Patent ID: 7861732

Claim:
A printing cylinder washer for cleaning a printing cylinder with a cleaning solution, said printing cylinder having an outer surface, the printing cylinder washer, comprising: a reservoir defining a volume in which the cleaning solution is disposed and a moveable support table is disposed between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein the support table is submerged in the cleaning solution when disposed in the lowered position; a pump including an inlet in fluidic contact with the cleaning solution, a first outlet connected to a spray bar, said spray bar immersed in the cleaning solution and disposed adjacent the support table when the support table is disposed in the lowered position, and a second outlet connected to a directional nozzle having an outlet disposed submerged in the cleaning solution; and a drive assembly disposed on the support table including a drive wheel disposed in substantial vertical alignment with the directional nozzle, a transmission operatively connected to the drive wheel, a drive cylinder operatively connected to the transmission, and a printing cylinder support movably connected to the support table such that the printing cylinder support disposes the outer surface of the printing cylinder contiguous to the drive cylinder, the printing cylinder support including a pair of support elements disposed at opposed ends of the printing cylinder to engage oppositely disposed printing cylinder axels that extend concentrically along a longitudinal axis from the printing cylinder, wherein one of the pair of support elements includes a biasing mechanism to urge the printing cylinder against the drive cylinder, which has an extent greater than a longitudinal extent of the printing cylinder, wherein, upon activation, the pump circulates the cleaning solution in the reservoir from the inlet to the spray bar such that when the cleaning solution is discharged from the spray bar a flow of the cleaning solution is defined and from the inlet to the directional nozzle such that when the cleaning solution is discharged from the directional nozzle a stream of the cleaning solution is defined that contacts the drive wheel whereby the drive wheel rotates and the transmission imparts rotational movement to the drive cylinder from the drive wheel.