Anilox roll mounting means

This roll mounting assembly (100) for mounting an anilox roll between opposed sideframes (12) includes an anilox roll (120) and opposed end bearings (124). Each sideframe (12) includes an open ended flanged slot (130) receiving an associated bearing (124) at each end and a screw clamping assembly (140) is disposed at the other end of the slot (130) to apply a predetermined pressure to bearing (124) through the medium of a clamping pad (148).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to a roll mounting means and particularly 
to an anilox roll mounting means for a small, relatively low cost printing 
press. 
Printing presses and flexographic presses, in particular, are equipped with 
ink feed or transfer rolls which are usually referred to as anilox rolls 
in the flexographic printing industry. Anilox rolls are surface engraved 
to determine the amount of ink to be transferred in a given setup. Because 
of this it is necessary that the anilox roll be readily removable for 
replacement by another roll suitable for a different setup. 
With larger printing presses removal of the roll tends to be complicated 
and time-consuming. In some instances, where the ink roll is virtually 
fixed, considerable disassembly of the press may be necessary to change 
the ink roll. In other instances retractable journals are used operated by 
cams, pneumatic or hydraulic systems in order to speed up the removal and 
replacement operation. 
In the prior art the closest reference is believed to be U.S. Pat. 
application Ser. No. 07/503,240 assigned to the assignee hereof. This 
assembly works well for its intended purpose for use with a relatively 
large printing press but is not suitable for use with a relatively small 
and inexpensive printing press for which there is a proven need in the 
industry and which, to be competitive must have much simpler and less 
expensive parts. 
The present invention supplies these requirements in a manner not disclosed 
in the known prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
There has been a need in the printing industry for a relatively small, 
economical flexographic printing press. In order to fill this need the 
present invention is one of several companion inventions which simplify 
particular independent features of such a press namely: a printing press 
register adjustment means, a printing press support structure, a meter 
roll mounting means and an anilox roll mounting means. The anilox roll 
mounting means, is disclosed herein, the other three features are 
disclosed in companion U.S. Pat. applications Ser. No. 07/753,071, Ser. 
No. 07/753,069 and Ser. No. 07/753,069, respectively, all filed Aug. 30, 
1991, assigned to the assignee hereof and all incorporated herein by 
reference. 
This invention provides an anilox roll mounting means which is particularly 
suitable for use with a relatively small printing press and eliminates 
costly and cumbersome mounting assemblies. 
This combination roll and mounting assembly provides a roll including 
opposed ends each end having bearing means, opposed support means each 
including a slot means having an open outer end and a closed inner end 
receiving an associated bearing means, bearing retaining means retaining 
each bearing means in an associated slot against lateral movement, opposed 
clamping means including a body received in an associated slot and an 
adjustment member threadedly received by said body and having a remote end 
operatively engageable with said bearing means, and body retaining means 
retaining each body in place against lateral and longitudinal movement 
whereby said adjustment member remote end can exert a predetermined 
pressure operatively against said associated bearing means. 
It is an aspect of this invention that said clamping means includes a pad 
means disposed between each adjustment member remote end and said bearing 
means said pad means having an arcuate bearing face conforming 
substantially to said bearing means. 
It is another aspect of this invention to provide that said bearing 
retaining means includes a snap ring disposed about said bearing and 
engageable with said support means adjacent said slot to preclude lateral 
movement of said bearing means in one direction, and fastener means 
adjacent said snap ring and threadedly received within said support means 
in overlapping relation to said snap ring to retain said snap ring and 
preclude lateral movement of said bearing means in said other direction. 
Yet another aspect of this invention is to provide that each slot includes 
upper and lower side flanges having arcuate bearing portions, said body 
includes an enlarged head portion, said body retaining means, retaining 
said body against longitudinal movement, is provided by engagement between 
said body and said arcuate bearing portions and said body retaining means, 
retaining said body against lateral movement in one direction, is provided 
by engagement between said head and said support means. 
Still another aspect of this invention is to provide that fastener means 
connected to each said support means adjacent said slot is disposed in 
overlapping relation to said head and said fastener means provides said 
second retaining means retaining said body against lateral movement in 
said other direction. 
It is another aspect of this invention to provide that said head includes a 
circumferential recess, clearance related to said fastener means, to 
permit lateral removal of said body when said fastener means and recess 
are aligned. 
It is still another aspect of this invention to provide that said slots are 
inclined downwardly away from said open end. 
