EP2389293B1 - Bearing assembly and corresponding inking or wetting unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a support assembly for a cylinder with axial mobility in a printing press, of the type indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

Such a set is known to US4546701 and of JP 06 286 117 .

Document is known DE-U-86 30 456 a touch cylinder which is rotatable and axially movable in a frame of a printing press. The cylinder has lateral journals by which it is mounted on a radial needle bearing and an axial / radial ball bearing. The mounting of this cylinder is very complicated, and because of the very large mass of the cylinder, the device can not be used at high speeds. Indeed, the natural frequency of all is in excitation frequency ranges that appear during the operation of the press.

Other devices for supporting a cylinder with axial and rotary mobility are described in the patents US 6,868,784 and US 5, 713, 284 . These devices refer to the mounting of a hollow cylinder on a continuous shaft, and are also complicated.

The object of the invention is to propose a device for mounting a cylinder with axial mobility on a frame of a printing press, and this in a particularly simple manner and making it possible to obtain eigen frequencies which are located outside excitation frequencies encountered during the operation of the press at high speeds (for example up to 70,000 copies per hour).

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a support assembly of the aforementioned type, characterized by the features of claim 1.

• l'embout comporte une bride de fixation au bâti et le premier roulement est plus près de la bride de fixation que le deuxième roulement, considéré dans la direction de l'axe central ;
• le ressort axial est disposé coaxialement à l'axe central;
• le ressort axial a une dimension radiale inférieure à un diamètre intérieur d'au moins l'un des roulements ;
• le deuxième roulement comporte une bague de roulement intérieure et l'ensemble comporte des moyens de guidage axial de la bague de roulement intérieure par rapport à l'embout ;
• l'ensemble comporte un manchon intermédiaire dans lequel est inséré :
• une bague de roulement extérieure du deuxième roulement ; et
• une bague de roulement extérieure du premier roulement, et le manchon intermédiaire est adapté pour être inséré dans le cylindre et fixée à celui-ci ;
• le premier roulement est un roulement ayant une piste extérieure, une piste intérieure et des corps de roulement, la piste intérieure étant une surface cylindrique de l'embout; et
• le deuxième roulement et le premier roulement ont des bagues de roulement extérieures, et les diamètres extérieurs des bagues de roulement extérieures sont identiques, et le cas échéant identiques à une surface intérieure du manchon.

According to particular embodiments, the invention may include one or more of the following features:

• the tip has a flange for attachment to the frame and the first bearing is closer to the fastening flange than the second bearing, considered in the direction of the central axis;
• the axial spring is disposed coaxially with the central axis;
• the axial spring has a radial dimension smaller than an internal diameter of at least one of the bearings;
• the second bearing comprises an inner race and the assembly comprises means for axially guiding the inner race with respect to the hub;
• the assembly comprises an intermediate sleeve in which is inserted:
• an outer race of the second bearing; and
• an outer race of the first bearing, and the intermediate sleeve is adapted to be inserted into the cylinder and secured thereto;
• the first bearing is a bearing having an outer race, an inner race and rolling bodies, the inner race being a cylindrical surface of the hub; and
• the second bearing and the first bearing have outer races, and the outer diameters of the outer races are identical, and if necessary identical to an inner surface of the sleeve.

The invention also relates to a cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder defining a central axis, characterized in that it comprises at least one support assembly as defined above, and preferably two identical support assemblies, each support assembly being connected to one end of the cylinder.

• l'ensemble de support est un ensemble de support tel que défini ci-dessus, le manchon intermédiaire a une surface extérieure en contact avec une surface intérieure du corps de base du cylindre, et la surface intérieure s'étend sur toute la longueur axiale du corps de base du cylindre ;
• l'ensemble de cylindre comporte des moyens de butée limitant le déplacement axial du cylindre par rapport à l'embout;
• les moyens de butée comportent deux épaulements ménagés dans l'embout et un organe de butée coopérant avec ces épaulements et fixés au cylindre, de préférence fixé au manchon intermédiaire.

The cylinder assembly may include one or more of the following features:

• the support assembly is a support assembly as defined above, the intermediate sleeve has an outer surface in contact with an inner surface of the cylinder base body, and the inner surface extends over the entire axial length of the cylinder; basic body of the cylinder;
• the cylinder assembly comprises stop means limiting the axial displacement of the cylinder relative to the tip;
• the abutment means comprise two shoulders formed in the endpiece and an abutment member cooperating with these shoulders and fixed to the cylinder, preferably fixed to the intermediate sleeve.

