GB2262068A

GB2262068A - An apparatus for the automatic substitution of printing groups (complete ink fountains) with which flexographic printing machines in particular are equipped

Info

Publication number: GB2262068A
Application number: GB9224207A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Egidio Dallari
Original assignee: SCHIAVI CESARE COSTR MEC; Schiavi Cesare Costruzioni Meccaniche SpA
Current assignee: SCHIAVI CESARE COSTR MEC; Schiavi Cesare Costruzioni Meccaniche SpA
Priority date: 1991-11-21
Filing date: 1992-11-18
Publication date: 1993-06-09
Also published as: ES2059269A2; JPH05229102A; KR930009773A; AU2851892A; ES2059269B1; ES2059269R; ITMO910166A1; GB9224207D0; FR2684041A1; ITMO910166A0; DE4238672A1; IT1253804B

Abstract

Apparatus for the automatic substitution of ink fountains allows the contemporaneous substitution of all the ink fountains (30) arranged on one side of the printing cylinder (33) of a flexographic machine. A car (1), to which is vertically slidingly coupled a frame (2), carries pluralities of cylinder assemblies (34-37), each of which assemblies is composed of two parallel gripping arms (22) horizontally slidable within the frame (2). The vertical sliding of the car (1) permits either of two sets of three assemblies to exchange positions. <IMAGE>

Description

1 - 3 - 'i 1 P.n Apparatus for the Automatic Substitution of Printing

Groups (complete ink Fountains) with which Flexographic Printing Machines in particular are equipped.

Description.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic substitution of printing groups (complete ink fountains) with which flexographic printing machines are equipped.

At present during the use of flexographic printing machines it is frequently necessary to substitute, entirely or in part, the principal organs connected to the said ink fountains and them. This happens, for example, whenever a format has to be changed. Since normally more than one ink fountain o-perates on the same side of a printing cylinder of E f 1 o g r aph i c printing ir.achili.:--,. the substitution operation of the entire series of ink fr-,untains rec7uires a considerably long time as well as a high number of man-hours. Also, du. r ii n g the substitution the machine must be inactIve, and the time tal-en up has to be considered passive.

The reduction of man-hours is at present achieved by means of the use of robotise-d arms, which lie.ve 2 the task of removing and singly substituting the various parts of the various ink fountains. This f mode o. operating, with the introduction of robotised arms, which can be termed quite sophisticated means, has still not, however, produced satisfactory results from the point of view of the reduction in passive time during the substitution itself. The scarse benefit in terms of passive time reduction, added to the relative sophistication of the robotised equipment and thus its cost, do not solve the problem, which grows as per the number of changes of rollers necessary per day, not to mention changes of format etc.

The present invention, as it is characterised in the claims which follow, proposes to provide a solution to the above-described problem.

Among the advantages provided by the invention are versatility and functional simplicity.

Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent a preferred embodiment here illustrated in the form of a non-limiting example, and in which:

