Abstract:
A roll for a web printing press includes a cylindrical member configured for supporting a web, the cylindrical member being rotatable about an axis of rotation. A motor device is disposed at the axis of rotation for rotating the cylindrical member so as to advance the web over the cylindrical member during a webbing-up operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to web printing presses and more particularly to a printing press roll having a non-contacting and disengageable motor device for rotating the roll during webbing-up.  
           [0002]    To prepare for printing operations in a web offset lithographic printing press, the web end must first be fed over the various rolls and through the various nips in the press to the end of the press. This process is known as “webbing-up.” Webbing-up may be performed in a variety of ways including manually, or by using automatic or semi-automatic web-up systems. As part of the webbing-up process an operator may manually rotate a roll to feed the web past the roll. Such manual feeding and roll rotation operations can be difficult and time-consuming, as well as present a safety hazard to the operator.  
           [0003]    For example, former rolls below a former may be rotated by hand to assist in feeding the web through the nip area between the former rolls of a folder and into the lower portion of the folder. Because the web drives the rolls and due to the fact that the rolls are in close proximity to each other, there is a nip hazard present, i.e., there is a danger that the operator&#39;s hand may become caught between the rolls and injured. Several guard designs have been employed in previous machines to protect the operator from the nip area. Many of these prior guard designs inhibit the operator from rotating the rolls to assist in webbing up.  
           [0004]    Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,267, which is not necessarily prior art to the present invention, describes a device for automatically advancing the end of a web over a former and into a folder unit in a printing press. A motor is used to rotate an endless belt which contacts the web and advances the web over the former and down through the former rolls. The motor also rotates the former rolls via belts to push the web through the former rolls and into the folder. A machined groove is required in one or both of the former rolls, which may result in marking on the printed product.  
           [0005]    Prior devices may be complex and expensive.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention provides a roll for a web printing press. The roll includes a cylindrical member configured for supporting a web, the cylindrical member being rotatable about an axis of rotation. Also included is a non-contacting and disengageable motor device disposed at the axis of rotation and configured for rotating the cylindrical member so as to advance the web over the cylindrical member during a webbing-up operation.  
           [0007]    The cylindrical member may be movable axially and laterally and the motor device may be movable therewith. The motor device may be operable in conjunction with an automatic webbing-up system. Moreover, the motor device may be further configured for permitting the cylindrical member to rotate freely during a printing operation, or “normal operation,” of the printing press.  
           [0008]    The motor device may include an electric motor. The electric motor may be disposed at an end portion of the cylindrical member. Moreover, the electric motor may be housed within the cylindrical member.  
           [0009]    The motor device may include a fluid motor. The fluid motor may be an air motor including a plurality of vanes attached to the cylindrical member and an air source configured for blowing air against the vanes so as to cause the cylindrical member to rotate. The vanes may be housed within the cylindrical member or within a housing disposed at an end of the cylindrical member. The air source may include an air outlet integrated in the shaft and disposed so as to blow air against the vanes. Moreover, the air source may include an air outlet disposed outside the cylindrical member so as to blow air against the vanes.  
           [0010]    The roll may further include a control device for controlling a flow of air to the air motor, the control device being configured for stopping the flow of air to the air motor a predetermined time after a release of an operator air flow activation device.  
           [0011]    The roll according to the present invention maybe a former roll.  
           [0012]    The present invention also provides a web printing press including a cylindrical member configured for supporting a web, the cylindrical member being rotatable about an axis of rotation. A motor device is disposed at the axis of rotation and configured for rotating the cylindrical member so as to assist the advance of the web over the cylindrical member during a webbing-up operation.  
           [0013]    The present invention also provides a method for rotating a roll in a web printing press during a webbing-up operation. The method includes: providing a motor device disposed at an axis of rotation of the roll and configured for rotating the roll so as to advance the web over the roll; and operating the motor device so as to rotate the roll.  
