US2821131A - Multiunit web press - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1958 w. R. SPILLER ETAL MULTIUNIT WEB PRESS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 30, 1953 I GENE YS @wir Jan. 285 1958 W, R, SPLLER TAL 2,821,131

MULTIUNIT WEB PRESS Filed sept. so. 1953 s sheets-sheet 2 "Oef f, I mmf;

ATTO/EW K5 Jan. 28, 1958 W. R. SAPILLER ETL MULTIUNIT WEB PRESS 5 sheets-,sheet 3 Filed Sept. 30.. 1953 United States Patent() MULTIUNT WEB PRESS William R. Spiller, Shaker Heights, and Thomas H. Johnson, Peninsula, Ohio, assignors to Harris-Seybold Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application September 30, 1953, Serial No. 383,202

20 Claims. (Cl. 101-137) This invention relates to improvements in multiunit web presses and has to do more especially with pairs of up and down printing units, each pair having a common impression cylinder, in a press in which the web is fed in a loop, the outward run of which travels over one side of two impression cylinders spaced apart and the return run of which travels over `other side of said impression cylinders, the press being Acapable of printing one side of a web in four or tive colors or perfecting it in ytwo colors. The drawings show the invention applied to an offset press.

In a multiunit rotary offset press where the web is caused to pass between blanket and impression cylinders tangent to both cylinders at the line of print, the web tends to `adhere to the blanket cylinder beyond the print line with varying degrees of tenacity, depending upon the amount of image ink on the blanket. Where there is little or no ink, tendency for the web to adhere to the blanket is light or nil. Where the ink is heavy the adhesion is strong and the variation in tendency to adhere causes the rapidly traveling web to utter or vibrate.

This fluttering could be overcome by so placing a small guide roller just beyond the line of print that the web would necessarily hug the impression cylinder through a small angle. However, such a roller would bear against the printed side of the web and the image would tend to be transferred to the small roller which would then oset on succeeding portions of the web.

The present invention has to do with an arrangement of cylinders and units such that a similar effect is obtained without guide rollers bearing on the printed side of the web, the arrangement being such that the web leaves the impression cylinder a short distance beyond the printing line and travels in la plane at a small angle to that of the web as it passes through the printing line. The minimum angle for accomplishing the purpose is approximately, but an angle of the order of is preferred. We have found that by a special arrangement of the cylinders of the units and of the units with respect to each other, the desired wrap may be eifected Without sacrificing standardization of the units to any considerable degree, and the arrangement herein disclosed for that purpose constitutes an important feature of our invention.

One of the objects `of the invention therefore is the arrangement of cylinders and units and in some instances other'web guiding means to eliminate uttering of the web.

Another object is the provision of units or groups of units having special cylinder arrangement and special disposition with Arespect to each other such that the foregoing object may be accomplished without sacrificing anything substantial in the way of uniformity of units or groups of units.

Another object is the provision of a printing press of the character rdescribed in which are employed pairs of up and down units adapted to print on a looped web.

A further object is the provision in a press of the character stated of two upper and two lower printing units with the plate and blanket cylinders of each unit similarly disposed in vthe unit, the upper units being inverted with respect to the lower units and both sets of units being dis-` posed in operative relation with two spaced parallel irnpression cylinders.

Another object is the provision of frame members built in sections adapted to be assembled readily to carry a complete press of four or five units, wherein an elongated frame section carrying two impression cylinders is supported upon two lower frame sections and the two upper frame sections are supported upon the elongated section, and in which each of the upper and lower frame sections has plate and blanket cylinders disposed therein in the same relation to each other.

Still another object is the provision of inking means for an additional or fth printing unit having a frame in the form of a carriage which may be moved readily toward and away from that unit in order to facilitate work upon the unit or upon the inking means, and including latching means for drawing the inker frame into close contact with the frame supporting the fth unit, :and locking it in that position.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as we proceed with the description of those embodiments of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational diagrammatic view illustrating `a ve unit press builtin accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view illustrating on a larger scale a portion of the press shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevational view, also on a larger scale, showing the movable inker for the additional or fth printing unit and the latching means for holding it in operative position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental diagrammatic view illustrating means for building the press as a two color perfecting press.

