EP0573877B1 - Printing machine, in particular for printing solid and rigid cardboard, with exchangeable printing cylinders - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing machine, in particular for multi-color printing, which is particularly suitable for printing webs of heavy or thick packaging material, such as cardboard boxes, cardboard or the like, the material of the printing machine in the form of an endless web for subsequent cutting is fed. The printing machine is particularly suitable for multi-color printing on packaging boxes.

From DE-OS 1 486 854 a web-fed rotary printing press is known which can be adapted to different printing formats. For this purpose, the printing press has a main frame with an insert which can be exchanged in its working position and which is provided with an auxiliary frame in which at least one cooperating pair of cylinders is rotatably mounted. The pair of cylinders comprises a plate cylinder and a cylinder which cooperates with it and which is mounted in an adjustable, eccentric housing. With this, the cylinder can be adjusted relative to the plate cylinder. The housing has a bearing adjusting means which automatically engages with an adjusting means movable on the main frame when the interchangeable insert is inserted into its working position.

When printing continuously using a rotary printing machine on a web of heavy packaging material, such as of packaging cartons, preferably as cartons for food e.g. for cereal products, or as small boxes, e.g. B. for medicines, toothpaste or the like, there is the difficulty that the packaging material to be printed has different spatial dimensions and accordingly the repetition frequency of the material to be printed is very different. Therefore, it is desirable to install pressure cylinders, which can be composite parts such as a Formzylinde transfer cylinder printing pair, in which the printing cylinder or a pair of cylinders can be easily replaced to exchange cylinders of different diameters. Up to now, it was common to pull the cylinders out of the printing machine when changing in the axial direction, based on the cylinder axes, and to place the cylinder on a cart or a shunting device. However, the cylinders are heavy. For example, a transfer cylinder-forme cylinder pair of the type to which the present invention relates weighs more than two tons.

It is the object of the invention to provide a printing press which is particularly suitable for printing on heavy or thick packaging material, which is in the form of an endless web is supplied, wherein a printing cylinder or a pair of printing cylinders when an offset printing machine is used is easily interchangeable and does not require complex or complex operations; In this way, a printing press is created which, after replacing individual printing units of the printing system with cylinders of different sizes, allows new cylinders and the associated equipment, such as the inking units and dampening units, to be inserted easily, if necessary, and in particular where this is possible to operate the printing units from a remote control panel. The register setting between the various printing units of the printing system should also be possible very simply after the cylinders that were originally used are replaced when the printing cylinders are replaced.

Each printing unit, which is part of an abundance of printing units of a printing system, is arranged in a printing unit tower which has an impression cylinder. The impression cylinder, apart from the parking movement, can be brought into a disengagement position with respect to the printing cylinder, for example the transfer cylinder of a pair of printing cylinders, if the printing cylinder is to be exchanged for another different size. The printing process is carried out from below, so that the printing ink is transferred from an inking unit upwards to the printing cylinder or to the plate cylinder of a plate cylinder-transfer cylinder pair for offset printing. This arrangement allows the printing cylinder or, if an offset printing system is used, a form cylinder-offset transfer cylinder pair to be positioned in a removable cassette. The removable cassette can be moved in a direction that is usually parallel to the running direction of the printing material web that is being printed; then it is lifted upwards by means of a lifting device, for example to put it down in a cleaning station or for storage. This is significantly easier and faster than removing the cylinders in the axial direction. The entire cassette can be replaced. Of the The printing tower itself comprises a positioning device which is formed, for example, by reinforcing ribs or surfaces into which the cassette is fitted so that it can be placed in a predetermined position. The printing cylinder is driven by gears which can be moved axially, for example by air cylinders or the like, into or out of engagement with adjustment gears on the printing cylinder or the cylinders of a pair of printing cylinders.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a disengaging device is provided for a pair of impression cylinders printing cylinders, which allows the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder to be disengaged together, a common air cylinder being used. The connections between the printing tower and the cassette can be engaged automatically, e.g. by means of suitable interlocks which have locking cams, the position of which is controlled by a central control device.

The impression cylinder is not loaded with force compared to the printing cylinder, in particular the blanket cylinder. Positioning in the printing position of the support of the impression cylinder is done by adapting the locking mechanism on the cartridge, with which the impression cylinder positioning device can engage when the impression cylinder is in the printing position. This positioning process can be maintained as long as the same cartridge is used for a particular size of cylinder in the same printing unit tower.

The positioning of the impression cylinder in relation to the blanket cylinder changes depending on the thickness of the substrate web, and the adjustment of the relative position of the impression cylinder in relation to the blanket cylinder can be carried out independently and separately from the positioning of the respective cylinder carrier. This positioning process can be controlled from a main control station for all printing unit units; in addition, each printing unit or Printing station can be individually adjusted. Normally, the printing unit adjustment device is constructed symmetrically at both ends of the cylinder axis of the respective cylinder; however, it is possible that the adjustment unit on the working side of the printing station is constructed differently from the adjustment unit on the transmission side of the printing station, if this is desired.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the carriers have eccentrics so that they roll against one another with precisely defined circumferences. There is a disengaging device for the eccentric of each carrier which is connected to the cylinder disengaging device so that, once the impression cylinder is in a disengaged position, the eccentric of the carrier moves away from the other carriers by means of a mechanical connection.

The register is determined by setting an axis line and the axes for the printing stations with respect to a zero line position by means of couplings. The printing press has a multiplicity of printing units, and proximity switches are provided on the last printing unit or the last printing unit which recognize a zero or reference position for the axis line. When the zero axis is to be brought to the zero position, a small, 3 HP drive motor is used to turn the zero axis at a low, controlled speed in order to reach the zero position more precisely.

The printing cylinder, in the case of a pair of blanket cylinders and forme cylinders, the forme cylinder, has its own motor (plate motor) which serves to drive the printing cylinder. This motor is locked so that it can only work if a drive coupling for the special printing unit or the special printing unit is disengaged. An adjustable slip disk is provided, which is coupled to two optical sensor brands, which in turn are scanned by optical sensors. A disc is on the drive gear for the The forme cylinder is arranged in an insertion groove for the printing form, the printing form being clamped onto the corresponding form cylinder. A first mark on the disc indicates that it is approaching a breakpoint and a second mark is at the breakpoint, which may have a deviation of ± 1 mm. The positioning of the slip disk on the individual cartridges indicates the time offset of the unit with respect to the line axis, so that the insertion groove or the cylinder channel is brought into correct relationship with the line axis. Then when the clutch is engaged, the unit with the correct circumferential register is involved in the timing of the printing press.

The printing cylinder can be automatically moved to a plate change position. This allows easy access to the printing cylinder so that the printing forms on it can be easily replaced. A second adjustable slip disk is arranged on the forme cylinder gear, which is equipped with a mark for an optical sensor which emits a signal that is timed to the forme cylinder channel or the clamping groove. The disc is positioned so that the marking for the optical sensor stops the printing machine in a position in which the plate change is easy, i.e. the plate change is easy for the operator.