           [0014]    The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive way of remotely rotating rolls, such as former rolls, during webbing-up, allowing a more complete roll/nip guard design. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The present invention is elaborated upon below based on exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1A shows a schematic front elevational view of a former according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1B shows a schematic side elevational view of the former of FIG. IA.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 shows a detail schematic plan view of area A of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention using an electric motor.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 shows a detail schematic plan view of area A of FIG. 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention using an air motor.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 shows a perspective partial view of a former roll according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of a pair of former rolls according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6A shows a schematic plan view of a former roll portion of a former according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6B shows a schematic cross-sectional view along section B-B of the former roll portion of FIG. 6A.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6C shows a perspective view of the vane housing of the former roll portion of FIGS. 6A and 6B. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematic views of a former  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Former  100  includes cylinder  2 , former board  4  and former rolls  10 . Web  1  travels over cylinder  2  and down former board  4  through nip  6  between former rolls  10 . Due to the triangular shape of former board  4  and the interaction with former rolls  10 , web  1  is folded as it travels through former  100 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 shows a detail schematic plan view of area A of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention using an electric motor  17 . Former rolls  10  each include respective outer cylindrical member  11  which rotates about respective shaft  12 . Adjustment devices  22  permit former rolls  10  to be moved horizontally and vertically in the direction of axes L and X (see FIG. 1B), respectively, for adjustment purposes. Former rolls  10  are each provided with respective electric motor  17 . Each electric motor  17  includes stator member  16  and rotor member  18 . Stator member  16  is affixed to shaft  12 , while rotor member  18  is affixed to cylindrical member  11  radially outside the stator member. By the electromagnetic interaction between rotor member  18  and stator member  16 , rotor member  18 —and with it cylindrical member—is caused to rotate about shaft  12  on bearings  14  disposed at either end of the shaft.  
         [0027]    Stator member  16  and rotor member  18  of electric motor  17  may be disposed inside cylindrical member  11 , as shown in FIG. 2. As such, a compact design is provided in which electric motor  17  moves with cylindrical member  11  when the position of former roll  10  is adjusted using adjustment device  22 . In other embodiments of the present invention, electric motor  17  may be disposed on an end portion of shaft  12  outside of cylindrical member  11 . In such embodiments, electric motor  17  also moves with former roll  11  when the position of former roll  10  is adjusted using adjustment device  22 . Of course other configurations of electric motor  17  are possible. In some embodiments of the present invention, for example, stator member  16  may be disposed radially outside rotor member  18  so that rotor member  18  rotates inside of, rather than, outside of stator member  16 .  
         [0028]    Control device  32  is provided for controlling the speed of electric motor  17 . Power is supplied to control device  32  via electric line  34 . Power is supplied from control device  32  to electric motor  17  via electric line  36 . Control device  32  includes control button  38 , which permits an operator to activate and/or stop the rotation of cylindrical member  11 . Control device may include a timer mechanism which acts to keep electric motor  17  energized, and thereby rotor member  18  rotating, for a predetermined time, which maybe variable, after an operator pushes control button  38 . When no power is provided to electric motor  17 , former roll  10  may rotate freely under the action of moving web  1  during printing operations, for example.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 shows a detail schematic plan view of area A of FIG. 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention using an air motor  47 . Former rolls  10  each include respective outer cylindrical member  11  which rotates about respective shaft  12 . Adjustment devices  22  permit former rolls  10  to be moved horizontally and vertically in the direction of axes L and X (see FIG. 1B), respectively, for adjustment purposes. Former rolls  10  and are each provided with respective air motor  47 . Each air motor  47  includes air nozzle  45  and vanes  41 . Air nozzle  45 , fed by air line  46 , is fixed relative to shaft  12 , while vanes  41  are affixed to the inside of cylindrical member  11  (see FIG. 4). As such, a compact design is provided in which vanes  41  move with cylindrical member  11  when the position of former roll  10  is adjusted using adjustment device  22 . Air from air nozzle  45  is blown against vanes  41 , causing the vanes to move and thereby causing cylindrical member  11  to rotate about shaft  12  on bearings  14  disposed at either end of the shaft. In other embodiments of the present invention, air from air nozzle  45  may be blown into a chamber (not shown) and then allowed to escape through vanes  41 , causing the vanes to move. Spent air may exit cylindrical member  11  via open ends of the cylindrical member or any other suitable openings provided for this purpose (not shown).  