In Fig. l of the drawing there is shown a mounting for three paper supply rolls having an axis 10 about which the rolls are adapted to be swung bodily when the supply on one roll is exhausted and the mounting is to be turned through an 'angle of 120 in order that the web may be taken thereafter from a new roll. In a housing 11 carried upon the roll supporting frame 13 there is provided a vari-y able speed differential drive for belts 14 which engage and drive the supply roll 15 then in operative position. 16 represents the web taken from roll 15 and directed over guide rollers 17, 18 and 19 and down to the base of the machine where it is directed over other guide rollers 20 and then upward and between feeding rollers 21, 22.

The frame of the press is constructed in a novel manner. It comprises two lower frame sections 23 and 24 supported upon the base 25 of the machine intermediate elongated section 26 preferably horizontally disposed, and two upper sections 27 and 2S. Each of the upper and lower frame sections may be of the same front to rear dimension but as illustrated herein the lower sections 23 and 24 preferably have a greater vertical dimension than the upper sections 27 and 28.

Intermediate section 26 has journaled therein two irnpression cylinders, that is a rst impression cylinder 29 and a second impression cylinder 30, these cylinders being parallel and arranged to be driven by suitable means in the same direction and at the same speed. This section 26 carries a guide roller 31 over which the entering web travels and a guide roller 32 over which the web is guided as it leaves the press. The web is fed in a loop over the impression cylinders. As shown herein it travels inwardly Patented Jan. 28, 19,58.,

below the two impression cylinders, upwardly around impression cylinder 30 and backwardly over the two impression cylinders. However we do not wish to be limited to this direction of travel as travel in the reverse direction could b e employed if certain appropriate changes in the printing units were made. While the upper and lower runs ofthe loop could be tangent with theV two impression cylinders, we prefer to bow these two runs outwardly to a small extent, as by means of guide rollers 34 and 35. Such bowing means contacting the unprinted surface of the web Ais beneficial as it steadies the web in the rather long runs between the two cylinders.

rI wo lower and two upper printing units are carried by the lower and upper frame sections 23, 24 and 27, 28 respectively. They each comprise printing cylinders and inliing mechanism. As illustrated herein each unit comprises a plate cylinder 37 and a blanket cylinder 3S. The plane joining the axes of each pair of cylinders, marked P- in the drawings, is disposed at a given uniform angle with the vertical and the axis A of each blanket cylinder is disposed in the corresponding frame section at the same point, considered with respect to the forward side of the frame and the side contacting the intermediate frame section 26. In other words before the upper frame sections are inverted, all axes A of the corresponding cylinder bearings, not shown, occupy identical positions in their respective frame sections relative to the top and forward edges of the same.

Each printing unit comprises a series of identical inkrollers 40 similarly arranged with respect to each of the plate cylinders 37 and a series of dampem'ng rollers 41 also similarly arranged with respect to each other and the plate cylinder 37. The ink fountain 42 and the water fountain 43 of the upper units are inverted however with respect to the same parts in the lower units since they must be arranged to hold uncovered supplies of liquid. The inking and dampening means of the printing units contained in frame sections 23 and 28 are not shown in the drawings, but it is to be understood that they are identical with the inking and dampening means of the units in frame sections 24 and 27. All of these printing units are therefore interchangeable except that the ink and water fountains must be disposed right side up in the upper frame sections.

An additional or fifth printing unit may be provided in the event that the printing of a fth color is required. To this end plate and blanket " cylinders 45 and 46 are journaled in the intermediate frame section 26. A set of dampening rollers 47 and a water fountain 48 are also mounted in this frame section. The cylinders 45 and 46 may be thrown oli? from operative relation with impression cylinder 30 by any conventional means when the printing of a fifth color is not required.

In order that the parts of this fth unit may be conveniently serviced we mount most of the inking mechan ism 49 for the unit on a separate frame or carriage 50 which may be shifted from the full to the dotted line position 50' of Fig. 1 or vice versa. Form rollers 51 are journaled in the frame section 26, but the other form rollers 2 and the various other parts of the nking mechanism are mounted on the carriage 50.

