Patent Publication Number: US-6334389-B1

Title: Drive mechanism for the cylinders of a printing press

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a drive mechanism for the cylinders of a printing press. 
     A plurality of drive motors are assigned to the cylinders and are arranged axially offset. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     A rotary offset printing press with rubber blanket and plate cylinders is known from EP 0 644 048 A2. For being driven together, these rubber blanket and plate cylinders have been combined in pairs into cylinder groups by a mechanical coupling. Each of these cylinder groups is driven by its own drive motor. 
     DE 44 30 693 A1 discloses printing units of a rotary offset printing press, wherein at least one cylinder is individually driven. Associated plate and rubber blanket cylinders are combined into groups for being driven. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,090 A describes an ink duct with individually adjustable inking blades. These inking blades are adjusted by means of step motors, which are arranged in an offset manner. 
     JP-A 56-21860 discloses individually driven cylinders of a printing unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is has the object of providing a drive mechanism for cylinders of a printing press. 
     In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the provision of a plurality of drive motors for the cylinders of the printing press. At least two of the drive motors assigned to the cylinders are arranged offset in respect to each other in the axial direction of the cylinders. 
     With the drive mechanism for cylinders of a printing press in accordance with the present invention, it is possible, in an advantageous manner, to use drive motors whose diameter is greater than the diameter of the cylinder for adjoining cylinders having their own drive motor. 
     Such an arrangement of the drive motors also allows satisfactory access for maintenance and repair work of the drive motors. This access is also facilitated in case of drive motors whose diameter is less than the diameter of the associated cylinder. 
     If movable cylinders, for example rubber blanket cylinders seated in eccentric bushings, are connected by means of a coupling, for example a universal joint shaft, with a drive motor, a small angular offset of the coupling is achieved by an arrangement which is distanced from a lateral frame. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     preferred embodiments of the present invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows. Shown are in: 
     FIG. 1, the schematic representation of a view from above on a printing unit of a first preferred embodiment, 
     FIG. 2, the schematic representation of a lateral view from the right side of a printing unit without a lateral frame of the first preferred embodiment, and in 
     FIG. 3, the schematic representation of a view from above on a printing unit of a second preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMETS 
     In the present, first preferred embodiment as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 a printing unit  1  of an offset rotary printing press is embodied in the form of a so-called nine piece satellite printing unit. This printing unit  1  is essentially formed by four printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  6  and by four transfer cylinders,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 , for example printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  6  and rubber blanket cylinders,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 , and by a counter-pressure cylinder  12 . The rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  can be selectively placed against the counter-pressure cylinder  12  for printing a web. It is also possible to place adjoining rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  selectively against each other, which adjoining blanket cylinders then print the front and back of a web. 
     These printing and rubber blanket cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ;  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are provided with journals, which are seated in lateral frames  13 ,  14  of the offset rotary printing press. In a known manner, the printing and/or rubber blanket cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are arranged to be moved into or out of contact with each other and with cylinder  12 , for example by means of eccentric bushings. For example, the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  can be arranged to be moved into or out of contact with the associated printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and/or with the counter-pressure cylinder  12 . The printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  can also be moved into or out of contact with the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 . 
     The journals of the printing and rubber blanket cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  extend through the lateral frame  13  at a drive side of the printing unit  1 . In the first preferred present exemplary embodiment, each cylinder  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 ,  12  has its own drive mechanism which may be, for example a position-controlled electric motor  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26 , as seen in FIG. 1 and 2. The rotors of these drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  are connected, for example directly, i.e. without a gear, such as, or by means of a gear, for example an integrated planetary gear, with the journals of the respective cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ;  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 ,  12 . Also, a compensating coupling  27  is arranged in an advantageous manner between each of the drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  and the associated journals of the cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 ,  12 . In the first preferred embodiment, a double-joint coupling  28 , for example a universal joint, is arranged, fixed against relative rotation, between the journals of the movable rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  and the respective associated drive motor  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  for each rubber blanket cylinder. In the present preferred embodiment, the drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  are arranged fixed in place on the frame. The drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  are represented schematically in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2 in a cylinder shape. This does not necessarily mean that they have to be embodied exactly in a cylinder shape, instead, it is intended for other geometric shapes (for example cube-shaped), or projecting parts, to be included by the schematically depicted cylinder shape 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, all drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  are identical and have a greater diameter d 16 , d 19 , d 21 , d 24 , d 26  than the diameters d 2 , d 6 , d 7 , d 11 , d 12  of the associated cylinders. However, it is also possible to employ different drive motors within a printing unit. 
     The drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 , or respectively  26 , of the printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and of the counter-pressure cylinder  12  are arranged in a first plane  29 , as seen in FIG.  1 . The drive motors  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  of the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are arranged in a second plane  31  also as seen in FIG.  1 . The first plane  29  and the second plane  31  are spaced apart, are we parallel with each other and extend vertically in respect to the axes of rotation of the cylinders. 
     The drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 , or respectively  26 , of the printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and of the counter-pressure cylinder  12  are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the cylinder, i.e. they are arranged offset with respect to the other drive motors. 
     In place of the motor groupings groups provided for the printing, or respectively counter-pressure cylinders, and for the rubber blanket cylinders, it is also possible to provide motor groupings. However, it is common to all such arrangements or motor groupings that at least the drive motors of cylinders, which work directly together, are arranged offset with respect to each other in the axial direction. 
     The length l of the axial offset as seen in FIG. 1 advantageously corresponds to at least a length  116 ,  119 ,  121 ,  124 ,  126  of a housing of a drive motor  16 ,  19 ,  21 ,  24 ,  26 . 
     In a second preferred embodiment, as seen in FIG. 3 the drive motors  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , of the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are arranged on the first lateral frame  13  which is the so-called drive side SII, and the drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  26 , of the printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and of the counter-pressure cylinder  12  are arranged on the second lateral frame  14  which is the so-called operating side SI. The drive motors  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  assigned to the journals of the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are arranged opposite the drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  26  assigned to the opposite journals of the printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and of the counter-pressure cylinder  12 . The drive motors  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , of the rubber blanket cylinders  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11  are assigned to the first lateral frame  13 , and the drive motors  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  26 , of the printing cylinders  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  6  and of the counter-pressure cylinder  12  are assigned to the second lateral frame  14 , i.e. fastened directly or indirectly on the lateral frame  13 , or respectively  14 . 
     The drive motors, arranged in an offset manner, can also be used in a ten piece satellite printing unit in particular, instead of in a nine piece satellite printing unit, wherein preferably each cylinder has its own drive motor assigned. 
     In these described preferred embodiments, each cylinder of a printing unit is assigned its own drive motor. It is also possible to drive cylinder groups, for example consisting of printing and transfer cylinders, respectively by means of a drive motor within a printing unit. In this case, the drive motors are also offset with respect to each other in the axial direction. For example, the drive motors of the cylinder groups in respect to a drive motor of a counter-pressure cylinder can be offset. 
     This arrangement of drive motors can also be employed in a folding apparatus or in other units, such as a roll changer a superstructure of a printing press. 
     While preferred embodiments of a drive mechanism for the cylinder of a printing press have been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that a number of changes in, for example, the overall sizes of the various cylinders, the specific types of cylinders and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly limited only by the following claims: