CA1101727A - Modular offset lithographic printing tower - Google Patents
Modular offset lithographic printing towerInfo
- Publication number
- CA1101727A CA1101727A CA340,979A CA340979A CA1101727A CA 1101727 A CA1101727 A CA 1101727A CA 340979 A CA340979 A CA 340979A CA 1101727 A CA1101727 A CA 1101727A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tower
- roller
- inker
- section
- printer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F7/00—Rotary lithographic machines
- B41F7/02—Rotary lithographic machines for offset printing
- B41F7/12—Rotary lithographic machines for offset printing using two cylinders one of which serves two functions, e.g. as a transfer and impression cylinder in perfecting machines
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F13/00—Common details of rotary presses or machines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F31/00—Inking arrangements or devices
- B41F31/30—Arrangements for tripping, lifting, adjusting, or removing inking rollers; Supports, bearings, or forks therefor
- B41F31/302—Devices for tripping inking devices as a whole
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Rotary Presses (AREA)
Abstract
MODULAR OFFSET LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING TOWER
Abstract of the Disclosure A low cost, variable, modular, web-fed offset lithographic printing unit or tower is disclosed which allows significant economies in production and maintenance, and can be easily and quickly modified in the field using interchange-able modules so as to vary printing characteris-tics. The printing tower, in the straight-through variable perfector form thereof, is preferably provided with a printer module having upper and lower web-printing blanket rollers; in addition, the tower has corresponding upper and lower inker modules for the respective blanket rollers. The upper inker module is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis so that it can be shifted between a normal inking position over the printer module to a retracted, printer module-clearing position allowing removal and/or replacement of the printer module by essentially vertical shift-ing of the printer module. By virtue of modular construction, the supporting sidewalls for the separate tower modules can be of varying thick nesses sufficient for support of the intended module components, and thus the necessity of uniformly thick, expensive tower sidewalls, and the manufacturing problems associated therewith, is completely avoided. In addition, the modular tower permits mass production of certain univer-sally used modules to lower costs, and also allows the user to stock extra and/or different tower modules to facilitate field repair or alteration of the tower.
(Docket No. 16561)
Abstract of the Disclosure A low cost, variable, modular, web-fed offset lithographic printing unit or tower is disclosed which allows significant economies in production and maintenance, and can be easily and quickly modified in the field using interchange-able modules so as to vary printing characteris-tics. The printing tower, in the straight-through variable perfector form thereof, is preferably provided with a printer module having upper and lower web-printing blanket rollers; in addition, the tower has corresponding upper and lower inker modules for the respective blanket rollers. The upper inker module is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis so that it can be shifted between a normal inking position over the printer module to a retracted, printer module-clearing position allowing removal and/or replacement of the printer module by essentially vertical shift-ing of the printer module. By virtue of modular construction, the supporting sidewalls for the separate tower modules can be of varying thick nesses sufficient for support of the intended module components, and thus the necessity of uniformly thick, expensive tower sidewalls, and the manufacturing problems associated therewith, is completely avoided. In addition, the modular tower permits mass production of certain univer-sally used modules to lower costs, and also allows the user to stock extra and/or different tower modules to facilitate field repair or alteration of the tower.
(Docket No. 16561)
Description
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~ackground of the Invehtion 1. Field of the Invention The present invention ls broadly con-cerned with web-fed offset lithographic printin~
towers of modular construction. More particu-larly, the invention is concerned with a modular printing tower which is especially designed for ease of manufacture, repair and maintenance, and which can be easily and qu~ckly varied in the field by removal and replacement of ~he printer module associated therewith, so as to vary print-ing characteri~tics as desired. Interchan~eability of tower modules allow~ a user to maintain, at relatively low cost, spare and/or different modules - for convenience purposes and to increase the versatility of the tower.
~ackground of the Invehtion 1. Field of the Invention The present invention ls broadly con-cerned with web-fed offset lithographic printin~
towers of modular construction. More particu-larly, the invention is concerned with a modular printing tower which is especially designed for ease of manufacture, repair and maintenance, and which can be easily and qu~ckly varied in the field by removal and replacement of ~he printer module associated therewith, so as to vary print-ing characteri~tics as desired. Interchan~eability of tower modules allow~ a user to maintain, at relatively low cost, spare and/or different modules - for convenience purposes and to increase the versatility of the tower.
2. Description of the Prior Art Traditionally, complete web-fed offset lithographic printlng presses are com~o~ed of a series of aligned towers through which a con-- tinuous web of paper i~ fed for printing purposes.
In the case of color printing for ex~mple, a separate tower i~ used for each color 80 as to ~-give the final printed material a multicolor effect, Also, each press tower i~ normally pro-vided wi~h a printer section, one or more inking units, and as~ociated water sys~ems.
30- ~or the most part, web-fed press ~owers of the type described above have been produced on an individual basis. This ha~ generally involved fabrica~ing sidewalls and other necessary sup~ort struc~ure, and in3talling the neces~ary rollers and other mechani3m a~sociated with the tower. In L
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.7Z7 1 this connection, ~he prac~ice has been to employ relatively thick, integral tower ~idewalls. These sidewall~ are carefully bored for receiving roll mounts at various locations, as well as being configured or other purposes. ~s can be appre-ciated, such a mode of construction presents a nu~ber o problems~ ~ir~, use of integral side-walls makes i~ necessary to discard the entire sidewall in the event that a small error is made in placement of a ~ingle aperture therethrough, inasmuch a3 roll placement and orien~ation are critical ~o tower performance. Hence, a slngle mlstake of th~s nature in fa~rication ma~;es it nece~sary to scrap an entire ~idewall, even if lt i~ otherwise complete and perfect. Second, even though only a portion of the overall tower (nor-mally the prîn~er section) requires relatively thick sidewall~ for adequate support, use of integral sidewalls means, as a practical matter, that the entire sidewall must be of the maximum thickness. This in turn ~reatly increase~ the ~aterial costs, without an attendant signiicant increase in structural lntegrity or utility of the tower. ~ -Altllough tower~ havin~ interchan~eable printer sections have been proposed in the past, or the most part these units have been very omplex and time consuming to use and modify.
Cer~ain known prior towers have employed printer ~ection~ which can be shifted horizontally for removal from the tower. Wit'nout kno~m exception however, thi~ type of tower has required special-ized guide and motive ~tructure for movement of the printer ~ection, along with mechani~m for shifting ~djacent rollers andlor ~ears for accom-.
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. - 3 -l ~oda~ing a replacement printer section. All of the features have made variable pres3es extremely expensive and difficult to use in the field. In fact, these dif~iculties have been so for~idable as to preclude pro~uction of certain ~ypes o~
variable to~ers, i.~., so-called variable s~raight through perector towers having upper and lower web-contacting and printing blanket rolls for receiving a web traveling along a generally hori-zontal path of travel. The complexity o~ such straight through per~ector towers has made it impossible to provide an effective capacity ~or varying the printing section o~ the tower, even though from a utility standpoint sucll a eature would be highly advantageous.
