Abstract:
The invention relates to a direct drive for a cylinder of a converting machine, in particular a printing press or coating machine that converts sheet-type printed materials. The aim of the invention is to develop a direct drive for a cylinder of the afore-mentioned type in such a way that the required lateral corrections are significantly reduced. To this end, the direct drive includes a rotor ( 14 ) that is detachably mounted on the end of the cylinder ( 6, 10 ) and a stator ( 15 ) that is concentric with the rotor and is detachably fixed to the side frame ( 13 ). A register motor ( 16 ), which is fixed to the frame, is coupled to gearing ( 17, 18 ) and this gearing ( 17, 18 ) is coupled to a helical gear or screw drive ( 19, 2, 21, 22 ), which is in turn coupled to the cylinder ( 6, 10 ) by means of an axial/rotative coupling ( 23, 24 ).

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a direct drive for a cylinder of a converting machine. The independently driveable cylinder can be used in a printing press or coating machine processing sheet-like printing material (sheet material). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A controllable direct drive for a converting machine is disclosed in EP 0 812 683 A1. According to this reference, a plate cylinder or a rubber blanket cylinder of at least one printing unit can be driven by an individual drive decoupled from the gear train of an offset sheet printing press preferably provided for the transport of sheet material. In one embodiment, the plate cylinder or the plate cylinder and the rubber blanket cylinder can be driven so as to perform circumferential register corrections relative to the other cylinders. In another configuration, the plate cylinder and/or the rubber blanket cylinder can be driven so as to perform print repeat range corrections relative to the other cylinders. If necessary, a lateral register correction can be accomplished using a mechanical system that is not disclosed in the reference in detail in that the plate cylinder mounted in the side frames is mounted so that it can move in the axial direction of the plate cylinder next to the associated drive. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A general object of the present invention is developing a direct drive for a cylinder of a converting machine in which the required lateral register corrections are substantially reduced. 
     One advantage of the invention is that, in addition to directly driving an individual cylinder—and if necessary its circumferential register correction—a separate lateral register correction can also be achieved with less effort. 
     Another advantage is that a compact, space-saving construction can be achieved for an individual drive of a cylinder by utilizing a direct drive and separate lateral register correction. In a preferred embodiment, no additional installation space is required because a separate drive for possible lateral register corrections is fixed to the frame. In particular the separate lateral register drive is arranged in the interior of a drive motor fixed to the frame for the direct drive—and if necessary for the circumferential register correction—of the cylinder. 
     It is a further advantage that when performing a lateral register correction, only the rotating drive part of the direct drive that is supported in the side frames can move in the axial direction. 
     Another advantage is that the independently driveable cylinders can be constructed as plate cylinders in offset printing presses and/or form cylinders in coating units of converting machines with direct drives, if necessary with circumferential sheet register correction, and a separate lateral register correction. 
     Another advantage is that an intermediate gear decoupled from the direct drive and belonging to a closed gear train can be incorporated with the direct drive. The gear train can be provided for the transport of sheet-like printing material. Therefore, another assembly, in particular an inking unit, a dampening unit and/or at least one form roller of a metering device, of the converting machine can be driven in a space-saving manner. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of an illustrative rotary printing press having a printing unit and a coating unit. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side sectional view of an exemplary direct drive with lateral correction for a cylinder according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side sectional view of another embodiment of a direct drive with lateral correction for a cylinder in which an additional inking or coating unit drive is decoupled from the direct drive. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A converting machine for sheet-like printing material has, for example, several printing units  1  and at least one coating unit  2 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , a known printing unit  1  is shown which includes a rubber blanket cylinder  8 , a plate cylinder  6 , and also an inking unit  7  assigned to the plate cylinder  6 . If necessary, a dampening unit (not shown) can be assigned to the plate cylinder  6 . A coating unit  2 , which includes a form cylinder  10  and a metering device  11 ,  12 , is arranged downstream of the printing unit  1  in the transport direction  5  of the printing material. In the illustrated example, the metering system  11 ,  12  is formed by a latched form roller  11  and an ink chamber blade system  12 . 
