Registration unit for printing or collating apparatus

In an apparatus such as a printing press or collator for performing operations such as printing, perforating, punching, die cutting, and the like on a continuous paper web, a registration unit for changing the phase of a first shaft relative to a second shaft where said shafts are rotatably mounted between parallel frame members of the apparatus, the registration unit having a sleeve rotatably mounted about the second shaft with a concentric output gear mounted thereto and rotatable therewith. An output drive gear is mounted to the sleeve and concentric with the output gear for rotation therewith, said output gear providing the output drive for rotatably driving said first shaft. A motor drive and gear assembly is mounted to said second shaft outboard of said frame for rotation therewith and is in engagement with said output drive gear for selectively rotating said output drive gear relative to said second shaft, whereby rotation of said output drive gear relative to said second shaft produces rotation of said sleeve, output gear, and first shaft relative to said second shaft. In one aspect of the invention said sleeve is rotatably mounted about said second shaft outboard of the frame members and said output gear is also outboard of said frame members. In another aspect of the invention, said sleeve extends through one of said frame members, and said output gear is located inboard of said frame members.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: 
This invention generally relates to registration units for use in apparatus 
such as printing presses or collators for performing operations such as 
printing, perforating, punching, die cutting, and the like on a continuous 
paper web. Specifically, it relates to such units for registering the 
phase or angular displacement of one roller relative to another used in 
performing particular operations on the web. In the print operation these 
rollers or cylinders are the plate and impression cylinders. In the die 
cutting operation they are the die and anvil cylinders. In the punching 
operation they are the male and female punch cylinders and the associated 
drive shaft. And in the perforating operation they are the perforator and 
anvil cylinders. The importance of proper registration is well recognized 
in the art, but generally it is to insure that each operation is performed 
on the traveling paper web at precisely the proper time in relation to the 
other operations. 
Registration units of this general type are known in the art. For example, 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,698 issued Oct. 2, 1973, and assigned to the same 
assignee as the present application, discloses a registration unit of 
which the present unit is an improvement. The drive connection or 
registration unit of the referenced patent is specifically for phase 
registration of a fanfolding machine with the traveling web and includes 
an electric motor and worm drive mounted on a shaft inboard of the folder 
frame, said shaft extending through the frame and having an output gear 
mounted thereto on the outboard side of the frame. Power is transmitted 
from the shaft to the output gear through the motor driven gear assembly, 
and actuation of the motor causes angular displacement of the output gear 
relative to the shaft and in this way precise registration of the 
fanfolder is accomplished. 
While the unit of the referenced patent was exceptionally useful in 
registering the folder to the traveling web, its design with the motor and 
worm drive mounted inboard of the frame was found to be undesirable for 
other applications such as the printing, punching, die cutting, and 
perforating applications. 
Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide 
registration units which overcome this disadvantage and where the motor 
and worm drive assembly is mounted outboard of the frame for greater 
accessibility and proper interface. 
In one aspect of the invention a sleeve is rotatably mounted about a shaft 
outboard of the frame between which the shafts or cylinders to be 
registered are mounted. Affixed to the sleeve or as part of the sleeve is 
an output gear and an output drive gear, also located outboard of the 
frame. The motor and worm gear assembly is mounted on the shaft outboard 
of the sleeve and engages the output drive gear such that actuation of the 
motor produces rotation of the sleeve, output drive gear and output gear 
relative to the shaft. This arrangement is particularly useful for the 
printing, punching, and perforating operations. 
In another aspect of the invention, the sleeve extends through the frame 
for rotation therein and the output gear is mounted inboard of the frame. 
This arrangement has been found particularly useful in the die cutting 
operation and allows use of a symmetrical die which can be changed end to 
end for longer life. 
Thus, it is the primary purpose of this invention to provide an improved 
registration unit of the type disclosed in the referenced patent 
particularly suited for use with printing, die cutting, punching, and 
perforating operations, and where the motor and drive unit is mounted 
outboad of the frame. These and other objects of the invention will become 
apparent from the drawing and detailed description to follow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown an example of the type 
of apparatus with which the registration unit of this invention is used. 
Thus, there is shown a printing press 10 for performing various operations 
on a moving paper web 11, the movement of the web being from left to right 
as viewed in FIG. 1. Typically, such a web is fed from an unwind unit (not 
shown) containing a large roll of paper, through one or more printing 
stations 14 and 15, through a die cutting station 16, a punch station 17, 
a perforation station 18, and to a folder 19 where the web is folded for 
further handling. Each of these operations is well known in the art of 
producing business forms, labels, and the like. 
