectively for each eight print positions, for
compensating for the paths of the partial webs. In a further development, these register elements can be structurally connected with respective turning devices, each of the width of a partial web. Also, subsequent guide elements, which are only
assigned to partial webs, are, for example, substantially embodied to have only a partial web width. These configurations make possible a low-oscillation, and therefore also an exactly matching conveyance of the web. Fluctuations in the web tension,
occurring, for example during load changes, or during a change of the printing speed, and caused by the inertia of long, thick guide elements only driven by the partial web or webs, can be effectively reduced.
With a view to dependable operation and to a cost-saving construction, it is also advantageous to provide the possibility of turning a partial web by an odd-numbered multiple of half a partial web in the superstructure. With this, the draw-in
and imprinting of partial webs of half a former width, for example a newspaper page can be omitted.
In connection with the reduction of costs and for providing a space-saving construction, it is advantageous, in one embodiment, to place a so-called harp, i.e. a plurality of lead rollers which, as a rule, are not driven, ahead of only one of two
formers, which are themselves arranged above one another. Webs can be transported from the harp to the other former. Strands of variable sizes or numbers of partial webs of the same alignment can be supplied to the two formers which are arranged
vertically above one another.
In one preferred embodiment, partial webs from one harp assigned to the one group of formers can be supplied to the other group of formers, and vice versa. In an advantageous embodiment, a so-called harp, i.e. a plurality of lead rollers, which
are also called collecting or receiving rollers, is to be placed ahead of only one of two formers that are arranged above each other. Webs from the common harp can then be transferred to the other former. Strands of variable size, or numbers of partial
webs of the same alignment, can be supplied to the two formers which are arranged vertically above one another.
In an advantageous embodiment of a turning device, the partial web can be displaced, or is displaced, only by an odd-numbered multiple of half a partial web. In this way, it is possible, with little outlay, to avoid, for example, to have to
imprint very narrow webs, or to provide additional printing units. The construction of at least one of the turning bars, which at least one bar can be moved transversely in respect to the web, allows a large amount of variability.
The drive mechanism of rollers of the structure of the former and/or of the folding apparatus, which drive mechanism is mechanically independent from the printing units, is advantageous. This is the case particularly in respect to good
registration and variable operation.
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, a web-fed rotary printing press in a lateral view, in
FIG. 2, a schematic side view of a printing group, in
FIG. 3, a schematic top plan view of a printing group, in
FIG. 4, a cylinder dressing or cover, in a perspective representation, in
FIG. 5, a forme cylinder, a: in a perspective representation, b: in longitudinal section, c: with a holding element, and d: with a holding element with a register arrangement, in
FIG. 6, a transfer cylinder, a: in a perspective representation, b: in longitudinal section, c: with a holding element, d: with a filler element, e: a schematic longitudinal section, in
FIG. 7, a device for pressing a dressing against a cylinder, in
FIG. 8, a first preferred embodiment of a drive mechanism of a nine-cylinder printing unit, in
FIG. 9, a second preferred embodiment of a drive mechanism of a nine-cylinder printing unit, in
FIG. 10, a third preferred embodiment of a drive mechanism of a nine-cylinder printing unit, in
FIG. 11, an embodiment of the preferred embodiment in accordance with FIG. 8, in
FIG. 12, an outline of a superstructure, in
FIG. 13, a first preferred embodiment of a short register device, in
FIG. 14, a second preferred embodiment of a short register device, in
FIG. 15, an example of a web turning assembly, in
FIG. 16, a front view of a harp, with a turned web, in accordance with FIG. 15, in
FIG. 17, a folding structure of a web-fed rotary printing press in accordance with the present invention, in
FIG. 18, a side elevation view of the folding structure and with web guidance, and in
FIG. 19, a front elevation view of the folding structure of the present invention, with web guidance. | | |