     A sheet delivery unit  3  that includes an endless, rotating transport system  4  for the transport and arrangement of the sheet-like printing material on a stack is arranged after or downstream of the coating unit  2  in the transport direction  5 . The rubber blanket cylinder in the printing unit  1 , the form cylinder  10  in the coating unit  2 , and also transport cylinders  9  between the printing/coating units  1 ,  2  are provided for transporting the printing material. In the illustrated embodiment, the transport cylinders  9  are formed as sheet-guiding cylinders and are connected on the drive side to a continuous gear train (i.e., a closed gear train), which is coupled to and can be driven with a main drive. 
     In the first embodiment discussed below, the rubber blanket cylinder  8  of each printing unit  1  is coupled mechanically with the gear train for the transport cylinder  9 . In the second embodiment, it is decoupled from this gear train, i.e., it has a separate direct drive (individual drive). Each plate cylinder  6  and each form cylinder  10  has a separate direct drive (individual drive), which is mechanically decoupled from the gear train of the transport cylinder  9  and which can be driven in a defined manner relative to these transport cylinders  9  and, if necessary, relative to each rubber blanket cylinder  8 . 
     Because each direct drive of the plate cylinder  6  and form cylinder  10  in each printing/coating unit  1 ,  2  is identical, only one drive on a plate cylinder  6  or a form cylinder  10  will be explained with respect to the first embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2 . The direct drive is detachably mounted to an end of the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 . The direct drive comprises a rotor  14 , which is detachably mounted to the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 , and a stator  15 . The stator  15  is concentrically arranged relative to the rotor and is detachably fixed to the side frame  13 . A register motor  16  is fixed to the frame and is coupled with a gear drive  17 ,  18 . The gear drive  17 ,  18  is coupled in the direction of the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10  with a screw drive. The screw drive is, in turn, coupled with the plate or form cylinder  6 ,  10  by an axial/rotating coupling  23 ,  24 . In a preferred embodiment, the rotor  14  has an annular construction and the register motor  16  is arranged in the interior of the rotor  14 . The register motor  16  is preferably coupled (i.e., through circuitry) to a machine controller of the converting machine. 
     The gear drive  17 ,  18  includes a pinion gear  17  on the register motor  16  and a second gear  18 , for example, an internally-toothed gear  18  that engages the pinion gear  17 . The second gear  18  is coupled to the screw drive in that the second gear  18  is fixed to an end of a register shaft  19 , which forms part of the screw drive. In the direction of the plate or form cylinder  6 ,  10 , the register shaft  19  has a threaded spindle  21  that forms a screw link in a mounting structure  20  fixed to the frame, which also forms part of the screw drive. One end of the register shaft  19  is mounted in the mounting structure  20  via an axial guide  22 , preferably a bushing, which further forms part of the screw drive. The coupling  23 ,  24  is on the other end of the register shaft  19 . The coupling includes a two-sided axial bearing  23  on the register shaft  19  and a preferably annular disk  24  that is coupled with the rotor  14  and which rotatively engages the two-sided axial bearing  23 . The annular disk  24  engages the two-sided axial bearing  23  in such a manner that the disk rotates freely. The disk  24  is connected in a detachable manner to the form/plate cylinder  6 ,  10 . The rotor  14  is preferably connected in a detachable manner to the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10  by a flange  25  and the disk  24  is fixed on the flange  25  in a detachable manner. 
     As in the first embodiment, the direct drives for individually driving the plate/form cylinders  6 ,  10  are identical in the second embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Accordingly, only one such drive will be explained in detail. The direct drive has a rotor  14  detachably arranged at the ends to the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10  and a stator  15 . The stator  15  is concentric to the rotor and which is detachably fixed on the side frame  13 . The rotor  14  is coupled a flange  25  with the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 . A bearing  29 , which carries an intermediate gear  26  that can rotate freely, is arranged circumferentially (concentrically) on the flange  25 . The intermediate gear  26  is decoupled from the direct drive for the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 . 
