EP1183153B1 - Impression cylinder comprising indexing means for mounting a printing sleeve on the support cylinder - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a printing cylinder that includes a support cylinder, at least one printing sleeve for mounting the support cylinder, and a recess provided on a lateral face of the sleeve and emerging from an interior wall, and at least one indexing device borne by the support cylinder and that can project from it, the recess and each indexing device cooperating in order to mount the sleeve on the support cylinder while registering its position. According to the invention, the printing sleeve has at least one ring in an extension of an interior wall and which projects from the lateral face. The ring protects the sleeve from impacts between it and the indexing device during mounting of the sleeve on the support cylinder.

Description

The invention relates to a printing device. cylindrical consisting of an assembly of a cylinder support, at least one printing sleeve intended to be mounted on the support cylinder and indexing means for mounting each sleeve on the support cylinder.

Throughout the text, this printing device cylindrical will be called "impression cylinder".

We know that to reduce waste when putting on the way to a printing machine as well as the times of setting for setting up the color marking, the printing sleeve manufacturers and manufacturers of printing machines offer a system for locating the printing sleeve on the corresponding carrier cylinder of the printing machine, still commonly called indexing system by a person skilled in the art.

This indexing system consists of a recess made in the thickness of the printing sleeve and by a device cooperating with the recess, such as a pin cylindrical, fixed on the carrier cylinder. This indexing pin is generally projecting over a distance of a few millimeters.

For a sleeve of relatively small thickness, in particular less than 15 mm, the recess can be produced throughout the thickness of the sleeve. So this recess practiced in a lateral face of the sleeve leads to the both on the inner wall and the outer wall of the sleeve.

When the sleeve is thicker, with a thickness in particular greater than 15 mm, the recess is not generally not made throughout the thickness of the sleeve. We rather make a housing on a side face of the sleeve which opens onto its inner wall. A key is adjusted and fixed in this housing, the recess for the positioning of the indexing device being achieved by machining in this key.

In general, the recess made in the sleeve for positioning on the device indexing extends along a longitudinal generator traced on the outside wall of the printing sleeve, this generator used to correctly position the printing plates.

Mounting a printing sleeve on a cylinder carrier is carried out by an operator, this operator bring in the indexing device provided on the carrier cylinder in the recess made in the sleeve while this indexing device is necessarily positioned on the side opposite the operator.

This assembly is difficult, even for sleeves of small widths, when these must be placed on cylinders in the upper part of the printing machine and therefore hardly accessible to the operator.

This is even more difficult for relatively large printing sleeves, especially greater than 600 mm, especially if the thickness of the sleeve is very important. Indeed, in this case, the support cylinder with indexing device is no longer visible to the operator, due to the thickness and sleeve length.

The operator must therefore proceed by trial and error to align the recess in the sleeve and the indexing device carried by the support cylinder. It is then produces shocks between the printing sleeve itself and the indexing device.

Printing sleeves are usually mounted on a carrier cylinder by means of pressurized air which is injected at one end of the carrier cylinder and spring through holes arranged angularly around the cylinder. This creates an air cushion between the cylinder carrier and the printing sleeve, which causes a slight radial expansion of the sleeve and allows the sleeve to move along and around the support cylinder.

Reference may in particular be made to document EP-510744 which describes a support cylinder on which at least one printing sleeve is intended to be mounted.

The support cylinder has as many devices indexing than sleeves, these indexing devices being retractable and capable of projecting from the surface of the support cylinder. Each sleeve has on one of its edges, a hollow to cooperate with the indexing device matching and mount the sleeve in a position appropriate. Furthermore, the fitting of the sleeves is realized by a compressed air supply.

Depending on the structure of the printing sleeves, the air pressure used varies the radial expansion of the sleeve and promotes, by creating an air cushion, an often violent propulsion of the printing sleeve which jerks forward on the carrier cylinder. So when the sleeve recess is not aligned with the device indexing provided on the support cylinder, the sleeve stops against it, causing rapid deterioration of the face of the printing sleeve having the recess.

This deterioration makes the printing sleeve unusable after a few assemblies. The printer must then rectify the deteriorated face to eliminate any traces of repetitive shocks, such as sinking and blistering.

