Abstract:
A web-fed printing machine that is highly variable in terms of its configuration, provides a high degree of positioning accuracy of processing modules and has a cost-efficient machine frame, includes a plurality of the processing modules fixed to the machine frame. Each respective processing module is advantageously fixed to the machine frame by a respective carrier module. Every carrier module includes two parallel longitudinal beams extending in the machine direction and two parallel crossbars which are oriented at right angles to the longitudinal beams and which interconnect the two longitudinal beams.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German Patent Application DE 10 2016 213 438.8, filed Jul. 22, 2016; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a web-fed printing machine for printing on a substrate web being transported through the web-fed printing machine in a machine direction and being processed. The machine includes a machine frame and a plurality of processing modules fixed thereto. 
         [0003]    Printing machines that print labels or folding boxes are increasingly expected to be highly flexible or variable to be able to process the greatest possible variety of print jobs, in particular print jobs that include printed images or printed text with special optical effects. The printing machines that are used to produce labels and folding boxes are very frequently printing machines that process a narrow web of printing material and include a plurality of connecting platforms or interfaces for connecting and removing a respective functional unit or processing module for printing in accordance with a specific printing process. An embodiment of such a printing machine is described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,522. The individual functional units thereof may operate in accordance with different printing processes. 
         [0004]    German Patent Application DE 195 13 536 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,046, and International Publication WO 95/29813, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,297, disclose printing machines that include a plurality of printing units disposed in line and allow a number of functional units or processing modules to be connected and disconnected at a plurality of connecting platforms. Among other elements, the functional units may include printing units or parts of printing units disposed in cartridges or attachment modules and operating in accordance with a letterpress process, flexographic printing process, screen printing process, lithographic offset printing process, gravure process, or inkjet printing process. In addition, there are functional units (processing units) that allow a mechanical treatment of the printing material, for instance providing an embossment or cuts (perforations or punched holes) or reversing the sheet. Such printing machines that may operate in accordance with a plurality of different printing processes are also known as combination printing presses or hybrid printing machines. 
         [0005]    For many years, the machine frames of printing presses have for a large part been made of metal materials, in particular of different types of steel. Printing machines for modern printing technologies mostly use large cast parts or massive or solid steel plates as the supporting structure of the machine. Those elements are formed in technically complex and often costly processing steps. That complex treatment is necessary to provide the receiving locations for processing modules at precisely the right position in the supporting structure. Thus, the machine frame of a printing press and the costs of material account for a large proportion of the total cost of a printing machine. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a web-fed printing machine including processing modules and carrier modules, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known machines of this general type, which is highly variable in terms of its configuration, which allows processing modules to be connected in precisely the right location and which has a cost-efficient machine frame. 
         [0007]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a web-fed printing machine for printing on a substrate web being transported through the web-fed printing machine in a machine direction and being processed. The machine includes a machine frame and a plurality of processing modules fixed thereto. A respective processing module is fixed to the machine frame by using a respective carrier module. Every carrier module includes two parallel longitudinal beams extending in the machine direction and two crossbars being oriented at right angles to the longitudinal beams, being parallel to one another and interconnecting the two longitudinal beams. A respective processing module is supported by the crossbars of at least one carrier module, and the longitudinal beams are supported by the machine frame. 
         [0008]    The web-fed printing machine of the invention is used to print on a web of a substrate such as paper, plastic, or composite material, in particular also for producing labels. The web of a substrate is transported through the web-fed printing machine in a machine direction to be processed in the machine. The web-fed printing machine has a machine frame and a number of processing modules fixed thereto. The processing modules may, for instance, be flexographic printing units, screen printing units, rotary diecutting units, delaminating devices, laminating devices, driers, longitudinal cutting units, web-pulling units, etc. In accordance with the invention, a respective processing module is fixed to the machine frame by using a respective carrier module, every carrier module includes two parallel longitudinal beams extending in the machine direction and two crossbars disposed to be at right angles to the longitudinal beams and oriented to be parallel to one another and interconnecting the two longitudinal beams. The crossbars may in particular have a circular cross-section. A respective processing module is supported by the crossbars of at least one carrier module and the longitudinal beams are in turn supported by the machine frame. A respective carrier module may have a horizontal, vertical, or angled orientation. The use of such a carrier module advantageously provides a neutral, flat interface between the machine frame and the processing modules, providing a modular construction of the web-fed printing machine and allowing an easy exchange of the processing modules. It is further advantageous if the carrier module has a mirror-symmetrical construction and if the two crossbars as well as the two longitudinal beams are embodied as nonvariable parts. In order to be able to use a plurality of processing modules in the web-fed printing machine, multiple carrier modules supported on the machine frame are provided. 