It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide that each slot 
includes upper and lower flanges, and a clamping pad is disposed between 
each adjustment member remote end and said bearing means having an arcuate 
bearing face operatively engaging said bearing means and having an 
opposite face engageable by said adjustment member, said slot flanges 
receiving said pad means in bearing relation. 
It is an aspect of this invention to provide a roll mounting assembly which 
is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and highly 
effective in operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now by reference numerals to the drawings and first to FIG. 1 and 
5 it will be understood that a pair of opposed printing press sideframes 
12 are shown which provide support for a meter roll mounting assembly 10 
and an anilox roll mounting assembly 100. The meter roll mounting assembly 
10 is shown in detail in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/753,406 which 
is assigned to the assignee of this application and is incorporated herein 
by reference. The anilox roll assembly 100 will now be described reference 
to FIGS. 1-6. 
The anilox roll mounting assembly 100 includes an anilox roll 120 having 
shaft ends 122 provided with bearings 124 grooved to receive snap rings 
126. The sideframes 12 include opposed open-ended slots 130 having upper 
and lower flanges 132 and 134, said slots terminating in an end portion 
136 receiving the bearings 124. The snap rings 126 engageable with an 
associated sideframe 12 to preclude lateral movement in one direction. 
Diametrically opposed fasteners 128 are threadedly connected to each 
sideframe in overlapping relation to the snap ring 126 to preclude lateral 
movement of the anilox roll 120 in the other direction as best shown in 
FIG. 2. 
A clamping assembly generally indicated by numeral 140 holds each of the 
bearings 124 in position. Each clamping assembly includes a clamping screw 
142 received in threaded relation within a generally circular body 144 
having a flanged head 146, and a clamping pad 148 disposed between said 
clamping screw 142 and said bearing 124. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 the 
body 144 is received within arcuate recessed portions 150 and 152 of the 
upper and lower flanges 132 and 134, which permits rotation of the body 
but retains said body against longitudinal movement in associated slots 
130. The flanged head 146 retains said body against lateral movement in 
one direction, and a fastener 154, threadedly attached to each sideframe 
adjacent the upper portion of the slot 130 in overlapping relation to the 
flanged head 146, provides a retaining means precluding lateral movement 
of the body in the other direction. The flanged head 146 includes a 
circumferential recess 147, clearance related to said fastener, to permit 
lateral removal of said body when said fastener and recess are aligned. 
The clamping pad 148 is radiused at one end 149 to conform to the surface 
of the bearing 124 and includes a dimple 156 at the other end receiving 
the remote end 158 of the clamping screw 142 when rotated into position by 
the knob 160. The clamping screw 142, in the embodiment shown, is an 
adjustable torque thumb screw of the type manufactured by Carr Lane of St. 
Louis, MO under the designation CL-630-TSD. The knob 160 turns freely when 
the desired pressure is reached and a torque adjustment screw 162 is 
provided on the underside of the knob to predetermine the torque. 
In the embodiment shown, the anilox roll 120 is driven from an impression 
roll (not shown) by a gear 170 which engages an end gear 172 on the anilox 
roll. The anilox roll 120 includes an inboard gear 174 which, in the 
embodiment shown, drives the meter roll 20. 
It is thought that the structural features and functional advantages of 
this anilox roll mounting means 100 have become fully apparent from the 
foregoing description of parts but, for completeness of disclosure, the 
installation and operation will be briefly described. 
The anilox roll 120, with end bearings 124 and gears 172 and 174 installed, 
is emplaced within associated slots 130 and positioned in the circular end 
136 of the slot 130 with the snap rings 126 engaging the sideframes 12 as 
shown in FIG. 2. The fasteners 128 are then tightened so that the bearings 
124 are laterally retained within the slots 130 in both directions. The 
clamping pads 148 are next emplaced within associated slots 130 using the 
upper and lower flanges 132 and 134 as a guide. Finally, each clamping 
screw body 142 is inserted into the slot recesses 150 and 152 and rotated 
into alignment with its associated recess 147 and pushed into place so 
that the flange 146 engages the sideframe 12. The body 142 can be rotated 
until the clamping screw remote end 158 is aligned with the dimple 156 on 
the end face of the pad 148. The clamping screw 142 is then screwed into 
place to apply a predetermined pressure to bearing 124, point pressure 
being avoided by the conforming face of the clamping pad bearing against 
the bearing 124. The use of the adjustable torque knob 160 ensures that 
the pressure against the bearing is not excessive. 
In view of the above it will be understood that various aspects and 
features of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results are 
attained. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and 
described, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that various 
modifications may be made without departure from the invention in its 
broader aspects.