It should also be noted that between two uses, the sleeves are stored, one of their faces resting on the ground. These sleeves are not always handled with care, resulting in shocks and deformations on this face resting on the ground, all the more the heavier the sleeves and the more soil there is often unevenness or even waste.

Finally, the mounting of each sleeve is done by trial and error, especially when the support cylinder intended for receive the sleeve is inaccessible and the sleeve is of significant dimensions and weight.

This assembly is therefore relatively long, which increases loss of printing time, prejudicial to printers.

The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks and to facilitate the work of operators by proposing a printing cylinder whose sleeve has a ring the protects against possible shocks and can also be used guide when mounting the sleeve.

Thus, the invention relates to a printing cylinder comprising a support cylinder, at least one sleeve print intended to be mounted on said cylinder support and indexing means of each sleeve on the support cylinder, these indexing means comprising a recess or the like, provided on a lateral face of the sleeve and opening onto its inner wall, and at least an indexing device carried by the support cylinder and can protrude therefrom, the recess and each indexing device being intended to cooperate to mount the sleeve on the support cylinder by locating it, characterized in that the printing sleeve comprises at minus a ring in the extension of its inner wall and at least partly projecting from said lateral face, ring in which said recess is made or similar, this ring guaranteeing the shock sleeve between it and the indexing device, during assembly of the printing sleeve on the support cylinder.

In a first variant, the ring is made in one piece with the sleeve, in particular by machining.

In a second variant, the ring is an insert on or in the sleeve, in particular by gluing, crimping or direct molding.

In this case, the ring is made of a material elastic and shock absorber, such as aluminum or a plastic material such as polyamide, PTFE, polycarbonate, PU, PES or PE.

Preferably, the ring includes means for guiding of the indexing device carried by the cylinder support to the recess made in the ring.

These guide means advantageously consist of two ramps, arranged on either side of said recess, each of them extending from the recess to the edge outside of the ring.

Preferably, these ramps are symmetrical by audit report.

They can in particular be helical or else linear.

Each ramp corresponds advantageously to an angle between 25 and 60 ° and preferably equal to 45 °.

Preferably, a stop is provided between the edge outside of the ring and the end of at least one ramp, opposite to said recess.

The printing sleeve of the cylinder according to the invention advantageously comprises a ring with a recess on each of its side faces, for reversible mounting of it.

To facilitate the work of operators, the sleeve printing has, on its side opposite to that comprising said ring and intended to be visible by a operator when mounting the sleeve on the cylinder support, location display means corresponding to the recess, and possibly means guide, on the face of the sleeve comprising the ring.

The printing sleeve of the printing cylinder according to the invention may include means for display on each of its side faces, for a reversible mounting.

The printing sleeve advantageously comprises, on its outer wall, integrated guides for installation and cut using a plate cutting tool and / or the double-sided adhesive interposed on the sleeve.

In one embodiment of the impression cylinder, the support cylinder has several devices indexing, which are at least partially retractable.

Support cylinder indexing devices can be arranged according to a generator thereof.

Finally, an intermediate sleeve can already be arranged on the support cylinder before mounting the sleeve printing. In this case, the indexing devices are positioned on the outer surface of this sleeve intermediate.

• la figure 1 représente partiellement un cylindre d'impression selon l'invention comportant un manchon d'impression en cours de montage sur le cylindre support;
• la figure 2 représente partiellement un cylindre d'impression selon l'invention comportant un manchon d'impression monté sur le cylindre support ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en bout selon III de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe selon IV-IV de la figure 3 et représente une variante de réalisation de la bague ;
• la figure 5 est une vue similaire à la figure 4 qui représente une autre variante de réalisation de la bague ;
• la figure 6 est une vue similaire à la figure 4 qui représente encore une autre variante de réalisation de la bague ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en bout selon VII de la figure 4 ; et
• la figure 8 est une vue en bout d'un calibre adaptable à un manchon du cylindre d'impression selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows and which is given with reference to the appended drawings which represent nonlimiting examples of embodiment of the invention and on which:

• Figure 1 partially shows a printing cylinder according to the invention comprising a printing sleeve during mounting on the support cylinder;
• FIG. 2 partially shows a printing cylinder according to the invention comprising a printing sleeve mounted on the support cylinder;
• Figure 3 is an end view along III of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view along IV-IV of Figure 3 and shows an alternative embodiment of the ring;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 which shows another alternative embodiment of the ring;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 which shows yet another alternative embodiment of the ring;
• Figure 7 is an end view along VII of Figure 4; and
• Figure 8 is an end view of a caliber adaptable to a sleeve of the printing cylinder according to the invention.

