Numbering box

Provided in a printing press having a printing-press housing and an impression cylinder are a numbering box having a numbering-box shaft for holding numbering devices, an inking device with an ink form roller, and a switching or control device, including telescopic rails mounted in the printing-press housing, the numbering box being disposed on the telescopic rails and being displaceable thereon into and out of engagement with the impression cylinder, and a mechanism for simultaneously effecting mutual engagement and disengagement of the inking device and the numbering-box shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a numbering box with a numbering-box shaft for 
holding numbering devices, an inking device with an ink form roller and a 
switching or control device. 
For such a numbering box, it is necessary both that the numbering-box shaft 
be brought into and out of engagement with the impression cylinder, and 
also that the inking device to be brought into and out of engagement with 
the numbering-box shaft. The latter of these switching operations is 
required because the stopping of a numbering device on the ink form roller 
would result in the destruction of the latter. Furthermore, simultaneous 
operation or engagement of the numbering-box shaft and the inking device 
without the occurrence of any printing (the numbering-box shaft, but not 
the inking device being disengaged) would result in an over-inking of the 
numbering device and to premature wear and tear of the ink form roller. 
A numbering box has become known heretofore from the brochure entitled 
"Numerieren mit Heidelberg T-Offset" [Numbering with Heidelberg T-Offset] 
of the firm Paul Leibinger & Co. KG wherein, in order to solve this 
technical problem, the numbering-box shaft is brought into or out of 
engagement with the impression cylinder, and the inking device is brought 
into or out of engagement with the numbering-box shaft. In the installed 
condition thereof, however, the numbering-box unit is permanently bolted 
to the printing press. The numbering-box shaft is swivelably mounted or 
journalled in the numbering-box unit. Removal or disassembly of the 
numbering-box unit from the printing press and, accordingly, also the 
maintenance thereof are complicated and expensive. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved numbering 
device of the type mentioned in the introduction hereto the removal and 
maintenance of which are performable in a relatively simple and 
user-friendly manner. 
With the foregoing objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with 
the invention, in a printing press having a printing-press housing and an 
impression cylinder, a numbering box having a numbering-box shaft for 
holding numbering devices, an inking device with an ink form roller, and a 
switching or control device, comprising telescopic rails mounted in the 
printing-press housing, the numbering box being disposed on the telescopic 
rails and being displaceable thereon into and out of engagement with the 
impression cylinder, and a mechanism for simultaneously effecting mutual 
engagement and disengagement of the inking device and the numbering-box 
shaft. 
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the numbering box 
includes a switching shaft supported in the printing-press housing, and a 
first lever for bringing the numbering box into and out of engagement with 
the impression cylinder through the intermediary of the switching shaft. 
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the numbering box 
includes a switching shaft supported in the printing-press housing, and a 
second lever for bringing the inking device into and out of engagement 
with the numbering-box shaft through the intermediary of the switching 
shaft. 
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the switching shaft 
is actuatable through the intermediary of a third lever. 
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the numbering 
box includes a pneumatic cylinder disposed on the third lever. 
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the numbering box 
includes a switching shaft inserted through the intermediary of coupling 
elements into the printing-press housing. 
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the inking 
device is of a rocker-type construction and is mounted in a housing of the 
numbering box, and a lever is provided for swiveling the inking device 
against a spring force so that it is able to assume the engagement and 
disengagement positions with respect to the impression cylinder. 
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the numbering box 
includes respective adjustable first and second stops, the lever being in 
pressing engagement with the first stop for swiveling the inking device, 
and being limited by the second stop in a returning movement of the lever 
due to the spring force. 
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the inking 
device is of a rocker-type construction and is suspended in a housing of 
the numbering box, and a two-armed lever is suspended coaxially with the 
rocker-type inking device, a coupling link connecting the two-armed lever 
by one arm thereof to the printing-press housing, the two-armed lever, 
with the other arm thereof, being cooperatively engageable with a stop on 
the inking device, the inking device being swivelable by the stop and by 
an opposing spring when the numbering box is displaced on the telescopic 
rails. 
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the numbering 
box includes a switching shaft supported in the printing-press housing, 
the coupling link being mounted on the switching shaft. 
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the numbering 
box includes a stop limiting positioning travel of the numbering box. 
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the telescopic 
rails serve additionally for accommodating the numbering box in the 
printing-press housing. 
Such a numbering box can be constructed relatively simply, is economically 
producible and requires less space than the numbering boxes heretofore 
known from the prior art. It is a compact unit into which all functional 
elements are integrated. The element accommodating the unit in the 
printing press simultaneously serves as a guide element for the switching 
operation. 