3 f igure 1 shows lateral view; - figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 show, in the same view as figure 1, the invention during different operative phases; - f igures different according - figure of figure - figure 9 a schematic vertical-elevation 6 and 8 show, in enlarged scale and in configurations, a schematic section made to line I-I of figure 1; 7 shows a schematic plan-view from above 1; shows a schematic section according to line VIII-VIII of figure S. With reference to the drawings, I denotes a frame or car equipped with wheels 10 which enable it to move. The car I is equipped with a propelling t 4 organ, no Lllustrated in the figures, as well as guiding means. It is also equipped with centering means constituted by centering pivots 11 arranged at the front side of the car I and predisposed to be inserted, and perfectly correspo, nding Llexographic seatinas 31 predisposed to couple, in seatings 31 in a machine 3. In particular, the -he side of the are located by t printing cylinder 33 of the fle..,'.ographic machine 3 in that part of the frame of the machine itself 4 is whereon are housed the printing groups or ink fountains 30, each of which comprises a relief plate cylinder 34, a half-tone block cylinder 35, a doctor 36 and a bath 37. The centering pivots 11 are activated to slide axially in the two directions on operation of usual hydraulic command devices. Vertical guides 4 are situated on the car 1, on which vertical guides 4 a second car or frame 2 is vertically-slidable coupled. An appropriate motorisation, not illustrated, realises the movements of the frame 2 along the vertical guides 4. The frame 2 is vertically subdivided into three sections, indicated by 26, 27 and 28 in the figures. The number of the sections is equal to the number of printing groups or ink fountains 30 predisposed on the flexographic machine 3 by the side of the printing cylinder 33. In particular, the three sections 26, 27 and 28 are vertically distanced one from the other exactly as the printing groups or ink fountains 30 are distanced from each other. Each section 26, ^47 and 28 is predisposed to operate on the corresponding ink fountain 30. To this end the single section is equipped with two identic a 1. gripping groups, one above the other, each of :oinprises t slide i^.-1 both two parallel arms 22 constrained directions along coplanar and parallel horizontal guides 21 located at a predetermined distance from each other. Hydraulic actuators move the arms 22 in the two directions along the horizontal guides 21. The arms 42, like the horizontal guides 21, symmetrically with respect to a are arranged vertical median plane of the frame 2 and are equipped with gripping organs 23 of the vice-type, able to grip solidly shelf-like projecting bodies 32 especially predisposed on the ink fountains 30. Each gripping organ 23 comprises a lower element or jaw 24 and an upper element or jaw 25, predisposed to operate in a normal direction to the sliding direction of the arms.12 along the horizontal guides '211. In particular, in the maximum open position, represented in figure 7, the two elements '.14 and "15 2 are located at a distance such as to allow the 1 -ree insertion between them of the projecting -bodies 32 of the ink fountains 30.

The relativre gripping and opening movement of the M and 25 is realised for i--lements. example hydraulically, -o7ith usual means housed in the arms 6 The operative cycle Of the machine permits the contemporaneous substitution, with clean groups for all of the ink fountains 30 situated on the same side of the flexographic machine 3. Each section 26, 27 and 28, is equipped with a gripping group located inferiorly and denoted for ease by I and of a gripping group situated superiorly and denoted by S. The two gripping groups are equal and thus are able, by means of the respective parallel arms 22 couples, of operating in the same way. At the beginning of the substitution operative cycle, three new clean printing groups or ink fountains 30 are loaded on the lower gripping groups I of the the said three sections 26, 27 and 28. The car 1 is then manoeuvred and brought up to the flexographic machine 3. once the coupled position with the machine has been achieved, the centering pivots 11 are activated. when the insertion of the said centering pivots 11 into the respective seatings 31 on the frame of the flexographic machine 3 has been completed, the car 1 is perfectly centered and in a predetermined position with respect to the frame of the flexographic machine 3. At thLs point the upper gripping groups S of the three greater 7 0 r 1 () -1 -)0 z e c t ic n 2, 25, 27 :1 Y d 2 P are contemporaneously activated. The alignment of any one of the said upper gripping groups with the respective printing group or ink fountains 30 brings about the autor.:,,atic aligning of the other said gripping groups with the relative printing groups. The printing groups or ink fountains 30 are coupled to the frame of the flexographic machine 3 by means of hori-zontal coupling seatings 38 and 39, which permit their easy removal. The advancement towards the printing cylinder 33 and the parallel arms 22 of the various upper gripping organs S permits of positioning the gripping organs 23 with respect to the projecting bodies 32. The closure of the gripping organs 23 of the projecting bodies 3" produces the solid gripping of both sides of the ink fountains 30 by means of the arms 22. The u-iblocking of the fixing organs, which fix the printing group or ink fountains 30 to the frame of tI.e flexographic machine 3 frees the printing croup itself, so that they can be slightly and contemporaneously raised, for example, by means of a slight verticaldirection sliding on the part of tl.,;e gripping organs 24 and 25 and, successively, sc; that they can be distanced by sliding along the 8 horizontal guides 2 1 - The printing group or ink fountains 30, removed from the machine 3, are then translated and left temporarily, sustained by the upper gripping group S of the various sections.