We first refer to Figure 1 which illustrates a printing cylinder comprising a support cylinder 1 which here is cylindrical.

On this support cylinder 1, a printing sleeve 21 is being assembled, it being understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment. A cylinder printing according to the invention could also include at least two printing sleeves.

On the support cylinder 1 are provided devices indexing devices 10, 11, which are here aligned according to a longitudinal generator of the support cylinder.

In practice, the support cylinder has at least one indexing device by printing sleeve, this indexing device cooperating with the sleeve for the position appropriately on the support cylinder.

The presence of several indexing devices for a printing sleeve makes it possible to position the sleeve different locations on the support cylinder.

Several indexing devices are necessary when several printing sleeves have to be fitted on the support cylinder.

Each indexing device can in particular take the shape of a pawn which extends radially, projecting from relative to the surface of the support cylinder 1.

These pawns are often made up of coins cylindrical steel. They can be mounted so fixed on the support cylinder 1 or even be retractable. In this regard, reference may be made to document EP-0 510 744 which describes a retractable indexing device, which consists of a cylindrical part which can slide radially in a recess provided in the cylinder support, elastic means being provided between the bottom of the recess and one end of the cylindrical pin of so that in normal position, the pawn is pushed by elastic means outside the surface of the support cylinder. However, when pressure is exerted on the pin, especially when passing a sleeve the cylindrical pin retracts inside of the recess.

Figure 2 shows a mounted printing sleeve 20 on the support cylinder.

The sleeves 20, 21 are of construction substantially identical and the description of the structure of these sleeves will be performed only for sleeve 20 which is also illustrated in figure 3.

The sleeve 20 has an outer wall 200 and a internal wall 201, both substantially cylindrical. The diameter of the internal wall 201 is adapted to the diameter of the support cylinder and the mounting technique on it support cylinder.

This assembly can in particular be carried out thanks to a compressed air supply that enters the interior of the support cylinder, at least partially hollowed out, to exit by valves provided on the outer surface of the support cylinder. The air supply device tablet and these valves are not shown on the FIGS. These are conventional means for the man of the profession, in particular illustrated in document EP-0 510744. The diameter of the internal wall 201 of the sleeve 20 is then slightly less than the diameter of the cylinder support.

The diameter of the outer surface 200 of the sleeve 20 corresponds to the desired development.

On one of its lateral faces 203, the sleeve 20 comprises a ring 30 which is projecting.

It is in this ring 30 that a recess is formed 300 or the like, which is intended to cooperate with the indexing device 10 provided on the support cylinder for the sleeve 20.

In this exemplary embodiment, the device indexing device consists of a cylindrical pin and the recess 300 therefore has a rounded shape corresponding.

The ring 30 is located in the extension of the inner wall 201 of the sleeve 20 and the recess is made over the entire thickness of the ring 30.

This ring 30 can be directly machined in the sleeve 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Others embodiments of this ring will be illustrated in reference to figures 4 to 6.

Preferably, guide means are associated with this recess 300, to facilitate the insertion of the device indexing 10 in the recess 300, during assembly of the sleeve 20.

These guide means can in particular be constituted by two ramps 301 and 302 arranged on the side and other from recess 300 and which extend from the recess up to the outer edge 304 of the ring. These guide means will be described in more detail in reference to figure 4.

Mounting a printing sleeve on the cylinder support will now be described in more detail in reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Each sleeve 20, 21 is threaded onto the cylinder support 1 by its end 100, located opposite the indexing devices 10 and 11. For this, the cylinder support 1 can be supplied with compressed air, which causes a slight radial expansion of each sleeve, which can slide easily on the support cylinder.

As indicated previously, the operator proceeds usually by trial and error, and it doesn't position necessarily the sleeve so that its recess either opposite the corresponding indexing device.

This is particularly the case of the sleeve 21 which comprises also a recess 310 made in the projecting ring 31 which is provided on its lateral face 213. It will be noted that the ring 31 does not include guide means associated with the recess 310.

Thus, when the sleeve 21 is advanced towards the other end 110 of the support cylinder 1, the outer edge 314 of ring 31 will come into contact with the device indexing 10.

