Patent ID: 6386105
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: B41F

Abstract:
A printing machine comprising a plate cylinder, a printing media supply unit for supplying printing media to the plate cylinder, said printing media supply unit including a printing media container which is open at one side and a fountain roll disposed adjacent the open side of said container, a roll train comprising a plurality of rolls communicating between said fountain roll and said plate cylinder for supplying printing media to said plate cylinder during a printing operation, a metering device disposed between said container and fountain roll, said metering device being movable between a metering position in close adjacent relation to said fountain roll for metering ink to said fountain roll and in turn said roll train and plate cylinder during a printing operation and an open cleaning position spaced from said fountain roll to form a container emptying gap between said fountain roll and container to facilitate emptying of printing media in said container through said gap during a cleaning operation, a scraping device movable back and forth in said container during a cleaning operation for forcing printing media in said container toward said fountain roll and through said container emptying gap during a cleaning operation when said metering device is in said open cleaning position, a catching trough disposed below said metering device for receiving and containing printing media forced through said container emptying gap by said scraping device, and a doctor blade movable between an open position removed from said fountain during a printing operation to a cleaning position closely adjacent said fountain roll during a cleaning operation when said metering device is in said open position for removing printing media from the fountain roll during a cleaning operation and directing it into said catching trough in order to prevent the transfer of removed printing media to said roll train and said plate cylinder during said cleaning operation.