     An input drive  27  can be fed onto the intermediate gear  26  by the gear train of the transport cylinder  9  for printing material transport, and an output drive  28  onto another assembly can be accomplished through this intermediate gear  26 . Preferably, the output drive acts on an inking unit  7 . Alternatively, the output drive acts on a dampening unit of a printing unit  1  or on the form roller  11  of a metering device  11 ,  12  of a coating unit  2 . 
     Preferably, a register motor  16  is arranged in the interior of the annular rotor  14  that is fixed to the frame and is coupled with a gear drive  17 ,  18 . The gear drive  17 ,  18  is coupled with a screw drive, which in turn is coupled with the cylinder  6 ,  10  by an axial/rotating coupling  23 ,  24 . The register motor  16  preferably communicates via appropriate circuitry with a machine controller. 
     The gear drive  17 ,  18  is formed by a pinion gear  17  on the register motor  16  and a second gear  18  engaging with the pinion gear  17 . The second gear  18  is coupled with the screw drive, in that the second gear  18  is fixed at the ends on a register shaft  19 . The register shaft  19  includes a threaded spindle  21  in the direction of the platform cylinder  6 ,  10 , which forms a screw link in a mounting  20  fixed to the frame. The register shaft  19  is supported in the mounting  20  by an axial guide  22 , for example, a bushing. The coupling is at the other end of the register shaft  19 . The coupling includes a two-sided axial bearing  23  on the register shaft  19  and a preferably annular disk  24 . The disk  24  is coupled with the rotor  14  and rotatively engages in the axial bearing  23 . The annular disk  24  engages in the two-sided axial bearing  23  so that it rotates freely. The disk  24  is detachably connected to the plate or form cylinder  6 ,  10 . Preferably, in both embodiments, the register motor  16 , along with the mounting  20  and the stator  15 , are detachably mounted on the side frame  13 . 
     The operation of an exemplary drive according to the invention is as follows. The direct drive (rotor  14 , stator  15 ) is driven in the specified way as an individual drive for the plate cylinder  6  or form cylinder  10 . For lateral correction of the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 , the register motor  16  is activated, preferably by the machine controller, and drives the pinion gear  16  (according to the specified rotational direction) and the engaged gear  18 . The gear  18  drives the register shaft  19  that produces a rotational movement about the register shaft  19  axis combined with a displacement movement in the axial direction (towards or away from the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 ) by means of the screw link (threaded spindle  21 , mounting  20 ). The displacement movement (in the axial direction) of the register shaft  19  is performed according to a specified stroke  30  in the guide  21  fixed to the frame, and acts on the disk  24  via the two-sided axial bearing  23 . Because the disk  24  is connected to the plate/form cylinder  6 ,  10 , an axial displacement (represented by a double arrow) of the plate or form cylinder  6 ,  10  is effected in the side frame  13  in connection with the rotor  14 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           1  Printing unit 
           2  Coating unit 
           3  Delivery unit 
           4  Transport system 
           5  Transport direction 
           6  Plate cylinder 
           7  Inking unit 
           8  Rubber blanket cylinder 
           9  Transport cylinder 
           10  Form cylinder 
           11  Form roller 
           12  Ink chamber blade 
           13  Side frame 
           14  Rotor 
           15  Stator 
           16  Register motor 
           17  Pinion gear 
           18  Gear 
           19  Register shaft 
           20  Holder 
           21  Threaded spindle 
           22  Guide (axial) 
           23  Axial bearing 
           24  Disk 
           25  Flange 
           26  Intermediate gear 
           27  Input drive 
           28  Output drive 
           29  Bearing 
           30  Stroke