         [0009]    In a first exemplary embodiment of the processing modules, the processing modules have cutouts on their undersides in order to place the processing modules on the crossbars of the carrier modules, the cutouts being constructed to be complementary to the crossbars. In this context, “complementary” is understood to mean that the shape of the cutouts matches the cross-sectional profile of the crossbars in such a way that the crossbars and cutouts are able to engage with one another. The positioning of a processing module in the web-fed printing machine is thus achieved by inserting a respective processing module with its cutouts in the crossbars of a carrier module. Printing units and diecutting units in particular may be constructed in accordance with this embodiment. 
         [0010]    Another exemplary embodiment may include processing modules that have cutouts on their top sides. Such modules may be hooked into the crossbars of the carrier modules. In this case, the cutouts are likewise constructed to complement the crossbars. If processing modules that are supported in this suspended way are positioned in the web-fed printing machine, the processing modules need to be fixed to the carrier modules or to the machine frame. This may be achieved by a snap-on or screw-on connection or by any other locking mechanism. Driers may for instance be constructed in accordance with this embodiment. 
         [0011]    It is particularly advantageous if the cutouts that correspond with a first beam have contacting surfaces with a prismatic construction to ensure a defined guidance and if the cutouts that correspond with the other beam allow a certain amount of play. This avoids an overdeterminate configuration of the processing modules. 
         [0012]    In another particularly advantageous and thus preferred further development, a respective carrier module has a support system for releasably fixing the carrier module to the machine frame in such a way that the carrier module is alignable. In this context, alignable is understood to mean that the carrier module may be adjusted and leveled relative to the machine frame. The support system may in particular fix a carrier module to the upper contact surfaces of two parallel side walls of the machine frame. Thus, the carrier module is not part of the machine frame. In an advantageous embodiment, the support system has adjustable, self-locking leveling elements. Every carrier module may in particular include four leveling elements, with one leveling element disposed in every respective corner of the carrier module. The use of such leveling elements is common practice in the fields of mechanical engineering and plant engineering. Suitable leveling elements are, for instance, GN 355 leveling elements sold by Ganter Griff. These leveling elements include a leveling screw, a cylinder screw with a disk, and a spherical washer, allowing the elements to be adjusted relative to one another and thus allowing the carrier module to be positioned relative to the machine frame. Once the carrier modules have been attached to the machine frame of the web-fed printing machine, they may be positioned with a high degree of accuracy by operating the leveling elements. Thus, the precision requirements for the machine frame itself are much less stringent because the required degree of accuracy of the alignment of the processing modules relative to one another is achieved by positioning, aligning, and leveling the support systems. 
         [0013]    In accordance with a further development of the web-fed printing machine of the invention, a positioning rail for positioning a processing module in a direction perpendicular to the machine direction is disposed on the crossbars of a carrier module in such a way to as be movable in a transverse direction. Thus, the lateral register of a processing module may be corrected even during an ongoing print job by moving the positioning rail. In accordance with a particularly advantageous and thus preferred embodiment, a spindle drive is provided on every carrier module to adjust a respective positioning rail. The spindle drive may include a spindle supported in one of the two longitudinal beams, a spindle nut connected to the positioning rail, and a manually operated turning knob or a controllable electric motor for rotating the spindle. 
         [0014]    It is furthermore seen as advantageous if the machine frame of the web-fed printing machine has at least a base plate and two parallel side walls of identical height on which the carrier modules may be disposed. The base plate and side walls are preferably manufactured as a welded sheet-metal frame construction. It is even possible to choose a modular construction for the web-fed printing machine, i.e. multiple units formed of a base plate and side walls may be disposed in line relative to one another. Such a machine frame construction is particularly cost-efficient and saves resources. 