As noted earlier, it occurs generally impacts between the sleeve and the device indexing, until the operator positions the sleeve correctly, by turning it around the support cylinder 1.

With a printing sleeve according to the invention, these shocks are applied against the ring and not against the sleeve itself, which avoids any deterioration of the sleeve.

Therefore, it is necessary that the ring is at least partly projecting from the face side of the sleeve, so that it can effectively guarantee the sleeve from shocks that may occur between it and the indexing device, when mounting the sleeve on the carrier cylinder.

The sleeve 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 is itself already positioned on the support cylinder 1, the device indexing device 10 cooperating with the recess 300 provided in the ring 30.

The presence of the guide ramps 301, 302 facilitates the operator's work since they helped guide the indexing device 10 in the recess 300, when the operator rotated the sleeve 20 around the cylinder support.

As previously indicated, the protruding ring on a side face of the printing sleeve according to the invention can be directly machined in the sleeve.

A sleeve well suited for this machining operation is described in document EP-0 683 040. This sleeve comprises in particular at least one layer of a material having a high vacuum rate and with through holes distributed over its surface, this layer being coated with a resin layer.

After machining the ring in the sleeve, you can also plan to strengthen this ring by any appropriate reinforcement material, and in particular by addition local resin.

We now refer to Figure 4 which illustrates an alternative embodiment of the ring described in reference to Figures 1 to 3.

FIG. 4 partially illustrates a sleeve 22, also substantially cylindrical and intended to be mounted on the support cylinder 1.

On the lateral face 223 of the sleeve 22 is also provided a ring 32, which is not machined in the sleeve but reported thereon.

This ring 32 can be produced independently, then fixed in a suitable recess 224 formed in the surface inner 221 of the sleeve 22. This recess 224 does not open not on the outer wall 220 of the sleeve, to be able maintain the ring 32 which is mounted by any means suitable and in particular by gluing or shrinking.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the ring 32, which comprises, projecting from its wall outer 328, an annular part 329 which is intended for completely cover the lateral face 223 of the sleeve 22. This annular part 329 thus constitutes a song for completely protect the side face of the sleeve.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the ring 32 produced independently can be extended by part substantially cylindrical 327 with an outside diameter corresponds to the outside diameter of the sleeve 22, part by which it is crimped into a recess 228 made in the outer wall 220 of the sleeve.

The ring could also be simply joined sleeve at its end.

The ring 32 can also be produced directly in the sleeve 22, by resin molding in the recess annular 224.

This ring can be made of any material elastic and shock absorber, such as aluminum or a plastic material such as polyamide, PTFE, polycarbonate, PU, PES or PE.

This ring 32 is partially projecting by relative to the lateral face 223 of the sleeve 22 in order to be able actually protect the sleeve itself from impact on the indexing device, when mounting the sleeve on the support cylinder.

This part of the ring which is projecting presents, preferably a minimum height of one millimeter.

On the outer edge 324 of the ring, a recess 320 which is intended to receive the device indexing 12 associated with the sleeve 22 and fixed on the cylinder support.

Preferably, the internal diameter of the ring is greater than the internal diameter of the printing sleeve. This facilitates the initial mounting of the sleeve on the cylinder support which consists of a press fit with a back and forth movement, combined with an axial force, to bring the sleeve to cover the openings opening on the outer surface of the support cylinder and associated with a compressed air supply device and to allow thus creating an air cushion for mounting complete with printing sleeve. This initial assembly is conventionally called "box".

As indicated above, the ring 32 includes preferably guide means to facilitate the work operator. However, these guide means are not not necessary for the ring to fulfill its function of protection of the sleeve 22 against possible shocks.

The guide means shown consist of two ramps 321 and 322 which extend from the recess 320 up to the outer edge 324 of the ring 32.

These two ramps are advantageously symmetrical by compared to the recess 320, but this is not limiting.

These ramps can be helical, as illustrated in Figure 4, or linear.

In addition, each ramp extends over a sector corresponding to an angle between 25 and 60 ° and of preferably around 45 °.

We have seen that the sliding quality of the material of the ring and an angular opening relatively large of the two ramps facilitate considerably the operator's work, especially with hardly accessible support cylinders.

Preferably, each ramp 321, 322 is connected to the outer edge 324 of the ring 32 by means of a offset 325, 326 forming a stop.

