Abstract:
An inking unit for printing units of rotary presses is independent of the printing unit and is configured as a self-contained unit. The linking unit can be removed from the printing unit and has a dedicated drive for a plurality of rolls, the drive being arranged on side walls which are assigned to the inking unit.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/EP03/03564, filed on 5 Apr. 2003. Priority is claimed on that application and on the following application(s): Country: Germany, Application No.: 102 15 615.8, Filed: 9 Apr. 2002. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an inking unit for printing units of rotary presses. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,051 discloses a sheet-processing offset printing press with a movable inking unit module, the inking unit module being driven by the drive of the printing unit via gear wheel connections. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an inking unit which is independent of the printing unit and is configured as a self-contained unit. 
     According to the invention, the object is achieved by an inking unit for a printing unit of a rotary printing press, wherein the inking unit is removably receivable in the printing unit. The inking unit includes side walls, a plurality of rolls arranged between the side walls, and a dedicated drive mounted on at least one of the side walls of said inking unit for driving the plurality of rolls. 
     It is an advantage of the invention that the inking unit, which is configured as a structurally self-contained unit, is configured as a cassette with its own side walls and crossmembers. It is particularly advantageous that the drives for rolls, distributors and ink ductor are integrated in the inking unit. Furthermore, it is significant that a dampening unit can be integrated in the inking unit, the drives which belong to the dampening unit, for example the drive of the dampening solution dip roll, likewise being integrated in the inking unit. The inking unit can also be configured with valve islands, in order for it to be possible to connect the inking unit or the dampening unit integrated in the latter to an ink supply, dampening solution supply and/or pressure medium supply. 
     The inking unit can be installed in the printing unit and dismantled simply and in a short time for maintenance, service and exchanging. 
     It is significant that it is possible to completely preassemble and test the inking unit configured in such a way. 
     One significant advantage is that the inking unit can be operated outside the printing unit for test or service purposes in an apparatus which has identical or similar mechanical, fluid and electrical interfaces to the printing unit. 
     It should be mentioned, in particular, that the inking unit can be replaced by a structurally identical inking unit while maintenance and repair work is being performed, in order to increase the availability of the machine. 
     The inking unit according to the invention has simple mechanical interfaces via centering elements with or without a locking means to a receptacle, the receptacle being arranged fixedly or movably about at least one axis in the printing unit. 
     In order to perform other printing methods, it is possible to arrange an inking unit for toner printing, flexographic printing or gravure printing, instead of the inking unit for offset printing, on the receptacle, the inking units all having identical mechanical interfaces. Furthermore, the offset printing inking units can also vary to the effect that zonal inking units, zoneless inking units, inking units for heatset inks, coldest inks, sheet printing inks and radiation-curable inks can be exchanged for one another, the inking units all having identical mechanical interfaces. A varnishing unit can also be arranged in the receptacle instead of the inking unit, the varnishing unit having identical mechanical interfaces as the abovementioned inking units. 
     Furthermore, the inking unit has fluid interfaces which are easy to operate and simply configured for pneumatics, hydraulics, ink supply, dampening solution circuit and temperature control means, the fluid interfaces being configured, for example, with quick-action couplings. 
     The inking unit is configured with electrical interfaces which are easy to operate and simply configured for drives (motors), machine control and field bus connection (data bus connection), the electrical interfaces being, for example, plug-in connections. 
     It is significant that the inking unit can be installed and dismantled without tools by means of apparatuses which are attached to a base or a crane in the printing unit or in the abovementioned testing and service apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the top and front side of an inking unit according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the top and rear side of the inking unit in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show an inking unit  1 , whose rolls  2  to  7 , for example applicator rolls and distributor rolls, are mounted between side walls  8 ;  9 . Additionally, a dampening unit  10  can also be integrated in the inking unit  1 , which dampening unit  10  diagrammatically comprises the rolls  11 ;  12 , for example applicator rolls and distributor rolls, and the dampening solution fountain  13 , the rolls  11 ;  12  and the dampening solution fountain  13  being mounted between the side walls  8 ;  9 . 
     The side walls  8 ;  9  are configured with guide elements  14 ;  15  and stops  16 ;  17 , by means of which the inking unit  1  (not shown in greater detail) can be arranged positionally correctly and such that it can be pushed onto guide elements and/or latching elements or positioning apparatuses arranged in side walls of the printing unit. The inking unit  1  with its guide elements  14 ;  15  and its stops  16 ;  17  (not shown in greater detail) can be attached, for example, to a receptacle apparatus which is arranged in the printing unit or on an apparatus situated outside the printing unit for performing test, repair and/or service work. The receptacle apparatus can be configured as a cross slide, as already described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,509, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     The inking unit  1  with its guide elements  14 ;  15  and its stops  16 ;  17  can additionally be moved against positioning apparatuses arranged on the receptacle apparatus. Said positioning apparatus can be configured with a locking means (not shown in greater detail). 
     Using the positioning apparatus, the inking unit  1  is moved into a correct position with respect to the impression cylinders, or this correct position is secured. The ink fountain  18  and a stop element  19  are arranged between the side walls  8 ;  9 . The stop element  19  is configured with roll elements  20 ;  21  at its ends. An apparatus which is attached to a base or a crane for transporting the inking unit  1  can be arranged on the stop element  19  and/or its roll elements  20 ,  21  (not shown in greater detail). The inking unit  1  can be installed and dismantled without tools, apart from the use of the transport apparatus because of the high weight of the inking unit  1 . In order to dismantle the inking unit  1 , the stops  16 ,  17  must be unlocked by means of an unlocking means  22 ;  23  if said stops  16 ;  17  were locked at the positioning apparatus. 
     The inking unit  1  is configured with at least one drive motor  24  which is mounted, for example, on the side wall  9 . The rolls  2  to  7 ;  11 ;  12  can be driven by the drive motor  24 , for example via a belt  29  or some other mechanisms or mechanical chive connections. Further drives, for example servo drives  25  and/or operating cylinders  26  operated by pressure medium, can also be arranged on the side walls  8 ;  9 . The rolls  2  to  7 ;  11 ;  12 , as described in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/509,812 submitted in parallel with this document, can be adapted to various impression cylinder diameters, for example in terms of their position, by means of the servo drives  25  or the operating cylinders  26 . For example, the stroke of the rolls  2  to  7 ;  11 ;  12  which are configured as distributor rolls can be adjusted by means of the servo drives  25 . The inking unit  1  is therefore configured with fluid interfaces  27  and/or interfaces  27  which conduct pressure medium and electrical interfaces  28  for operating and controlling the abovementioned drives. It is also possible to connect ink supply devices and/or dampening solution supply devices to the inking unit  1  via the interfaces  27 . The energy supply and machine controller, in particular, are connected to the inking unit  1  or to the drives  24  to  26  integrated in the inking unit  1  via the electrical interfaces  28 . The fluid interfaces  27  are configured, for example, with quick-action couplings. The electrical interfaces  28  are configured, for example, as plug-in connections.