Patent ID: 7762185

Claim:
A printing press comprising: a frame having a drive side and a non-drive side; a cylinder having an axis, a drive end and a non-drive end; a drive aperture extending axially into the cylinder from the drive end; a non-drive aperture extending axially into the cylinder from the non-drive end; a drive shaft rotatably mounted to the drive side of the frame and arranged for connection to a power source; a drive coupling disposed within the drive aperture of the cylinder and disposed axially inward of the drive end of the cylinder and operatively connecting the drive shaft to the drive aperture at a location axially inward of the drive end of the cylinder; and a mandrel carried by the non-drive side of the frame and extending into the non-drive aperture, the mandrel including a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a reduced diameter, the mandrel rotatably supporting the non-drive end of the cylinder, wherein the drive shaft is supported on the drive side of the frame by a first bearing set, and wherein the non-drive end of the cylinder is supported on the mandrel by a second bearing set disposed within the non-drive aperture, the second bearing set being mounted about the second portion of the mandrel.