US2333220A

US2333220A - Web and air conditioning means

Info

Publication number: US2333220A
Application number: US397091A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weiss Adolph
Original assignee: Interchemical Corp
Current assignee: Interchemical Corp
Priority date: 1940-05-07
Filing date: 1941-06-07
Publication date: 1943-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1960-11-02

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet l 544116426292 g ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943. A. WEISS WEB AND AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Original Filed May 7, 1940 W I. IQIIFPiLIEJI mP EL 5 v rihli v 5 3 WD .5

Nov. 2, 1943. A. WEISS 2,333,220

WEB AND AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Original Filed May 7, 19 .0 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943. I A. WEISS WEB AND AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Original Filed May '7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY ADOLPH WEISS Wfi z;

' ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1943 WEB AND AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Adolph Weiss, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor, by mesnc assignments, to Interchemical Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Original application May 7, 1940, Serial No.

1941 Serial No. 397,091

13 Claims. (Cl. 101-452) This invention relates to web and air conditioning means for printing, coating and other machines of a like character, whereby localized treatment may be employed for conditionin webs which have been printed, coated or otherwise operated upon; for conditioning the air surroundin treated portions of the web so as to regulate its temperature, moistur and chemical content; for fixing or drying the inks on freshly printed webs; for diluting and disposing of the vapors emanating from webs printed with inks employing volatile solvents; for the control of static and prevention of explosion; and for various other purposes to which such localized treatments are applicable. The invention is particularly well suited for the localized treatment of. printed webs in rotary intaglio printing presses for conditioning the webs and ventilating the air surrounding those portions of the webs which are under localized treatment.

Due to recent advances in' the art of rotary intaglio printing, the operating speed of the presses have been increased to such an extent that, at the present time, surface production of 7200 square inches per minute is not unusual. Rotary intaglio printing presses of today are, therefore, characterized by high operating speeds and printed surface production, and, inasmuch as the inks employed dry by th evaporation of their highly volatile solvents, enormous volumes of vapors must be disposed of. In view of these conditions, and especially in multicolor rotary intaglio printing presses wherein from to 8 impressions may be made on a swiftly moving web and heat is usually applied for increasing th rate of evaporation and shortening the distance between impression centers, the disposal of the vapors arising from the evaporation of vola tile solvents creates a major problem.

Various form .of web treating and ventilating systems have been devised for conditioning printed webs and ventilating pressrooms' with a and practicable. Probably one of the most im- Divided and this application June 7,

' render the entire printing press unsightly by the addition of structure extraneous to the press framework which support it. Another and even more important objection to the prior known web treating and ventilating systems is that they render the printing units themselves inaccessible so that it is difficult and even impossible to thread the press efficiently and make any adjustments or changes that may be required in the printing elements. Thus, th prior known forms of web treating and ventilatin systems prevent free access to the web conveying and press mechanism and constitute decided handi- I caps to efficient operation of the press, often causing expensive delays in production.

I have found that all ofthese difliculties may be eliminated and have provided an improved printing press including improved means for conditioning the printed web and for ventilating the adjacent air, the construction of the press and its associated web guiding and conditioning means being such that ready access may be had to the printing units at all times.

In accordance with my invention, the side frames of the printing press are utilized for the housing of ducts for supplying a web treating medium and exhausting such medium together with .the solvent vapors from the ink; and duct containing members are suitably disposed between the frames and in the path of the moving web. To provide a restricted drying chamber conforming to the predetermined path of the printed web, suitable plates or slides are disposed between the duct containing frames and on the sid of the web opposite the duct containing members. For gaining access to the web and the printing elements without disturbing the path of the web, the duct containing members or portions of the frames with which they are associated are movable or separable. In this manner, I have obviated all diflicultie's in prior known presses having web conditioning means and simultaneously have reduced the number of parts, reduced construction and installation costs,

increased the efliciency of the entire press, improved the quality of the printed matter and rendered the entire appearance of the press 'more pleasing.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of now preferred embodiment thereof and the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the preferred embodiments of my invention in a two-unit rotary intaglio printing press as viewed from the operating side or from the right of Fig. 4;