         [0015]    As far as it makes sense from a technical point of view, combinations of the invention as described above and of the advantageous further developments of the invention likewise form advantageous further developments of the invention. 
         [0016]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. Further advantages and embodiments of the invention that are advantageous in structural and functional terms will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended figures. 
         [0017]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a web-fed printing machine including processing modules and carrier modules, 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. 
         [0018]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0019]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are diagrammatic, perspective views of a first embodiment of a carrier module; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top-plan views and  FIGS. 2C and 2D  are perspective views of different embodiments of a carrier module; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view illustrating an engagement between crossbars and cutouts as a processing module is inserted; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary, perspective view of a support system of a carrier module; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are elevational views illustrating how the processing modules are supported in the machine frame; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating two examples of processing modules that are each carried by a respective carrier module. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIGS. 1A and 1B  thereof, there is seen a carrier module  10  that may be used to position (non-illustrated) processing modules  20  on a (non-illustrated) machine frame  30 . The carrier module  10  is constructed as follows: it has two massive or solid longitudinal beams  11  disposed to be parallel to one another. The longitudinal beams  11  are interconnected by crossbars  12  disposed at right angles to the longitudinal beams  11 . The crossbars  12  are disposed to be parallel to one another and may in particular have a circular cross-section, i.e. they may be round bars. A (non-illustrated) processing module  20  may be placed on the crossbars  12  from above or hooked into the crossbars  12  from below. The longitudinal beams  11  of the carrier module  10  do not directly rest on the machine frame  30  but are connected to the machine frame  30  by a support system  13  including leveling elements  14 . A carrier module  10  constructed as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  may be used to receive pulling devices, longitudinal cutting devices, delaminating devices, laminating devices etc., i.e. processing modules  20  that do not require lateral alignment. 
         [0026]    However, if lateral alignment is required, i.e. accurate positioning in a direction perpendicular to the machine direction M (see  FIGS. 3, 5A and 6 ), carrier modules  10  constructed in accordance with the illustration of  FIGS. 2A and 2B  may be used. The carrier module  10  shown in  FIG. 2A  is constructed as described above. In addition, it has a positioning rail  15  that is movable in a transverse direction, i.e. it is capable of carrying out a displacing movement v along the crossbars  12 . The positioning rail  15  is supported on the crossbars  12 . The displacing movement v is achieved by a spindle drive  16 , which includes a spindle  17 , a spindle nut  18 , and an electric motor  19 . 2  for rotating the spindle  17 . The positioning rail  15 , which is movable in a transverse direction, with the spindle drive  16  thereof, are disposed on the drive side, i.e. on that side of the web-fed printing machine  100  (see  FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6 ) on which the drives are located, to avoid affecting access to the processing modules due to the fact that the adjustment motor  19 . 2  protrudes from the carrier module  10 . 
         [0027]    The carrier module  10  illustrated in  FIG. 2B  represents an alternative embodiment: it includes a device for manual operation by a machine operator instead of the adjustment motor  19 . 2 . For this purpose, the positioning rail  15 , with the spindle drive  16  thereof, are disposed on the operator side, i.e. on that side of the web-fed printing machine  100  that is easily accessible to the machine operator. The spindle drive  16  likewise includes a rotary spindle  17  and a spindle nut  18  fixed to the positioning rail  15 . The rotation of the spindle  17  is caused by a manually operated rotary knob  19 . 1 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2C and 2D  show an embodiment of the invention in which both an adjustment motor  19 . 2  and a rotary knob  19 . 1  are provided at opposite ends of the crossbars  12 . In addition, it is seen that the carrier modules  10  include crossbeam stubs  12 ′ fixed to the longitudinal beams  11  in a direction parallel to the crossbars  12 . The processing modules  26  shown in  FIG. 2D  have upper surfaces and cutouts  25  formed in the upper surfaces for being hooked into the crossbar stubs  12 ′ of the carrier modules  10 . The cutouts  25  are complementary to the crossbars  12 ′ and each respective processing module  20  is supported by the crossbar stubs  12  of at least one of the carrier modules  10 . 