In contrast, the inking unit remains in the printing unit tower. This requires the inking roller to be positioned to apply ink to the printing cylinder or, if a pair of printing cylinders are needed, to the form cylinder. The inking roller is arranged so that it does not have to be replaced when changing the diameter of the printing cylinder in the cassette or the cartridge. The inking rollers are loaded against a ring that has the same diameter as that with which the forme cylinder engages in the gear. A wiping element is provided, which is part of a hanging bearing for the inking roller. The doctor element moves in a straight line to the force load against the ring maintain. The ring does not rotate, but is attached to the cartridge or cassette. The inking roller or the inking rollers are therefore only loaded against the ring. This distinguishes the invention from the prior art, in which cam profiles are used that rotate; in contrast, the ring may have the same relationship with the cylinder that is being installed because it has the same diameter with respect to the diameter of the associated gear that meshes with the cylinder.

To facilitate handling and control, all pneumatic and electrical positioning and control elements are removed from the cartridge or the cassette, so that all control systems and control lines, whether hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical, can be coupled to the printing unit tower, which is part of the fixed installation. In this way, no pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical connection elements need to be taken apart or pulled apart when the cartridges or the cassettes are exchanged.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the printing units are offset printing units with blanket and form cylinders. A printing machine according to the present invention allows the use of cylinders with a long axis. Such long cylinders cause problems with the mounting of the rubber blankets on the rubber cylinders, and according to one embodiment of the invention, torsion springs can be inserted into the sealing box of the rubber blanket so that the load on each end of the spring is balanced. This balances the load at each end of the spring and compensates for slack in the rubber blanket when the rubber blanket is retracted.

In order to maintain a phase position, the system can also have a device in which both the forme cylinder and the rubber cylinder move when a command is given to one Register rotation is given. This device, which is known per se, reduces the non-printable area compared to a device in which only the forme cylinder is moved.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cassette or the sleeve contains both a forme cylinder and an offset or blanket cylinder. The advantage of the offset printing system over a system with a single printing cylinder is that the print quality is improved over the system with only a single printing cylinder. However, the printing system according to the present invention is equally suitable for use in printing systems in which printing is done from a single printing cylinder.

Fig. 1

eine stark schematisierte Frontansicht des Drucksystems gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Bildwiedergabe eines der Druckwerkstürme, welcher eine Druckstation oder Druckeinheit des Drucksystems gemäß Fig. 1 bildet, wobei alle Elemente im Innern des Druckturms entfernt sind,

Fig. 3

eine Querschnittsansicht entlang der Linie III-IV aus Fig. 2, die einen Dichtungseinsatz zeigt,

Fig. 4

eine schematische Grundrißansicht eines Druckwerkturms, in den eine Kassette installiert ist, in der der Gegendruckzylinder und ein Offsetzylinder in ihrer Druckposition sind,

Fig. 5

eine mit Fig. 4 vergleichbare Ansicht, wobei ein erster Schritt zur Entfernung der Kassette aus dem Druckwerksturm gezeigt wird,

Fig. 6

einen weiteren Schritt zur Herausnahme der Kassette aus dem Druckwerksturm vor der Entfernung der Kassette,

Fig. 7

in stark schematisierter Darstellung eine Detailansicht des Trägernockens und der Ausrückvorrichtung für den Form- und den Gummizylinder,

Fig. 8

eine zu Fig. 4 ähnliche Darstellung, die Details der Verschlußvorrichtung für die Druckform darstellt, die in Fig. 4 fortgelassen sind,

Fig. 9A

eine stark schematisierte senkrechte Schnittansicht, die einen Ausschnitt aus der Bewegung des Formzylinders in Hinsicht auf den Formzylinderantrieb darstellt,

Fig. 9B

eine rückseitige Ansicht, die schematisch die Einstellung der Zeiteinstellkupplung zeigt,

Fig. 10

eine stark schematisierte Seitenansicht des Antriebs in dem Druckwerksturm, welcher den Antrieb für das Farbwerk und Antriebskupplungen für das Einkuppeln der Zylinder, beim Wechsel des Formzylinders aus der Position für einen Zylinder mit großem Umfang (durchgezogene Linie) zu einem Zylinder mit kleinem Umfang (durchbrochene Linie) und den entsprechenden Wechsel des Gummizylinders,

Fig. 11

eine schematische Seitenansicht, die die Position der Kassette in der Druckwerksturmstruktur zeigt, in der die Kontur der Kassettenportion an der Arbeitsseite der Druckmaschine fortgelassen ist,

Fig. 12A

eine Seitenansicht des Kastens mit dem Hauptgetriebekasten mit einer Darstellung der Position der Sensoren, die zur Einstellung des Zeitversatzes dienen,

Fig. 12B

eine rückwärtige Ansicht eines Zeit-Einstellrings, der in Fig. 12A nicht sichtbar ist,

Fig. 12C

eine schematische senkrechte Schnittansicht zur Veranschaulichung der Anordnungen aus Fig. 12A und 12B und

Fig. 13

eine stark schematisierte und vergrößerte Ansicht der Einstell-Verbindung für die Farbauftragwalzen.

The invention is explained in more detail in an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

3 shows a highly schematic front view of the printing system according to the present invention,

Fig. 2

1 shows a schematic image reproduction of one of the printing unit towers, which forms a printing station or printing unit of the printing system according to FIG. 1, all elements in the interior of the printing tower being removed,

Fig. 3

3 shows a cross-sectional view along the line III-IV from FIG. 2, which shows a sealing insert,

Fig. 4

2 shows a schematic plan view of a printing tower, in which a cassette is installed, in which the impression cylinder and an offset cylinder are in their printing position,

Fig. 5

4 shows a view comparable to FIG. 4, a first step for removing the cassette from the printing unit tower being shown,

Fig. 6

a further step to remove the cassette from the printing tower before removing the cassette,

Fig. 7

in a highly schematic representation, a detailed view of the carrier cam and the disengaging device for the forme and rubber cylinders,

Fig. 8

4 shows a representation similar to FIG. 4, which shows details of the closure device for the printing form, which are omitted in FIG. 4,

Figure 9A

FIG. 2 shows a highly schematic vertical sectional view, which represents a section of the movement of the forme cylinder with respect to the forme cylinder drive,

Figure 9B

3 shows a rear view which schematically shows the setting of the time setting clutch,

Fig. 10

a highly schematic side view of the drive in the printing unit tower, which is the drive for the inking unit and drive couplings for engaging the cylinders, when changing the forme cylinder from the position for a cylinder with a large circumference (solid line) to a cylinder with a small circumference (broken line ) and the corresponding replacement of the rubber cylinder,

Fig. 11

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view which shows the position of the cassette in the printing unit tower structure, in which the contour of the cassette portion on the working side of the printing press is omitted,

Figure 12A

a side view of the box with the main gear box with a representation of the position of the sensors that are used to adjust the time offset,

Figure 12B

4 shows a rear view of a time setting ring which is not visible in FIG. 12A,

Figure 12C

is a schematic vertical sectional view illustrating the arrangements of FIGS. 12A and 12B and

Fig. 13

a highly schematic and enlarged view of the setting connection for the inking rollers.