Thus, when an operator has placed the sleeve 22 on the support cylinder, so that the relative position of the ring 32 and of the indexing device 12 is illustrated by reference 12a, if the operator turns the sleeve in the clockwise, the relative position of the ring 32 and the indexing device will become that illustrated by the reference 12b.

The operator will then detect that the sleeve is in stop on the indexing device and that it should be turn counterclockwise.

In the case where the ring 32 is made in one low friction material, the fact to press axially on the sleeve is sufficient to do so rotate until it reaches its position of locking.

This rotation movement of the sleeve leads necessarily to the cooperation of the recess 320 and the indexing device 12, which engages in the recess.

Thus, the presence of two ramps with stops tells the operator which way to turn the sleeve to reach the mounted and locked position of the muff.

The guide rails particularly fill their function, when the operator positions the the sleeve on the support cylinder beforehand so that the indexing device is facing one of the two guide rails.

Therefore, visualization means are advantageously provided on the face 225 of the sleeve 22, opposite to the side face 223 from which the ring 32 projects, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

It is this face 225 which is visible for a operator, when mounting sleeve 22.

These display means 226 can take different shapes, including a strip of one color, distinct from that of the rest of the side face 225 of the sleeve, by a raised area such as a recess, by a recessed area or by an engraved area.

These display means 226 extend in a sector substantially identical to that of the means of guide provided on the ring 32 and are substantially centered on the recess 320 of the ring 32.

Thus, when the operator sets up the sleeve 22 on the support cylinder 1, these display means allow to preposition the sleeve 22 relative to the indexing device 12, insofar as the front face 100 of the carrier cylinder 1 also includes a means of marking the position of the indexing device on the carrier cylinder. This location means can in particular take the form of a radial line on the front face 100 of the carrier cylinder 1.

Figure 8 illustrates an example of a caliber for determine the position of the display means 226 on the face 225 of the sleeve 22.

This caliber 5 is fixed on a centering ring 6 which is intended to be placed inside the sleeve 22.

Caliber 5 is positioned on the centering ring 6 via centering feet passing through through openings 50 and 51.

Caliber 5 is also fixed on the ring of centering 6 by means of locking screws passing through through the holes 52 and 53 made in caliber 5.

This caliber 5 has the shape of a portion of disc 54 which is extended by a foot 55. The portion of disc 54 corresponds to an angle similar to that of guide means provided on the ring 32.

Caliber 5 is positioned relative to sleeve 22 so that its central slot 56 discovers a mark 227 produced on the sleeve 22 and corresponding to the location of the recess 320 of the ring 32.

The outer edges 540 and 541 of the part of disc 54 then make it possible to determine in which zone of the face 225 of the sleeve 22, the display means 226 will be provided.

Thus, the ring provided on one face of the sleeve printing according to the invention effectively allows protect it from shocks that may occur during mounting.

This ring also protects the sleeve shock it may suffer when it is handled outside of a printing machine, and in particular during its storage. Indeed, insofar as the sleeve printing is arranged on the floor through its ring, the latter also performs a function of shock protection.

The ring also protects the sleeve during assembly initial or box which causes it to cover the orifices for the passage of compressed air, which ensures the creation of an air cushion for the complete assembly of the muff. Indeed, the boxing operation requires importantly the end of the sleeve, which can be damaged.

Furthermore, a printing sleeve may include on each of its lateral faces, a ring such as described above, with a recess intended to cooperate with an indexing device provided on the cylinder support. This embodiment allows mounting reversible from the printing sleeve to the support cylinder.

In this case, the display means which have been described with reference to Figure 7 can also be provided on the two lateral faces of the sleeve, always to allow reversible mounting.

We can also note that the presence of this ring in the printing sleeve removes the keys which are necessarily provided in a sleeve relatively large thickness.

In the above description, the sleeves are mounted directly on the support cylinder. However, the invention is not limited to this application and a sleeve according to the invention could also be mounted on another sleeve or intermediate sleeve, already in place on the support cylinder. In this case, the devices indexing devices are positioned on the outer surface of this intermediate sleeve.

Finally, a printing sleeve used as part of this invention may advantageously include, on its outer surface, a cutting guide (not shown).