A further development of the invention provides that the numbering box be 
engageable and disengageable by means of a first lever through the 
intermediary of a switching shaft held in the printing-press housing of 
the printing press. The first lever may be connected to the housing of the 
numbering box, effecting displacement on the telescopic rails. It is also 
possible for the inking device to be engageable and disengageable by means 
of a second lever through the intermediary of the switching shaft. The 
required rotational movement of the switching shaft may be accomplished in 
various ways, one proposal providing that the switching shaft be 
actuatable through the intermediary of a third lever. It is advantageous, 
for this purpose, for a pneumatic cylinder to be disposed on the third 
lever. 
Various possibilities are conceivable for the simultaneous operation of the 
inking device. Two embodiments of the invention are described herein. 
A first embodiment provides for the inking device to be of rocker-type 
construction, be held in the housing of the numbering box and be 
swivelable by the second lever against the force of a spring so that it is 
able to assume the engagement and disengagement positions. It is further 
proposed that the second lever press against a first stop in order to 
swivel the inking device, and that the return movement due to a spring be 
limited by a second stop, the stops being adjustable. In this manner, the 
rotation of the switching shaft effects both the displacement of the 
numbering box, for bringing the numbering-box shaft into and out of 
engagement with the impression cylinder, and also the engagement and 
disengagement of the inking device with respect to the numbering-box 
shaft. Depending upon the dimensioning of the levers and the stops, as 
well as the adjustment thereof, both switching operations may take place 
simultaneously. 
Alternatively, it is possible for the engagement and disengagement of the 
numbering-box shaft and of the inking device to be performed one after the 
other. For example, it is possible, initially, to bring the inking device 
into engagement with the numbering-box shaft and then to displace the 
numbering box with respect to the impression cylinder so that the 
numbering can be printed. 
The second embodiment provides for a two-armed lever mounted coaxially with 
the mounting of the rocker-type inking device, the two-armed lever being 
connected at one arm thereof by a link to the printing-press housing and, 
at its other arm cooperating with a stop on the inking device, the 
swiveling of the inking device being effected by the stop and the spring 
when there is a displacement of the numbering box on the telescopic rails. 
The link may be attached directly to the printing-press housing; 
alternatively, it may also be mounted on the switching shaft. This 
last-mentioned embodiment facilitates the installation and removal of the 
numbering box. Also, with this embodiment, it is possible, through the 
arrangement of the levers and the stops, as well as the adjustment 
thereof, for the switching operations to be performed simultaneously or 
one after the other. 
Furthermore, a stop may be provided in the printing-press housing limiting 
the positioning travel of the numbering box. Furthermore, the telescopic 
rails may additionally serve to accommodate the numbering box in the 
printing-press housing. 
This double function of the telescopic rails is an especially simple 
technical solution which simultaneously permits relatively easy 
installation of the numbering box in the printing press and removal 
thereof at any time therefrom. In order to permit such a relatively easy 
installation and removal, it is further advantageous for the switching 
shaft to be connected by means of coupling elements to the printing-press 
housing. 
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 a 
numbering box, 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. 
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, 
together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best 
understood from the following description of specific embodiments when 
read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings and, first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, 
there is shown therein a first embodiment of the numbering box 1 according 
to the invention. The numbering box 1 is manufactured as a unit with the 
numbering-box shaft 2, the inking device 3 and the switching device 5, the 
entire unit being accommodated in a housing 14 and being inserted by means 
of telescopic rails 6 into a non-illustrated housing of a printing press, 
of which only an impression cylinder 7 is shown in FIG. 1. The 
numbering-box shaft 2 contained in the numbering box 1 has attached 
thereto one or more numbering devices which are controlled or switched 
further by a non-illustrated conventional mechanism for printing various 
numbers. The numbering devices are inked by the inking device 3 which is 
formed of an ink form roller 4 and a device for inking the ink form roller 
4, such as an ink-storage roller 22, for example. 
The housing 14 of the numbering box 1 may be displaced by means of the 
telescopic rails 6 so that the numbering-box shaft 2 is brought into or 
out of engagement with the impression cylinder 7. This positioning 
movement is accomplished through the intermediary of a switching or 
control shaft 8, which is connected at respective ends thereof by coupling 
elements to the printing-press housing. When the switching or control 
shaft 8 is turned, the housing 14 of the numbering box 1 is displaced, 
through the intermediary of a first lever 9, in the direction of the arrow 
23, as a result of which, the numbering-box shaft 2 is brought into 
engagement with the impression cylinder 7; alternatively, when the 
displacement is in the direction of the arrow 24, the numbering-box shaft 
2 is taken out of engagement with the impression cylinder 7. The rotation 
or turning of the switching or control shaft 8 is effected through the 
intermediary of a third lever 11, which is connected to a pneumatic 
cylinder 13 which, in turn, is attached to the printing-press housing. 