The printing machine according to the present invention is suitable for printing on a printing material web W made of heavy or thick packaging material, as is customary for cartons for foodstuffs, e.g. for cereals that can be packed in quite large boxes. However, the invention is also aimed at providing a printing system which, in addition to printing on printing material webs for cardboard boxes for such large boxes, also for printing on cardboard boxes or on a printing material web for producing small boxes such as e.g. Boxes for personal care products, medicines and the like serves. The substrate web is usually fed from an unwinding roll, e.g. from a conventional roll changer to a drawing-in device 10 (FIG. 1), from which the printing material web is guided over an essentially horizontal web. All individual components of the printing system that are not absolutely necessary for understanding the invention, such as Guide rollers, base carrier, etc. are omitted in the illustration.

The printing material web is drawn in between a multiplicity of printing stations or printing unit units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, shown from right to left in FIG. 1, as shown by arrow A1.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the lower side of the printing material web is printed, and each printing unit station is constructed as a printing unit tower 9, into which a cassette or cartridge 8 can be inserted. The printing unit towers 9 contain and position an impression cylinder 11, which can be pressed against the upper side of the printing material web W. According to the selected embodiment of the printing system, printing is carried out by forming a pair of printing cylinders from a forme cylinder 13 and a blanket cylinder 12. Both the forme cylinder 13 and the blanket cylinder 12 are stored in the removable cassette 8. The blanket cylinder 12 prints against the lower side of the printing material web W. Detailed views of the cassette 8 and the cylinders of the printing units 1 to 5 are omitted, since all printing unit units or printing stations are identical to one another.

The entire printing press also has an arrangement 7 with a overhead traveling crane. The arrangement 7 carries a movable conveyor winch 15 which runs on crane paths 15a. The conveyor winch 15 carries hooks and cords 17 which can engage the cassettes 8 from one of the printing units to remove the cassettes or cartridges 8 on a path which is primarily parallel but slightly above with respect to the printing material web W and then in substantially upward, as shown by the schematic arrow 15b. This path for removing the cassette 8 has the essential advantage that the cassette 8 - which can have a weight of the order of 2 to 2 1/2 tons - can be placed on the crane path 15a in any suitable, easily accessible position to reuse later or to store without requiring special operator attention. When printing pages with the help of the impression cylinder in the upper part of the printing unit, maximum accessibility to the pair of printing cylinders is ensured, the operator working below the printing material web W; the device also creates a suitable placement of the ink fountain and the dampening unit fountain. The above-controlled removal of the cassette 8 is safe and allows the cassette 8 to be exchanged precisely, also in the case of two-cylinder cassettes. The device allows an automatic change of the corresponding cylinders and rollers in their respective positions.

1 additionally shows an element 14 for detecting and separating the printing material web W, which is common in printing technology, in order to monitor whether printing is carried out correctly, in order to determine tears in the printing material web W or the like, or to carry out another check during the process Perform printing as is well known in the art.

Attaching the inking unit and the dampening unit below the printing material web W has the additional advantage that the inking units and dampening units, which are heavy, do not have to be moved when the cartridge 8 has to be removed. Attaching the inking units and dampening units to the upper side of a printing unit tower construction can lead to vibrations and this leads to streaking on the rollers; it also requires the printing cylinders to be removed laterally in the axial direction, i.e. the forme cylinder and the blanket cylinder, if the diameter of the cylinder, which is also referred to as the "cut-off" diameter, which determines the length of the maximum image to be printed, which can be adjusted by the cylinder, must be changed.

Figure 2 is a highly schematic view of one side of a printing tower, e.g. of the printing tower 3, with the cartridge 8 removed. All structural elements within the printing tower, e.g. Connections and gears for the impression cylinder, the cylinder itself and the like. are removed for visibility; only a single side of the frame of the printing tower is shown, with a receiving surface for the cartridge or cassette 8 being visible.

The cartridge 8 itself is formed by an adapter unit (see also FIG. 11) which fits into the opening which is enclosed by the surface 19. The side or portion 9 of the printing unit tower shown in Fig. 2 is part of the transmission side 9 which includes a protective shield. The gearboxes are oiled and the gearbox side has a protective shield to prevent oil leakage. The other side or position of the printing tower, the side 9 '(Fig. 11) is the operating side, on which the gears have no oil, but on which self-lubricating bearings are present. The working side is hollow and has electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, but no oil. In Fig. 11, the outline of the cassette 8 on the working side has been omitted for the sake of simplicity. The camps were also left out. 11 additionally shows the center of the gear box 57 of the main drive worm; it also shows the center 46 of the main drive line and the drive axis shown schematically in FIG. 10. Sections 9 and 9 'of the printing tower are suitably interconnected, as is well known. For the sake of clarity, the connections in Fig. 11 are omitted.

The frame 9 comprises a surface 19 which, besides the fact that it forms a positioning structure for the cassette 8, also has a seal, as can be seen in particular in FIG. The frame is provided with a circumferential slot 20 in which a hollow rubber hose or rubber seal 21 is attached and fixed, e.g. by gluing, is. The rubber seal 21, as shown schematically by an arrow P (FIG. 3), is pressurized by a valve similar to a Schräder valve used in bicycles or car tires, whereby the hollow rubber tube 21 expands. As a result, the hose 21 presses a central rib 21a against a cassette 8, which is inserted into the frame openings formed by the wall surface 19.

The conveyor trough 15 typically carries four hook and thaw positions and the cassettes or cartridges 8 have devices for attaching their fittings according to any known and suitable construction known per se.

The printing press stations or units 1 to 6 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) can accommodate a forme cylinder and a blanket cylinder with different diameters in a variable and interchangeable manner, the diameters of which can vary, for example, between 12 and 21 cm. Fig. 4 illustrates one Blanket cylinder 12 and a forme cylinder 13, both of which are medium in size. It shows the cassette 8 with its positioning edge 8a, which is fitted into the surface 19 (cf. FIGS. 2, 3). In Fig. 4, the edges of the cassette 8 are drawn straight, although, as best seen in Fig. 2, they are curved to facilitate the insertion of the pneumatic rubber seal 21 and the insertion of the cassette 8. 4, 5 and 6 are schematic.

The impression cylinder 11 is carried by two arms 22, each in one of the two printing tower sections 9 and 9 '. Each of the two printing tower sections 9, 9 'has similar devices of bearings and / or of securing arms or holding elements in order to hold the respective cylinders and the other components in their positions. Only one of the arrangements is described for simplicity.

The impression cylinder 11 is held in this way by the arms 22. The arms 22 can rotate in a pivot bearing 23. The rotary bearing 23 is not fixed in its position within the printing unit tower 9, but can shift its position by moving an eccentric 25. The position of the impression cylinder 11 can thereby be adjusted with respect to the support 11a for the impression cylinder 11 by moving an eccentric control connection 30 and an eccentric 30 ', which is only shown schematically, by means of control by a motor 31. A compensation device 29 for the carrier 11a of the impression cylinder 11 has an eccentric bolt 129 in order to adapt the carrier 11a with respect to a carrier 12c for the blanket cylinder 12; the compensation device 29 is secured to the cartridge or its cassette 8 and is not part of the parts 9, 9 'of the printing unit tower.

