Patent ID: 7392740

Claim:
A web-fed rotary printing unit comprising: a plurality of printing mechanisms, each printing mechanism including an impression cylinder and further cylinders comprising a form cylinder and a transfer cylinder; wherein a first pair of the printing mechanisms share an impression cylinder having a common first drive motor, the common first drive motor including a first drive connection to one or more of the further cylinders of the first pair of printing mechanisms through the shared impression cylinder; a third printing mechanism having at least one transfer cylinder and a form cylinder connected downstream of the transfer cylinder, the transfer cylinder and the form cylinder of the third printing mechanism being settable against the impression cylinder of the first pair of printing mechanisms and being driveable by a second drive motor; wherein the first drive connection of the first drive motor of the impression cylinder of the first pair of printing mechanisms includes a first set of connecting gears fitted to shafts of further cylinders arranged in a first plane, the first set of connecting gears including a first connecting gear driveable by the common drive motor of the first pair of printing mechanisms that is fitted firmly to a shaft of the impression cylinder of the first pair of printing mechanisms; wherein the third printing mechanism includes a second drive connection including a second set of connecting gears fitted to the shafts of the transfer cylinder and the form cylinder of the third printing mechanism, the second set of connecting gears being arranged in a second plane parallel to the first plane, the second set of connecting gears including a second connecting gear drivable by the second drive motor associated with the third printing mechanism that is placed on the shaft of the impression cylinder of the first pair of printing mechanisms such that the first and second connecting gears are coupleable to each other.