Angle bar air regulating device for turning a web

In an angle bar turning a web having an exterior pipe formed with outlet openings, an air regulating device includes a zone tube disposed within and radially spaced from the exterior pipe so as to define an annular space therebetween, structure for dividing the annular space into a plurality of mutually isolated zones in longitudinal direction of the exterior pipe, the zone tube having at least one air outlet opening formed therein in each of the zones for coordination with the outlet openings formed in the exterior pipe, and an air controller tube disposed within the zone tube and being formed in circumferential direction thereof with at least two zonal combinations of outlet openings differing from one another, the air controller tube being turnable about the longitudinal axis thereof within the zone tube.

The invention relates to an angle bar or turn bar charged with blowing air 
for turning a web, such as an imprinted web, and more particularly, to 
such an angle bar having an exterior pipe formed with air outlet openings, 
and an air regulating device for covering those air outlet openings which 
need not be open for a given web width and/or web guidance or feed. 
From German Patent 34 36 870, it has become known to provide a tubular 
angle bar or turning bar for rotary printing presses for turning a printed 
paper web. The angle bar, in a semi-cylindrical turning region, is 
provided with nozzle or jet-like outlet bores for forming an air-cushion 
underneath the paper web. In order to coordinate the application of the 
blowing air of the angle bar to the respective web width, longitudinally 
displaceable pistons are arranged in the hollow space of the angle bar 
mutually spaced and independent of one another. In order to localize the 
air cushion precisely underneath the paper web, each piston carries, at an 
end thereof facing towards the other piston, a sleeve-shaped tongue which 
is similar in the outer diameter thereof to the piston diameter. The outer 
end face of this sleeve-shaped tongue is inclined in a manner 
corresponding to the course of the edge of the turned paper web. 
With the angle bar presented in the aforementioned German Patent 34 36 870, 
the air cushion may be coordinated exactly with the respective width of 
the paper web. The exact setting of the pistons can only be performed, 
however, if the angle bar is charged with pressurized or compressed air. 
In an elaborate and expensive method, dependent upon the piston-setting, 
operating personnel thus have to examine the escape of air manually. Only 
in this manner could a determination be made as to whether the air cushion 
were optimally set for the respective web width with this prior-art 
device. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,465 an angle bar charged with blowing air is 
described having the following features: In an exterior pipe having air 
outlet openings, several inner pipe lengths formed with openings are 
arranged in axial direction. By turning the inner lengths of pipe, the air 
outlet openings of the inner pipe lengths can be brought into overlying 
alignment or covered by the air outlet openings of the exterior pipe. 
Thus, within a desired region, the blowing air is applied to the angle 
bar. 
In this heretoforeknown construction, the coordination of the air cushion 
with the respective web width is effected by twisting the individual inner 
lengths of pipe. Depending upon the respective web width which has to be 
set, extensive operational effort is needed. Also, with this 
heretoforeknown arrangement, due to the lack of a suitable scale for the 
respective zone to which blowing air is being applied, a pre-setting of 
the angle bar can only be accomplished with pressurized or compressed air, 
i.e., in this case, as well, the operating personnel have to examine, by 
hand, whether or not blowing air is being applied to a zonal region of the 
angle bar. 
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an angle bar 
charged with blowing air in which, by one adjusting process, the air 
cushion is optimally adjustable to specific web widths and/or web 
guidances or leads. 
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in 
accordance with the invention an angle bar turning a web having an 
exterior pipe formed with outlet openings, an air regulating device 
comprising a zone tube disposed within and radially spaced from the 
exterior pipe so as to define an annular space therebetween, means for 
dividing the annular space into a plurality of mutually isolated zones in 
longitudinal direction of the exterior pipe, the zone tube having at least 
one air outlet opening formed therein in each of the zones for 
coordination with the outlet openings formed in the exterior pipe, and an 
air controller tube disposed within the zone tube and being formed in 
circumferential direction thereof with at least two zonal combinations of 
outlet openings differing from one another, the air controller tube being 
turnable about the longitudinal axis thereof within the zone tube. 
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the zone tube is fixed 
in position within the exterior pipe. 
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the dividing means 
comprise a plurality of sealing rings disposed between the exterior pipe 
and the zone tube. Thus, rubber rings such as O-rings, for example, are 
distributed about the circumference of the zone tube and simultaneously 
arrange the space between the exterior pipe and the zone tube into 
airtight zones which are isolated from one another. 
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the air 
controller tube is form-fittingly positioned within and in register with 
the zone tube. Because the air controller tube is formed with various 
zonal combinations of air outlet openings distributed over the 
circumference thereof, blowing air may be applied to the angle bar in the 
desired regions by simply turning the air controller tube. 