Summary of the Invention The problems described above are in large ~easure solved by the present invention. In its broadest aspect3, the tower of the invention is o~ fully mo~ular constructlon and is so con-structed a~ to allow easy and quic~ maintenance, removal and/or replace~ent of the respective to~Jer modules. In one particularly important aspect, the uppermost inker module o~ the tower i8 rnounted for pivotal movement about a ~enerally horiæontal axis between a normal inking posi-tion wherein the ~orm roller o~ the inker is in contact with the ad~acent plate roller of the printer 6ection, to a retracted, printer section-clearing position.
In thi~ orien~ation, the prin~er section can ~e shifted essentially vertically out of the tower and there~ore us~ can be made o~ conventional overhead support rails provided in print shops.
In addition, pivoting of ~he upper in~er module ~o .
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1 it~ recessed position allows easy replacemen~
and/or repair of the rolls and other mechanism provided therein~ . ¦
The fully modular construction of the tower of the instant invention al~o allows use of supporting sidewall~ for the respectlve modules which arc designed ~or maximum support and struc-tural integrity without undue expense or waste of materials. That is to say, the printer section provided with the tower hereof is the heaviest unit re~uirin~ the most rigid support. Accord-ingly, the ~idewalls provided with this unit are relatively thick to provide the necessary support. I
- ~Iowever, the remainder of the tower sidewalls, and particularly the main upstanding portions thereof, can be fabricated from materials of les~er thick-ness so as to minimize construction costq. It will of course be understood tha~ in other tower configurations, ~tructural demands may make it neces~ary to use sidewalls of varyinR thicknesses at different locations, and such eventualities are within the scope of the present invention a~ well.
The modular construc~ion of the tower also eliminates one o~ the most troublesome prob-lems associated with the manufacture of web-fed towers, i.e., the necessity of scrapping an entire tower sidewaIl in the event of a single e~ror in tolerances or placement of an aperture therethrough. Specifically, each of the modules can be fabricated separately and therefore any ¦-abrication mistake~ are limited ~o a particular module, as opposed to an entire tower sidewall.
In this way scrap is reduced and labor costs are considerably lowered. ~150, the ~nherently ad~u~t-able na~ure of the tower module~ allows compensa-. . ,, ~ ~ :
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tion for any tolerance errors made during manufacture.
Finally, the particular modular tower configuration disclosed herein allows fabrication and use of a truly variable, straight through perfector tower. Use of a pivotally mounted 5 upper inker, along with a removable printer section which can be shifted vertically, are chiefly responsible for the ability to provide a practical, variable straight through perfector tower.
Thus, the invention can also be defined, in general terms, 10 as a web printing tower, comprising: a pair of spaced apart main sidewalls; a modular printer section removably supported by said main sidewalls and including a pair of spaced apart printer sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls; an elon-gated cylindrical plate roller; an elongated, cylindrical web-15 contacting blanket roller; and means for mounting said plate andblanket roller between said printer sidewalls in tangential con-tact with each other and for axial rotation of the rollers; an inker section including spaced apart inker sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls and printer sidewalls, a single, 20 elongated, cylindrical, axially rotatable inker form roller supported by said inker sidewalls, and means for continuously applying ink to the periphery of said inker form roller : during printing operations of said tower; means for mounting said inker section in a normal position above said printer 25 section with said single form roller in ink-transferring engagement with said plate roller, and for selective pivoting of the inker section about a generally horizontal axis from said normal position to a retracted printer section-clearing position permitting said printer section to be bodily moved 30 upwardly out of said tower without obstruction from the inker section; means for rotating said rollers including respective gears drivingly coupled to said single form roller and plate roller and configured for meshed,:driving inter-engagement when said inker section is in said normal position 35 thereof; the pitch diameter of the gear coupled to said inker form roller being substantially the same as the diameter of the inker form roller, and the pitch diameter of said gear coupled to said plate roller being substantially the same as , ~, . ' ' ' 7Z~
-5a-the effective diameter of the plate roller, whereby said tower can accommodate replacement printer sections having different diameter plate and printer rollers without modification of said inker section.
According to another feature of the present invention, said printer section sidewalls and said inker section side-walls are of different thicknesses. According to a further feature of the present invention, said printer section includes a pair of upper and lower web-contacting blanket rollers disposed for simultaneous contact and printing on both sides of said web, and a corresponding plate roller in contact with each blanket roller, there being a lower inker for applying ink to the plate roller in contact with said lower blanket roller. According to a still another feature of the present invention, the tower includes a water supply module removably su~ported by said tower and having means for applying water to said plate roller.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an essentially schematic side view of a tower in accordance with the invention, illustrating the gear side of the tower;
Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the sidewall of the tower illustrated in Fig. 1, viewing from the left hand side of the Fig. 1 illustration;
Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the sidewall of the tower illustrated in Fig. 1, viewing from the right hand ;
end of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is an essentially schematic, exploded side view illustrating the upper inker of the tower in its retracted, printer section-clearing position, with the printer section , shown as being vertically shifted from the tower, and with the upper and lower water systems laterally removed from the tower;
Fig. 5 is an essentially schematic view of the interior of the-tower illustrating the various rollers associated there-with and the modules of the tower;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged, essentially schematic view illustrating the contact between Ij -- . . . . . ..
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1 tlle plate roller of a irst ~rinter module and the form roller of the upper ~nker module; and Fi~ 7 i~ a view similar to ~ig. 6 but illustrating the use of a second printer module having a plate roller larger ~han ~hat of the firs~ in~er rlodule.
Description o the Preerred Fmbodiment Turning now to the drawings, a tower 10 of modular construction is illustrated whlch broadly includes an upper inker section 12, a ~rinter sPction 1~, a lower inker section 16, and upper and lower water delivery sys~ems respec-tively numbered 1~ and 20. A pair of upright, irregularly sha~ed main frame wall portions 22 and 24 ~upport ~he ~ower ~odules; and as will be described in more detail hereinafter, the portions .. 22, 24, and the corre~ponding supporting sidewalls .~ of the various tower mo~ules, cooperatively deine overall, upright, spaced sidewalls 26 and 28 for the tower 10. These sidewall~ 26, ~.8 su~port a serie~ of elon~,ated, cylindrical, axially rotat-. able rollers disposed for rotation about respec-tive hori~ontal a~es, and are l~aintained in spaced .relationshi~ and ri~idified by conventional means such as cross braces 30 (see Fig 5~ extending . between the portions 22, 24 In ~ore detail, upper inker 12 includes a.pa~r o~ spaced sidewalls 32, 3~ which are of ; 30 generally rectangular con~iguration, and, in the embodiment shown, are formed of 3/4 inch thick ~etal plate. ~hese.sidewalls 32, 34 sup~ort the component.s of the inking syste~ w'nich include an . ink fountain 36, an ink roller 38 di~posed par- .
tially within the fountain 36, and a roller train ,,, . I
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40 including a relatively large form roller 42 having a resilient periphery. The train 40 in-cludes a pair of ductor rollers 44, 46 which are shiftable in oscillatin~ fashion between ink roller 38 and hard, metallic vitrator roller 48, the latter being in tangential rolling contact with form roller 42~ Additional vibrator rollers 0, 52 are similarly disposed around form roller 42 in spaced relationship to one another. Two sets of rider rollers each including three rollers of successively larger diameter 54, 56 and 58 are associated with each vibrator roller 50, 52 as illustrated. An additional rider roller 60 is in tangential rolling contact with form roller 42 adjacent the lowermost vibrator roller 52. Form roller 42 is mounted within respecti~e keyhole slots 61 proviaed in the walls 32, 3a for ease of replacement of the roller~
The purpose of roller train 40 is to deliver ink to the form roller 42 and to smooth out the ink thereon in a manner to eliminate all plate-derived latent images before a reinked portion o~ the form roller moves back into ink- .
transferring relationship with the plate roller (to be described hereinafter) associated with the adjacent printer section 14.
