JPH04232059A - Rotary brush cleaning system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enhance cleaning power by providing a spiral brush and a brush holder and arranging so that a rotary arm fixed to an air cylinder periodically urges a cleaner against the component of a printing device. CONSTITUTION: Under a state where a rotary brush cleaning system 20 is engaged with the surface of a blanket cylinder 28, a spiral brush 24 is driven by the blanket cylinder 28 and turned in same direction as the blanket cylinder 28. Amount of engagement between the spiral brush 24 and the blanket cylinder 28 can be adjusted at the position where the rotary brush cleaning system 20 is engaged with the surface of the blanket cylinder 28. This structure enhances the power of the spiral brush 24 to loosen and remove dust and lint from the blanket cylinder 28.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cleaning devices for the imaging technology industry, and more particularly to helical brush devices for cleaning components of printing presses.

Machines used in the printing industry become contaminated with debris such as ink and lint. This problem occurs whether printing on paper or textiles. The debris also accumulates to varying degrees on all types of printing equipment. For example, offset printing is a widely used printing method in the newspaper publishing industry.

To receive the inked image from the printing plate, offset printing presses typically employ a blanket cylinder, in other words a cylinder made of or covered with rubber. The inked image is offset printed onto the paper between the blanket cylinders or between the printing cylinder and the blanket cylinder. Continuous printing is made possible by wrapping the printing plate or plates around the outer circumference of a plate cylinder designed to rotate in engagement with the blanket cylinder.

[0004] When operating a blanket-cylinder-to-blanket-cylinder printing press, a web of paper passes between two blanket cylinders mounted so that one blanket cylinder becomes the printing cylinder for the other blanket cylinder. This results in "duplex printing" where both sides of the paper on the web are printed simultaneously.

Continuous offset printing is hampered by dust and lint from the web of paper that tends to accumulate on the blanket cylinder. This dust and lint degrade the quality of printed matter. Dust accumulated on the blanket cylinder,
Lint and ink thus create significant difficulties and undesirable downtime for cleaning. The problem is particularly acute for the newspaper industry when the cost of newsprint increases so that cheaper versions containing more lint are often substituted for more expensive ones.

[0006] The problem of collecting debris such as ink, dirt, threads, etc. that builds up on a printing device is not limited to offset printing. It also occurs in common printing machines. For example, Anilox Rollers, Flexo Plat cylinders and plates.
e Cylinders and Plate)
It occurs in pipe rollers of newspaper printing machines, blanket cylinders and rollers of metal-decorated printing machines, printing cylinders of metal-decorated printing machines, cylinders and rollers of gravure printing, cylinders and rollers of flexographic printing, plates, blankets and rollers of textile printing, etc. The problem of cleaning printing equipment is well known as illustrated by the prior art for cleaning equipment for printing equipment.

In some forms of printing, sheets are cut and stored prior to printing. The sheets are made non-stick by the use of dusty substances such as cornstarch. Using cornstarch in stacked sheets creates another source of debris.

Previously known vacuum devices for cleaning blanket cylinders included a wet vacuum system to remove debris. In these systems, a portion of the blanket cylinder is continuously immersed in solvent and cleaned. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,997, U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,993, and U.S. Pat.
This is as shown in the specification of No. 5779. The present invention eliminates the need for solvents by employing a complete drying system to remove debris.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is disclosed in IBM's Technical Publications Vol. 21, October 1987, No. 5, pp. 359-360, which employs a separate vacuum means or airflow means, which is different from the "cleaning machine for recirculating developer toner"; It merely reveals a vacuum.

Finally, the present invention includes an arm for rotating a rotating brush cleaning system between two operating positions;
In order to increase the cleaning effect, there are means for varying the rotational speed of the brush means, which are described in US Pat. 4, pp. 253-254.

[0011]

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for cleaning ink, lint, and/or dust originating from components of a printing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotating brush cleaning system for cleaning cylindrical components of a printing device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotating brush cleaning system that does not require a drive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotating brush cleaning system having a wide range of cleaning capabilities.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rotating brush cleaning system in which the direction of print winding and brush removal is the same, allowing dust to be transferred to the vacuum device.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rotating brush cleaning system that is easily constructed.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a rotating brush cleaning system that operates to provide radial and widthwise cleaning effects.

