Non-magnetic printing press packing gauge

A printing press packing gauge is provided in the form of a channel member or saddle for lengthwise disposition along and support from a blanket cylinder with the open side of the channel member abutted and seated against the blanket cylinder and one end of the gauge including an elongated reciprocal sensor lengthwise shiftable relative to the channel member generally radially of the cylinder while an indicator spindle is mounted for lengthwise shifting longitudinally of the channel member and movement connecting structure in the form of a bellcrank pivotally supported from the channel member is provided and operatively connects the sensor with the spindle for simultaneous and equal shifting of the spindle relative to the channel member responsive to shifting of the sensor relative to the saddle member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a device for accurately determining the exact 
"squeeze" between the plate on a plate cylinder of a printing press and 
the blanket on the blanket cylinder of the printing press. The correct 
"squeeze" is essential for the ink on the plate to properly transfer 
therefrom to the blanket and subsequently to the paper to achieve superior 
printing quality. 
Adjustments are made before and during a printing run to maintain the exact 
"squeeze" and are effected by inserting a packing material beneath either 
the plate or the blanket and in many instances beneath both the plate and 
the blanket. During a printing run frequent measurements should be taken 
on both the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder to ensure the 
"squeeze" is maintained correct. 
2. Description of Related Art 
Various different forms of blanket thickness gauges and other devices 
heretofore have been provided to determine and maintain proper "squeeze" 
between the plate and the blanket on a printing press in order to ensure 
top quality printing. Examples of these previously known gauges and other 
devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,840,918, 3,090,129, 3,324,759, 
3,432,933, 4,450,628 and 5,084,983 as Well as German Patent 3435860 and 
Swiss Patent 219053. However, these previously known devices are not as 
readily usable and/or accurate as the packing gauge of the instant 
invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A printing press manufacturer and a printing press purchaser jointly 
determine the following close tolerance dimensional relationship to allow 
the press operator to achieve the exact "squeeze" between the plate on the 
plate cylinder and the blanket on the blanket cylinder of a printing 
press: 
1. The dimensional relationship of the outer surface of the plate relative 
to either the plate cylinder bearer or the outer surface of the plate 
cylinder on a printing press without bearers. 
2. The dimensional relationship of the outer surface of the blanket 
relative to either the blanket cylinder bearer or the outer surface of the 
blanket cylinder on a printing press without bearers. 
When a plate is to be mounted upon the plate cylinder of a printing press, 
the press operator determines the thickness of the plate. The press 
operator is knowledgeable of the dimensional relationship of the outer 
surface of the plate relative to either the plate cylinder bearer or the 
outer surface of the plate cylinder on a printing press without bearers. 
Therefore, knowing the plate thickness and the dimensional relationship 
the press operator can determine the thickness of packing material to be 
inserted beneath the plate on the plate cylinder. Likewise, when a blanket 
is to be mounted upon the blanket cylinder of a printing press, the press 
operator determines the thickness of the blanket. The press operator is 
knowledgeable of the dimensional relationship of the outer surface of the 
blanket relative to either the blanket cylinder bearer or the outer 
surface of the blanket cylinder on a printing press without bearers. 
Therefore, knowing the blanket thickness and this dimensional 
relationship, the press operator can determine the thickness of packing 
material to be inserted beneath the blanket on the blanket cylinder. 
After the plate and blanket have been mounted on the plate cylinder and 
blanket cylinder, the desired "squeeze" between the plate and the blanket 
will be a median of 0.076 mm when using a conventional blanket and a 
median of 0.165 mm when using a compressible blanket. The correct packing 
beneath the plate and the blanket develops the exact "squeeze" as to the 
specific printing press specifications and results in the material 
subsequently printed being sharp, clean and with ink at full density. 
However, after one thousand plus impressions have been run on a press, the 
"squeeze" between the plate and the blanket tends to decrease and results 
in a lack of ink transferring to the blanket from the plate. This 
reduction in "squeeze" is due to the packing beneath the plate and/or the 
blanket being repeatedly compressed and experiencing a reduction in 
effective thickness. 
When printing quality begins to deteriorate due to reduced "squeeze", the 
press operator will stop the printing press and may use the instant 
invention to measure the dimensional relationship of the outer surface of 
the plate relative to either the plate cylinder bearer or the outer 
surface of the plate cylinder on a printing press without bearers. 