At each side the machine frame comprises a track member 54, Fig. 3, which may rest at one end on frame Section 26. and be, Secured te frame section 27 byscrews 5 5... These track members are supported at their oppo. sites ends on the paper roll supporting frame 13 as indicated at 56 in Fig. 1. Each of these track members is provided with an open sided groove 57. The carriage SQ is provided at oppositey sides with a series of studs 58 'upon whieh are, rotatably'mounted wheelsl or rollers 59- that run in the grooves 5,7-, The carriage is therefore movable freely between its respective positions illustrated id ljllg,l 1 to place the form rollers 52 into or out of; opcra! .G ,Ielation with the plate cylinder 45. In order to fa ilitate, movement Yracks 60 are attached to the top of ..S Qilliage, and, pinions 6'1 keyed to a cross shaft- 62- mesh with these racks. A suitable operating crank, not shown, is secured to one end of shaft 62 in order that an operator may turn the Shaft in either direction to traverse the carriage toward or away from frame 26.

Frame section 26 and carriage 50 have interfitting parts, best seen in Fig. 5, for guiding said carriage into correct position with respect to frame section 26. F or this purpose the right hand end of frame section 26 near the top and bottom thereof has vertical portions which are provided with inwardly tapered grooves 64, and the carringe 50 has complemental wedge surfaces 65. Between these intertting parts the frame section 26 has a beveled nose 67 which cooperates with a beveled recess 68 in carriage 50. Nose 67 at the upper and lower ends thereof has shoulders 69 which are. adapted to tit rather snugly the upper and lower sides of recess 68. As will be obvious the interfitting wedges and grooves 64, 65 guide the carriage into correct position transversely, the openl faced grooves 57 permitting whatever slight movement relative to the frame is necessary to compensate f or such action. The nose 67 and recess 68 interfit for registering the carriage in a vertical direction relative to the frame section 26, and the grooves 57 are made of a height to leave a clearance 70 for this purpose, the clearance being some what exaggerated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Means are provided for drawing the carriage into final tight engagement with the frame section 26, and to this end we employ eccentric latches operated by crank handies 71. The shaft to which each handle is attached has two concentric portions 72 and 73 which are journaled in the frame section 26 and an eccentric portion 74. The latch hook 75 is mounted on this eccentric porti-on. lu the carriage Si? Opposite the shafts of each of the latch hooks there is a rotatable pin 76, the central portion 77 of which is slightly eccentric about the axis of the pin. This pin may be turned by means of a wrench applied to a squared head at one end of the pin and, may be locked in adjusted position by means of small studs 78 having washers adapted to bear upon, a collar 79 xed to the stud. The latch hook 75' has a latching recess adapted to receive the eccentric part 77 Eof the, pin. One of the latching d evices is shown near the. bottom of Fig. 3 inthe unlatched position such as it would occupy when the carriage was withdrawn out of engagement with the frame section 26. When the handle 71 is thrown upwardly to the dotted line position the latch 75 will swing up to the dotted line position where the hook will be horizontal and will receive the pin 77 with clearance Now when the handle 71 is thrownV over counterclockwise and to a final position from the full line position, the eccentric 74 on the handle willl draw the latch hook over into tight lockingy position. The degree of pull may be varied the necessary amount to assure tight engagement; by rotatably adjusting the pin 76. rIfhe locked position of thelatchis illustrated near the. top of Fig. 3. 'I 'herev are two handles 7.1, both on the sarne side of the machine. Qn the opposite side of the machine the parts arel duplicated except for the crank handles, and the shafts 72, 73, on one side are connected with those on the other by a hollow transverseV rod 79, Fig. 5, secured at eachv end to the aligned shafts by pins 80.

Referring n ow to. Eig. 2 itr will be observed that the plane through the axes of' theA plateI and blanket cylinders of each printing unit is disposed at an angle approximately of 15 tothe, vertical, and thaty the planes of the first and third units pass through the. axes of the corresponding impression cylinders, this angle` being selected by way of illustration and; notin a limiting sense.

