Abstract:
A bearing assembly for a cylinder in a printing press including an anti-friction bushing interposed between the spindle of the cylinder and a bore in the press frame. In contact with the outside surface of the bushing is a cylindrical layer of durable anti-friction plastic material formed of a flat ribbon which is of uniform thickness dimensioned to fit snugly to prevent any radial play between the bushing and the frame. In the preferred form of the invention two bushings are used, one inside the other, with the layer of plastic material interposed between them. At least one of the bushings may have inner and outer cylindrical surfaces which are eccentric with respect to one another and may be provided with means for rocking adjustment to provide limited throw of the spindle. The preferred form of plastic material is polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as Teflon.
Abstract:
A device for use in a sheet delivery mechanism for a printing press for forcibly seating a sheet on a delivery pile notwithstanding the cushion of air below the sheet. The device includes a pair of tube assemblies arranged parallel to one another above the delivery pile symmetrically on opposite sides of the delivery center line, with each tube assembly consisting of inner and outer tubes in snugly telescoped relation, air being supplied to the inner tubes under pressure. The tubes within each assembly have registrable arcuately extensive ports. At least one of the tubes in each assembly is rotatable with respect to the other and has a drive connection with the press drive for rotation in respectively oppositely directions so that upon release of a sheet above the delivery pile the ports in each assembly are progressively moved into and then out of arcuate register to produce jets of air which sweep mutually outwardly from the sheet center line so that contact with the pile is made first at the center of the sheet followed by a flattening of the sheet against the pile progressively to the latter edges accompanied by prompt progressive squeezing of the cushion of air from under the lateral edges of the sheet. Preferably the inner tube of each assembly is rotatable and includes a plurality of ports in an arcuate series, with the outer tube having a free sector and being held relatively stationary but adjustable to vary the angle of sweep.
Abstract:
A device for continuously cleaning a bearer in a printing press which includes a carrier in the form of a plate pivoted on the frame for the movement toward and away from the bearer. Mounted on the end portion of the carrier, and oriented in a generally axial direction, is a first scraper in the form of a doctor blade of stiff but wearable material and a second scraper in the form of a relatively soft, lubricated bar of felt, the carrier being biased for simultaneous contact of the scrapers against the bearer surface. The first scraper is oriented at a slight angle with respect to the bearer axis so that the material which is scraped from the bearer tends to be urged sideways for continuous discharge. The second scraper occupies a pocket in the carrier so that it may be rotationally indexed into a new position in the pocket as its presented edge becomes worn. A first stop interposed in the path of movement of the carrier prevents the carrier from scraping against the surface of the bearer as the scrapers are worn away. A second or latching stop is provided for latching the carrier in upraised position against the force of bias to facilitate cleaning the cylinder.
Abstract:
A lithographic printing press having the usual plate cylinder, blanket cylinder and impression cylinder in pressure engagement with one another, the bearings having at least a normal amount of play so that the journals are supported in normal elevated positions in the bearings depending upon the direction of the pressure vectors, at least the blanket and impression cylinders having phased gaps in the surfaces thereof, tending to cause cyclical, momentary loss of support accompanied by dropping of the blanket cylinder from the normal journal position in the bearing as the region of the gap is traversed, followed immediately by lifting of the blanket cylinder back to normal position resulting in cyclical impact. In order to prevent such dropping and lifting a cam is provided which extends coaxially about the bearing of the blanket cylinder on a line connecting the centers of the blanket and the impression cylinders, and a cam follower is rotationally secured to the blanket cylinder phased with the gap therein, the cam and cam follower serving to provide bridging support for the blanket cylinder during the time that the gap is being traversed, thereby to avoid cyclical impact. Where short, relatively thick stock is to be printed, the effective arcuate span of the cam and cam follower are increased to extend the bridging support over the non-printing area.