Likewise, dimensional relationship measurements may be made on the blanket 
cylinder. The instant invention will allow the press operator to quickly 
and accurately make these measurements to determine the additional packing 
material to be inserted beneath either the plate or the blanket or beneath 
both the plate and the blanket to restore the exact "squeeze" as to the 
specific printing press specifications. 
While various different forms of blanket thickness gauges and other devices 
have been provided to help determine the "squeeze", most of these 
previously known devices are not reliable. Further, many previous devices 
are difficult to properly use and some cannot be used to make measurements 
on a plate cylinder. 
Accordingly, the main object of this invention is to provide a packing 
gauge which will enable differential measurements to be easily and 
effectively made on both the plate and blanket cylinders of a printing 
press between the outer surface of the plate or blanket relative to the 
respective bearer or cylinder surfaces on a press without bearers. 
Another very important object of this invention is to provide a gauge in 
accordance with the preceding object and which also may be used along the 
axial length of a blanket in order to locate thin areas of the backing for 
the blanket. 
Still another important object of this invention is to provide a gauge 
which may be used to accurately determine the "squeeze" between the plate 
and the blanket of a printing press, even by inexperienced persons. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a gauge in accordance 
with the preceding objects and which does not require any adjustments 
according to different diameter plate and blanket cylinders. 
A further important object of this invention is to provide an elongated 
gauge in accordance with the preceding objects for disposition along the 
axial length of a blanket and equipped with a generally midlength 
elongated handle disposed transverse to the length of the gauge to thereby 
enable ready placement of the gauge along the axial length of a blanket 
with slight forearm oscillation being sufficient to properly seat the 
gauge upon the blanket and to maintain pressure applied to the blanket 
along a generally radial path of the associated printing press cylinder 
evenly throughout the length of the gauge in order to ensure proper 
readings by the gauge in locating thin areas of the backing for the 
blanket. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide a gauge in accordance with the preceding objects and which will 
conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction 
and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economical 
feasible, long-lasting and relative trouble fee in operation. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally 
designates a typical press including a blanket cylinder 12 having a 
blanket 14 mounted thereon with packing 16 disposed on the cylinder 12 
beneath the blanket 14. 
The gauge of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference 
numeral 18 and includes an elongated base 20 in the form of a channel 
member defining a pair of parallel sides or flanges 22 and 24 
interconnected along corresponding marginal edges by a bight portion 26, 
the free longitudinal marginal edges of the flanges 22 and 24 being curved 
outwardly away from each other as at 28 and 30. 
The flanges 22 and 24 are abbreviated at one end 32 of the base or channel 
member 30 and a housing 34 is supported from the bight portion 26 at the 
one end 32 with a first end 36 of the elongated housing 34 projecting 
endwise outwardly of the one end 32. 
The longitudinal mid-portion of the body or channel member 20 defined 
between the unabbreviated portions of the flanges 22 and 24 includes a 
T-handle 38 mounted thereon with the cross piece 40 of the handle 38 
disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body or channel member 
20 and the shank 42 of the handle 38 disposed generally radially of the 
cylinder 12. 
With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the 
drawings, a digital (LCD) indicator gauge 44 is removably mounted within 
the housing 34 and includes a reciprocal probe or spindle 46 projecting 
into a separate cavity 48 defined within the first end 36 of the housing 
34. A tubular boss 50 projects outwardly from the side of the housing 34 
which faces in the direction in which the body or channel member 20 opens 
and freely reciprocally receives an actuating shaft or probe 52 
therethrough, the bore 54 formed through the boss 50 opening into the 
cavity 48. 
The end of the shaft or probe 52 which projects into the cavity 48 includes 
a snap ring abutment 56 removably mounted thereon and a fully collapsible 
coil spring 58 is disposed about the shaft or probe 52 between the snap 
ring abutment 56 and the inner surface of the cavity 48 through which the 
bore 54 opens, the spring 58 serving to inwardly displace the shaft or 
probe 52 when viewed in FIG. 3. 