At each of the stations 14 through 19 it is necessary that the operation 
performed by that station be registered with the web or with the other 
operations so that each operation is performed on the web at precisely the 
proper instant of time. Since each of these operations is performed by 
cooperating cylinders or rollers, the necessary registration can be 
accomplished by an adjustment of the phase relationship or angular 
displacement of one roller relative to the other. Thus, at each of the 
printing stations 14 and 15 there is a print or plate cylinder 25 and an 
impression cylinder 26, the registration being accomplished by changing 
the phase of the plate cylinder relative to the impression cylinder. At 
the die cutting station 16 there is a die cylinder 28 and an anvil 
cylinder 29, the registration being accomplished by adjusting the phase of 
the die cylinder relative to the impression cylinder. At the punch station 
17 there are male and female punch members 31 and 32 and a drive shaft 33, 
registration being accomplished by adjusting the phase of the punch 
members 31 and 32 relative to the drive shaft 33. And at the perforation 
station 18 there are perforator cylinders 35 and anvil cylinders 36, 
registration being accomplished by adjusting the phase of the cylinder 35 
relative to the cylinder 36. 
The schematics of FIGS. 2 through 4 illustrate generally how the 
registration unit of this invention cooperates with the cylinders of the 
respective stations to accomplish proper registration. In FIG. 2 there is 
shown schematically the print station with the cylinders 25 and 26 
rotatably mounted between parallel side frame members 38 and 39 of the 
printing press 10. The plate cylinder 25 has a shaft 41 extending through 
the frame member 39 with a gear 42 mounted to the shaft 41 outside or 
outboard of the frame members. The cylinder 26 has a shaft 43 which is 
connected to a registration unit 45 of this invention to be more fully 
described which unit has an output gear 46 which engages the gear 42 for 
rotatably driving the cylinder 25. 
In FIG. 3 there are shown the cylinders 28 and 29 of the die cutting 
station mounted about shafts 50 and 51, respectively. The shaft 50 is 
rotatably mounted to the frame members 38 and 39 and has a gear 53 just 
inboard of the frame member 39. One end of the shaft 51 extends through 
the frame member 38 and has a gear 55 mounted outboard of the frame member 
38. The other end of the shaft 51 extends into a registration unit 60 of 
this invention to be more fully described which includes an output gear 61 
which engages the gear 53 for driving the cylinder 28. 
FIG. 4 illustrates the punch station which utilizes the registration unit 
45. The male and female punch members 31 and 32 are mounted about shafts 
64 and 65 which in turn are rotatably mounted between the frame members 38 
and 39. Gears 67 and 68 are mounted to the shafts 64 and 65, respectively, 
outboard of the frame member 39. The shaft 33 is also rotatably mounted 
between the frame members 38 and 39 with the end of the shaft 33 feeding 
into the registration unit 45 outboard of the frame member 39. The output 
gear 46 of the unit 45 engages the gear 68 for driving the male and female 
punch members 31 and 32. 
An illustration of the registration unit of this invention with the 
perforation station is not separately shown since it is the same as for 
the print station of FIG. 2 except that the plate and impression cylinders 
25 and 26 are replaced with the perforator and anvil cylinders 35 and 36. 
The registration unit 45 and 60 will now be described in more detail with 
reference to FIGS. 5 through 8. 
In FIGS. 5 through 7 there is shown the registration unit 45 for driving 
the gear 42 or 68 of the print or perforation cylinders. The shaft 43 or 
33 is rotatably mounted within the frame member 39 such as by suitable 
bearings 69. A nut 70 threadedly engages the shaft 43 just outwardly from 
the frame member 39 to load the bearings 69, and a concentric gear 71 is 
mounted just outwardly of the nut 70 against a shoulder 72 of the shaft 
43. A concentric gear 71 is held in position such as by a suitable keyway 
(not shown) and a washer 74 and nut 75 secured on a threaded portion 76 of 
the shaft 43. 
A sleeve 80 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 43 outwardly of the gear 71 
by suitable bearings 81. The inner portion of the sleeve 80 is formed in 
the concentric gear 46 which engages the gear 42 or 68 to drive the plate 
cylinder 25, punch members 31 and 32, or perforation cylinder 35 in a 
manner to be further described. The outer end of the sleeve 80 is formed 
in an annular shoulder 83 and annular notch 84 in which is secured a 
concentric worm or output drive gear 85. At each end of the sleeve 80 are 
suitable bushings 86. 
Secured to the shaft 43 for rotation therewith outwardly of the sleeve 80, 
is a motor drive and worm gear assembly 90. The assembly 90 includes a 
split clamp 91 having an aperture 92 therethrough into which the end of 
the shaft 43 extends, the clamp 91 being securely fastened to the shaft by 
a suitable bolt 93 extending through the clamp at its split end as best 
shown in FIG. 6. A cast frame 95 is mounted at the top of the clamp 91 as 
depicted in the drawing by any suitable means such as bolts (not shown). 
The frame 95 is preferably of cast, one-piece construction and has a 
generally rectangular opening 97 located directly above the worm gear 85, 
and an ear portion 99 at an outer corner of the frame formed in a yoke. A 
worm 100 is mounted within the yoke 99 on a shaft 101 for rotation about a 
generally vertical axis. The shaft 101 is driven through a suitable 
coupling 102 by an electric motor 103 mounted by a suitable bracket 104 to 
the clamp 91. 