Abstract:
A device for interrupting the feeding of sheets to a sheet-fed printing press. A feed table is provided having stops to define the registered position of successively fed sheets. After a register interval during which the sheet settles against the stops the sheet is picked up by a gripper cylinder. Photocells are provided for detecting failure of a sheet to register during the register interval. The photocells energize a retaining device on the feed table having a retaining foot which presses downwardly against the non-registered sheet to prevent such sheet from being picked up by the gripper cylinder. A device providing a time delay is interposed ahead of the retaining device to delay operation of the retaining device for a brief time interval to insure that the preceding sheet picked up by the gripper cylinder is clear of the feed table. A latch is provided to maintain the foot in pressing engagement with the sheet, but the foot is resiliently mounted so that an offending sheet may be manually removed. In certain of the embodiments of the invention removal is limited to drawing the sheet in a direction opposite to the direction of normal flow.
Abstract:
A sheet delivery mechanism of the type in which printed sheets are deposited by an endless conveyor upon a pile, the front of which is defined by vertical guide members. When it is desired to remove a sheet from the top of the pile for control purposes a supporting finger is interposed above the pile at the forward edge for temporarily intercepting the subsequent sheets, and the guide members are retracted so that the control sheet may be removed. It is the primary feature of the invention that provision is made for time delay, for example, by using a lost motion connection, to insure that the guide members are not retracted until the finger is fully interposed and to insure that the finger is not withdrawn until the guide members are fully restored to working position so that there will be hiatus during which a sheet might travel beyond the pile. In one embodiment, a mechanical linkage is interposed between the manual operator and the finger, whereas in another the finger is moved by a power actuator energized by a manually operated control device. To further insure that the supporting finger is fully inserted upon arrival of a sheet, the manual control is interlocked with a triggering device on the sheet conveyor, so that it is the conveyor which performs the ultimate triggering of the mechanism. In addition to defining the front edge of the pile, the guide members are oscillated back and forth through a small angle thus jogging the edge of the pile but with the jogging movement being automatically terminated when the guide members are retracted. In one of the embodiments of the invention interposable fingers are provided at both the leading and trailing edges for temporary support of the subsequently fed sheets to permit removal of the entire pile and substitution of a new platform upon which the intercepted sheets are deposited to begin a new pile.
Abstract:
A distribution drive for a roll in a processing machine, and particularly in a press which has an improved axial motion distribution mechanism and which requires little installation space. This is achieved by an input drive mechanism coupled to a drive having at least one pinion gear 8 which is coupled to a gear 10. Arranged on a side face of the gear 10 is a first pin 17 which, together with a second pin 22, forms a rotary joint 20 by the first pin 17 penetrating the second pin 22. Together with a bearing arm 23, the second pin 22 forms a sliding joint 21, with the second pin 22 being accommodated at the ends in the bearing arm 23, and the bearing arm 23 being coupled to the roll 3.
Abstract:
A plate cylinder wherein at least two thin sheets are disposed between the plate cylinder and its printing plate. These thin sheets each have surfaces with different coefficients of sliding friction. The smoother sides of the thin sheets lie on top of one another and the rougher sides lie against the surface of the cylinder and the underside of the printing plate, respectively. Thus the friction between the cylinder and the printing plate is reduced considerably, thereby facilitating retightening of the printing plate on the plate cylinder as well as aligning the printing plate to come into register.
Abstract:
A sheet feed rotary press having a main ink feed unit and a plate cylinder, at least one of a plurality of transfer and applicator rolls coupled between the main ink feed unit and the plate cylinder being moveable to an inoperative position for selectively isolating a relatively short length group of applicator and transfer rolls from the main ink feed unit, and an additional quick acting ink feed unit that is selectively moveable into engagement with the short length roll group for supplying lesser quantities of ink to the plate cylinder through a shortened path via the short length roll group.
Abstract:
An inking unit for a printing machine including a duct consisting of a plurality of adjacent duct segments mounted individually on the duct roller of the machine wherein each duct segment forms a carrier for at least some of the ink metering elements. The mounting of the duct segments on the duct roller is such that it substantially eliminates the hydrodynamic pressure forces occurring at the duct roller and the ink metering elements during operation. As a result, the duct roller deflection and the influence thereof on the metering gap are greatly reduced so that readjustment of the ink metering elements with respect to one another during operation can be dispensed with.