The arms 22 can be pulled forward and backward to engage or disengage the balancer 29 of the backing cylinder 11 support by means of air cylinders 37 (FIG. 5), which are omitted from FIG. 4 for clarity. A shock absorber 137, coupled in a corresponding manner to the arms 22, allows a smooth and gradual movement. The course of the movement of the arm 22 is monitored by a microswitch 122 '.

The upward movement of the arm 22 in the direction of arrow A 22 (Fig. 6) is controlled by a motor 124 which, via an intermediate gear, rotates a spindle 24 which in turn is coupled to an internally hollow ball 24a with an internal thread, which is best can be seen in Fig. 6. When the motor 124 rotates, which also causes the spindle 24 to rotate, the ball 24a is moved downward (arrow A 24, FIGS. 4, 5); accordingly, the arm 22 is moved upward, as indicated by the arrow A 22 (FIG. 6).

The fulcrum 23 about which the arm 22 is raised is secured by an intermediate link 23a. The position of the intermediate member 23a can change depending on whether the impression cylinder 11 and the forme cylinder 12 are in their "pressure-on" or "pressure-down" position, as is immediately apparent. The position of the arm 22 is determined by coupling its front end 22 b (FIG. 4) with the compensating device 29 for the support of the impression cylinder 11.

The blanket cylinder 12 is held in suitable bearings, namely at its two ends (see FIG. 11) in two lateral side parts of the cassette 8, of which only the side part on the gear side 9 is visible in the printing unit tower structure. A symmetrical side portion is also stored on the working side of the printing tower, but is omitted in FIG. 11 for the sake of simplicity. Suitable frame parts which connect the side parts to one another are omitted since they can have any shape according to the dimensions of the side parts of the cassette 8 in order to hold them in position. The side portions can be frame elements or plates.

The blanket cylinder 12 can be switched off by means of a connection 26, which is shown in detail in FIG. 7. The connection 26 is connected to a shut-off shaft 281, which is connected to a gear segment 282, and is coupled to a gear segment 283. The gear segment 283 is connected to a second shut-off shaft 284. The gears 282, 283 form motor controls so that the parking shafts 281, 284 move together. The gear segment 283 on the parking shaft 284 can be adjusted axially by means of an axial pneumatic cylinder 285 in order to either couple the gears 282, 283 with one another or to disengage them from one another. The shaft 281 is part of the cassette 8; the shaft 284 remains in the printing unit tower 9. The axially acting cylinder 285 allows the gear segments 282, 283 to be disengaged when the cassette 8 is to be removed.

The shaft 284 is also coupled to the eccentric 25, which is the stop eccentric of the counter-pressure cylinder 11. The eccentric 25 changes the position of the connecting arm 23a. Accordingly, the impression cylinder 11 is switched off according to a change in the rotational position of the rotary bearing 23, at the same time as the blanket cylinder 12 is switched off, in accordance with the rotation of the gear segments 282, 283 and a corresponding rotation of the shaft 281. The ball bearing or the Bolt connection 24a between the spindle 24 and the fork-shaped end 22a of the arm 22 must be set so that the ball 24a sits loosely in the fork-shaped compressed end 22a to allow the pivot point 23 to be displaced when the eccentric is rotated.

The cassette 8 (FIG. 4) is closed on the printing unit towers by locking elements 8b, 9b (only shown schematically); the closure elements 8b, 9b simultaneously form end sections in order to mutually connect the parts 9, 9 'of the transmission side and the working side of the printing tower, as well as the cassette 8.

Fig. 4 also shows schematically a dampening unit 32 and an inking unit 33. The inking unit 33 receives printing ink from an ordinary ink fountain device and applies the printing ink to a plurality of rollers 361, 362, 363. The inking roller is also engaged with a dampening roller 321 to apply ink and fountain solution to the surface of the forme cylinder 13 at the same time. The inking roller 361 is shown in the solid line in contact with the forme cylinder 13 in the size shown in FIG. 4. In addition, two positions of the inking roller 361 are shown in broken lines, one of which, the position 361 ', is that which the inking roller 361 occupies in a forme cylinder 13 of maximum circumference; and the other 361 '' is the one that the inking roller 361 occupies when the forme cylinder 13 has a minimal circumference. Other of the inking rollers, in particular rollers 362, 363, can also be pivoted about the center of rotation of the forme cylinder 13 in order to produce a coupling. In the roller train of the inking unit 33, those rollers are also traversing rollers, which are shown in addition to a solid circle with a broken line surrounding them.

Removal of the cassette 8 from the printing unit tower: Assuming that the impression cylinder 11, the blanket cylinder 12 and the forme cylinder 13 are in the position shown in Fig. 4, the printing material web W is removed before the cassette 8 is removed, e.g. by cutting or pulling away from the printing station. Air cylinder 285 (FIG. 7) is electrically energized to axially disengage gears 282, 283. A drive gear 47 (Fig. 9A) for the forme cylinder 13 is driven by a main drive gear 46 e.g. disengaged by means of a clutch.

The cassette 8 can now be removed. The arm 22 is pulled to the left to disengage the balancer 29 of the bracket 11a of the impression cylinder 11 from the left-hand tip 22b of the arm 22 (FIG. 5). This is done by means of the cylinder 37, the movement of which is dampened by the shock absorber 137. The arm 22 is now free from engagement with the balancer 29 of the bracket 11a of the cylinder 11. The motor 124 is electrically energized so that it rotates the spindle 24 in a direction around which Pull the bolt or ball 24a downward in the direction of arrow A 24. This movement continues until (FIG. 6) the arm 22 has been lifted up essentially in the direction of arrow A 22. The motor 31 for the impression cylinder-eccentric control connection 30 moves together with the arm 22.

As can clearly be seen, the arm 22 and the impression cylinder 11 are now separated from the pair of the blanket cylinder 12 and the forme cylinder 13. The conveyor winch 15 (Fig. 1) can remove the cartridge 8 from the print tower by slightly lifting the cartridge 8 as the conveyor winch 15 moves in a direction away from the tower, the conveyor winch 15 describing a path as it does is indicated by the arrows 15b (Fig. 6). the horizontal portion of the movement should, if necessary, be large enough to remove the cartridge 8 on its right side from the impression cylinder 11. The compensation device 29 of the support of the impression cylinder 11 is part of the cartridge 8 and moves with it. The blanket cylinder 12 also moves together with the cartridge 8, the shut-off connection 26 (FIG. 7), a shaft 281 and a segment-shaped gear 282 as well as with a cam system for the carrier, which will be described below in connection with FIG. 7. The impression cylinder 11 is preferably not driven. It is carried along with friction during the movement of the printing material web W.

