Handling device of a printing press

A handling device of a printing press, in particular for handling printing plates during an automated change of printing plates on a printing unit of a printing press, is disclosed. The handling device has a manipulator arm, where a manipulator head is allocated to one end of the manipulator arm, which head features a handling element, in particular a holding element for printing plates. The manipulator arm is of a multi-piece design of several segments, where a swivel axis is included on each end of each segment, around which axis at least the respective segment can be swiveled, and where a separate drive for providing the respective swivel motion is allocated to each swivel axis.

This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. 10 2006 054 957.0, filed Nov. 22, 2006, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a handling device of a printing press.

A handling device of a printing press embodied as a printing plate manipulator is known from German Patent Document No. DE 10 2004 052 021 A1. This device is used to handle printing plates during an automated change of printing plates on a printing unit of a printing press. The printing plate manipulator disclosed there is comprised of a manipulator arm with a manipulator head being positioned on one end of the manipulator arm so that it can pivot. The manipulator head features a holding element for printing plates. On the end of the manipulator arm that is opposite from the end on which the manipulator head is pivoted, the manipulator arm of the printing plate manipulator is displaceably positioned in a guide of a frame of a printing unit so that the entire manipulator arm can be moved up and down in a vertical direction. In addition, an articulation is allocated to this end of the manipulator arm so that it can continue to swivel.

Starting herefrom, the present invention is based on the objective of creating a novel handling device for a printing press.

According to the invention, the manipulator arm is embodied in a multi-piece manner of several segments, wherein a swivel axis is embodied on each end of each segment, around which axis at least the respective segment can be swiveled, and wherein a separate drive for providing the respective swivel motion is allocated to each swivel axis.

The handling device in accordance with the invention has a multi-piece manipulator arm, whereby a swivel axis is embodied on each end of each segment of the manipulator arm. A separate drive is allocated to each swivel axis. The handling device in accordance with the invention can be positioned and/or swiveled more flexibly and requires less space as compared with the handling device known from the prior art.

The manipulator arm preferably has a first segment to connect the manipulator arm to a frame and/or to a wall of the printing press, a second segment to connect the manipulator head to the manipulator arm and at least one third segment via which the first segment and the second segment are connected to each other. The end of the first segment, which is used to connect the manipulator arm to the frame and/or to the wall is embodied to be stationary in particular.

A swivel axis is embodied respectively on the end of the first segment, via which the manipulator arm is connected to the frame and/or to the wall of the printing press, as well as on the end of the second segment, via which the manipulator head is attached to the manipulator arm, as well as on the ends of the segments, at which the first segment and the second segment are connected to a third segment and, if applicable, third segments are connected among one another, wherein a drive is allocated respectively to each of these swivel axes.

Preferred developments of the invention are yielded from the following description. Without being limited hereto, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail on the basis of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1shows a schematic representation of an inventive handling device10of a printing press together with a printing unit11of a web-fed rotary press embodied as a satellite printing unit. The satellite printing unit inFIG. 1has four printing couples12, whereby only plate cylinders13as well as transfer cylinders14from each printing couple12are depicted. All transfer cylinders14of the printing couples12roll off one satellite cylinder15.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the inventive handling device10is used to handle printing plates16during an automatic or automated change of printing plates on the printing couples12of the printing unit11.FIG. 1depicts the handling device10in a total of four different positions in order to show that this device can be positioned flexibly in the space. In two of the positions depicted, the handling device10is grasping printing plates16that are ready to be supplied at a web guide wall17. In the two other positions depicted, on the other hand, the handling device10is delivering the printing plates16to the plate cylinders13of printing couples12.

FIGS. 2 through 4show the inventive handling device10in greater detail. Thus, the handling device10is comprised of a manipulator arm18and a manipulator head19, whereby the manipulator head19has a handling element28.

According to the invention, the manipulator arm18is embodied in a multi-piece manner of several segments, whereby the manipulator arm18has three segments20,21and22in the depicted exemplary embodiment. A first segment20is used to connect the manipulator arm18to a frame and/or to a wall of the printing press, a second segment22is used, on the other hand, to connect the manipulator head19to the manipulator arm18. A third segment21is used to connect the first segment20to the second segment22, whereby, in contrast to the depicted exemplary embodiment, several third segments can also be arranged between the first segment20and the second segment22.