Such a guide is described in particular in the document WO 98/58803 and consists of a groove made in the sleeve and lined with hard material. Each groove serves as a benchmark for mounting a plate and guide for the cut used to cut the protruding double-sided adhesive of the cliché. As this material is hard, the cutting tool does not cannot damage the sleeve and the guide function of the groove prevents the tool from slipping on the plate.

Thus, these cutting guides make it easier to mounting a plate on a sleeve, while avoiding damage to the sleeve or plate.

Advantageously, a cutting guide extending according to a generator of the sleeve is produced opposite the recess in the ring. In this case, the guide replaces the reference 227 which has been described with reference to the figure 5.

Any printing sleeve intended to receive one or more multiple relief printing plates can be used in the context of the present invention. The sleeve can also have a shape on its external face flexographic, typographic endless printer, heliographic, offset or digital. It can include its outer surface of elastomer, metal or ceramic.

The reference signs inserted after the technical characteristics appearing in the claims are intended only to facilitate the understanding of these and cannot limit them the scope.

Claims (18)

1. Impression cylinder comprising a support cylinder (1), at least one printing sleeve (20, 21, 22) designed to be mounted on the support cylinder, and means of indexing each sleeve on the support cylinder, said indexing means comprising a recess or similar (300, 310, 320) provided on a lateral face of the sleeve (20, 21, 22) and opening out onto the internal wall thereof, and at least one indexing device (10, 11, 12) borne by the support cylinder and adapted to project thereover, the recess and each indexing device being designed to cooperate in order to mount the sleeve on the support cylinder and fix the position thereof,
   characterised in that the printing sleeve (20, 21, 22) has at least one ring (30, 31, 32) in the continuation of its internal wall and at least in the projecting portion on said lateral face (203, 213, 223), in which ring said recess or similar (300, 310, 320) is made, said ring safeguarding the sleeve from shocks between it and the indexing device as the sleeve is being mounted on the support cylinder.
2. Impression cylinder according to claim 1, characterised in that the ring (30, 31) is produced as a single part with the sleeve (20, 21), in particular by machining.
3. Impression cylinder according to claim 1, characterised in that the ring (32) is a part which has been added onto or into the sleeve (22), in particular by direct moulding, by bonding or by crimping it over.
4. Impression cylinder according to claim 3, characterised in that the ring is made from a flexible or shock-absorbent material such as aluminium or a plastics material such as polyamide, PTFE, polycarbonate, PU, PES or PE.
5. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the ring (30, 32) has means for guiding said indexing device (10, 11, 12), which is borne by the support cylinder, to said recess (300, 320) in the ring.
6. Impression cylinder according to claim 5, characterised in that the guidance means consist of two ramps (301, 302; 321, 322) arranged on either side of said recess (300, 320) and each extending from said recess to the outer edge (304, 324) of the ring.
7. Impression cylinder according to claim 6, characterised in that said ramps are symmetrical with respect to said recess.
8. Impression cylinder according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that said ramps are helical.
9. Impression cylinder according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that said ramps are linear.
10. Impression cylinder according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterised in that each ramp is at an angle of between 25° and 60°, preferably 45°.
11. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that a stop (325, 326) is provided between the outer edge (324) of the ring (32) and the end of at least one ramp (321, 322), the end that opposes said recess (320).
12. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the printing sleeve incorporates a ring with a recess on each of its lateral faces, for reversible mounting on the support cylinder.
13. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that on its lateral face (225) situated opposite the face that incorporates said ring, said printing sleeve (22) has means (226) for visualising the corresponding location of the recess (320), and if appropriate of the guidance means, on the face (223) of the sleeve incorporating the ring (32), in order to make it easier to mount the sleeve (22) on the support cylinder (1).
14. Impression cylinder according to claims 12 and 13, characterised in that the printing sleeve has visualisation means on each of its lateral faces, for reversible mounting.
15. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that on its external wall the printing sleeve has integrated guides for positioning and cutting, with the help of a cutting tool, a plate and/or double-sided tape interposed on the sleeve.
16. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the support cylinder has a plurality of indexing devices, at least some of which are retractable.
17. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the indexing devices (10, 11, 12) are arranged along a generating line of the support cylinder (1).
18. Impression cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that an intermediate sleeve is disposed between the support cylinder and the printing sleeve, each indexing device being positioned on the outer surface of said intermediate sleeve.

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