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, there is provided a 
turnable control knob secured to at least one of the ends of the air 
controller tube and extending out of the respective end of the angle bar. 
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the control knob 
is formed with a marking thereon, and a respective end of the exterior 
pipe is also formed with markings, the control knob being turnable to 
respective settings wherein the marking of the control knob is aligned 
with the markings, respectively, of the exterior pipe so as to define 
given zonal combinations of the air outlet openings of the exterior pipe 
of the angle bar. If a marking, which is applied to the control knob 
itself, is aligned with a desired marking at the end face of the angle 
bar, then the control of a desired combination of air outlet openings is 
exactly defined. This feature eliminates manual pre-checking of the air 
outlet openings to which the blowing air has been applied. The pressman 
instantaneously knows from the setting of the control knob, which 
combination of air outlet openings has been set at that instant. 
To ensure that a desired combination is set exactly, i.e., that the applied 
air outlet openings of the air controller tube and zone tube are in 
overlying alignment, in accordance with yet a further feature of the 
invention, at least one pin is secured at the respective end of the 
exterior pipe, and the air controller tube is formed at the one end 
thereof with recesses corresponding to the markings on the respective end 
of the exterior pipe, the pin being snappable into a respective one of the 
recesses. 
In order to avoid damage to the end face of the air controller tube during 
turning, this pin, in accordance with yet another feature of the 
invention, is made of synthetic material, for example, a polymeric amide 
such is known under the trade name Nylon. 
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the zone tube is 
formed in an end region thereof with an opening through which the blowing 
air is feedable to applicable air outlet openings of the angle bar. 
In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, control means 
are provided for turning the air controller tube to a setting 
corresponding to at least one of a pre-selectable web width and web guide 
or lead. 
With reference to the continuously advancing automatization of printing 
presses, it is especially advantageous, that the application of blowing 
air to an angle bar according to the invention be automated in a 
relatively simple manner. 
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, therefore, the 
control means comprise a servomotor for controlling the turning of the air 
controller tube automatically. The respective setting of the air 
controller tube with respect to the zone tube, for example, is defined by 
means of additional angle information. 
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, an area of the 
air controller tube is formed with no openings and, in one of the 
settings, is in alignment with the air outlet opening of the zone tube in 
all of the isolated zones. Other features which are considered as 
characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in 
an angle bar air regulating device for turning a web, it is nevertheless 
not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various 
modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing 
from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of 
equivalents of the claims.

Referring now to the drawings and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, 
there is shown therein an angle bar charged with blowing air, according to 
the invention. The angle bar 1 is formed of an exterior pipe 2, which is 
equipped with air outlet openings or holes 3, a center or zone tube 4 and 
an inner or air controller tube 5. The zone tube 4, is disposed, with 
O-rings 8 surrounding it at special intervals, within the exterior pipe 2. 
These O-rings 8 thus define specific zones 7 in the longitudinal direction 
of the exterior pipe 2 and zone tube 4 within which one or more holes are 
located. 
Blowing air may be applied within given combinations of the zones 7. In the 
axial or longitudinal direction of the angle bar, as is clearly shown in 
FIG. 2, at least one air outlet opening 13 is formed in the zone tube 4, 
for each of the zones 7 to which, depending upon the radial position of 
the inner or air controller tube 5, blowing air is or is not applied. The 
air controller tube 5 is turnable manually by control knobs 9, which are 
located at the end faces of the air controller tube 5, and extend out from 
the ends of the angle bar 1 which is charged with blowing air. In order to 
assure reliable gripping and turning of the control knobs 9, the 
cylindrical surface of the control knobs 9 can be roughened. 
In the embodiment of the angle bar constructed in accordance with the 
invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, blowing air is fed into an end region 
of the center or zone tube 4 through an opening 12 formed therein and 
enters the air controller tube 5 through end openings 16 formed in the 
latter. 
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the center or zone tube 4. The individual zones 7 
are distinguishable from one another by annular grooves 15 which are 
formed in the outer cylindrical surface of the zone tube 4. Each of the 
grooves 15 receives therein a rubber ring, such as the aforementioned 
O-ring 8, especially. The zone tube 4 is accordingly fixedly positioned 
thereby in the exterior pipe 2 and, furthermore, this constructive 
arrangement provides airtight isolation of the space formed between and 
defined by the zone tube 4, the exterior pipe 2 and the respective O-rings 
8 of the individual zones 7 when one or more of the air outlet openings 13 
of the zone tube 4 is covered by a solid wall portion of the inner air 
controller tube 5. The blowing air is supplied, as mentioned hereinbefore, 
through the opening 12 formed in the end region of the zone tube 4 which 
is always in communication, for example, with an air intake opening formed 
thereat in the exterior pipe 2. 