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation of the opposite side of said printing press taken from the left in F18. 4;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the printing press taken on the line 3-4 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of either press unit when viewed from the left in Fig. l; and I Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified construction for the partition or frame member in which the supply and exhaust ducts of the drying and ventilating system are incorporated.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4 show one preferred embodiment of my invention in a two-unit rotary intaglio printing press provided with laterally spaced side frames III and Ila of one unit and laterally spaced side frames II and Ila of the other unit, said side frames being mounted on a common bed plate (not shown). Arranged between the laterally spaced side frame and rotatable about transverse axes are printing cylinders I2 and I2a and cooperatively arranged with respect thereto are impression cylinders I3 and Ila. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, screws II .are threaded into suitable bearing supports II at opposite sides of both press units for adjusting the vertical po; sitions of bearings (not shown in the drawings) for the impression cylinders with respect to the printing cylinders in the usual manner. As indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, a continuous web assasso and completely across the web as it moves in a predetermined path from the impression cylinder I3 to the delivery guide roller 22. As seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rear wall of member 32 is spaced from and substantially conformsto the predetermined path of the printed web Il. Extending between the side frames ll and Ila in the rear of the printed web are a plurality of plates or slides 22a, 32b, and 32c, which form with the duct member 32, restricted drying chambers 35 through which the printed portions of the web move upwardly from the first and second printing couples toward their respective delivery guiderollers 22, 22a. Leading from the drying chambers ll through port openings ll which preferably extend entirely across the width of the printed web, are exhaust ducts 31, the horizontally disposed pressureducts ll and exhaust ducts 31 being preferably arranged in alternation with each other in vertical series in both duct members.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein shown, pressure ducts 33 are in open communication with the manifold chamber ll at II is supplied to the press over a receiving guide roller I1 and passes downwardly over guide rollers I8 and Il to the impression cylinder ll of the first press unit. Moving upwardly over the guide rollers 20 and 2| in a predetermined path from the impression cylinder, the continuous web passes over a delivery guide roller 221:0 the receiving guide roller I'Ia of the next press unit in series and in sequence moves downwardly over guide rollers Ila and Ila to the impression cylinder Ila of the second press unit from which it passes upwardly over guide rollers Ila and 2Ia to the next delivery guide roller 220. It will be understood from this description that this path of movement for the continuous web through each unit, is repeatedas many times as there are press units included in the press.-

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, means rfor, supplying'a web-treating medium such, for example, as air under pressure to the web-conditioning apparatus to be presently described, is provided in the form of a blower 2l which delivers said medium to a pressure main comprising successive sections 24, 2!, 2l,' etc., said sections being provided with attachment flanges 21, ll, etc., for the purpose of installing additional press units or for disconnecting some of the units therefrom to provide the desired number of press units in a multicolor press. Extending downwardly from each of the sections 24 and 2l of the pressure main=as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, is a conduit N which opens through port openings ll (Fig. 4) into a manifold chamber lI which, according to this embodiment of my invention, is formed in a transverse ductcontaining member 82, extending between the side frames III and Ila. As shown in Figs. 8 and 4 of the drawings, these duct-containing members are provided with spaced horizontal ducts 32 which open from the manifold chambers 3| andare provided with discharge outlets ll prefits right end (according to Fig. 4) while the exhaust ducts 31 are in open communication at their left ends with a manifold chamber ll formed in the associated frame member 32 adjacent the side frame Ila. Extending across the duct or frame members 22 at thebottom are terminal exhaust chambers ll which are contracted downwardly toward the tangential planes of the printing and impression cylinders of the respective printing units and are provided with intake openings Ill presented in close juxtaposition to those portions of the printed web leaving said printing units. By an inspection of the duct member "as shown in Fig. 3, it will be seen that thevertical series of alternately disposed horl zontal pressure and suction ducts are preferably arranged with suction ducts I'I and suction chambers ll at the upper and lower ends respectively of the web-treating chambers ll formed between duct members 32 and plates 32a, l2b and 220. It should be explained further that the best results are secured by providing a suction capacity considerably in excess of the discharge capacity of the web-treating medium ducts to insure removal of all products of the web-conditioning treatment. It will be understood from this description that the subdivided currents of web-treating medium discharge in separate blasts which impinge on the moving continuous web and after passing in whirling eddies over localised areas of said web are sucked into and through the exhaust ducts.

ItwillbeseeninFigs.2a.nd4ofthedrawings that the exhaust conduits 42 open at their upper ends into an exhaust main shown mm. 2 of the drawings, said exhaust main comprising a Series of sections II, H, 15, etc., provided with ing and ventilating chambers therefor, are readily connected up in an air conditioning system which, if desired, may further include suitable erably extending the full length said ducts apparatus for recovering the solvents-by a condensation of the vapors emanating from the printed web,