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': . : , ~ 27 l ~eferring specifically to ~i~s. l, 2 and 5, it will be seen that u~per inker section 12 is pivotally mounted to the tower lO for shifting ~love~ent t11ereo~ as desirea about a generally horizontal axiq. Specifically, the main frame wall portions ~2, 24 are provi~ed with upstanding tabs 62, 64, and the respective sidewalls 32, 34 of the inker sec~ion 12 are disposed inwardly of and a~ acent to the respective corresponding tabs 62, 64. An elongated pivot shaft G6 i8 ~ ournaled to ~he respec~ive ~abs 62, 64 and serves to pivot-ally support the sidewalls 32, 34, and thereby allows pivoting movement of the entire section 12 about the geI~erally horizontal axis de~ined by tlle shaft 66. In addition, mechanism 6~ is mounted on wall por~ion 24 for infinite ad~ustment and/or shiftln~ of the up~er inker section 12 as desired.
lhis mechanisr1 lncludes a pivot a~il 70 secured to shaft 66. ~n elongated, threade~ rod 72 is pivot-ally secured to the end of arm 70 remote fro~
s1Laft GG. This rod 72 is in tu~L threade~ into and is advanceable with respect to a captive nut 74. ~3ut 74 is pivot~l about a horizontal axis and is supported by a block 76 secured to wall portion 24. I~inally, operatin~ handle 7S i~ secured to the end o rod 72 remote from arm 70. As can be rea~ily appreciated, rotation of the rod 72 through the ~edium of handle 7~ caus~s correspond- ;
ing movement o pivot arD! 70 and shaft ~6; this in turn pivots the entire inker section 12 about the axis defined b~ the shaft 66.
Printer section 14 includes a ~air of laterally spaced, roller-supportin~ sidewalls 80 &2 which rest atop the upper margins o~ the cor-rPspon~ing ~all port1Ons 22, 24. ~hese si~ewalls ~ .
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' 7~7 1 are rclatively thick, e.g., 1 1/2 inch s~eel, ina~much as the relatively heavy ~rinter section must be adequately suppoL^ted to achieve the best possible prlnting results. The printer section 14 in ~his ins~ance includes a ~air of blanl;et rol-lers ~4 and 86 ha~ing resilicnt peripheries which are disposed ~enerally one atop the other (see Flg. 5) and cooperatively present a web contactlng and printing nip area therebetween. ~s shown, the blanliet rollers 84, 86 deflne a nip area for receiving a we~ 88 travelin~ along a generally horizontal path of travel; thus, the printer module 1~ presents a so-called straight-through perfector tower wherein both faces of the web 88 are im~rinted si~ultaneously durin~ passage through thP printer section, and moreover the web ~8 travels along a gener~lly horizontal pat~ of travel throu~h the tower 10. The section 14 also includes a pair of ~late-supportin~ cylinders or rollers 90, 92 which are respecti~ely in tan~en-tial rolling con~act with a corresponding blanket cylinder ~4j 86 as illustrated.
Lower in~er section 16 is substantially identical ~ith the previously described section 12. The section 1~ includes a pair of Laterally - spaced, roller supporting sidewalls 94, 9fi of 3/~
inch steel ~Ihich are ~ach ~ivotally mounted to the corresponding main frame sidewall portion 22, 2 by means of respective ~vot pins 9~, 100. The sidewalls are confi~ured to present respective l;eyhole slots 101 which support the relatively large, resilient form roller 102. Tllese walls also support rider roller 104, and vibrator rol-lers lOG and 10~, in tangential rollin~ contact with form roller 102. In addition, the sidewalls ' . . - ......................................... ~ . .
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- 10 iL~ ~7~7 1 94, 96 SllppO~t the respective rider roller sets each including the rollers 110, 112 and 11~. As best seell in Fig. S howev2r, tl~e main frame por-tions ~2, 2~, support the inl; ountain 116, ink roller 11$, shiftable ductor rollers 1 0,- 122, and the vibrator roller 1~.4. l'hus, although the overall upper and lower in]in,~ systems are essen-tially identical, in the case of the lower i~ker section 16, only the described ~ortion thereof is moullted on.the modlllar ~idewalls 94, ~6.
~hls modular portion of th2 overall lower irikin~ syste~ is shiftable by vlrtue o~
mechanis~n 12~ (see ~,. S). ~lechanism l2~ in-cludes a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 128 havin~ a cylinder 129 and piston rod 130 extendin~ therefrorn. The rod 130 is threaded into a collar 132 c,o as to allow ad~ustment of the 2ffective len~th of the rod 130. Tl~e collar 132 is in tur~ pivoted to a de~ending tab 134 which is 20- in~e~ral WiLil the sidewall 96. Th~ cylinder 129 ls pivotally moullted to an arm 13G. The a~ 136 is pivotal about a horizontal axis defined by a . pivot pin 133, the latter extending throu~h the . wall portion 24. A gear 140 is mounted on the pin 13~ for rotation therewith. ~ wo-r~ gear 142, supported by the housing 14~, is in interme~hed, : driving enga~emen~ with gear 140. ~n elon~ated, : rotatable rod 146 is secured to the worm gear 142, and has an o~erating handle 1~8 coupled thereto ~ - 30 reMote from ~he ~ear 142. In addition, a pair of adjustable, threaded li~it stops 14~ are mounted on wall ~4 to facilitate proper positionin~ of the SectiQn 16.
Upper water system 1~3 is dispo~ed below upper inker section 12 and in side-by-side rela-.
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iL L~7Z7 , 1 tionship to printer section 14. The water system 18 includes a pan 150 for!holding a supply of dampening fluid such as water J and a pair of cylindrical, tangentially contacting rollers, respectively referred to as a metal pan roller 152 ànd a rubber intermediate roller 154, both par-tially submerged within the fluid held in the pan 150 In addition, a metal transfer roller 156 is provided, along with a dampening form roller 158 having a resilient periphery in tangential contact with both the roller 156 and the adjacent plate roller 90. The system 18 serves to deliver a continuous and uniform supply of dampening fluid in desired amounts to the corresponding plate roller ~Q whereby the hydrophilic portions of the lithographic plate mounted on the roller 90 are constantly coated with a film of dampening fluid ' as required for high quality lithographic print-ing. Lower water system 20 is essentially iden-tical with the system 18 and includes a pan lS9, pan roller 161, intermediate roller 160, transfer roller 162 and dampening form roller 164.
The components of the respective upper ~: and lower modular water systems 18, 20 are each .
mounted in shiftable drawer-like carriage struc-ture 166, 168 for lateral movement o~ the entire system as desired. Air cylinders (not shown2 are . ~ employed for assistance in shifting the upper and lower water systems into and out of the tower 10.