In accordance with the present invention, generally speaking, there is provided an apparatus for cleaning components of a printing device, such as a rotating blanket cylinder of an offset printing press, which has a helical brush and a brush holder. The cleaning member is periodically engaged with a cylindrical component of the printing device by movement of a rotating arm that attaches the cleaning member to a pneumatic cylinder.

When the helical brushes are engaged, they rotate in the same direction as the cylindrical component. The action of the helical brush, which moves with the rotation of the cylindrical component, loosens dirt and threads from the component. The dust and lint are then drawn into a vacuum system having a housing surrounding the helical brush.

[0020] The action of the helical brush is of particular importance. The engagement of the helical brush bristles on the cylindrical component causes the bristles to bend radially and sweep dust and lint away from the cylindrical component toward the location of the vacuum device. In addition to radial shedding, the helix of the brush causes widthwise movement of the bristles as the brush rotates, thereby providing additional cleaning.

[0021] These helical brushes are segmented so that portions of the brush can be individually engaged or disengaged as required. Optionally, the brush can be widthwise adjusted to match printing machine components of various sizes.

The number of automatic engagements and operations of the rotary brush cleaning system of the present invention may depend on various predicted or newly observed parameters, such as the amount of paper lint and the length to be printed. Can be adjusted by the operator.

[0023] Also, the present invention is adapted to engage the helical brush, and has two functions: removing dust and debris from the helical brush and changing the speed of the rotating helical brush. It has means within the housing for providing the functionality. The invention also includes means within the housing adapted to engage the cylindrical component and seal the vacuum device. Additionally, the angle of the helical brush and the diameter of the bristles can be varied to vary the speed of the brush when the helical brush is in the engaged position.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a rotary brush cleaning system that is one embodiment of the present invention. The rotary brush cleaning system 20 has at least one helical brush 24 , a housing 40 and an air supply means 41 . The rotary brush cleaning system of this embodiment is installed substantially parallel to the length of the blanket cylinder 28 so as to interlock with the blanket cylinder 28. Rotating brush cleaning system mounting brackets 30 are attached to a frame (not shown) at each outer end of blanket cylinder 28. A rotating arm 34 connects the rotating brush cleaning system 20 to the mounting bracket 30. These rotating arms 34 serve to carry the rotating brush cleaning system 20 and rotate about pins 36.

The rotating brush cleaning system rotates between two operating positions. Rotating the arm 34 between operating positions is accomplished by a plurality of actuators 38 attached to the rotating arm 34. The actuators used are preferably pneumatic actuators, but can also be manual, electric or hydraulic if desired. Since compressed air is commonly used in printing rooms, pneumatic actuators are generally used.

In the first operating position, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 is spaced apart from the blanket cylinder 28 to facilitate, for example, spiral brush replacement and/or machine repair or maintenance.

In the second operating position, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 is held in engagement with the surface of the blanket cylinder 28. In this second position, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 operates to clean and remove lint and dirt from the blanket cylinder.

The vacuum portion of one embodiment of the rotary brush cleaning system 20 consists of a generally U-shaped housing 40 that extends along the length of the blanket cylinder 28 and the helical brush 24. The helical brush 24 is mounted within a housing 40 and the housing 40 is mounted to the rotating arm 34.

In the second engaged position, the helical brush 24 is driven by the blanket cylinder 28 and rotates in the same direction as the blanket cylinder 28. The amount by which the helical brush 24 and the blanket cylinder 28 engage can be adjusted in the second engaged position, such that the helical brush 24 engages the blanket cylinder 2
8 to increase the ability to loosen and remove lint and dust.

Referring to FIG. 5, a variation of the rotating brush cleaning system is shown. In FIG. 5, the brush holder 62 has been split and each segment has been lifted out of engagement with the blanket cylinder during cleaning. Newspaper blanket cylinders are usually constructed in multiples of quarters or pages, and the web is double width (
It is preferable to divide it because it can be made into a full bracket) or a single width (half blanket). If a single width is used, ink will deposit on the portion of the cylinder not covered by the web. In that case,
The ink stains the connected brushes where there is no web. By dividing the brush into preferably four parts, the parts of the brush that are not used are lifted. The rotating brush cleaning system is divided into the desired number of parts to give maximum versatility. Also, lifting the brush can be accomplished by several effective means, and can be done manually, or as shown, pneumatically, electrically, or mechanically.