Finally, the subject of the invention is a unit for inking or wetting a printing press, characterized in that it comprises a frame and at least one assembly as defined above.

• La Figure 1 est une vue schématique de côté d'une unité d'impression comportant un ensemble de cylindre selon l'invention ; et
• La Figure 2 est une vue en coupe axiale d'une partie d'un ensemble de cylindre selon l'invention.
• La Figure 1 montre d'une manière schématique une unité d'impression d'une presse d'impression offset à bande, désignée par la référence générale 2.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• The Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a printing unit comprising a cylinder assembly according to the invention; and
• The Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of a portion of a cylinder assembly according to the invention.
• The Figure 1 schematically shows a printing unit of a web offset printing press, designated by the general reference 2.

The printing unit 2 comprises a blanket cylinder 4, in this case two blanket cylinders, and at least one plate cylinder 6, in this case two plate-carrying cylinders.

The printing unit 2 further comprises an inking unit 8 and a wetting unit 10.

The inking unit 8 serves to apply ink from an ink source 11 to the plate cylinder.

The inking unit 8 comprises a plurality of inking rollers 12, an inking cylinder 13 in contact with the ink source 11. The inking unit 8 is provided with the inking rolls 14 which are in contact with the inking unit. contact with the cylinder plate holder 6. Intermediate cylinders 16 are interposed between the inking impression rolls 14 and the inking rolls 12. The inking rolls 12 are also called distributor rolls.

The wetting unit 10 comprises a wetting touching cylinder 18 which is in contact with the plate cylinder 6, and intermediate or distributor cylinders 20.

The wetting unit 10 comprises a source 23 of wetting liquid, such as water or water / silicone emulsion.

The wetting unit 10 comprises a moistening cylinder 21 in contact with the source 23 of wetting liquid.

The printing unit 2 further comprises a frame 26 having two sides, one side of which is shown on the Figure 1 the other side being omitted.

On the Figure 2 are schematically represented in axial section a portion of the printing unit 2. The figure 2 represents a touch roll 14 and an intermediate roll 16 and a support assembly of the roll roll 14, denoted by the reference 30.

The support assembly 30 is an independent module of the touching cylinder 14 and the frame 26 and can be handled in one piece without its components detach, which facilitates its mounting.

The cylinder 14 is composed of a base body 32, an intermediate layer 34 and a coating 36. The base body 32 defines a central axis X-X. In what follows, the expressions "axially", "radially" and "circumferentially" will be used with respect to the central axis X-X.

The base body 32 is a hollow cylinder and has an outer surface 38 and an inner surface 40. The inner surface 40 is a circular section cylindrical surface that extends over the entire axial length of the base body 32. The outer surface 38 is also a circular section cylindrical surface which extends over the entire axial length of the base body 32.

The base body 32 is advantageously made of steel, but can also be made of either aluminum or a composite material such as plastic reinforced with carbon fibers.

The coating 36 is a protective layer for example a rubber coating. The liner 36 has an axial extent that is smaller than the axial extent of the base body 32.

The intermediate layer 34 is for example rubber, polymer or other plastic material. The intermediate layer 34 has an axial extent greater than the axial extent of the base body 32.

The support assembly 30 comprises an end piece 42 which is mounted on the frame 26. The end piece 42 is either mounted in a fixed manner to the frame or via a mechanism adapted to move the touching roll 14 between Off-print and print positions.

The support assembly 30 further comprises support means 44 of the cylinder 14 on the endpiece 42. These support means 44 are adapted to allow a rotation of the cylinder 14 about the central axis XX and an axial translation along of this axis XX.

The support means 44 comprise two radial bearings 46, in this case exclusively radial bearings, and an axial bearing 48. The axial bearing 48 is a ball bearing. In this case, the axial bearing 48 is an axial bearing only, but it can be an axial / radial bearing.

The support means 44 also comprise an axial spring 50 having an elasticity along the central axis X-X.

The spring 50 is, in this case, a helical spring whose central axis is parallel to the X-X axis and is preferably coaxial therewith.

The support means 44 comprise an intermediate sleeve 52 arranged between the radial bearings 46 and axial 48 and the cylinder 14.

The tip 42 comprises a fastening flange 56 adapted to connect the tip 42 to the frame 26. The fastening flange 56 has a shape complementary to a shape of a housing formed in the frame 26. The fastening flange 56 is fixed in this housing by means of a screw and a flange 60.

The tip 42 also has a cylindrical support surface 62.

Preferably, the support surface 62 is made in one piece with the tip 42, thereby reducing the number of components.