~ 30 As those skilled in the art will readily : ~ appreciate, drive means are provided for driven rotation of at least certain of the rollers within the respective modules of tower 10, In practice, a single drive means is employed to drive, through appropriate gear trains, the plate and blanket , t . , , ; .: .. - ., , . . , .. , :. ., . . ~ . . . .
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1 rollers of printer section 14, and the form roller and vibrator rollers of the inker sections (the inking rollers of the upper and lower inkers 1 and 16 are friction driven by the gear-driven rollers). Also, the shiftable ductor rollers 44, 46 and 120, 122 are driven for back-and-forth oscillating movement, and the respective vibrator rollers are, in addition to axial rotation, driven for axial reciprocation. Finally, separate drive and gearing arrangement is provided for the upper and lower water systems 18 and 20.
Referring now to Fig. 6, an enlarged, fragmentary, essentially schematic illustration of the lower portion of upper inker module 12, and the upper portion of printer module 14, is il-lustrated. In this regard, the single form cylin-der 42 is shown, along with the drive gear 170 associated therewith. Also, the drive gear 172 associated with the plate roller 90 is illus-trated. The gears 170 and 172 are in intermeshed, driving engagement, and it is important to note in this respect that the pitch diameter of gear 170 is essentially identical with the diameter of form cylinder 42, and the pitch diameter of gear 172 is essentially identical with the effective diameter of plate roller 90 in use, e.g., the total dia-meter of the plate roller and a plate secured therearound. Hence, intermeshing-of the gears 170, 172 serves to place the periphery of the rollers 42, 90 in tangential, rolling contact with each other.
As noted above, inker sections 12 and 16 employ only a single form roller in tangential contact with the adjacent plate roller. This in turn allows replacement of the printer section 14 .~
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, 1 with a second section 14a having a plate roller and blanket roller of different diameters. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein a printer section 14a is employed having a plate roller 90a of greater effective diameter than that of the roller 90 illustrated in Fig. 6. Here again however, the pitch diameter of the gear 172a associated with roller 90a is essentially equal to the effective diameter of the roller 90a during use thereof. Hence, proper intermeshing contact can be established between gear 170 associated with roller 42, and the gear 172a associated with plate roller 90a.
Typical prior inker units have employed a plurality of ink-transferring form rollers in contact with a single plate roller. As can be appreciated, this sort of construction makes changing the plate roller a very difficult task, since the position of all of the associated form ; 20 rollers must also be altered. However, the single form roller employed in the present invention, along with the described gearing arrangement, eliminates the need for roller position alteration and thus greatly facilitates tower changeovers.
During normal printing operations with '~ the tower 10, web 88 passes between the blanket rollers ~4, 86 and is printed on both sides there of. As explained, upper printer section 12 serves to supply ink to the plate-supporting roller 90, and upper water system 18 supplies a dampening supply of water to the roller 9~ as well. In a similar fashion lower inker section 16, along with lower water section 20, supply the plate-supporting roller 92. The specific function of the various rollers making up the respective .
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1 sections or modules of tower 10 are well known to those skilled in the art, and thus need not be discussed in detail herein. However, in the event that it is necessary or desirable to throw off upper inker section 12, a piston and cylinder assembly (not shown) can be activated to disengage form roller 42 from plate roller 90 without dis-engaging the associated gears. In a similar man-ner, minimum disengagement of lower inker section 16 is effected through the piston and cylinder assembly 128 which serves to pivot form roller 102 out of tangential contact with the adjacent roller 92. These mechanisms provide an easy and efficient "form on and off" unction for the tower 10. It will also be recognized that the adjustability of the respective inker sections 12 and 16 relative to printer section 14 ma~es it a simple matter to precisely position the inkers in the field, notwithstanding any minor tolerance errors which might have been made during fabrication. Silencing of the inker sections can be effected-by rotation of the handles 78, 148 so as to disengage the gears be-tween the respective form rollers and plate rollers.
In the event that it is desired to change printer section 14, tower 10 is shut down and handle 78 is manipulated so as to rotate upper inker section 12 to a retracted, printer section-clearing position best illustrated in Fig. 4. In this orientation, the entire printer section 14 can be lifted essentially vertically out of tower 10. This is normally accomplished-through the use of overhead support rails or portable gantries commonly found in prlnt shops. Furthermore, the respective rollers of upper inker section 12 can .
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l be inspected and replaced when the section 12 is in its retracted position. This is particularly the case with respect to form roller 42 which is mounted within the keyhole slot 61 as described.
When printer section 14 is removed from tower 10, easy access is provided to the lower inker section 16, and particularly to the form roller 102. The latter is mounted within the respective keyhole slots 101, and can be replaced as needed without difficulty. As noted above, precise adjustment of the orienta~ion of the modular portion of section 16 can be effected through piston and cylinder assembly 128 and the adjustable limit stops 149.
In the event that it is desired to employ a new printer section, it is only necessary to place the new printer section into position on tower lO and secure the same by con~entional means (not shown). Tower 10 is particularly suited for use of printer sections having varying sizes of plate rolls, and the single inker form roll con-struction greatly facilitates changeover of printer sections. After the new printer section is installed, upper inker section 12 is pivoted back to its normal operating position. By virtue of the fact that there are only two p~ints of tangency on the plate roller, (from the dampening - form roller and inker for-m roller) any practical size of plate roller can be employed.
The water delivery systems 18 and 20 can ; be removed by laterally shifting the same out of the tower. To this end the systems are construc-ted as separate units and are mounted on rails for support purposes. Here again, replacement of one ; 35 or more of the water systems can be effected l~J17Z'7 1 simply by use of a new system.
It will also be appreciated that the particular printing tower herein described in detail can be modified in many respects without departing from the spirit and scope of the in-vention. For example, although a perfector tower has been described and depicted, it will be under-stood that, where desired, web 88 can be printed only on one side thereof. In thesP circumstances, a printer section having upper blanket and plate rollers, and a lower impression roller adjacent the blanket roller, is used. Moreover, a printing tower can be constructed which omits the modular components necessary for perfecting printing.
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In the case of color printing for ex~mple, a separate tower i~ used for each color 80 as to ~-give the final printed material a multicolor effect, Also, each press tower i~ normally pro-vided wi~h a printer section, one or more inking units, and as~ociated water sys~ems.
30- ~or the most part, web-fed press ~owers of the type described above have been produced on an individual basis. This ha~ generally involved fabrica~ing sidewalls and other necessary sup~ort struc~ure, and in3talling the neces~ary rollers and other mechani3m a~sociated with the tower. In L
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, ~ ' .