         [0030]    Control device  42  is provided for controlling air motor  47 . Air is supplied to control device  42  via air line  44 . Air is supplied from control device  42  to air motor  47  via air line  46 . Air line  46  may be flexible along at least a portion of its length, to permit nozzle  45  to move during position adjustment of former roll  10  using adjustment device  22 . Control device  42  includes control button  48 , which permits an operator to activate and/or stop the rotation of cylindrical member  11 . Control device  42  may include a solenoid and regulator mechanism. Moreover, control device  42  may include a timer mechanism which acts to keep air flowing to air motor  47 , and thereby keep vanes  41  rotating, for a predetermined time, which may be variable, after an operator pushes control button  48 . When no air is provided to air motor  47 , former roll  10  may rotate freely under the action of moving web  1  during printing operations, for example.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 shows a perspective partial view of former roll  10 . Vanes  41  project inward from cylindrical member  11 . Vanes  41  may be formed integrally with cylindrical member  11  or may be attached to the cylindrical member. In other embodiments of the present invention, vanes  41  may be separate from, but connected to, cylindrical member  11  so that the cylindrical member rotates when the vanes move under the action of air against the vanes.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of a pair of former rolls according to an embodiment of the present invention in which air nozzle  45  is integrated into shaft  12 . In this embodiment, shaft  12  is provided with drilled passage  43 . Passage  43  is closed with plug  
         [0033]    [0033] 49 . Air line  46  is connected to passage  43  via fitting  51 . Nozzle  45  is integrated into shaft  12  at any desired position, or combination of positions, along passage  43 , as shown in FIG. 5. Air flows from control device  42 , through air lines  46 , into passage  43  and out nozzle  45  to impinge against vanes  41 . This embodiment enables vanes  41  to be disposed in any longitudinal position along cylindrical member  11 .  
         [0034]    FIGS.  6 A-C show another embodiment of the present invention using an air motor  60  with vanes  41  disposed on an end portion of shaft  12  outside of cylindrical member  11 . Housing  64  serves as an enclosure for vanes  41  and to prevent damage to the vanes, as well as providing enhanced control of air flow to the vanes, and thereby more power to rotate former roll  10 . Air is supplied to housing  64  from air line  46  via air inlet  66 . Housing  64  may be slidably and rotatably supported relative to, and even on, shaft  12 , and at least a portion of air line  46  may be flexible so that air motor  60  may move with former roll  10  when the position of former roll  10  is adjusted using adjustment device  22 . A control device  42  (not shown in FIGS.  6 A-C), as described above with reference to FIG. 3, may be provided for controlling air motor  60 . Air flows from control device  42 , through air line  46 , and into housing  64  via air inlet  66  to impinge against vanes  41 .  
         [0035]    In other embodiments of the present invention, other types of motors may be used to rotate cylindrical member  11 . For example, other types of fluid motors, such as hydraulic motors may be used. Additionally, each former roll  10  may be provided with a motor at each end of shaft  12 , to provide additional torque for rotating larger rolls, for example.  
         [0036]    By properly controlling the rotation of cylindrical members  11 , operator can feed web through former rolls  10  in a controlled and safe manner without the need to rotate the former rolls by hand. By disengaging the motor, i.e., removing the electrical power, air flow, etc., to the motor, cylindrical member  11  may rotate freely during printing operations under action of the moving web. Since the motor is located at the axis of rotation and no contact devices, such as belts, etc., are required between the motor and cylindrical member  11 , the former roll according to the present invention has a compact and simple design. The former roll according to the present invention may also be decelerated or stopped using the provided motor. Moreover, the former roll according to the present invention may also be used in conjunction with an automatic webbing system.  
         [0037]    It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above only by way of example and that modifications of details can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the roll of the present invention is not limited to former roll applications, but may be used for other rolls in a web printing press.