A swivel axis is embodied on each end of the segments20,21and22. Thus, a first swivel axis23is embodied on the end of the first segment20, via which the manipulator arm18is connected to the frame and/or to the wall of the printing press. A second swivel axis24is embodied on the end of the second segment22, which is used to connect the manipulator head19to the manipulator arm18. Additional swivel axes25and26are embodied on the ends of the segments20,21and22, at which the first segment20is connected to the third segment21and the second segment22is connected to the third segment21. The swivel axis23, which is used to connect manipulator arm18to the frame and/or to the wall of the printing press, is preferably embodied to be stationary.

A separate drive27is allocated to each swivel axis23,24,25and26in order to guarantee the swivel motion of the segments20,21and22relative to one another and/or the swivel motion of the manipulator head19relative to the second segment22of the manipulator arm18and/or the swivel motion of the first segment20of the manipulator arm18relative to the frame and/or to the wall of the printing press. The drives27are electromotive drives. The drives27can be used to individually swivel each segment20,21and22of the manipulator arm18as well as the manipulator head19.

In the depicted exemplary embodiment, each segment20,21and22of the manipulator arm18is formed by two braces29that run parallel to each other. A swivel axis is allocated to each end of a brace29and therefore to each end of a segment20,21and22.

In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the handling element28is embodied as a suction device featuring several suction nozzles30. Reference is made at this point to the fact that the handling element28can be embodied to be replaceable so that it is possible to replace, for example, a suction device for handling printing plates with a blanket wash-up device or another handling element. The handling element28, which is embodied as a suction device in the depicted exemplary embodiment, extends over the entire axial extension of the plate cylinders13of the printing couples12of the printing unit11.

As already stated, the handling element28in the depicted exemplary embodiment is embodied as a suction device featuring several suction nozzles30. In this case, every two suction nozzles30are used to handle one printing plate16so that a total of four printing plates can be handled by the suction device depicted inFIGS. 2 through 4. Reference is made to the fact that the number of suction nozzles present is purely exemplary and will depend upon the number of printing plates to be handled by each plate cylinder.

FIG. 5shows a section of the handling element28of the manipulator head19that is embodied as a suction device in the region of two suction nozzles30. The two suction nozzles30are fastened to a support element31embodied as a plate, whereby the support element31and thus the two suction nozzles30are positioned in a floating manner in the handling element28. As a result,FIG. 5shows a total of four ball rollers32, whereby two ball rollers32cooperate with an upper side of the support element31and two ball rollers32cooperate with a lower side of the support element31.

The ball rollers32cooperating with the lower side of the support element31are fastened to a cross bar33of the handling element28, and the ball rollers32cooperating with the upper side of the support element31are fastened to a support plate34, on the other hand.

Cooperating with the ball rollers32, are fixing bolts35of a fixation device, which are axially displaceable in the direction of the arrow36. The fixing bolts35penetrate the support element31as well as the cross bar33and are fed into the guide elements37allocated to the cross bar33. In the representation inFIG. 5, the fixing bolts35release the floating positioning of the two suction nozzles30so that, as a result, the support element31can be tilted to a certain extent together with the suction nozzles30. To fix the support element31and therefore to block the floating positioning of the suction nozzles30, the fixing bolts35are moved downward with respect to the position depicted inFIG. 5so that phases38allocated to the fixing bolts35engage in corresponding phases of the support element31. Then, when the printing plates16are supposed to be grasped and transported, the fixing bolts35block the floating positioning of the support element31and thus the suction nozzles30. If, on the other hand, the printing plates are supposed to be transferred to a plate cylinder13and threaded into a lockup slot of the plate cylinder, then, on the other hand, the fixing bolts35release the floating positioning of the support element31and thus the suction nozzles30.

To aid in threading the printing plates into the lockup slot of a plate cylinder, a vibration device (not shown) can be allocated to the entire handling element28in order to make the printing plates vibrate.

Instead of individual suction nozzles, the handling element28that is embodied as a suction device can also be designed as a continuous suction bar. A vacuum in the region of the suction nozzles is made available by compressed air elements39.

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