.7Z7 1 this connection, ~he prac~ice has been to employ relatively thick, integral tower ~idewalls. These sidewall~ are carefully bored for receiving roll mounts at various locations, as well as being configured or other purposes. ~s can be appre-ciated, such a mode of construction presents a nu~ber o problems~ ~ir~, use of integral side-walls makes i~ necessary to discard the entire sidewall in the event that a small error is made in placement of a ~ingle aperture therethrough, inasmuch a3 roll placement and orien~ation are critical ~o tower performance. Hence, a slngle mlstake of th~s nature in fa~rication ma~;es it nece~sary to scrap an entire ~idewall, even if lt i~ otherwise complete and perfect. Second, even though only a portion of the overall tower (nor-mally the prîn~er section) requires relatively thick sidewall~ for adequate support, use of integral sidewalls means, as a practical matter, that the entire sidewall must be of the maximum thickness. This in turn ~reatly increase~ the ~aterial costs, without an attendant signiicant increase in structural lntegrity or utility of the tower. ~ -Altllough tower~ havin~ interchan~eable printer sections have been proposed in the past, or the most part these units have been very omplex and time consuming to use and modify.
Cer~ain known prior towers have employed printer ~ection~ which can be shifted horizontally for removal from the tower. Wit'nout kno~m exception however, thi~ type of tower has required special-ized guide and motive ~tructure for movement of the printer ~ection, along with mechani~m for shifting ~djacent rollers andlor ~ears for accom-.
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31 lq~i727 .
. - 3 -l ~oda~ing a replacement printer section. All of the features have made variable pres3es extremely expensive and difficult to use in the field. In fact, these dif~iculties have been so for~idable as to preclude pro~uction of certain ~ypes o~
variable to~ers, i.~., so-called variable s~raight through perector towers having upper and lower web-contacting and printing blanket rolls for receiving a web traveling along a generally hori-zontal path of travel. The complexity o~ such straight through per~ector towers has made it impossible to provide an effective capacity ~or varying the printing section o~ the tower, even though from a utility standpoint sucll a eature would be highly advantageous.
Summary of the Invention The problems described above are in large ~easure solved by the present invention. In its broadest aspect3, the tower of the invention is o~ fully mo~ular constructlon and is so con-structed a~ to allow easy and quic~ maintenance, removal and/or replace~ent of the respective to~Jer modules. In one particularly important aspect, the uppermost inker module o~ the tower i8 rnounted for pivotal movement about a ~enerally horiæontal axis between a normal inking posi-tion wherein the ~orm roller o~ the inker is in contact with the ad~acent plate roller of the printer 6ection, to a retracted, printer section-clearing position.
In thi~ orien~ation, the prin~er section can ~e shifted essentially vertically out of the tower and there~ore us~ can be made o~ conventional overhead support rails provided in print shops.
In addition, pivoting of ~he upper in~er module ~o .
, . -" ~ ,,, ~r. ~ I
i ~- r ~
1 it~ recessed position allows easy replacemen~
and/or repair of the rolls and other mechanism provided therein~ . ¦
The fully modular construction of the tower of the instant invention al~o allows use of supporting sidewall~ for the respectlve modules which arc designed ~or maximum support and struc-tural integrity without undue expense or waste of materials. That is to say, the printer section provided with the tower hereof is the heaviest unit re~uirin~ the most rigid support. Accord-ingly, the ~idewalls provided with this unit are relatively thick to provide the necessary support. I
- ~Iowever, the remainder of the tower sidewalls, and particularly the main upstanding portions thereof, can be fabricated from materials of les~er thick-ness so as to minimize construction costq. It will of course be understood tha~ in other tower configurations, ~tructural demands may make it neces~ary to use sidewalls of varyinR thicknesses at different locations, and such eventualities are within the scope of the present invention a~ well.
The modular construc~ion of the tower also eliminates one o~ the most troublesome prob-lems associated with the manufacture of web-fed towers, i.e., the necessity of scrapping an entire tower sidewaIl in the event of a single e~ror in tolerances or placement of an aperture therethrough. Specifically, each of the modules can be fabricated separately and therefore any ¦-abrication mistake~ are limited ~o a particular module, as opposed to an entire tower sidewall.
In this way scrap is reduced and labor costs are considerably lowered. ~150, the ~nherently ad~u~t-able na~ure of the tower module~ allows compensa-. . ,, ~ ~ :
L7~
tion for any tolerance errors made during manufacture.
Finally, the particular modular tower configuration disclosed herein allows fabrication and use of a truly variable, straight through perfector tower. Use of a pivotally mounted 5 upper inker, along with a removable printer section which can be shifted vertically, are chiefly responsible for the ability to provide a practical, variable straight through perfector tower.
Thus, the invention can also be defined, in general terms, 10 as a web printing tower, comprising: a pair of spaced apart main sidewalls; a modular printer section removably supported by said main sidewalls and including a pair of spaced apart printer sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls; an elon-gated cylindrical plate roller; an elongated, cylindrical web-15 contacting blanket roller; and means for mounting said plate andblanket roller between said printer sidewalls in tangential con-tact with each other and for axial rotation of the rollers; an inker section including spaced apart inker sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls and printer sidewalls, a single, 20 elongated, cylindrical, axially rotatable inker form roller supported by said inker sidewalls, and means for continuously applying ink to the periphery of said inker form roller : during printing operations of said tower; means for mounting said inker section in a normal position above said printer 25 section with said single form roller in ink-transferring engagement with said plate roller, and for selective pivoting of the inker section about a generally horizontal axis from said normal position to a retracted printer section-clearing position permitting said printer section to be bodily moved 30 upwardly out of said tower without obstruction from the inker section; means for rotating said rollers including respective gears drivingly coupled to said single form roller and plate roller and configured for meshed,:driving inter-engagement when said inker section is in said normal position 35 thereof; the pitch diameter of the gear coupled to said inker form roller being substantially the same as the diameter of the inker form roller, and the pitch diameter of said gear coupled to said plate roller being substantially the same as , ~, . ' ' ' 7Z~
-5a-the effective diameter of the plate roller, whereby said tower can accommodate replacement printer sections having different diameter plate and printer rollers without modification of said inker section.
According to another feature of the present invention, said printer section sidewalls and said inker section side-walls are of different thicknesses. According to a further feature of the present invention, said printer section includes a pair of upper and lower web-contacting blanket rollers disposed for simultaneous contact and printing on both sides of said web, and a corresponding plate roller in contact with each blanket roller, there being a lower inker for applying ink to the plate roller in contact with said lower blanket roller. According to a still another feature of the present invention, the tower includes a water supply module removably su~ported by said tower and having means for applying water to said plate roller.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an essentially schematic side view of a tower in accordance with the invention, illustrating the gear side of the tower;
Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the sidewall of the tower illustrated in Fig. 1, viewing from the left hand side of the Fig. 1 illustration;
Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the sidewall of the tower illustrated in Fig. 1, viewing from the right hand ;
end of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is an essentially schematic, exploded side view illustrating the upper inker of the tower in its retracted, printer section-clearing position, with the printer section , shown as being vertically shifted from the tower, and with the upper and lower water systems laterally removed from the tower;
Fig. 5 is an essentially schematic view of the interior of the-tower illustrating the various rollers associated there-with and the modules of the tower;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged, essentially schematic view illustrating the contact between Ij -- . . . . . ..
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1 tlle plate roller of a irst ~rinter module and the form roller of the upper ~nker module; and Fi~ 7 i~ a view similar to ~ig. 6 but illustrating the use of a second printer module having a plate roller larger ~han ~hat of the firs~ in~er rlodule.