After the cartridge 8 has been removed, another cartridge or cassette can be used together with a forme cylinder 13 and with a blanket cylinder 12 of a different diameter, for example for a print job which requires printing on boxes of a much smaller or larger diameter. By arranging the forme cylinder 13 and the blanket cylinder 12 below the printing material web W, it is easy to move the impression cylinder 11 out of its path, particularly when it is not driven. A substantially vertical distance, preferably with an initially substantially in the Level of the printing material web W distance path and with a subsequent lifting of the cassette enables a path of movement that can be controlled automatically, for example by a program under whose control the conveyor winch 15 operates.

The cylinders can be quite long, and in one operation the press can be designed to print on cardboard that is, for example, more than 1.45 m wide. This is much broader than is possible with known printing presses which are able to print on heavy or thick cardboard material which is suitable for packaging cardboard boxes.

The impression cylinder 11 can be raised with respect to the ring of the support of the impression cylinder 11 shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 11. The ring of the carrier is needed to stabilize the cylinder combinations, that means the impression cylinder, the blanket cylinder and the forme cylinder. Raising the impression cylinder with respect to its support, e.g. by means of an eccentric 30 ', is necessary in order to fit the different thicknesses of the cardboard material of the printing material web, without however having to intervene in the mounting of the carrier 11a of the impression cylinder 11 with respect to the carrier 12a on the blanket cylinder 12. For a new cassette, e.g. with a cartridge of a different storage size, it is only necessary to reverse the insertion process.

Combined parking of an impression cylinder 11 and a blanket cylinder 12 with reference to FIG. 7: A rotating drive, for example an air cylinder 285, which is coupled to a shaft 284 - this is only shown schematically in FIG. 5 - rotates the shaft 284, which through the engagement of segment-shaped gears 283, 282 rotates the shaft 281. The connection 26 transmits the movement of the segment-shaped gear 283 to an ejection device for the eccentric. The difference between the "print on" and "print off" positions is shown in FIG. 7 represented by the two mutually tangent circles 12a, 12b of the blanket cylinder 12. At the same time, a link 39 is moved to the cam of the wearer, in which a carriage 40 is used for the cam of the wearer. The carriage 40 carries carrier cam holders 41, 42 for the carrier cams 43, 44, which couple the carrier rings of the forme cylinder 13 or the blanket cylinder 12. Spring elements 141, 142, for example spiral compression springs, the tension of which can be adjusted by means of an end nut, press the carrier cams 43, 44 against corresponding cam rings, which are not visible in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 shows the shut-off connection 26, the pressure-on position being shown in solid lines and the pressure-down position being shown in broken lines to simplify the illustration.

Also, since the motor 285 to turn the impression cylinder 11 turns the shaft 284, the eccentric connecting the shaft 284 to the link 283 also moves the fulcrum 23 (Fig. 4) towards the arm 22 so that when the blanket cylinder 12 has been turned off, the impression cylinder 11 is turned off accordingly. When the cassette 8 is installed, the ball 24a or a spindle nut 24a screwed onto the spindle 24 is loose to allow the pivot bearing 23 to move. The impression cylinder 11 is held in position by its engagement with the compensation device 29 for the carrier. The connection for the carrier of the cylinder acts like a gag and the cylinders are held in their respective positions by the gag effect in connection with their considerable weight. The adjustment of the impression cylinder 11 with respect to its carrier is achieved when it is brought into the pressure-on position. The cylinders tend to rotate towards the print on position.

A main control station ensures that the operations take place in the intended order and that the cylinders are locked together so that the cassette can only be removed in the print-on position. As soon as the impression cylinder 11 is also out of the way, which is caused by rotation of the spindle 24, the cartridge 8 can be removed immediately. When the cartridge 8 is reinserted and the impression cylinder 11 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 4, the engagement of the support of the impression cylinder 11 with the support of the blanket cylinder 12 is ensured.

The thickness of a cardboard substrate web that can be processed with this printing machine can e.g. vary between 0.25 and 0.75 mm. If the impression cylinder 11 is placed separately from its support on the blanket cylinder - note the eccentric on the impression cylinder 11 - it is easy to adapt the impression cylinder to different web thicknesses of the printing material web W. This setting of the impression cylinder body with regard to its support by means of the motor 31 can be controlled simultaneously from a central control station for all printing unit stations 1 to 6; in addition, each individual printing unit can also be set individually. The setting device for setting the printing unit or printing unit station allows the setting of the impression cylinder on the working side independently of the gear side, if this is necessary.

The parking mechanism for the cam of the carrier (FIG. 7) keeps the carriers 12c and 13c (FIG. 11) free for the forme cylinder 13 and the blanket cylinder 12, respectively. By incorporating the ejector mechanism for the carrier cams into the ejector link by coupling the carrier cams 43, 44 to a wheel coupled to the segment 282, the carrier cams 43, 44 are moved away from the carriers at the same time that the pressure is turned off becomes. Fig. 6 shows the position of the shut-off connection 26 in the print-off position; the carrier cams are not shown in Fig. 6 for the sake of simplicity.

When the cartridge 8 has been removed, it is desirable to lock the form cylinder 13 in position so that the form cylinder gap, which forms a groove, fits around the printing form on the To accommodate the forme cylinder 13 is in an easily accessible position, that is, with reference to FIG. 8, on the left side. The drive gear 46, the center of which can also be seen in FIG. 11, comprises a clutch. The drive transmission can thus be understood as a transmission clutch for the selective engagement of the forme cylinder 13. Fig. 8 shows the position of the forme cylinder 13, in which the groove together with the fastening mechanism 113 for the printing form is in an easily accessible position. In order to rotate the forme cylinder 13 so that the locking mechanism 113 comes into the position shown in FIG. 8, there is a motor 34 for the forme cylinder 13, which is coupled to the transmission of the inking train 33 and which rotates the forme cylinder 13. At the same time, the gear coupling 46 is disengaged, so that no drive is transmitted from the main drive shaft, which is schematically designated by 157 (FIG. 11). Once the position of the locking mechanism '113 is adjusted, it does not change due to the inertia of the components; this also applies when the cassette 8 is removed from the printing unit tower 9. The motor 34 can also be used to slowly rotate the rollers of the inking unit 33, for example when cleaning.

When installing a cassette 8, it is necessary to synchronize the gears of the main drive shaft and the gears of the associated cylinders and rollers in the cassettes. FIGS. 12A to 12C illustrate the general structure for setting the shaft and the printing unit units in their respective zero positions in order to be able to couple them together. 9A and 9B show the timing for the printing cylinders.

The transmission shaft 157 can be rotated at a very low speed or at a creeping speed, for example by means of a separate positioning motor which, for example, has an output of 3 hp. The motor 34 guides the forme cylinder 13 (FIGS. 4 to 6), which typically has an output of 5 hp, is used to rotate the printing unit. The motor 34 can only be operated if the clutch for the drive unit, that is, the clutch between the transmission shaft 157 and the main drive 46 is disengaged.