Through the intermediary of the switching or control shaft 8, the 
engagement and disengagement of the inking device 3 with respect to the 
numbering-box shaft 2 is effected simultaneously. For this purpose, the 
inking device 3 is connected by a mounting 18 to the housing 14 of the 
numbering box 1. The inking device 3 is of a rocker-type construction, 
carries the ink form roller 4, at a forward end of the inking device 3 as 
viewed from the printing press, and has at a rearward end thereof a spring 
15 which is supported on the housing 14 and brings the inking device 3 
into engagement with the numbering-box shaft 2 in the direction of the 
arrow 25. It is possible for this positioning travel to be limited through 
the intermediary of an adjustable stop 17. The disengagement of the inking 
device 3 is effected through the intermediary of a two-armed lever 12, 
which is mounted coaxially with the mounting 18. At the upper end thereof, 
as viewed in FIG. 1, the two-armed lever 12 cooperates with a stop 20 
which is attached to the inking device 3. The positioning movements of the 
two-armed lever 12 for engagement and disengagement are indicated by the 
arrows 29 (engagement) and 30 (disengagement). 
The positioning movement is communicated to the two-armed lever 12 through 
the intermediary of a link 19 connecting the lower arm of the two-armed 
lever 12 to the printing-press housing. This connection is most simply 
established by the link 19 embracing the switching or control shaft 8 so 
that the link 19 does not rotate therewith. 
The engagement of the inking device 3 is effected by the numbering box 1 
being displaced in the direction of the arrow 23, due to which the link 19 
operates the two-armed lever 12 in a manner (arrow 29) that the two-armed 
lever 12 lifts off from the stop 20 and, consequently, the spring 15 
brings the inking device 3 into engagement with the numbering-box shaft 2 
in the direction of the arrow 25. Conversely, the disengagement of the 
inking device 3 is effected by the numbering box 1 being moved in the 
direction of the arrow 24, due to which the link 19 swivels the two-armed 
lever 12 in a manner that the two-armed lever 12, moving in the direction 
of the arrow 30, comes up against the stop 20 and, against the force of 
the spring 15, swivels the inking device 3 away from the numbering-box 
shaft 2 in the direction of the arrow 26. By an adjustment of the stop 20, 
it is possible to set or adjust the start of this swiveling-away movement. 
A stop 21 disposed on the printing-press housing of the printing press 
serves to limit the engagement of the numbering-box shaft 2 with the 
impression cylinder 7. The stop 21 may also be adjustable. The 
corresponding positioning movements of the switching or control shaft 8 
for the engagement and disengagement are identified by the arrows 27 and 
28. 
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the numbering box according to the 
invention, which also includes the pneumatic cylinder 17 with the third 
lever 11 although, in the interest of simplicity, they, in addition to the 
impression cylinder 7, have been omitted from this figure. In FIG. 2, 
components like those shown in FIG. 1 have been identified by the same 
reference characters and have the same functions. In contrast with FIG. 1, 
the mechanism for the engagement and disengagement of the inking device 3 
in FIG. 2 is of different construction. That mechanism is made up of a 
second lever 10, which is permanently connected to the switching or 
control shaft 8. Once again, the inking device 3 is of a rocker-type 
construction and is forced into the engagement position thereof by a 
spring 15. Disengagement is effected through the intermediary of a stop 16 
of the lever 10, which swivels the end of the inking device 3 facing away 
from the impression cylinder 7 against the force of the spring 15, thus 
moving it in the direction of the arrow 32, as a result of which the 
inking device 3 is taken out of engagement with the numbering-box shaft 2. 
Conversely, engagement is effected by the movement of the second lever 10 
in the direction of the arrow 31, as a result of which the stop 16 yields 
or recedes and the inking device 3 is forced by the spring 15 into the 
engagement position thereof. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the simultaneous displacement of the numbering 
box 1 for engagement and disengagement of the numbering-box shaft 2 with 
respect to the impression cylinder 7 takes place in the same manner as is 
described for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 
also, there is a stop 21 for limiting the positioning travel of the 
numbering box 1. However, the stop 21 of FIG. 2 is not attached to the 
printing-press housing, but rather, is attached directly to the telescopic 
rails 6. 
Of course, further embodiments are conceivable with respect to the 
mechanism for the simultaneous switching or controlling of the 
numbering-box shaft 2 and the inking device 3, for example, through the 
intermediary of cams or cam plates actuatable by the switching or control 
shaft 8.