Description o the Preerred Fmbodiment Turning now to the drawings, a tower 10 of modular construction is illustrated whlch broadly includes an upper inker section 12, a ~rinter sPction 1~, a lower inker section 16, and upper and lower water delivery sys~ems respec-tively numbered 1~ and 20. A pair of upright, irregularly sha~ed main frame wall portions 22 and 24 ~upport ~he ~ower ~odules; and as will be described in more detail hereinafter, the portions .. 22, 24, and the corre~ponding supporting sidewalls .~ of the various tower mo~ules, cooperatively deine overall, upright, spaced sidewalls 26 and 28 for the tower 10. These sidewall~ 26, ~.8 su~port a serie~ of elon~,ated, cylindrical, axially rotat-. able rollers disposed for rotation about respec-tive hori~ontal a~es, and are l~aintained in spaced .relationshi~ and ri~idified by conventional means such as cross braces 30 (see Fig 5~ extending . between the portions 22, 24 In ~ore detail, upper inker 12 includes a.pa~r o~ spaced sidewalls 32, 3~ which are of ; 30 generally rectangular con~iguration, and, in the embodiment shown, are formed of 3/4 inch thick ~etal plate. ~hese.sidewalls 32, 34 sup~ort the component.s of the inking syste~ w'nich include an . ink fountain 36, an ink roller 38 di~posed par- .
tially within the fountain 36, and a roller train ,,, . I
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40 including a relatively large form roller 42 having a resilient periphery. The train 40 in-cludes a pair of ductor rollers 44, 46 which are shiftable in oscillatin~ fashion between ink roller 38 and hard, metallic vitrator roller 48, the latter being in tangential rolling contact with form roller 42~ Additional vibrator rollers 0, 52 are similarly disposed around form roller 42 in spaced relationship to one another. Two sets of rider rollers each including three rollers of successively larger diameter 54, 56 and 58 are associated with each vibrator roller 50, 52 as illustrated. An additional rider roller 60 is in tangential rolling contact with form roller 42 adjacent the lowermost vibrator roller 52. Form roller 42 is mounted within respecti~e keyhole slots 61 proviaed in the walls 32, 3a for ease of replacement of the roller~
The purpose of roller train 40 is to deliver ink to the form roller 42 and to smooth out the ink thereon in a manner to eliminate all plate-derived latent images before a reinked portion o~ the form roller moves back into ink- .
transferring relationship with the plate roller (to be described hereinafter) associated with the adjacent printer section 14.
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': . : , ~ 27 l ~eferring specifically to ~i~s. l, 2 and 5, it will be seen that u~per inker section 12 is pivotally mounted to the tower lO for shifting ~love~ent t11ereo~ as desirea about a generally horizontal axiq. Specifically, the main frame wall portions ~2, 24 are provi~ed with upstanding tabs 62, 64, and the respective sidewalls 32, 34 of the inker sec~ion 12 are disposed inwardly of and a~ acent to the respective corresponding tabs 62, 64. An elongated pivot shaft G6 i8 ~ ournaled to ~he respec~ive ~abs 62, 64 and serves to pivot-ally support the sidewalls 32, 34, and thereby allows pivoting movement of the entire section 12 about the geI~erally horizontal axis de~ined by tlle shaft 66. In addition, mechanism 6~ is mounted on wall por~ion 24 for infinite ad~ustment and/or shiftln~ of the up~er inker section 12 as desired.
lhis mechanisr1 lncludes a pivot a~il 70 secured to shaft 66. ~n elongated, threade~ rod 72 is pivot-ally secured to the end of arm 70 remote fro~
s1Laft GG. This rod 72 is in tu~L threade~ into and is advanceable with respect to a captive nut 74. ~3ut 74 is pivot~l about a horizontal axis and is supported by a block 76 secured to wall portion 24. I~inally, operatin~ handle 7S i~ secured to the end o rod 72 remote from arm 70. As can be rea~ily appreciated, rotation of the rod 72 through the ~edium of handle 7~ caus~s correspond- ;
ing movement o pivot arD! 70 and shaft ~6; this in turn pivots the entire inker section 12 about the axis defined b~ the shaft 66.
Printer section 14 includes a ~air of laterally spaced, roller-supportin~ sidewalls 80 &2 which rest atop the upper margins o~ the cor-rPspon~ing ~all port1Ons 22, 24. ~hese si~ewalls ~ .
, . . .
' 7~7 1 are rclatively thick, e.g., 1 1/2 inch s~eel, ina~much as the relatively heavy ~rinter section must be adequately suppoL^ted to achieve the best possible prlnting results. The printer section 14 in ~his ins~ance includes a ~air of blanl;et rol-lers ~4 and 86 ha~ing resilicnt peripheries which are disposed ~enerally one atop the other (see Flg. 5) and cooperatively present a web contactlng and printing nip area therebetween. ~s shown, the blanliet rollers 84, 86 deflne a nip area for receiving a we~ 88 travelin~ along a generally horizontal path of travel; thus, the printer module 1~ presents a so-called straight-through perfector tower wherein both faces of the web 88 are im~rinted si~ultaneously durin~ passage through thP printer section, and moreover the web ~8 travels along a gener~lly horizontal pat~ of travel throu~h the tower 10. The section 14 also includes a pair of ~late-supportin~ cylinders or rollers 90, 92 which are respecti~ely in tan~en-tial rolling con~act with a corresponding blanket cylinder ~4j 86 as illustrated.
Lower in~er section 16 is substantially identical ~ith the previously described section 12. The section 1~ includes a pair of Laterally - spaced, roller supporting sidewalls 94, 9fi of 3/~
inch steel ~Ihich are ~ach ~ivotally mounted to the corresponding main frame sidewall portion 22, 2 by means of respective ~vot pins 9~, 100. The sidewalls are confi~ured to present respective l;eyhole slots 101 which support the relatively large, resilient form roller 102. Tllese walls also support rider roller 104, and vibrator rol-lers lOG and 10~, in tangential rollin~ contact with form roller 102. In addition, the sidewalls ' . . - ......................................... ~ . .
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- 10 iL~ ~7~7 1 94, 96 SllppO~t the respective rider roller sets each including the rollers 110, 112 and 11~. As best seell in Fig. S howev2r, tl~e main frame por-tions ~2, 2~, support the inl; ountain 116, ink roller 11$, shiftable ductor rollers 1 0,- 122, and the vibrator roller 1~.4. l'hus, although the overall upper and lower in]in,~ systems are essen-tially identical, in the case of the lower i~ker section 16, only the described ~ortion thereof is moullted on.the modlllar ~idewalls 94, ~6.
~hls modular portion of th2 overall lower irikin~ syste~ is shiftable by vlrtue o~
mechanis~n 12~ (see ~,. S). ~lechanism l2~ in-cludes a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 128 havin~ a cylinder 129 and piston rod 130 extendin~ therefrorn. The rod 130 is threaded into a collar 132 c,o as to allow ad~ustment of the 2ffective len~th of the rod 130. Tl~e collar 132 is in tur~ pivoted to a de~ending tab 134 which is 20- in~e~ral WiLil the sidewall 96. Th~ cylinder 129 ls pivotally moullted to an arm 13G. The a~ 136 is pivotal about a horizontal axis defined by a . pivot pin 133, the latter extending throu~h the . wall portion 24. A gear 140 is mounted on the pin 13~ for rotation therewith. ~ wo-r~ gear 142, supported by the housing 14~, is in interme~hed, : driving enga~emen~ with gear 140. ~n elon~ated, : rotatable rod 146 is secured to the worm gear 142, and has an o~erating handle 1~8 coupled thereto ~ - 30 reMote from ~he ~ear 142. In addition, a pair of adjustable, threaded li~it stops 14~ are mounted on wall ~4 to facilitate proper positionin~ of the SectiQn 16.