When the extraction of the ink fountains 30 is completed, the frame 2, after the centering pivots 11 have been extracted, is raised vertically by one step, that is by a distance corresponding to the existing vertical distance between the positions occupied by the printing groups 30 on the flexographic machine 3. In other words, with this vertical-direction movement the lower gripping groups I of all the three sections 26, 27 and 28 become aligned with the positions occupied by the printing group or ink fountains 30. After this alignment has been achieved, the centering pivots 11 are inserted and all the lower gripping groups I of the three sections 26, 27 and 28 are made to slide towards the flexographic machine 3, and the clean ink fountains 30, once they have reached their respective positions, by means of the release of the gripping organs 23 are deposited on the horizontal coupling seatings 38 and 39. When the arms 22 are released, they are drawn back, as are the centering pivots 11, in e 1 1 9 0 c i r,:-- e the car 1 which can then be distanced from the flexographic machine 3. Three clean ink fountains 30 have at this point been mounted on the flexographic machine 3, while the dirty ink fountains 30 have been housed on the car 1, from which they can be taken for the necessary cleaning and maintenance operations without interfering with the functioning of the flei..ographic machine 3, which can be restarted.

The entire operation can be executed rapidly and without any difficulties.

Claims

Claims.

An apparatus for the automatic substitution of printing groups (ink fountains) with which flexographic printing machines in particular are equipped, characterised by the fact of comprising: - a first frame or car (1) equipped with means which allow it to move autonomously with respect to a flexographic machine (3); the said first car (1) being equipped with centering means predisposed to interact on command with corresponding means predisposed on the said flexographic machine (3) with the aim of achieving a pre-established reciprocal positioning; - a frame (2) coupled with the said car (1) in zo such a way as to be mobile with respect to the said car (1) in at least one direction; the said frame 2 being equipped, for each printing group (ink fountain) 30 with at least one gripping group pair which are singly endowed with the possibility of independent sliding along pre-established track-s or trajectories which are at least in part 1 11 paralle' and located at a pi-edetern-.ii,ed distance one fron., the. other; the said frame (2) being to move i, the two senses with respect constrained t.1 k_ to the car (1) in order to allow of an exchange of position of the said gripping groups at least in a part of the relative trajectories with respect to the sai5 car ( 1).

An apparatus as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said centering means comprise centering pivots (11) activated to slide axially in the two senses; the said centering pivots (11) being predisposed to insert perfectly in Z, corresponding seatings (31) predisposed on the said flexographic machine (3) A-1.1 apparatus as in claim 2, f act that characterised by the the said frame (2) is slidingly constrained to the said car vertical guides (4); groups of the said parallel horizontal above tIle other at by means of the two identical gripping couple being mounted on guides (21) positioned one a pre-established distance; each said gripping group comprising C,7o parallel arms (22) slidingly constrained in the two senses -a 21 guides ( 2 1) f orm.e if. by along a couple o'. lin-r-Jz-oi-i4. two coplanar horizontal guides positioned at a pre-established distance from each other.

An apparatus as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that each of the said arms (22) is equipped with vice-type gripping organs (23), each of which comprises a lower element (jaw) and an upper element (jaw) (25) predisposed to operate in a direction which is normal to the said guides (21) on shelf-like projecting bodies (32) solid to the printing group (30) or its parts.

An apparatus as in claim 4, characterised by the fact that the said frame (2) houses a plurality of gripping group pairs, each of said pairs being predisposed to operate on a corresponding printing group (30).

An apparatus for the automatic substitution of printing groups (ink fountains) with which flexographic printing machines in particular are equipped, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.