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the cylindrical jacket of the air 
controller tube 5. The latter is divided into six zones 7 in the 
embodiment of FIG. 3, in each of which one or more air outlet openings 6 
are to be found in various combinations. The form and number of these air 
outlet openings 6 per zone 7 is completely arbitrary. They can be in 
elongated or slot form, as illustrated in FIG. 3; however, it is indeed 
possible, that these longitudinal holes or slots may be formed instead as 
round air outlet openings, for example. It is important only that the form 
and number of the air outlet openings 6 of the air controller tube 5 and 
the form and number of the air outlet openings 13 of the zone tube 4 be 
coordinated with one another for each zone 7 so as to permit a varying 
amount of air to discharge zonewise from the zone tube 4 through the air 
outlet openings 13 thereof and through the air outlet openings 6 of the 
air controller tube 5 into the space between the zone tube 4 and the 
exterior pipe 2 and, therefrom, out of the holes 3 formed in the exterior 
pipe 2, or even to block the air from discharging therethrough altogether. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified case, wherein, namely, the angle bar 1 
charged with blowing air has six zones 7 distributed over the length 
thereof, in each of the zones 7, the air controller tube 5 having 
different distributions of the slot like air outlet openings 6, and the 
fixed zone tube 4 having only one slot-like opening 13. 
FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of the angle bar 1 which is charged by 
blowing air. By means of the turnable control knob 9, the air controller 
tube 5, which is form-fittingly received in the zone tube 4, as mentioned 
hereinbefore, can be set into a given angular position with respect to the 
fixed zone tube 4, and a desired application of blowing air can be set in 
the angle bar 1. In this regard, a marking 14a, for example, on the front 
of the control knob 9 is coordinated with one of several markings 14b 
provided at the end of the exterior pipe 2 of the angle bar 1. In order to 
ensure that a desired position is set exactly, i.e. that the air outlet 
openings 6 of the air controller tube 5 are covered by or in overlying 
alignment with the air outlet openings 13 of the zone tube 4, on the 
interior end face of the exterior pipe 2, a spring-action pin 11 such as a 
nylon ball plunger, for example, snaps into one of a number of recesses 10 
formed at the end of the air controller tube 5. The recesses 10 are 
located in positions which correspond to the markings 14b on the end face 
of the angle bar 1. 
The knob 9 is shown located at each end of the air controller tube so as to 
permit relatively easy access from either end of the angle bar 1, and 
flexibility with respect to changes in angular web direction. The markings 
would be duplicated on the opposite end, but would reflect differences in 
"near-side" and "far-side" designations. 
When an optimal overlying alignment of the air outlet openings 6 formed in 
the air controller tube 5 and the air outlet openings 13 formed in the 
zone tube 4 occurs, the pin 11 thus snaps into the respective recess 10 
formed at the end face of the air controller tube 5 in accordance with the 
respective marking 14b. 
Referring further to FIG. 4, if the air controller tube 5 is turned with 
respect to the zone tube 4 to the setting represented in the figure, 
wherein the marking 14a is aligned with the marking 14b located at the 
position I, then the angle bar 1 charged with blowing air is completely 
enveloped with blowing air over the entire length thereof. This 
configuration is selected when the web is of maximum width. If the web is 
narrower in width, yet travels midway over the angle bar 1, then the 
settings II and III, respectively, are selected. By thus covering the 
outer regions of the angle bar 1 to which blowing air has been applied, 
the unnecessary loss of blowing air applied to unused air outlet openings 
2 when a narrow web is being guided is presented. The additional settings 
IV and V as well as VI and VII, respectively, are then of advantage if a 
narrower web is to be guided at the right-hand and at the left-hand sides, 
respectively, of the angle bar 1 to which blowing air has been applied. 
Of course, a setting may be provided for wherein an area of the air 
controller tube 5 having no openings 6 therein, for each of the zones 7, 
is located in alignment with the respective air outlet openings 13 of the 
fixed zone tube 4 so that air flow through all of the holes 3 of the 
exterior pipe 2 is effectively shut off thereby without having to use an 
external shut-off valve. 
The subdivision of the length of the angle bar 1 charged with blowing air 
into individual zones 7 is, of course, at random. The smaller the 
individual zones 7 are constructed, the more optimal is the coordination 
of the blowing-air consumption with the respective guided web.