Patent ID: 8037818

Claim:
A shaftless web offset printing press comprising: a first printing unit comprising: a first plate cylinder; a first blanket cylinder selectively in contact with the first plate cylinder; a second blanket cylinder, the web passing between the first and second blanket cylinders, the second blanket cylinder and first blanket cylinder being selectively disengageable from the web in a throw-off position to permit the web to pass between the first and second blanket cylinders; a second plate cylinder selectively engageable with the second blanket cylinder; a single drive motor driving the first plate cylinder, first blanket cylinder, second blanket cylinder and second plate cylinder when the first and second blanket cylinders engage the web, the single drive motor capable of rotating the first and second plate cylinders when the first and second blanket cylinders are in the throw-off position; and a gearing arrangement connected to the first plate cylinder, the first blanket cylinder, the second blanket cylinder, the second plate cylinder and the single drive motor configured to selectively couple and decouple the first plate cylinder and the second plate cylinder to the single drive motor in the throw-off position without decoupling the first blanket cylinder and the second blanket cylinder from the single drive motor; a second printing unit comprising: a second unit first plate cylinder; a second unit first blanket cylinder selectively in contact with the second unit first plate cylinder; a second unit second blanket cylinder, the web passing between the second unit first and second blanket cylinders, the second unit second blanket cylinder and the second unit first blanket cylinder being selectively disengageable from the web in a throw-off position to permit the web to pass between the second unit first and second blanket cylinders; a second unit second plate cylinder selectively engageable with the second unit second blanket cylinder; and a second unit single drive motor driving the second unit first plate cylinder, the second unit first blanket cylinder, the second unit second blanket cylinder and the second unit second plate cylinder when the second unit first and second blanket cylinders engage the web, the second unit single drive motor capable of rotating the second unit first and second plate cylinders when the second unit first and second blanket cylinders are in the throw-off position; wherein the single drive motor and the second unit single drive motor are mechanically independent of each other.