Another worm 106 is mounted within the opening 97 to drivingly engage the 
worm gear 85. The worm 106 is mounted by a shaft 108, sleeves 109, 
bushings 110, bearings 111, and a threaded sleeve 112 shown for purposes 
of illustration. The threaded sleeve 112 is adjusted to load the bushings 
and prevent the worm 106 from moving along its axis. Other suitable means 
for mounting the worm 106 within the opening 97 could be used. Another 
worm gear 115 is secured to the end of the worm shaft 108 for rotation 
therewith, which gear 115 is in engagement with and driven by the worm 
100. 
To supply electrical power to the motor 103, a slip ring assembly 120 is 
secured to the outer end of the shaft 43 and includes conductive rings 121 
which receive electrical power from suitable brushes (not shown), and feed 
that power to the motor 103 by suitable conductors (not shown) for 
selective actuation of the electric motor either while the shaft 43 is 
stationary or rotating. The gear 71 is the shaft drive gear which in turn 
is driven by an external drive source such as a gear 125. 
Operation of the Registration Unit 45 
The purpose of the unit 45 is to drive the gear 42 or 68 to thus drive the 
cylinder 25 of the print station, or punch members 31 and 32 of the punch 
station, or perforation cylinder 35 of the perforation station, through 
the shaft 43 or 33, while also allowing a phase shift for annular 
displacement of the gear 42 or 68 relative to the shaft 43 or 33. 
Under normal operating conditions, i.e., when the printing press 10 is 
operating to produce forms, labels, or the like, the gear 125 drives the 
gear 71 which in turn drives the shaft 43 and motor and worm gear assembly 
90. Since the assembly 90 is in engagement with the sleeve 80 through the 
worms 100 and 106 and the worm gears 115 and 85, rotation of the shaft 43 
also imparts rotation to the sleeve 80 all about the rotating axis of the 
shaft 43. With rotation of the gear portion 46 of the sleeve 80, the gear 
42 or 68 is driven so as to drive the appropriate one of the cylinders 25, 
31 and 32, or 35. 
Phase adjustment or registration is accomplished by selectively actuating 
the electric motor 103 through suitable controls energizing the slip ring 
assembly 120. Energizing the motor 103 drives the worm 100 which in turn 
drives the worm gear 115 and the worm 106, and which through engagement 
with the worm gear 85 drives the sleeve 80 and gear portion 46 relative to 
the shaft 43. The motor and worm gear assembly 90 constitutes a double 
gear reduction which provides a very fine angular adjustment of the sleeve 
80. The motor 103 is preferably a DC motor which can be actuated to 
operate in either the forward or reverse direction for angular adjustment 
of the sleeve 80 in either direction. The angular adjustment or 
registration can be accomplished while the shaft 43 is rotating as during 
normal operation of the machine. The arrangement of the sleeve 80 and 
motor and worm gear assembly 90, as well as the gear 71 outboard of the 
frame member 39, makes the registration unit 45 uniquely suitable for use 
with the printing station 14 or 15, the punch station 17, and the 
perforator station 18. 
In FIG. 8 there is shown the registration unit 60 for use with the die 
cutting station. The shaft 51 of the mandrel 29 is rotatably mounted 
within a sleeve 130 with suitable bearings 131, the sleeve 130 in turn 
being rotatably mounted within a split bearing retainer 133 by means of a 
bearing 135 between the retainer 133 and sleeve 130. The bearing retainer 
133 surrounds the bearing 135 and is held together by bolts 137. Seals 139 
are located at each end of the retainer 133 and the retainer is securely 
mounted to the frame member 39. 
The output gear 61 is fixed to the sleeve 130 for rotation therewith 
inboard of the frame member 39 by means of a key and keyway 141 and a snap 
ring 142. A spacer sleeve 145 surrounds the sleeve 130 between the gear 61 
and the bearing 135, and a nut and lock washer assembly 147 threadedly 
engages the sleeve 130 at the other side of the bearing 135. Thus, the 
bearing 135 is loaded by means of the nut and lock washer assembly 147 
acting on one side and the snap ring 142 retaining the other side through 
the gear 61 and spacer sleeve 145. The gear 61 engages the gear 53 for 
driving the die cylinder 28. 
Mounted to the outboard end of the shaft 51 and sleeve 130 is the motor 
drive and worm gear assembly 90 which is generally that part of FIG. 5 
shown by the line 7--7. The gear 55 located outboard of the frame member 
38 is the drive gear for the shaft 51. 
Operation of the Unit of FIG. 8 
Under normal operating conditions the shaft 51 drives the sleeve 130 and 
inboard gears 61 and 53 through the motor drive and worm gear assembly 90. 
The phase of the cylinder 28 relative to the cylinder 29 may be adjusted 
by actuation of the electric motor 103 which produces rotation of the 
sleeve 130 within the retainer 133 and relative to the shaft 51, thereby 
driving the gear 53 and die cylinder 28 relative to the cylinder 29. 
Thus, there has been described novel registration units for use with 
printing, die cutting, punching, and perforating stations of a printing 
press or the like where a motor drive and worm gear assembly is mounted 
outboard of the frame and cooperates with a rotatably mounted sleeve to 
allow phase or angular displacement adjustment of one cylinder relative to 
the other. 
Various changes and modifications may be made in this invention, as will be 
readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and 
modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as 
defined by the claims appended hereto.