If the runs of the loop'between the impression cylinders 29 and 3) were tangent to those cylinders this would mean that the, wrap of the web between the line ofvprint of the first and third units andthe points where the web leaves the corresponding impression cylinder would be 15 However when the upper andV lower runs of the webl are bowed outwardly as herein` illustrated the web leaves the impression cylinder of these units slightly before it reaches the vertical plane through the impression cylinders. Consequently the wrap of the web in the iirst and third units is slightly less than 15.

There are manufacturing advantages in having all of the planes P of the various units disposed at the same angle to the vertical, but so far as determining the wrap of the web beyond the print line, the angle of the planes P is important only where those planes pass through the axis of the corresponding impression cylinder as they do in the rst and third units. in all cases the position of the blanket cylinder determines the degree yof wrap.

If the upper and lower runs of the loop were tangent with the two impression cylinders the blanket cylinders of the second and fourth units could meet the corresponding impression cylinders where vertical planes through the impression cylinders intersected those cylinders. Such an arrangement, although not illustrated, is to be considered within the scope of the invention. But with the bowing of the two runs of the loop the web would then contact the blanket cylinder slightly ahead of the line of print, which would be detrimental to the printing. Consequently, the frame sections 26 and 2S are advanced with respect to the direction of web travel at least sufficiently to bring the line of print into a plane through the impression cylinder at right angles to the adjacent portion of the web, these planes being marked 85 and 86 in Fig. 2. The web of course has ample wrap around cylinder 3i) when it leaves the line of print of the second unit. ln order to have suicient wrap around cylinder Z9 when it leaves the fourth unit the web is directed downwardly at a considerable angle.

The impression cylinders 29 and 3531 are spaced apart horizontally a sufficient distance to permit the frame sections 23, 24 and the frame sections 27 and 2S to be spaced apart far enough to provide room for operators to work on the different printing units. Flatforms 87 to 93 inclusive are disposed in convenient positions for this purpose.

Referring now to the modification shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, it is within the purview of the invention to build a press without the fth printing unit for perfecting in two colors. This is done by directing the web after its second printing along a path 95 providing a wrap of at least 10 around cylinder Sil, to a heater for drying the ink image thereon and to turning bars for inverting the web so that the printed surface is down. Since means for accomplishing these results are well known in the art it is not deemed necessary to illustrate them. After drying and inverting the web it is returned along the path 96 and carried beneath a guide roller 97 so positioned that the portion 98 of the web shall be tangent to impression cylinder 39 and hence contact that cylinder before it reaches the line of print. In other respects the construction and operation are like that of the previously described form.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a web feed rotary printing press, rst and second impression cylinders of the same size arranged to rotate in the same direction and with their axes parallel and in a common plane, the axis of said rst impression cylinder lyingin a rst plane perpendicular to said common plane, the axis of said second impression cylinder lying in a second plane perpendicular to said common plane, means for feeding a web of print receiving material in a loop outwardly along one side of said impression cylinders and backwardly along the other side thereof, and first, second, third and fourth printing cylinders arranged for printing upon said web in that order, said first and fourth printing cylinders being arranged in printing relation with said first impression cylinder and with the axis of said first printing cylinder on that side of said rst perpendicular plane remote from said second impression cylinder, means for causing the web to leave said fourth printing cylinder before it leaves said first impression cylinder, said second and third printing cylinders being arranged in printing relation with said second impression cylinder and with the axis of said third printing cylinder on that side of said second perpendicular plane remote from said iirst impression cylinder, whereby the web is caused to leave each printing cylinder before it leaves the corresponding impression cylinder, thereby minimizing the tendency of the web to utter during printing.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim l, wherein the plane through the axes of said iirst impression cylinder and said first printing cylinder and the plane through the axes of said third printing cylinder and said second impression cylinder each makes an angle at least of the order of ten degrees with the corresponding saidperpendicular plane.

3. Mechanism as claimed in claim l, characterized in that the outgoing run of the web on the near side of said first perpendicular plane is inclined relative to said common plane and contacts the first impression cylinder before reaching the line of print between that cylinder and said first printing cylinder.