Each radial bearing 46 has an outer ring 64 defining an outer race, rolling bodies 66, in this case rolling cylinders, and an inner raceway. The inner raceway is formed by the cylindrical surface 62. Alternatively, the inner raceway may be formed by an inner race. In another variant, the rolling bodies 66 are needles.

The support surface 62, and consequently the inner race of the radial bearings 46, has an axial extent greater than the axial extent of the rolling bodies 66.

The axial bearing 48 comprises an outer race 70, rolling bodies 72, in this case balls, and an inner race 74.

The support means 44 also comprise means for axially fixing the bearings 46, 48 with respect to the intermediate sleeve 52. These fixing means comprise a first split ring 76 engaged in a groove in the sleeve 52 and axially fixing the outer ring 70. These fastening means also comprise a second and a third split ring 76 engaging in two grooves formed in the sleeve 52 and axially fixing the two outer rings 64 of the radial bearings 46. These axial fixing means also comprise a spacer 78 extending between the outer race rings 64.

Advantageously, the outer race 70 and outer races 64 have outer diameters D identical. Similarly, the inner surface of the sleeve 52 has an identical inner diameter, except the grooves receiving the split rings 76 and a shoulder for the outer ring 70, over its entire extent, which facilitates the manufacture and assembly of the sleeve 52 and bearings 46, 48.

Also, advantageously, the or each radial bearing 46 is axially closer to the fastening flange 56 than the axial bearing 48.

The support means 44 comprise a support 80. The inner bearing ring 74 of the axial bearing 48 is disposed on this support 80. The support 80 and the tip 42 each comprise a cylindrical recess defining a housing 82 for the spring 50.

The outer diameter DR of the spring 50 is smaller than the inside diameters of the bearings 48 and 46. More specifically, the outside diameter DR of the spring 50 is smaller than the inside diameter d of the inner race 74.

Also, the spring 50 axially overlaps the axial bearing 48 and the radial bearing 46 closest to the axial bearing 48. These characteristics make it possible to design the support means 44 with a small axial and radial extent for given loads.

The support means 44 also comprise means for axially guiding the support 80 with respect to the end piece 42. These guiding means comprise at least one pin 82 and a bore 84, the pin 82 and the bore 84 having an axial mobility. relative to each other. The pin 82 is fixed to the end piece 42.

The intermediate sleeve 52 has an outer cylindrical surface 86 complementary to the inner surface 40 of the base body 32 and a connecting flange 88 having a diameter greater than that of its outer surface 86 and applying to the front surface of the base body 32. The intermediate layer 34 extends axially on the flange 88.

The intermediate layer 34 is present when the base body 32 is made of fiber composite material. This layer 34 protects the fibers, and avoids infiltration of liquid such as water, ink, wetting agents, etc. between the base body 32 and the flange 88.

The intermediate sleeve 52 is fixed via the flange 88 to the base body 32, for example by a screw not shown.

The support means 44 also comprise stop means 90 adapted to limit the axial displacement of the facing roll 14 relative to the endpiece 42. These stop means 90 comprise an annular groove forming two shoulders 92 formed in the endpiece 42 and an abutment member 94 cooperating with the shoulders 92 in the axial end positions. The stop member 94 is fixed to the intermediate sleeve 52 and is for example a wafer.

On the Figure 2 a single support assembly 30 and a single axial end of the touch roll 14 are shown. However, the printing unit 2 comprises a second identical assembly 30 which connects the other end of the touching roll 14 to the side of the frame 26, not shown.

The set works as follows.

In the state of rest, the spring 50 pushes the touching cylinder 14 through the support 80, the axial bearing 48 and the sleeve 52, in an axial position of rest.

Once the ink unit has started, the intermediate cylinder 16 is driven back and forth axially and rotationally. By means of the friction between the intermediate cylinder 16 and the touching cylinder 14, the latter is also rotated and follows the axial movement of the cylinder 16. The axial displacement of the touching cylinder 14 is limited by the stop means 90 and the spring 50 is adapted to maintain the low axial forces acting on the abutments 92. During the axial displacement of the roller 14, the intermediate sleeve 52, the axial bearing 48, the support 80, the outer races 64 and the bodies of bearing 66 move in a single block with the cylinder 14 relative to the tip 42.

The mounting of the support assembly 30 is particularly simple and is carried out as follows.

Firstly, the axial bearing 48 is inserted into the intermediate sleeve 52. It is fixed by the first split ring 76. Then, the support 80 is inserted into the inner race 74 of the bearing 48.