         [0029]    A processing module  20  is fixed to the positioning rail  15  in order to be able to implement a displacing movement v to position a processing module  20  located on the carrier module  10  and in order to allow an adjustment of the lateral register of the processing module  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , boreholes are provided in the longitudinal bar  11  and in the positioning rail  15  to allow a processing tool  20  and the positioning rail  15  to be screwed together. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  further shows how a processing module  20  may be positioned on the machine frame  30  by using the carrier module  10 . Cutouts  25  (only two of which are shown) are provided on the underside of every processing module  20 . The cutouts  25  are spaced apart from one another and shaped in such a way as to correspond with the crossbars  12  and to allow the crossbars  12  and cutouts  25  to engage with one another. In other words, the cutouts  25  and the crossbars  12  are constructed to complement one another. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the cutouts  25  are formed in a carrier plate  23  and the carrier plate  23  may carry a processing module  20 . The two cutouts  25  that correspond with the left-hand crossbars  12  have an approximately prismatic shape. This is to say that contacting surfaces are provided that ensure a defined support of the carrier plate  23  on the left-hand crossbar  12  in a defined way. The two cutouts  25  that correspond with the right-hand crossbars  12  have a different construction. They include a horizontal contact surface for supporting the carrier plate  23  on the crossbars  12  in a defined way. However, in the machine direction M, the two cutouts  25  are large enough to allow a certain amount of play between the crossbars  12  and the vertical surfaces of the cutout. This avoids an over-determinate supporting of the carrier plate  23 . 
         [0031]    As an alternative shown in  FIG. 4 , adapters  24  may be screwed to the processing modules  20  instead of using a carrier plate  23  to support the processing modules  20 . In this case, the cutouts  25  corresponding with the crossbars  12  are formed in the adapters  24 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  also includes a more detailed representation of the support system  13  for fixing the carrier module  10  to the side walls  31  of the machine frame  30 . For this purpose, the support system  13  has four leveling elements  14 , which are integrated into the two longitudinal beams  11  at the four corners of the carrier module  10 . The position of the leveling elements  14  will become apparent from  FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B . 
         [0033]    A respective leveling element  14  may include a minimum of a large slotted threaded sleeve and an adjustment screw to form a screw connection with the machine frame  30  or the side wall  31  thereof. The threaded sleeve of the leveling element  14  includes a lower contact surface that contacts a surface of the side wall  31  so as to be flush therewith. An adjustment or leveling of the carrier module  10  is achieved by rotating the threaded sleeve. In this process, the outer thread of the threaded sleeve moves in an interior thread cut into the longitudinal beam  11 . Once the leveling process is completed, the cylinder screw is tightened to prevent the threaded sleeve from rotating any further and to firmly screw the longitudinal beam  11  and the side wall  31  together. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate the construction of the machine frame. The machine frame  30  of the web-fed printing machine  100  may be formed of a plurality of frame elements as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . The frame elements may be interconnected by coupling rods or connecting links  34 . A respective frame element is formed of a welded sheet-metal frame construction having two parallel side walls  31  mounted to a base plate  32 . The base plate  32  has legs  33  for a coarse alignment of the frame element. The sheet-metal frame construction of the side walls  31  has upper contact surfaces for supporting the carrier modules  10 . Processing modules  20  may be placed on the carrier modules  10  from above. In addition or alternatively, other processing modules  20  may be hooked into the carrier modules  10  from below, for instance processing modules  26  in the form of driers that include a plurality of rollers, resulting in a suspended configuration of the processing modules  26 . If the processing modules  26  that have been introduced from below do not snap onto the crossbars  12 , it may be necessary to provide a screw connection between the processing modules  26  and the carrier modules  10 . 
         [0035]    By way of example,  FIG. 6  illustrates a flexographic printing unit  21  and a rotary diecutting unit  22  in a web-fed printing machine  100  for processing a substrate web  1000  that is transported in the machine direction M. The processing modules  21 ,  22  are disposed on the non-illustrated machine frame  30  by using carrier modules  10 .