A transverse shaft 60 is journaled through the opposite sides 62 and 64 of 
the housing 34 and is retained against axial shifting through the 
utilization of removable snap rings 66 and 68, the longitudinal 
mid-portion of the shaft 60 having a bellcrank 70 mounted thereon for 
oscillation therewith within the cavity 48 by a set screw 72. The arms 74 
and 76 of the bellcrank 70 include enlarged rounded ends 78 and 80 which 
abut the adjacent terminal ends of the spindle 46 and the probe 52 and a 
butterfly spring 82 has one arm thereof pivotally anchored to the arm 76 
as at 84 and the other arm thereof pivotally anchored as at 86 to a 
removable plug 88 carried by the end wall 90 of the housing 34. 
The butterfly spring 82, when viewed as positioned in FIG. 3, biases the 
bellcrank 70 in a clockwise direction, but such clockwise movement is 
resisted by the spring 58. However, when the bellcrank is angularly 
displaced in a clockwise direction from the position thereof illustrated 
in FIG. 3 past the plane 92 passing through the center axis of the shaft 
60 and the pivotal connection between the spring 82 and the plug 88, the 
spring 82 bias the bellcrank 70 in a counter clockwise direction. Further, 
as may be seen from FIG. 4, one end of the shaft 60 projecting upwardly of 
the side 64 of the housing 34 has a thumb wheel 96 mounted thereon for a 
purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth. 
The indicator 44 may comprise any suitable digital indicator, but a 
particularly well suited indicator comprising the Mitutoyo IDU Digimatic 
Indicator, series 575 indicator is here shown. This indicator includes an 
off switch, an on-zero switch and In./mm switch. Further, the indicator 
includes spring means which exerts an outward force of substantially 5 
ozs. on the spindle 46. 
The spring 58, when compressed as shown in FIG. 3, exerts an inward force 
of approximately 5 ozs. on the probe 52 and the spring 82 exerts a force 
of substantially 10 ozs. between points 84 and 86. 
With attention invited to FIG. 2, as the bellcrank 70 is rotated 
counterclockwise from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3, the 
pressure of the spring 58 acting upon the probe 52 decrease and the 
pressure of the spring 82 acting upon the bellcrank 70 decreases. 
Conversely, when the bellcrank 70 is rotated in a counterclockwise 
direction from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3, the pressure 
exerted by the spring 58 on the probe 52 increases and the pressure of the 
spring 82 acting upon the bellcrank 70 increases. The strength of the 
springs 58 and 82 as well as the positioning of the points 84 and 86 is 
determined in advance in order to ensure substantially constant outward 
pressure on the probe 52 throughout its range of useful movement. This 
allows constant accurate reading of the thickness of a blanket throughout 
a reasonable range of blanket thicknesses. In addition, when the probe 52 
is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 3, the lower end thereof lies every 
so slightly beneath a plane containing the undersurfaces of the curved 
marginal portions 28 and 30 of the flanges 22 and 24. Thus, the thickness 
of padding or a blanket lying upon a plane surface also may be determined 
utilizing the packing gauge of the instant invention. The thumb wheel 96 
may be used to manually turn the shaft 60 in order to inwardly retract the 
probe 52. 
Further, inasmuch as the cross piece 40 of the T-handle 38 is spaced 
appreciably outward of the bight portion 26 and disposed transverse 
thereto, the handle crosspiece 40 including a longitudinal mid-portion 43 
(see FIG. 1) disposed between parallel planes paralleling the shaft or 
probe 52 and extending along the contact zones of the curved portions 28 
and 30 of the flanges 22 and 24 with the blanket 14. When the cross piece 
40 is gripped by the user's hand and the gauge 18 has force supplied 
thereto through the cross piece 40 along the length of the shank 42 in a 
direction to the left as viewed in FIG. 2, the gauge 18 will tend to fully 
evenly contact the blanket 14 with its curved marginal portions 28 and 30, 
thus enabling the gauge 18 to obtain a correct reading as to the thickness 
of the blanket 14. Further, when the gauge 18 is used along the length and 
about the circumference of the blanket 14 in order to locate specific 
areas of the packing which may be thinner than other areas, an extremely 
accurate reading is obtained by the gauge 18. 
Although FIG. 3 illustrates one method of providing a precise, constant 
pressure movement connection between the probe 52 and the spindle 46, it 
is to be understood that other mechanisms may be found to accomplish the 
same function. The main function of such a movement connection is to 
provide an equal movement connection between the probe 52 and the spindle 
46 while maintaining constant outward pressure on the probe 52. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalence may be resorted to 
falling within the scope of the invention.