Upper water system 1~3 is dispo~ed below upper inker section 12 and in side-by-side rela-.
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iL L~7Z7 , 1 tionship to printer section 14. The water system 18 includes a pan 150 for!holding a supply of dampening fluid such as water J and a pair of cylindrical, tangentially contacting rollers, respectively referred to as a metal pan roller 152 ànd a rubber intermediate roller 154, both par-tially submerged within the fluid held in the pan 150 In addition, a metal transfer roller 156 is provided, along with a dampening form roller 158 having a resilient periphery in tangential contact with both the roller 156 and the adjacent plate roller 90. The system 18 serves to deliver a continuous and uniform supply of dampening fluid in desired amounts to the corresponding plate roller ~Q whereby the hydrophilic portions of the lithographic plate mounted on the roller 90 are constantly coated with a film of dampening fluid ' as required for high quality lithographic print-ing. Lower water system 20 is essentially iden-tical with the system 18 and includes a pan lS9, pan roller 161, intermediate roller 160, transfer roller 162 and dampening form roller 164.
The components of the respective upper ~: and lower modular water systems 18, 20 are each .
mounted in shiftable drawer-like carriage struc-ture 166, 168 for lateral movement o~ the entire system as desired. Air cylinders (not shown2 are . ~ employed for assistance in shifting the upper and lower water systems into and out of the tower 10.
~ 30 As those skilled in the art will readily : ~ appreciate, drive means are provided for driven rotation of at least certain of the rollers within the respective modules of tower 10, In practice, a single drive means is employed to drive, through appropriate gear trains, the plate and blanket , t . , , ; .: .. - ., , . . , .. , :. ., . . ~ . . . .
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1 rollers of printer section 14, and the form roller and vibrator rollers of the inker sections (the inking rollers of the upper and lower inkers 1 and 16 are friction driven by the gear-driven rollers). Also, the shiftable ductor rollers 44, 46 and 120, 122 are driven for back-and-forth oscillating movement, and the respective vibrator rollers are, in addition to axial rotation, driven for axial reciprocation. Finally, separate drive and gearing arrangement is provided for the upper and lower water systems 18 and 20.
Referring now to Fig. 6, an enlarged, fragmentary, essentially schematic illustration of the lower portion of upper inker module 12, and the upper portion of printer module 14, is il-lustrated. In this regard, the single form cylin-der 42 is shown, along with the drive gear 170 associated therewith. Also, the drive gear 172 associated with the plate roller 90 is illus-trated. The gears 170 and 172 are in intermeshed, driving engagement, and it is important to note in this respect that the pitch diameter of gear 170 is essentially identical with the diameter of form cylinder 42, and the pitch diameter of gear 172 is essentially identical with the effective diameter of plate roller 90 in use, e.g., the total dia-meter of the plate roller and a plate secured therearound. Hence, intermeshing-of the gears 170, 172 serves to place the periphery of the rollers 42, 90 in tangential, rolling contact with each other.
As noted above, inker sections 12 and 16 employ only a single form roller in tangential contact with the adjacent plate roller. This in turn allows replacement of the printer section 14 .~
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, 1 with a second section 14a having a plate roller and blanket roller of different diameters. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein a printer section 14a is employed having a plate roller 90a of greater effective diameter than that of the roller 90 illustrated in Fig. 6. Here again however, the pitch diameter of the gear 172a associated with roller 90a is essentially equal to the effective diameter of the roller 90a during use thereof. Hence, proper intermeshing contact can be established between gear 170 associated with roller 42, and the gear 172a associated with plate roller 90a.
Typical prior inker units have employed a plurality of ink-transferring form rollers in contact with a single plate roller. As can be appreciated, this sort of construction makes changing the plate roller a very difficult task, since the position of all of the associated form ; 20 rollers must also be altered. However, the single form roller employed in the present invention, along with the described gearing arrangement, eliminates the need for roller position alteration and thus greatly facilitates tower changeovers.
During normal printing operations with '~ the tower 10, web 88 passes between the blanket rollers ~4, 86 and is printed on both sides there of. As explained, upper printer section 12 serves to supply ink to the plate-supporting roller 90, and upper water system 18 supplies a dampening supply of water to the roller 9~ as well. In a similar fashion lower inker section 16, along with lower water section 20, supply the plate-supporting roller 92. The specific function of the various rollers making up the respective .
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1 sections or modules of tower 10 are well known to those skilled in the art, and thus need not be discussed in detail herein. However, in the event that it is necessary or desirable to throw off upper inker section 12, a piston and cylinder assembly (not shown) can be activated to disengage form roller 42 from plate roller 90 without dis-engaging the associated gears. In a similar man-ner, minimum disengagement of lower inker section 16 is effected through the piston and cylinder assembly 128 which serves to pivot form roller 102 out of tangential contact with the adjacent roller 92. These mechanisms provide an easy and efficient "form on and off" unction for the tower 10. It will also be recognized that the adjustability of the respective inker sections 12 and 16 relative to printer section 14 ma~es it a simple matter to precisely position the inkers in the field, notwithstanding any minor tolerance errors which might have been made during fabrication. Silencing of the inker sections can be effected-by rotation of the handles 78, 148 so as to disengage the gears be-tween the respective form rollers and plate rollers.
In the event that it is desired to change printer section 14, tower 10 is shut down and handle 78 is manipulated so as to rotate upper inker section 12 to a retracted, printer section-clearing position best illustrated in Fig. 4. In this orientation, the entire printer section 14 can be lifted essentially vertically out of tower 10. This is normally accomplished-through the use of overhead support rails or portable gantries commonly found in prlnt shops. Furthermore, the respective rollers of upper inker section 12 can .
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l be inspected and replaced when the section 12 is in its retracted position. This is particularly the case with respect to form roller 42 which is mounted within the keyhole slot 61 as described.
When printer section 14 is removed from tower 10, easy access is provided to the lower inker section 16, and particularly to the form roller 102. The latter is mounted within the respective keyhole slots 101, and can be replaced as needed without difficulty. As noted above, precise adjustment of the orienta~ion of the modular portion of section 16 can be effected through piston and cylinder assembly 128 and the adjustable limit stops 149.
In the event that it is desired to employ a new printer section, it is only necessary to place the new printer section into position on tower lO and secure the same by con~entional means (not shown). Tower 10 is particularly suited for use of printer sections having varying sizes of plate rolls, and the single inker form roll con-struction greatly facilitates changeover of printer sections. After the new printer section is installed, upper inker section 12 is pivoted back to its normal operating position. By virtue of the fact that there are only two p~ints of tangency on the plate roller, (from the dampening - form roller and inker for-m roller) any practical size of plate roller can be employed.