Setting the printing cylinders:

An adjustable disc 50 (FIGS. 9A, 9B) carries two markings 55, 55 'for an optical sensor on its circumference. The disk 50 is applied to the gear 47 for the forme cylinder 13, the gear 47 being connected to the shaft 54 of the forme cylinder 13. An additional disc 49 is mounted on the gear 47; it has a single mark on its circumference. The gear 49 is used to adjust the position of the parking mechanism '113 and the groove on the plate cylinder 13. The disks 49, 50 are secured to the gear 47 by bolts 53 and clamped. The disk 50 can be displaced circumferentially along slots 153. In order to move the disk 50 circumferentially further than corresponds to the length of the slots 153, the bolts 53 can be removed and inserted accordingly into the adjacent slots 153. A single marking 56 is arranged on the disk 49. Optical sensors 48 (FIG. 9a) are positioned in such a way that they detect the markings 55, 55 'or 56 of the pane 50 or 49 being passed. The optical sensors 48, of which three are provided, are connected via optical waveguides 51 to an optical element 51 ′ which specifies a specific sensitivity of the sensors 48, the optical element 51 ′ being able to comprise an amplifier in order to transmit the marks 55, 55 'and 56 derived optical signals to the central control center to control the motors of the printing presses, ie the creep speed generating motor to adjust the position of the shaft of the forme cylinder 13 via the gear 47 and, if the position of the main drive shaft 157 is known, thereby adjust the position of the forme cylinder 13.

The first of the markings 55, 55 ', which is detected by the associated sensor 48, indicates that the forme cylinder 13 is approaching a stopping point. The second marking corresponds to that provided stopping point at which the shaft must stop with an accuracy of ± 1 mm. The positioning of the associated disks 49, 50 denotes the time offset of the printing unit with respect to the transmission shaft 157. If the phase position of the transmission shaft 157 is known and the clutch to the transmission shaft 157 is engaged, the printing unit is synchronized.

The printing unit units each have individual motors that are independent of the motor for the drive shaft. The motors 34 on the printing unit units or stations 1 to 6 each allow their own drive.

The forme cylinder 13 is automatically moved into the plate change position in the following manner: The disc 49 is mounted on the gear of the forme cylinder 13, although it can also be arranged elsewhere and coupled to the gear of the forme cylinder 13. The marking 56 is synchronized or arranged with regard to the clamping channel of the forme cylinder 13. The disc 49 is positioned so that when the associated sensor 48 registers the passage of the mark 56, the motor 34 stops the printing press in a position in which the printing form on the forme cylinder 13 is usually changed, i.e. in a new original position.

The sensors 48, like the electrical connections, are arranged on the printing unit tower 9. The gear 47 and the disks 49, 50 are in the cartridge 8, so that the relationship between the shaft 54 and the disks 49, 50 with respect to the sensors 48 is always the same regardless of the diameter of the forme cylinder 13.

In order to differentiate the setting of the associated markings 55, 55 ', 56 for the zero position on the one hand and for the holding position of the forme cylinder 13 on the other hand, the associated bolts 53 and 53' are radially offset from one another and the associated slots 153 , 153 'are also radially offset from one another in the same way. Fig. 9b also shows in openwork Line - because this is not part of the understanding of this structure - the inking roller 361, which belongs to the printing unit tower and not to the cartridge 8.

The gear 47 sits on the shaft 54 in a conical seat and is fastened by bolts. The conical seat allows adjustment and centering.

The transmission shaft 157 is positioned with respect to all printing units by two sensors 58, 58 '(see FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C). A disk 59a (FIG. 12B) is constructed similarly to disk 50; it carries two sensor blocks 59, 59 'and is secured to the transmission shaft 157. The transmission shaft 157 rotates at low speed or at creep speed until the sensor 58, when responding to the mark 59, provides a signal to stop the engine at the associated time and the position of the transmission is in the zero position. Position verified by the marking 59 ', which is located opposite the sensor 58'. The individual drive gears 47 of the printing unit units can be suitably synchronized with one another, e.g. by loosening screws 154 (FIG. 9a), so that those via the transmission shaft 157 and the associated shafts of the printing unit units are synchronized with one another. If the transmission shaft 157 is to be moved towards the zero position, an additional low power drive unit, e.g. with 3 HP, can be used to rotate the transmission shaft 157 at low speed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, it is not necessary to reset the inking rollers 361, 362, 363 when cartridges 8 with cylinders of different sizes are installed one after the other. Three air cylinders 64, 65, 66 (FIG. 13) press pneumatically against the associated rollers 361, 362, 363. Compensation connections 67, 68, 69 are between the air cylinders 64, 65, 66 and the associated rollers 361, 362, 363 appropriate. The pneumatic cylinders 64, 65, 66 provide a pneumatic Load on sliders that press against a stationary ring 213, which has the same diameter as the fitting diameter for the gear of the forme cylinder 13. Each of the connecting mechanisms includes a stripper plate 161, 162, 163, which is part of a suspension 261, 262 and 263, respectively . The respective scraper plate moves in a straight line towards the ring 213. In this way, an equal spacing of the respective inking roller from the forme cylinder just installed is set with regard to the diameter of the gear unit matching the forme cylinder. 13 also shows the dampening roller 321, which is attached to the inking roller 363.

The construction of the inking unit can be carried out according to any conventional and suitable device. An inking unit that is particularly suitable and usable, in particular to allow easy replacement of the ink fountain, is described in the patent US-A-5 327830 with the title "Portable and removable ink fountain for a printing press".

10 shows the transmission and the drive of the impression cylinder 11 in a highly schematic manner when the blanket cylinder 12 and the forme cylinder 13 have a maximum diameter, in each case in solid lines. The positions of the impression cylinder 11 ', a blanket cylinder 12' and a forme cylinder 13 'for the smallest possible sizes are shown above each in broken lines. However, the diameter of the impression cylinder 11 does not change. Since a carrier inserting device 29 for carrying the impression cylinder 11 is part of the cartridge or cassette 8, the arm 22 can bring the impression cylinder 11 into position 11 '; the carrier inserting device 29 is then positioned in the position 29 ', which corresponds to a cassette or a cartridge with a minimum storage size, ie for cassettes which contain printing cylinders with a minimum size. 10 clearly shows that the inking rollers can be set against the forme cylinder 13 as well as against the forme cylinder 13 '. The cylinders 12 and 13 or 12 ' or 13 'are connected to one another via gears which are not visible in FIGS. 10 and 11. The transmission 46 can be in engagement with a cylinder transmission through a relative axial offset if both have been previously synchronized with one another or if it is disengaged.

Only those components that are necessary for understanding the present invention have been described in detail and provided with reference numerals. Various other components and structural components such as Control units, control connections and. The like. Sensors, control switches for positioning, positioning units, servo and servo devices, for example electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic units, can be used as is generally known in the field of printing press technology. Some of these components may be shown in the drawings, even if not specifically numbered, and their use and usage will be clear to those skilled in the art; e.g. For example, reference may be made to the various inking rollers and cylinders of the inking unit 33, the special shape of the inking roller, the dampening unit 32, and structural components, microswitches, two of which are shown at 122 in FIG. 4, and latches therefor ensure that the printing machine only starts and only works when the cassettes 8 are arranged and locked in their predetermined positions and the respective cylinders are correctly synchronized. Sequentially operating control units, as are known in electrical control systems, can be used together with interlock circuits.