Then, the spring 50 is disposed in the housing 82. Then, the second split ring 76 is inserted into the corresponding groove. Then the first outer race 64, the spacer 78 and the second outer race 64 are inserted successively into the sleeve 52 and are fixed by the third split ring 76.

Finally, the stop member 94 is fixed by a screw on the intermediate sleeve 52. Thanks to the stop means 90, the support assembly 30 can be manipulated, in the absence of the cylinder 14 and the frame 26, one block without detaching in an untimely way.

Also, the mounting of the various components 46, 48, 80, 78 in the intermediate sleeve 52 is performed on one side in the sleeve 52 and the support assembly 30 is inserted in the same direction in the cylinder 14. This facilitates also assembly and manufacture.

The design of the support assembly 30 is particularly compact for given loads, and allows the eigenfrequency to be located outside the excitation frequencies generated by the printing unit even for high print speeds.

The invention has been described with reference to the inking roll 14 and the intermediate roll 16, but the wetting touching roll 18 is also mounted on the stand by means of two support sets 30.

As a further variant, the support assembly comprises a single radial bearing 46, or more than two radial bearings 46, having the aforementioned technical characteristics of the radial bearings 46.

The radial bearing 46 closer to the tip 32 has a role anti-roll.

Claims (13)

1. A bearing assembly for an axially mobile cylinder in a printing press, of the type comprising:

   - an endpiece (42) adapted so as to be mounted on a frame (26) of the press and defining a central axis (X-X);

   - means (44) for bearing a cylinder (14, 16) on the endpiece in rotation about the central axis (X-X) and in translation along the central axis,

   the bearing means (44) comprising:

   - a first bearing (46) which is a radial bearing, notably an exclusively radial roller or needle bearing; and

   - a second bearing (48) which is either an axial/radial combined bearing or an only axial bearing, characterized in that

   the second bearing (48) is adapted so as to be fixed or attached with respect to the cylinder (14, 16) and connected to the endpiece via an axial spring (50) with elasticity along the central axis; and

   - the second bearing (48) being axially mobile with respect to the endpiece (42) and the axial spring (50) overlaps axially at least one of the first and second bearings (46, 48).
2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, characterized that the endpiece (42) includes a clamp (56) for attachment to the frame and the first bearing (46) is closer to the attachment clamp than the second bearing (48) as considered in the direction of the central axis.
3. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axial spring (50) is positioned co-axially with the central axis.
4. The bearing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the axial spring (50) has a radial dimension less than an inner diameter of at least one of the bearings (46, 48).
5. The bearing assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second bearing (48) includes an inner bearing ring (74) and the assembly includes means for axial guidance (80, 82) of the inner bearing ring (74) with respect to the endpiece (42).
6. The bearing assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the assembly includes an intermediate sleeve (52) into which are inserted:

   - an outer bearing ring of the second bearing (48); and

   - an outer bearing ring (64) of the first bearing (46), and in that the intermediate sleeve (52) is adapted so as to be inserted into the cylinder (14) and fixed or attached to the latter.
7. The bearing assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first bearing (64) is a bearing having an outer track, an inner track (62) and roller bearing bodies (66), the inner track being a cylindrical surface (62) of the endpiece (42).
8. The bearing assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second bearing (48) and the first bearing (46) have outer bearing rings (64, 70), and in that the outer diameters of the outer bearing rings are identical and, if need be, identical with an inner surface of the sleeve (52).
9. A cylinder assembly including a cylinder (14, 16) defining a central axis,
   characterized in that it includes at least one bearing assembly (30) according to any of the preceding claims, and preferably two identical bearing assemblies (30), each bearing assembly being connected to one of the ends of the cylinder.
10. The cylinder assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the bearing assembly is a bearing assembly according to at least claim 6, in that the intermediate sleeve has an outer surface in contact with an inner surface (40) of the base body (32) of the cylinder (14, 18), and in that the inner surface extends over the whole axial length of the base body (32) of the cylinder.
11. The cylinder assembly according to any of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the cylinder assembly includes abutment means (90) limiting the axial displacement of the cylinder relatively to the endpiece (42).
12. The cylinder assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that the abutment means (90) include two shoulders (92) made in the endpiece (42) and an abutment member (94) co-operating with these shoulders (92) and fixed or attached to the cylinder (14), preferably fixed or attached to the intermediate sleeve (52).
13. An inking (8) or wetting (10) unit of a printing press, characterized in that it includes a frame (26) and at least one assembly according to any of the preceding claims.

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