Patent ID: 8910572
Filing Date: 2014-12-16
Classification: B41F

Abstract:
1. An adapter sleeve to be mounted onto the exterior surface of an intended rotary mandrel of a printing machine in order to support a printing cylinder carrying data and/or images to be printed, the adapter sleeve comprising: a layered cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis and having opposed ends and having an internal layer defining a longitudinal bore that is diametrically expandable by a compressed air cushion enabling the internal layer of the sleeve to be mounted on the intended mandrel; the layered cylindrical body further defining an external layer surrounding the internal layer and configured with an outer surface for supporting the printing cylinder, the external layer further defining an inner surface facing toward the inner layer; at least two rigid, load-bearing, radial spacer members disposed between said layers, one of said radial spacer members being disposed at each of the opposed ends of said layered cylindrical body, each said radial member being configured to provide rigidity and indeformability during the use of the adapter sleeve with time; at least one of said radial spacer members defining at least one hole wherein said at least one hole is configured to enable compressed air to be fed onto the outer surface of said external layer to enable a printing cylinder to be mounted thereon; wherein the layered cylindrical body defines at each opposed end thereof an inner surface distinct from the longitudinal bore of the internal layer and having a diameter equal to the diameter of the exterior surface of the intended rotary mandrel, and the space that is defined radially between the inner surface of the external layer and the internal layer and axially between the two radial spacer members of the layered cylindrical body is empty of any element that transmits a load radially from the external layer to the inner layer; wherein only said inner surface defined at each opposed end of the layered body has a diameter equal to the diameter of the exterior surface of the intended rotary mandrel, wherein only said inner surface defined at each opposed end of the layered body defines a segment that is composed of material having static and dynamic friction coefficients between about 0.045 and about 0.050; and wherein each said segment has an axial length that is no more than the axial length of the spacer member at the corresponding end of said layered body.