Abstract:
The invention relates to a changing station for sleeves of printing machines with a lifting platform, disposed on the side of the printing machine, and with a wagon, in which a vertically adjustable shelf with carrying mandrels for receiving sleeves is received, whereby the shelf can be coupled to the lifting platform for joint lifting and lowering.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of application of copending application Ser. No. 11/183,170, filed Jul. 18, 2005, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/097,856, filed Mar. 15, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,732, and hereby claims the priority thereof to which it is entitled. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to a changing station for sleeves of printing machines. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    The operation of printing machines requires that the printing sleeves or engraved roller sleeves have to be changed. In the case of larger printing machines the printing sleeves can exhibit a weight of approximately 20 kg. The operating personnel must change these printing sleeves manually, whereby the respective sleeve mandrel inside the printing machine can be reached only by means of a ladder. Thus, such a changing of the sleeves is troublesome for the operating personnel and subject to accidents. 
         [0006]    The object of the present invention is to provide a changing station for sleeves that makes it easier for the operating personnel to change the sleeves in printing machines. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The invention solves this problem by a combination of features, including a changing station for sleeves of printing machines, in which a lifting platform, on which the operating personnel stands for the purpose of changing the sleeves, is provided at the side of the printing machine. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, a wagon is a component of the changing station, in which a vertically adjustable shelf with carrying mandrels for receiving the sleeves is accommodated, whereby the shelf can be coupled to the lifting platform for joint lifting and lowering. 
         [0009]    This changing station gives the operating personnel the possibility of handling in a safe and simple manner the sleeves in a plane between the printing machine and the shelf, which exhibits carrying mandrels and is disposed in the same plane. It is especially advantageous that all sleeves can be received immediately in the changing station so that there is no need to climb the ladder with great effort after depositing each sleeve. The changing station makes it possible to change the sleeves much faster and with greater ease and without danger. 
         [0010]    Especially advantageous designs of the changing station, according to the invention, are disclosed in the dependent claims. 
         [0011]    It follows that the lifting platform can exhibit a front and two side protective gates, whereby at least one of the side protective gates is designed as a folding door. Thus, the safety requirements for the operating personnel are met. 
         [0012]    The lifting platform can be raised and lowered advantageously by means of a motor-driven scissor lift. 
         [0013]    The wagon is enclosed advantageously on three sides and open in the direction of one side, whereby the shelf receiving the carrying mandrels is oriented in such a manner in the wagon that the carrying mandrels can be attended from the open side of the wagon. The wagon can be open at the top; and the vertically adjustable shelf can be mounted in the wagon so as to be vertically adjustable by means of slide bearings. 
         [0014]    Finally the shelf can be made of a structural steel beam, whereby this structural steel beam can be couples to the front protective gate of the lifting platform by means of a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism comprises advantageously journals, which engage with an opposing journal receptacle. 
         [0015]    It is also advantageous to dispose on the front protective gate of the lifting platform additionally support brackets, against which at least one support of the shelf is braced in the coupled state. 
         [0016]    The wagon can be mounted, according to a preferred design variant, on rollers, which can be locked by means of locking brakes. 
         [0017]    Other details and advantages of the invention are explained in detail with reference to the embodiment depicted in the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the inventive changing station in different working positions; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the changing station, according to  FIG. 1 , at a different viewing angle and in a different working position of the respectively illustrated changing stations. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
         [0021]    In  FIG. 2  the reference numeral  10  refers to a part of a printing machine, whereby a row of printing rollers  16  or engraved rollers  18  are disposed in the known manner around a counter pressure cylinder  14  in a support frame  12 , which is only partially shown here. The printing machine can be closed by means of folding doors  20  on the side, whereby the drawings, according to  FIG. 2  and/or  FIG. 1 , show the folding doors in different folding positions. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show two changing stations  30  in different positions next to the printing machine. The changing stations comprise in essence a lifting platform  32  and a wagon  34 . 
         [0023]    The lifting platform  32  exhibits a floor  36 , which can be moved by means of a scissor lift  38 . The scissor lift  38  is moved by means of a motor, which is not shown in detail here. On the floor  36  is a front protective gate  40  and two side protective gates  42 , both of which can be folded open. 
         [0024]    The wagon  34  can be driven on rollers  44 , whereby the rollers  44  exhibit locking brakes  46 , which are foot operated so as to lock the rollers  44 . The wagon exhibits walls  48  on three sides. Inside the walls is a shelf  50 , which is made of a welded structural steel beam and can be vertically adjusted by means of slide bearings, which are not shown in detail here. The rear side  52  of the shelf has a total of twelve mandrels  54  so that, as shown in  FIG. 1 , they are accessible to the operating personnel from the open side of the wagon  34  and do not touch one another.  FIG. 1  shows in the wagon depicted in the lowered position on the right hand side how a printing sleeve  56  is being removed. Below the printing sleeves, the engraved roller sleeves  58  are slid onto the mandrels  54 . 
         [0025]    The wagon  34  can be coupled to the lifting platform  32  so that the shelf  50  can be raised and lowered together with the lifting platform. The coupling is effected by means of two journals  60 , which are disposed at the uppermost support of the shelf  50  and which can be inserted into journal receptacles  62  at the front protective gate  40  of the lifting platform  32 . Finally there are on the front protective gate  40  two support brackets  64 , which support from below the corresponding support of the shelf after the journals  60  have been coupled into the journal receptacle  62 . 
         [0026]    Thus, as the lifting platform  32  is raised and lowered, so can the shelf  50  of the wagon  34  be simultaneously raised and lowered. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  shows on the right hand side how a printing sleeve  56  is being removed. Here the wagon  34  is uncoupled from the lifting platform  32 , and the shelf  50  is moved into the wagon into its lowest position. In contrast, on the left hand side of  FIG. 1 , the shelf  50  of the wagon  34  is coupled to the lifting platform  32 . The shelf and the sleeves are raised together with the lifting platform so that the operating personnel can now change the sleeves. When fitting the mandrels of the shelf, one mandrel is left free, on the one hand, for the engraved roller sleeves and, on the other hand, for the printing sleeves so that the sleeves can be changed in succession in one operation by the operating personnel. The number of mandrels, depicted in the design according to  FIG. 1 , is reproduced here only as an illustration. Of course, an arbitrary number of mandrels can be disposed on the shelf. 
         [0028]    The right hand side of  FIG. 2  shows a wagon  34  with the shelf  50  moved to the top, whereby a printing sleeve  56  is being removed from the shelf. On the left hand side a wagon  34  is depicted in the lowered and uncoupled position. 
         [0029]    The invention being thus described, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.