The links 67, 68 and 69 are used to position the centers of the associated rollers 361, 362, 363 when the inking rollers 361, 362, 363 are replaced, for example due to wear or a crack. Instead of using generally known connecting elements on the connecting pieces 68, 69 Flexible elements or the like can also be used to use connecting elements on the connecting pieces 68, 69. The balancing connection for roller 361 is readily accessible and does not require the more complex balancing system for rollers 362 and 363.

Claims (19)

1. Printing machine for use with printing cylinders of different diameters, particularly for printing on a printing web (W) made from heavy or thick packaging material, having at least one first printing station (1 to 6), each with a printing unit tower (9, 9'), an impression cylinder (11), which is arranged in the upper part of the printing unit tower (9, 9') and opposite a printing cylinder (12, 13) which carries an image to be printed and is removable, the printing web (W) being feedable between the impression cylinder (11) and the printing cylinder (12, 13); a removable cassette (8), which can be fixed on and removed from the printing unit tower (9, 9') separately from the other parts of it, the printing cylinder (12, 13) being secured in the cassette (8) and positioned below the impression cylinder (11), the cassette (8), when it is introduced into the printing unit tower (9, 9'), bringing the printing cylinder (12, 13) into a position in which it receives printing ink from an inking unit (33), which is arranged and secured in the printing unit tower (9, 9') on the printing cylinder (12, 13) in such a way that the free removability of the cassette (8) is not impaired; positioning means (8a, 19) which are secured on the cassette (8) or on the printing unit tower (9, 9') in order to select the position of the cassette (8) in the printing unit tower and which allow the removal of the cassette (8) in a movement path (15b), which extends at least partially above the plane of the printing web (W) when this is pulled through the printing machine; and with a hoisting winch (15) on which the cassette (8) can be mounted, in order to transport it out of the respective printing unit tower (9, 9') along the movement path (15b).
2. Printing machine according to claim 1,
   characterised in that the printing cylinder includes a combination of a blanket cylinder (12) and a forme cylinder (13); gearing means (47) on at least one cylinder (12, 13) of the combination of the printing cylinders (12, 13), the gearing means (47) being arranged inside the cassette (8) and drive gearing means (46, 157), which are arranged in the printing unit tower (9, 9') and which can each be individually coupled and uncoupled with the drive means (47) of the cassette (8).
3. Printing machine according to claim 1,
   characterised in that the impression cylinder (11) has a bearer ring (11a), and that adjustment means (30, 31) are provided for setting the bearer ring (11) of the impression cylinder (11), which controllably adjust the relative position of the bearer ring (11a) of the impression cylinder (11) to the impression cylinder (11); a compensator (29) which is part of the cassette (8) and determines the position of the bearer ring (11a) with respect to the printing cylinder (12, 13) in the cassette (8), so that by adjusting the relative position of the bearer ring (11a) to the impression cylinder (11) the resulting gap between the impression cylinder (11) and the printing cylinder (12, 13) is adjustable corresponding to the thickness of the printing webs (W) of different thicknesses.
4. Printing machine according to claim 3,
   characterised in that a bearer arm (22) is provided for the impression cylinder (11), which is secured on the printing unit tower (9, 9'), and that the bearer ring (11a) for the impression cylinder (11) is secured in a predetermined position on the bearer arm (22), the compensator (29) including coupling means, which releasably position the bearer arm (22) when the cassette (8) is inserted into the printing unit tower (9, 9').
5. Printing machine according to claim 1, having a bearer arm (22), which carries the impression cylinder (11), the bearer arm (22) being secured in the printing unit tower (9, 9'); movable pivot bearing means (23, 23a), which hold the bearer arm (22) rotatably in the printing unit tower (9, 9'); as well as stopping means (284) and means for controlling the position of the movable pivoting means (23) depending on whether the stopping control means (284) is in the printing-on or -off position.
6. Printing machine according to claim 5,
   characterised in that connecting means (26, 281), in order to stop the printing cylinder (12, 13), are coupled to the same, separable coupling means (282, 283), which connect the connecting means (26, 281) for stopping the printing cylinder (12, 13) to the stopping control means (284), in order to effect a simultaneous stopping of the impression cylinder (11) and the printing cylinder (12, 13) on actuating the stopping control means (284), when the cassette (8) is installed in the printing unit tower (9, 9'), it being furthermore possible to remove the cassette (8) together with the stopping connection means (26, 281).
7. Printing machine according to claim 6,
   characterised in that the separable coupling means (282, 283) include two selectively couplable and uncouplable gearing means, one of the gearing means being connected to the stopping control means (284) and the other being connected to the stopping connecting means (26, 281), in order to selectively transfer the rotational movement of the stopping control means, so that separation of the connecting means (26, 281) is possible on removing the cassette (8).
8. Printing machine according to claim 6,
   characterised in that it moreover includes bearer wipers (41, 43, 141; 42, 44, 142), which can be selectively coupled to the bearer rings (12c, 13c) on the printing cylinder (12, 13) and operating means (39, 40) for operating the bearer wipers (41, 43, 141; 42, 44, 142), which simultaneously couple the bearer wipers (41, 43, 141; 42, 44, 142) for coupling with the allocated bearers (12c, 13c), when the stopping connection means (26, 281) are in the printing-on position.
9. Printing machine according to claim 1,
   characterised in that it includes a bearer arm (22) for the impression cylinder (11), which is secured in the printing unit tower (9) and which carries the impression cylinder, and in that lifting means (24, 24a, 124) are arranged on the printing unit tower (9, 9'), which can be coupled with the bearer arm (22) in order to lift the bearer arm (22) and to pivot it out of the cassette (8) together with the impression cylinder (11), in order to allow removal of the cassette (8).
10. Printing machine according to claim 1,
    characterised in that it has a main drive shaft (157), that the printing cylinder (12, 13) has a drive shaft and that synchronisation means for synchronising the drive shaft (54) are provided, which are connected to the drive shaft (54) for the printing cylinder (12, 13) or to the main drive shaft (157), these synchronisation means including a rotatable and displaceable disc (59, 50, 59a) on one of the said shafts (54, 157), marking means (55, 55', 56; 59, 59') on the disc (49, 50, 59a) and sensors (48, 58, 58'), which are arranged on the printing unit tower (8) and are positioned with respect to the said disc (49, 50, 59a) in such a way that they detect the relative position of the shaft (54, 157) and the disc (49, 50, 59a) to each other and that the sensors, when the disc (49, 50, 59a) is rotatably displaced, determine a zero or reference position of the allocated shaft (54, 157) in relation to the position of the sensors (48, 58, 58') in the printing unit tower (9, 9').
11. Printing machine according to claim 10,