4. Mechanism as defined in claim l, characterized in that the returning run of the web on the forward side of said second perpendicular plane considered with respect to the direction of web travel is approximately parallel to said common plane and the line of print between said second impression cylinder and said third printing cylinder is angularly disposed rearwardly of said second perpendicular plane.

5. Mechanism as claimed in claim l, comprising means interposed between said two impression cylinders for separating the runs of the loop by a distance greater than the diameter of said impression cylinders, and wherein the wrap of the web about said impression cylinders beyond the line of print of said iirst and third printing cylinders extends through an angle of at least ten degrees.

6. In a web feed rotary printing press, first and second impression cylinders of the same size arranged to rotate in the same direction and with their axes parallel and in K a common plane, means for feeding a web of print receiving material in a loop outwardly along one side of said impression cylinders and backwardly along the other side thereof, a horizontally elongated frame section in which said impression cylinders are mounted, two separable lower frame sections independent of the elongated section, upon which said elongated section is supported, printing cylinders and inking means carried by said lower frame sections in printing relation with the respective impression cylinders, two separable upper vertical frame sections independent of said elongated section and supported thereon, and printing cylinders and inking means carried by said upper frame sections in printing relation with the respective impression cylinders, said lower and upper frame sections being spaced apart horizontally a suticient distance to provide access to the printing cylinders and inking means by an operator from between the frame sections.

7. A web feed rotary printing press as defined in claim 6, comprising an additional printing cylinder mounted in said elongated frame section beyond the impression cylinder at the closed end of the loop, said additional printing cylinder being disposed in printing relation with said last named impression cylinder.

8. A web feed rotary printing press as defined in claim 6, comprising an additional printing cylinder mounted in said elongated frame section beyond the impression cylinder at the closed end of the loop, said 19. In a web feed rotary printing press, rst and second impression cylinders arranged to rotate in the same direction and having parallel axes, means for feeding a web of print receiving material in a loop along one side of said impression cylinders and backwardly along the other side thereof, the path of said web being such that at least a small amount of Wrap of said web around said impression cylinders is obtained wherever the web contacts the cylinders, iirst and fourth printing cylinders cooperating with the first impression cylinder, and second and third printing cylinders cooperating with said second impression cylinder, all of said printing cylinders being so disposed that the printing line between each printing cylinder and its corresponding impression cylinder is located between the points of tangency of the web with respect to the impression cylinder as the web approaches and leaves the printing line, the degree of wrap between the printing line and the point of tangency where the web leaves the impression cylinder being sufficient to cause said web to leave said printing cylinder before it leaves said impression cylinder, thereby minimizing iiuttering of the web during printing.

20. In a web feed rotary printing press, rst and second impression cylinders of the same size arranged to rotate in the same direction and with their axes parallel and in a common plane, the axis of said first impression cylinder lying in a lirst plane at right angles to said common plane, the axis of said second impression cylinder lying in a second plane at right angles to said common plane, means for feeding a web of print receiving ma- 30 portions of the web entering and leaving the loop being inclined toward each other, rst and fourth printing cylinders cooperating with the iirst impression cylinder, and second and third printing cylinders cooperating with said second impression cylinder, said rst and fourth printing cylinders being disposed on the side of said first right angle plane remote from said second impression cylinder, said second and third printing cylinders being disposed on the side of said second right angle plane remote from said iirst impression cylinder, and means for causing the web to leave said fourth printing cylinder before it leaves said first impression cylinder, whereby the line of print between each printing cylinder and its impression cylinder is reached in advance of the line at which the web leaves the impression cylinder, thereby minimizing the tendency of the web to iiutter during printing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,051 Hayes Dec. 7, 1909 1,855,525 MacArthur Apr. 26, 1932 2,004,801 Sheppard June 11, 1935 2,131,489 Upham Sept. 27, 1938 2,146,586 Meisel Feb. 7, 1939 2,160,527 Tomberg May 30, 1939 2,329,454 Burroughs Sept. 14, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 278,721 Germany Oct. 3, 1914 415,502 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1934

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