[0031] In the case of commercially available web printing machines, it is undesirable to divide the brushes. This is because the widths of the webs being treated are very different. For such use, the brush assembly may be configured to be widthwise adjustable along the width of the blanket cylinder. Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a brush holder 68 is slidably mounted within a housing 70 along a slot 72. Locking means 74 serve to hold the brush in the desired widthwise position. This format allows brushes to be tailored to specific applications.

Various materials can be used for the helical brush 24 as long as they do not damage the surface of the blanket cylinder 28. These materials have natural and synthetic fibers. The spiral brush can be wound in different directions, and the pitch of the spiral is from 3.175mm to 25.4mm
It can be changed from 3.175mm to 9.525mm.
Preferably it is between mm. The stiffness of the bristles can be varied by choosing bristles of different lengths and diameters. By varying the angle of the helix and the diameter of the bristles of the helical brushes, the speed of these brushes in the engaged second position can be varied. The diameter of the spirally wound circular brush can be changed. Diameter ranges from 50.8mm to 76.2mm
Preferably it is between mm.

The inverted U-shaped housing 40 (FIG. 4) has a top surface 44 and side surfaces 46 and 48 that are parallel to each other. Housing 40 has an open end facing blanket cylinder 28 and is disposed between rotating arms 34 in a lower position. Optionally, the inverted U-shaped housing 40 is mounted forward or rearward relative to the centerline of the blanket cylinder 28.

A flicker blade 82 (FIG. 4) is attached to the surface of the housing 40 and is attached to the side surface 46 of the housing.
, 48. The flicker blade 82 is connected to the helical brush 24 and can be adjusted in engagement with the helical brush 24 as shown in FIG. By adjusting the engagement, the rotational speed of the helical brush 24 can also be adjusted. Lint and dirt removal becomes more effective when the speed of the rotating helical brush 24 is lower than the speed of the rotating blanket cylinder.

A flexible wiper 50 (FIG. 4) is located at the end of sides 46 and 48 of housing 40 and extends over blanket cylinder 28 to create a sealing surface for contact with the blanket cylinder when the rotating brush cleaning system is engaged. Its role is to make contact with the surface.

Loose lint and dirt 52 (FIG. 4) are removed from the interior of housing 40 by air supply means such as vacuum or air pressure. Air flow generating means 41 (FIG. 1) is connected to a port 58 in housing 40 by a hose 56. Lint and dust 52 are removed by air flow to hose 56.
a box (not shown) carried through and placed in a suitable location
It accumulates inside.

Another variation of the rotating brush cleaning system is shown in FIG. A spiral brush is divided into four parts within the housing 40. housing 40
The two brushes 92, 94 on the left side of the housing 40 are spirally wound so that rotation of the brushes can direct dust to the port 90 on the left end of the housing 40. The two brushes 96, 98 on the right side of the housing 40 are spirally wound in opposite directions so that the same mechanical drifting effect can direct dust to the second port 91 on the right end of the housing 40. In this method, a rotating brush removes dust and sends it to the port for more effective cleaning. Also, the spiral winding of the brush can be modified to send dust in different directions, for example to only one end of the housing.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the general operation of the blanket cleaning system for the opposing blanket printing machine of the present invention is illustrated. A web of printed material 60 passes between counter-rotating blanket cylinders 28, and printing is performed on both the front and back sides of the web. During this printing operation, lint and dirt 52 from the web 60 accumulates on the blanket cylinder 28 and, if left thereon, reduce the overall quality of the print.

This lint and dust are removed from the blanket cylinder 28.
A rotating brush cleaning system 20 typically located on top of the blanket cylinder 28 for cleaning from surfaces of
is deflected relative to the cylinder by deflection means in the form of an actuator 38. Generally, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 does not need to be engaged with the blanket cylinder 28 throughout the print run, but in places where excessive amounts of lint and dust accumulate fairly quickly, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 may Preferably, the rotating brush 20 is engaged with the blanket cylinder 28. Under normal operating conditions, the rotating brush cleaning system 20 is engaged with the blanket cylinder for periodically defined times to clean surfaces.

Periodic operation of the blanket cleaning system of the present invention is controlled by a conventional timing mechanism operated by rotation of the printing press or operator instructions. In any case, if you wish to have your blanket cleaned,
Actuator 38 is controlled to move the cleaning system from a disengaged position (FIG. 3) to an engaged position (FIG. 2). The helical brush 24 is used to remove dust and lint, and after a defined rotation, the actuator 38 moves the rotating brush cleaning system to a disengaged position as shown in FIG.

During engagement, lint and dirt loosened and removed by the helical brush 24 are suctioned and disposed of by the vacuum system. This effectively removes lint and dirt from the blanket cylinder during printing operations.

The particular embodiment described above is preferred because the structure described above facilitates installation and adjustment. For example, various working parts can be placed above the blanket cylinder 28, which facilitates both installation and repair.

Rotating brush cleaning systems are used in the printing industry to clean a wide variety of common printing equipment. Examples of such devices include: Blanket Cylinders, Printing Cylinders, Anilox Rollers, Flexo Plate Cylinders and Plates
cylinders and plates), pipe rollers in newspaper printing, printing blanket cylinders with metal decoration, rollers, printing rollers, gravure printing cylinders or rollers, flexographic printing cylinders or rollers, textile printing plates, blankets or rollers, or gripper bar cleaners ( gripp
bar cleaners). The possibilities for cleaning in the field of imaging technology are vast and include the following areas: These include lithography (offset), flexography, gravure, intaglio printing, and character printing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a rotating brush cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotating brush cleaning system in an engaged position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the rotating brush cleaning system in a disengaged position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of a brush assembly with segmented brushes wound in the same direction.

FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of a brush assembly having width-adjustable brushes.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a brush assembly with adjustable flicker blades.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a brush assembly with segmented brushes wound in opposite directions.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Rotating brush cleaning system 24 Spiral brush 30 Mounting bracket 34 Arm 40 Housing 41 Air supply means 82 Flicker blade

Claims (25)

[Claims] 1. A dry mechanical rotating brush cleaning system for removing dust and lint from a cylindrical component of a printing apparatus, comprising: (a) a frame of the printing press proximate the cylindrical component; with a mounting frame attached to (
b) arm means movably connecting said mounting frame and said printing press frame; and (c) a brush housing attached to said movable arm means and extending along the length of said cylindrical component. and means;
(d) said housing means covers a portion of a surface of said cylindrical component; (e) said arm means is moved to a first position remote from said cylindrical component; means for moving the component to a second position proximate to the component;
f) helical brush means mounted within and surrounded by said housing means and engaging said cylindrical component when in said second position; and (g) connected to said housing means. airflow means for creating a defined period of airflow within said housing means, said helical brush means loosening dust and lint from said rotating cylindrical component; air flow means and said housing means for removing dust and lint therefrom; (h) flicker blade means mounted within said housing means parallel to said housing and engaging said helical brush means; A rotating brush cleaning system featuring: 2. The flicker blade means according to claim 1, wherein the flicker blade means can be adjusted to increase or decrease the contact between the flicker blade means and the helical brush means. Rotating brush cleaning system. 3. In said second position in which said helical brush means engages said helical brush means, independent of said flicker blade means, by the helix angle and bristles diameter of said helical brush means. 3. The rotating brush cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein the speed of the rotating brush is effectively changed. 4. The housing means includes sealing means extending from the housing means and contacting the cylindrical component when the cleaning system is in the second position proximate the cylindrical component. 3. The rotary brush cleaning system of claim 2, wherein said sealing means forms a sealing surface between said cylindrical component and said housing means. 5. A rotary brush cleaning system according to claim 4, wherein said brush means is adjustable with respect to said housing means. 6. The helical brush means is divided into a plurality of sections, the sections being between a first position remote from the cylindrical component and a second position proximate the cylindrical component. 6. The rotating brush cleaning system according to claim 5, wherein the rotating brushes are movable independently. 7. A rotary brush cleaning system according to claim 6, wherein said helical brush means is divided into at least two parts. 8. The rotary brush cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the moving means is pneumatically operated. 9. The rotating brush cleaning system according to claim 8, wherein the spiral brush means are all spirally wound in the same direction. 10. The rotating brush cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the at least two helical brushes are spirally wound in opposite directions. 11. A dry mechanical rotating brush cleaning system for removing dust and lint from a blanket cylinder of a printing apparatus, comprising: (a) mounted on a frame of the printing press proximate said cylindrical component; (b) arm means movably connecting said mounting frame and said printing press frame; (c) arm means attached to said movable arm means and extending along the length of said blanket cylinder; (d) said housing means covering a portion of the surface of said blanket cylinder; (e) moving said arm means to a first position spaced from said blanket cylinder; (f) helical brush means mounted within and surrounded by the housing means and engaging the blanket cylinder when in the second position; and (g) air flow means connected to said housing means for producing a defined period of air flow within said housing means, said helical brush means removing dust from said blanket cylinder in rotation. and loosening lint so that said airflow means and said housing means remove said dust and lint; (h) mounted within said housing means parallel to said housing and associated with said helical brush means; A rotary brush cleaning system comprising a mating flicker blade means. 12. The flicker blade means of claim 11, wherein the flicker blade means is adjustable to increase or decrease the contact between the flicker blade means and the helical brush means. Rotating brush cleaning system. 13. In said second position in which said helical brush means engages said helical brush means, independent of said flicker blade means, due to the helix angle and bristles diameter of said helical brush means. 13. The rotating brush cleaning system according to claim 12, wherein the speed of the rotating brush is effectively changed. 14. The housing means includes sealing means extending from the housing means and contacting the blanket cylinder, and when the cleaning system is in the second position proximate the blanket cylinder, the sealing means is in contact with the blanket cylinder. 13. The rotating brush cleaning system of claim 12, further comprising a sealing surface between the blanket cylinder and the housing means. 15. Claim 14, wherein said brush means is adjustable relative to said housing means.
Rotating brush cleaning system as described in. 16. The helical brush means is divided into a plurality of sections, each section being independently movable between a first position remote from the blanket cylinder and a second position proximate the blanket cylinder. 16. The rotating brush cleaning system of claim 15. 17. The rotary brush cleaning system of claim 16, wherein said helical brush means is divided into at least two sections. 18. The rotary brush cleaning system of claim 17, wherein the moving means is pneumatically operated. 19. The rotary brush cleaning system of claim 18, wherein the helical brush means are all spirally wound in the same direction. 20. The rotating brush cleaning system of claim 18, wherein the at least two helical brushes are spirally wound in opposite directions. 21. An offset printing machine having a blanket cylinder rotating about a longitudinal axis, comprising:
A dry mechanical rotary brush cleaning system for removing dust and lint from a blanket cylinder during operation of a printing press, the system comprising a helical brush means coupled to said printing press; means having at least one brush in contact with the blanket cylinder;
The brush is mounted to move between at least one first position in which the brush contacts the blanket cylinder and a second position in which the brush is spaced apart from the blanket cylinder, and the brush is moved between the first position and the second position in which the brush is spaced apart from the blanket cylinder. means for moving between said second positions; and enclosing means surrounding said helical brush means and covering a portion of said blanket cylinder when said helical brush means is in contact with said blanket cylinder; air flow means in communication with said enclosure means for causing an air flow within said enclosure means to remove dust displaced from said blanket cylinder; and protruding from said enclosure means and engaging said helical brush means; and flicker blade means for changing the speed of the spiral brush means. 22. An offset printing press according to claim 21, wherein said helical brush means is adjustable with respect to said enclosing means. 23. Sealing means projecting from said enclosing means and engaging said blanket cylinder substantially seals airflow within said enclosing means when said brush means is in contact with said blanket cylinder. The offset printing press according to claim 22, characterized in that: 24. The offset of claim 21, wherein said flicker blade means is adjustable to increase or decrease brush contact between said flicker blade means and said spiral. Printer. 25. In said second position in which said helical brush means is engaged, the angle of the helix and the diameter of the bristles of said helical brush means, independent of said flicker blade means, cause said helical brush means to 25. An offset printing press according to claim 24, characterized in that the speed is effectively varied.