    characterised in that the printing cylinders (12, 13) include a combination of a blanket cylinder (12) and a forme cylinder (13); gearing means (47) on at least one of the printing cylinders (12, 13), the gearing means (47) being contained in the cassette (8); and drive gearing means (46, 157), which are contained in the printing unit tower (9, 9') and which can be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the gearing means (47) of the cassette (8); the rotatable and displaceable disc (49) being secured on the shaft (54) and the forme cylinder (13) having a disc (49) for positioning the cylinder gap, the disc (49) having a marking (58) for positioning the cylinder gap and one of the sensors reacting to the marking for the cylinder gap in order to fix a predetermined initial position of the forme cylinder (13) in the cassette, when the printing machine is stopped and before the cassette (8) is removed from the printing unit tower (9, 9').
12. Printing machine according to claim 1,
    characterised in that the cassette (8) has a ring element (213), which is concentric with the printing cylinder (12, 13), the inking unit (33) having at least one inking roller (361, 363), feeler
    means (161, 162, 163) being arranged on the printing unit tower (9, 9') which are couplable with respect to the ring element (213), when the cassette (8) is installed in the printing unit tower (9, 9'); control means (64, 65, 66) which are coupled to at least one of the inking rollers (361, 362, 363) and which exert a controlling force on the rollers (361, 362, 363) with respect to the printing cylinder (12, 13) and that movable control means (261, 262, 263) are coupled to the feeler means (161, 162, 162) and to the at least one inking roller (361, 362, 363) in order to control their movement in a radial direction with respect to the ring element (213), a control force being exerted by the control means (64, 65, 66).
13. Printing machine according to claim 12,
    characterised in that it has a gear for the printing cylinder (12, 13), which is connected to the printing cylinder (12, 13) and that the ring element (213) has a circumference of the same diameter as the gear pitch diameter of the gear of the printing cylinder (12, 13).
14. Printing machine according to claim 13,
    characterised in that the printing cylinder (12, 13) includes a combination of a blanket cylinder (12) and a forme cylinder (13); gearing means (47) on at least one of the cylinder (12, 13) of the combination, the gearing means (47) being part of the cassette (8) and drive gearing means (46, 157) being part of the printing unit tower (9, 9'), which can be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the gearing means (47) of the cassette (8); the forme cylinder (13) including a forme cylinder gearing and the ring element (13) being stationary in the cassette (8) and having a circumference which corresponds to a diameter, such as the gear pitch diameter of the gearing of the forme cylinder (13).
15. Printing machine according to claim 1,
    characterised in that the impression cylinder (11) includes an bearer ring (11a); a compensator (29) being provided for the bearer ring (11a), which is secured on the cassette (8) and is part of the cassette (8), in order to determine the position of the bearer ring (11a) with respect to the printing cylinder (12, 13) in the cassette (8), a bearer arm (22) being provided for the impression cylinder (11), which is secured in the printing unit tower (9, 9'), rotary means (23) holding the bearer arm (22) rotatably in the printing unit tower (9, 9'), to allow both a rotary and a translation movement; the bearer arm (22) being rotated in the printing unit tower (9, 9') and the compensator (29) for the bearer ring (11a) on the cassette (8) including a coupling means (22b, 129) in order to connect the bearer arm (22) and the compensator (29) for the bearer ring (11a) with each other when the cassette (8) is inserted into the printing unit tower (9, 9') and in order to control the adjustment of the bearer ring (11a) on the bearer arm (22) with respect to the printing cylinder (11, 13) in the cassette (8).
16. Printing machine according to claim 15,
    characterised in that the printing cylinder includes a combination of a blanket cylinder (12) and a forme cylinder (13); gearing means (48) on at least one of the two cylinders (12, 13) of the combination, this being part of the cassette (8); drive gearing means (46, 157), which are part of the printing unit (9, 9') and which can be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the gearing means (47) of the cassette (8); the compensator (29) for the bearer ring (11a) controlling the setting of the bearer ring (11a) on the bearer arm (22) with respect to the blanket cylinder (12).
17. Printing machine, particularly for printing on a printing web (W) made from heavy or packaging material, with a plurality or printing unit stations (1 to 6), each of which is arranged in a printing unit tower (9, 9'), having a printing cylinder (12, 13), which carries an image to be printed, an inking unit (33) arranged on the printing cylinder (12, 13) and an impression cylinder (11) arranged above the printing cylinder (12, 13) in the upper part of the printing unit tower (9, 9') and removable from the printing cylinder (12, 13), the printing cylinder (12, 13) printing on the printing web (W), when the printing web (W) is fed through between the printing cylinder (12, 13) and the impression cylinder (11), securing means (22, 30) for the impression cylinder (11) being movably arranged, which hold the impression cylinder (11) in the printing unit tower (9, 9'); a cassette (8), in which the printing cylinder (12, 13) is secured, being securable separately from the other parts of the printing unit tower (9, 9') on the same and being removable from it, the movement path (15b) of the cassette (8) on removal extending at least partially above the plane of the printing web and the inking unit (33) being arranged in such a way that the free removability of the cassette (8) is not impaired; with separable coupling means (282, 283), which connect the movement control means (284) to the holding means for the printing cylinder (12, 13), the movement control means (284) controlling a) the position of the holding means (26, 281) for the printing cylinder (12, 13) in the cassette (8) and b) the position of the impression cylinder (11) in the printing unit tower (9, 9'), the movement control means setting the relative position of the printing cylinder (12, 13) inside the cassette (8), when this is introduced into the printing unit tower (9, 9') in relation to the impression cylinder (11), so that by controlling the movement control means a simultaneous stopping of the printing cylinder (12, 13) and the impression cylinder (11) is possible by means of a single movement control means.
18. Printing machine according to claim 16,
    characterised in that it includes a bearer ring (11a) for the impression cylinder (11), adjustment means (30, 31) which set the position of the impression cylinder (11) with respect to the bearer ring (11a) for the impression cylinder (11); control means (29) for controlling the position of the bearer ring (11a) for the impression cylinder (11) which is mounted in the cassette (8); and coupling means (22b) which are coupled to the holding means (22, 30) for the movable impression cylinder (11) and which can be coupled to the compensator (29) for the bearer ring (11a), when the cassette (8) is incorporated in the printing unit tower (9, 9'), in order to determine the position of the impression cylinder (11) with respect to the printing cylinder (12, 13) in the cassette (8), the present position of the impression cylinder (11) and the printing cylinder (12, 13) being controlled by means of movement control means.
19. Printing machine according to claim 17,
    characterised in that the printing unit tower (9, 9') has a surface (19) receiving the cassette (8); that the cassette (8) has a surface which fits in the surface (19) of the printing unit tower, one (19) of the said surfaces having an essentially continuous groove or a slot (20) and having a closed inflatable tube or a hose (21), the hose (21) being mounted in the groove or in the slot, and that a pneumatic device exists for inflating the hose (21), that the inflatable tube or the hose (21) is provided with a fin (21a), which points from that surface, in which the said tube or hose (21) is arranged, in the direction towards the other surface, in order to form a closed seal between the two surfaces, when the rubber packing is pneumatically acted upon by pressure.

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