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be understood that

sections

24, 25, 26, etc., of the pressure main are preferably constructed in the detachably connected sections of the press and correspond in length and arrangement to

sections

45, 44, 43, respectively of the exhaust main so that the press units may be installed or removed at will to provide an installation of any desired size. At the same time the pressure and exhaust mains including the side frame spacing sections 25 and 44, constitute laterally spaced rigid top frame members for rigidly uniting any desired number of press units which may be included in the installation. For the purpose of securinga proper distribution of the drying medium to the several web drying and press ventilating chambers and regulation of the exhaust through pressure channels of different length connected in parallel, I preferably employ ad- J'ustable louvers 4 8, 49 of suitable construction for closing the upper ends of pressure conduits 29 in greater or lesser degree for properly regulating the current flows in different conduits to correspond to the respective requirements for the several press units. For this purpose, each of the louvers may be separately adjusted or when conditions permit, the pressure louvers and exhaust regulating louvers (described below) for each unit may be adjusted in unison. Thus as indicated at the top of Fig. 1 of the drawings,

louvers

48 and 49 are mounted on transverse shaft 50 and respectively, said shafts being provided at their outer ends with slotted

arms

52 and 53 whereby said louvers may be secured in adjusted positions by means of studs or bolts (not shown) threaded into the frame through the slots in said arms. In the form shown, shafts 50 and 5| are extended to and through the exhaust main at the other side of the press and have

louvers

54 and 55 mounted thereon for regulating the exhaust from conduits 42 to correspond to the regulation of inflow of the drying medium at the' upper ends of pressure conduits 29 shown in Fig. 1.

Suitable and effective means for imparting relative longitudinal adjustments to different portions of the continuous web for securing regis tration of the impressions made on said web by successive press units, may be provided in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3' wherein the guide rollers l8 and l8a are shown to be journaled in depending arms 56 keyed to transverse shafts 51. Keyed to the outer ends of shafts 51 are segmental worm gears 58 with which worms 59 are in mesh, said worms being mounted on suitable shafts provided with hand wheels 60 for moving the guide rollers back and forth for varying the path length of one portion of the web relatively to another.

As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the transverse duct containing frame members 32 are preferably provided with axially spaced bearing lugs Bl keyed to shafts 62 upon which the de livery guide rollers 22 and 22a are freely journaled. 'Keyed to the outer ends of shafts 62 as shown in Fig. 2 are worm gear segments 63 which are in mesh with worms 64 on shafts rotatable in bearings 55 and provided with hand wheels 56 whereby said duct containing members may be moved away from the web as indicated by broken lines for the right hand press unit shown in Fig. 1 for giving free access to the press units.

According to Fig. 5 of the drawings, and for the purpose of uncovering the press units, the

duct or frame members are each constructedin three

sections

61, 68 and 69, the sections 61 are keyed at their upper ends to the delivery guide roller shafts l0 and are hinged at their lower ends at H to the adjacent sections 68 which in turn are hinged at 72 to sections 69. It will be understood from this description that by imparting a clockwise movement to section 6'! about the axis of shaft 10 and a further clockwise movement of section 68 on hinge H with a counterclockwise movement of section 69 in hinge 12, these sections are readily folded together at the top of the press as shown in broken lines in Fig. 5. In their operative arrangement shown in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the rear surfaces of

sections

61, 68, and 69 of the collapsible frame members form substantially continuous walls which are spaced from and conform to the printed webs moving from the printing couples. A series of plates 6111,6811, and 69a which are preferably in the form of slides extend between the opposite side frames and form with the duct members restricted chambers through which the printed Web portions travel in leaving the respective printing couples and within which said web portions are subjected to a conditioning treatment similarto that described above.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have provided, in machines operating on webs, means of novel form and construction for conditioning the webs and ventilating the surrounding air. More especially, I have provided web conditioning and ventilating means of the character described in connection with rotary intaglio printing presses. For this purpose, I have provided a drying and ventilating system of the character referred to for rotary intaglio printing presses embodying a reduced number of parts of improved construction arranged in a novel manner for reducing construction and installation costs; for increasing the efficiency of operators and printing presses; and for rendering installations of this character less unsightly.

I have further incorporated in the supporting 7 frame structure of a rotary intaglio printing press, a novel construction and arrangement of a supply main, conduits branching therefrom and ducts through which a web-treating medium is supplied to a drying chamber through which the printed Web moves. It is also clear that I have incorporated in the supporting frame structure of a rotary intaglio printing press, a novel construction and arrangement of exhaust ducts and conduits leading to an exhaust main formed in the frame structure for conveying the noxious vapors from one or more press units. I have furthermore incorporated in the supporting frame structure of a rotary intaglio printing press a combined medium supply and exhaust system for the localized drying of the printed web and ventilation of the air surrounding said web. It will also be seen that I have provided a novel form and arrangement of supply and exhaust systems of the character referred to which is suitable for inclusion in an air conditioning system operated and various changes may be made in the construction and certain features thereof employed without others, without departingfrom my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 333,712, filed May '7, 1940, and which issued on January I3, 1942, as Patent No. 2,-

What I claim is: 1. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the

combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising 'separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at tively within said side frame sections, said duct containing members being provided with pressure ducts leading from said pressure conduits and with exhaust ducts leading to said exhaust conduits, said pressure and exhaust ducts being provided with discharge outlets and exhaust intakes presented towards the printed sections of said web.

3. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members movably mounted between said spaced frames for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press, units, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxiousgases, said mains being operatively associated with said spaced frames and constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby thepress' units may be connected up and disconnected at will.

4. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged printing press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with side frames provided with supply and exhaust ducts, of rotary printing couples for said units comprising printing and impression cylinders rotatable about upper and lower axes in spaced vertical planes, web guiding receiving and delivery rollers having shafts rotatable about parallel axes arranged in a common horizontal plane above the cylinders, duct containing members secured to said shafts a respectively and conforming substantially to the web portion moving between the impression cylinders and delivery guide rollers for the respective press units and being adapted to convey a web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units,

plates extending transversely between said side frames in spaced relation to said duct containing members respectively for forming web ventilating s chambers, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium in communication with said supply duct, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases associated with said exhaust duct, said mains constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will.

5. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating'medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, a pressure main for the'web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constituting laterally spaced stress memhere for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at' will, and said duct containing members being operatively and movably connected to said mains. 6. In a rotary intaglio prlntingpress compris .ing a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with webprinting and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, oi spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, plates extending transversely between said spaced frames in spaced relation to said duct containing members respectively for forming web ventilating chambers, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constituting laterally. spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sectiongwhereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will.

ing a plurality of serially arranged press units for s successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, plates extending transversely between said spaced frame in spaced relation to said duct containing members respectively for forming web ventilating chambers, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mainsconstituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will, and said duct containing members 1. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprlsspaced frames for said press units respectively,

duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, plates extending transversely between said spaced frames in spaced relation to said duct containing members respectively for forming web ventilating chambers, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will, said duct containing members being collapsibly-constructed and movable to a position affording free access'to the web.

9. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively, duct containing members for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, plates extending transversely between said spaced frames inspaced relation to said duct containing members respectively for forming web ventilating chambers, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will, said duct containing members comprising hinged sections foldable in alternately opposite directions into compact formation for aifording free access to the web.

In a supporting structure for a printing press comprising a plurality of separable press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination of a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced side frame sections for the respective press units provided with pressure mains and exhaust mains which constitute laterally spaced stress members for all of the press units and comprise separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up or disconnected at will, and duct containing members extending between opposite side frame sections of said press units and being provided with pressure and exhaust ducts associated with said pressure and exhaust mains and having discharge outlets and exhaust intakes presented toward the printed sections of the web.

11. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged pressunits for successive printings on a continuous web, the

combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively,

means for guiding a continuous web to and from saidpress units, transverse plates extending between said spaced frames and' arranged substantially parallel with and on one side of the portion of the web leading from each printing unit, duct containing members movable between saidside frames into and out of substantial parallelism with said transverse plates and disposed on the opposite side of the printed web for'forming a drying chamber for the web and for conveying drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, a pressure main for the web drying and ventilating medium, and an exhaust main for said noxious gases, said mains constitutingv laterally spaced stress members for all of said press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will.

12. In a rotary intaglio printing press comprising a plurality of serially arranged press units for successive printings on a continuous web, the combination with web printing and impression cylinders for said press units respectively, of spaced frames for said press units respectively,

duct containing members ,movably mounted between said spaced frames for conveying web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from the respective press units, pressure and exhaust mains associated with said frames and said duct containing members and constituting laterally spaced stress members for all of the press units and comprising separably connected sections whereby the press units may be connected up and disconnected at will, and means for moving said duct containing members.

13. In a rotary intaglio printing press, the combination comprising spaced side frames; a printing couple journalled about parallel axes transverse to said side frames; a web delivery roller for guiding a continuous web in a predetermined path from said printing couple; a transverse plate extending between said side frames from said web delivery roller to said printing couple and disposed in said predetermined path on one side of the web; a duct containing member disposed in said predetermined path on the other side of said web and extending from said web delivery roller to said printing couple for conveying a web drying and ventilating medium to and noxious gases from said predetermined path, said duct-containing member being movable, without disturbing the web, about the axis of said delivery roller to a position away from said web so as to permit access to said web and the printing couple; a pressure main for said.

web may pass substantially immediately after. printing.

ADOLPH WEISS.