The water delivery systems 18 and 20 can ; be removed by laterally shifting the same out of the tower. To this end the systems are construc-ted as separate units and are mounted on rails for support purposes. Here again, replacement of one ; 35 or more of the water systems can be effected l~J17Z'7 1 simply by use of a new system.
It will also be appreciated that the particular printing tower herein described in detail can be modified in many respects without departing from the spirit and scope of the in-vention. For example, although a perfector tower has been described and depicted, it will be under-stood that, where desired, web 88 can be printed only on one side thereof. In thesP circumstances, a printer section having upper blanket and plate rollers, and a lower impression roller adjacent the blanket roller, is used. Moreover, a printing tower can be constructed which omits the modular components necessary for perfecting printing.
; 25 .
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Claims (4)
1. A web printing tower, comprising:
a pair of spaced apart main sidewalls;
a modular printer section removably supported by said main sidewalls and including:
a pair of spaced apart printer sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls;
an elongated, cylindrical plate roller;
an elongated, cylindrical web-contacting blanket roller; and means for mounting said plate and blanket roller between said printer sidewalls in tangential contact with each other and for axial rotation of the rollers;
an inker section including spaced apart inker sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls and printer side-walls, a single, elongated, cylindrical, axially rotatable inker form roller supported by said inker sidewalls, and means for continuously applying ink to the periphery of said inker form roller during printing operations of said tower;
means for mounting said inker section in a normal position above said printer section with said single form roller in ink-transferring engagement with said plate roller, and for selective pivoting of the inker section about a generally horizontal axis from said normal position to a retracted printer section-clearing position permitting said printer section to be bodily moved upwardly out of said tower without obstruction from the inker section;
means for rotating said rollers including respective gears drivingly coupled to said single form roller and plate roller and configured for meshed, driving interengagement when said inker section is in said normal position thereof;
the pitch diameter of the gear coupled to said inker form roller being substantially the same as the diameter of the inker form roller, and the pitch diameter of said gear coupled to said plate roller being substantially the same as the effective diameter of the plate roller, whereby said tower can accommodate replacement printer sections having different diameter plate and printer rollers without modification of said inker section.
a pair of spaced apart main sidewalls;
a modular printer section removably supported by said main sidewalls and including:
a pair of spaced apart printer sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls;
an elongated, cylindrical plate roller;
an elongated, cylindrical web-contacting blanket roller; and means for mounting said plate and blanket roller between said printer sidewalls in tangential contact with each other and for axial rotation of the rollers;
an inker section including spaced apart inker sidewalls separate from said main sidewalls and printer side-walls, a single, elongated, cylindrical, axially rotatable inker form roller supported by said inker sidewalls, and means for continuously applying ink to the periphery of said inker form roller during printing operations of said tower;
means for mounting said inker section in a normal position above said printer section with said single form roller in ink-transferring engagement with said plate roller, and for selective pivoting of the inker section about a generally horizontal axis from said normal position to a retracted printer section-clearing position permitting said printer section to be bodily moved upwardly out of said tower without obstruction from the inker section;
means for rotating said rollers including respective gears drivingly coupled to said single form roller and plate roller and configured for meshed, driving interengagement when said inker section is in said normal position thereof;
the pitch diameter of the gear coupled to said inker form roller being substantially the same as the diameter of the inker form roller, and the pitch diameter of said gear coupled to said plate roller being substantially the same as the effective diameter of the plate roller, whereby said tower can accommodate replacement printer sections having different diameter plate and printer rollers without modification of said inker section.
2. The tower as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said printer section sidewalls and said inker section sidewalls are of different thicknesses.
3. The tower of Claim 1, said printer section including a pair of upper and lower web-contacting blanket rollers disposed for simultaneous contact and printing on both sides of said web, and a corresponding plate roller in contact with each blanket roller, there being a lower inker for applying ink to the plate roller in contact with said lower blanket roller.
4. The tower of Claim 1, including a water supply module removably supported by said tower and having means for applying water to said plate roller.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US96958578A | 1978-12-14 | 1978-12-14 | |
| US969,585 | 1978-12-14 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1101727A true CA1101727A (en) | 1981-05-26 |
Family
ID=25515699
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA340,979A Expired CA1101727A (en) | 1978-12-14 | 1979-11-30 | Modular offset lithographic printing tower |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1101727A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2949957C2 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2443930B1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5392710A (en) * | 1993-06-15 | 1995-02-28 | Li; Raymond | Modular feeder printing system |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2527519A1 (en) * | 1982-05-25 | 1983-12-02 | Chambon Machines | OFFSET PRINTING APPARATUS WITH VARIABLE FORMAT |
| DE3230833C2 (en) * | 1982-08-19 | 1985-08-29 | CORTEC Wellpappenmaschinenhandels- und Service GmbH, 2000 Hamburg | Device with several work stations for printing, punching or cutting of cardboard blanks |
| US4919047A (en) * | 1985-08-27 | 1990-04-24 | Toray Industries, Inc. | Multicolor printing press |
| CH682896A5 (en) * | 1990-04-25 | 1993-12-15 | Bobst Sa | offset printing machine with variable format with automatic unloading-loading printing cylinders. |
| DE102007043841A1 (en) * | 2007-09-14 | 2009-03-19 | Manroland Ag | Printing unit of a web-fed rotary printing machine |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1249292B (en) * | 1967-09-07 | Stevens Corporation Fort Worth Tex (V St A) | Rotationsoffsetdruckmaschme nut from interchangeable form and transfer cylinder pairs of different diameters | |
| US3076407A (en) * | 1958-08-28 | 1963-02-05 | Zimmerman Jerome | Plate cylinder separating attachment for offset presses |
| DE1167362B (en) * | 1962-07-13 | 1964-04-09 | Hinniger Automatic Druckmasch | Rotary printing unit for changing formats |
| DE1436541A1 (en) * | 1964-04-02 | 1969-02-06 | Roland Offsetmaschf | Web-fed rotary printing press |
| GB1230020A (en) * | 1967-06-30 | 1971-04-28 | ||
| FR2113813A1 (en) * | 1970-11-10 | 1972-06-30 | Reine Andre | |
| US3877370A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1975-04-15 | Hantscho Co George | Printing press |
| DE2235844A1 (en) * | 1972-07-21 | 1974-01-31 | Maschf Augsburg Nuernberg Ag | ROLL ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING MACHINE FOR LATERAL AND REPRODUCTION |
| AU6950174A (en) * | 1973-06-29 | 1975-12-04 | Sun Chemical Corp | Printer |
-
1979
- 1979-11-30 CA CA340,979A patent/CA1101727A/en not_active Expired
- 1979-12-12 DE DE19792949957 patent/DE2949957C2/en not_active Expired
- 1979-12-13 FR FR7930640A patent/FR2443930B1/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5392710A (en) * | 1993-06-15 | 1995-02-28 | Li; Raymond | Modular feeder printing system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FR2443930B1 (en) | 1985-11-15 |
| FR2443930A1 (en) | 1980-07-11 |
| DE2949957A1 (en) | 1980-07-03 |
| DE2949957C2 (en) | 1985-01-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |