Printing – Processes – Condition responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-12
2004-01-20
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Processes
Condition responsive
C101S180000, C101S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679172
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from Japanese patent application Serial no. 2001-263377 filed Aug. 31, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control apparatus for automatically changing plate cylinders for use in a rotary press comprising a plurality of printing sections; each printing section having a plate cylinder and ink feeding means for feeding ink to a printing plate surface on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder, independent printing drive means for driving at least a plate cylinder, a first state changing unit for independently changing at least each plate cylinder from the printing state enabling printing to the non-printing state disabling printing, and a second state changing unit for independently changing each ink feeding means from the ink feeding state enabling ink feeding to the ink non-feeding state disabling ink feeding; the plate cylinder that may be in printing operation being automatically changed so that a preceding printing operation can be continuously taken over without stopping the rotary press by a succeeding printing operation where a printing material having in whole or in part different printing contents form those printed in the preceding printing operation is printed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rotary press comprising a plurality of printing sections so that a preceding printing operation can be continuously taken over without stopping the rotary press by a succeeding printing operation where a printing material having in whole or in part different contents from those printed in the preceding printing operation is printed by changing plate cylinders being used for printing operation has been disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-8 (1996) -207233, for example.
This rotary press comprises a plurality of printing sections; each printing section having at least independent drive means for driving the plate cylinder thereof, and a unit for independently changing over each plate cylinder from a printable state to an unprintable state or vice versa so that plate cylinders used in the preceding printing operation can be changed in part or in whole in the succeeding printing operation where a printing material having in part or in whole different contents from those printed in the preceding printing operation is printed.
In this rotary press, plate cylinder changing and speed adjustment for independently changing over each plate cylinder from a printable state to an unprintable state as necessary are accomplished by a control apparatus when changing over a preceding printing operation to a succeeding printing operation.
In Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-8 (1996) -207233, no specific details about control using the control apparatus are disclosed. In particular, no specific details about control processing as to how a plate cylinder being changed over is designated when changing plate cylinders to independently change over each plate cylinder from a printable state to an unprintable state as necessary, or as to how the timing of actuating the plate cylinder that has been stopped and left in the unprintable state, increasing the speed thereof to match with the printing operation speed of the rotary press at that point of time is determined, are not disclosed.
In printing operation, the required number of print copies is determined in advance for each printing materials. The number of print copies prior to the changeover of plate cylinders therefore has to be set to the required minimum to minimize, or eliminate, unnecessary printing paper (spoilage). In the rotary press disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-8 (1996) -207233, it is not clear how these requirements can be satisfied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide rotary press control apparatus for use in a rotary press comprising a plurality of printing sections, in which the number of print copies prior to the changeover of plate cylinders can be reduced to the required minimum, making it possible to achieve printing with unnecessary printing paper (spoilage) minimized or eliminated, thus preventing printing cost from increasing due to generation of unnecessary printing paper (spoilage) in a printing operation where a preceding printing process can be continuously changed, without stopping the rotary press, to a succeeding printing operation where a printing material having in part or in whole different contents from those printed in the preceding printing operation is printed.
To achieve these objectives, the present invention provides a control apparatus for automatically changing plate cylinders for use in rotary press which provides a plurality of printing units, wherein each printing unit comprises at least a plate cylinder and an ink feeder to the printing plate surface on the outer periphery of the plate cylinder, a printing drive unit to drive at least a plate cylinder, a first state changing unit to individually change at least each plate cylinder from a printing state enabling printing to a non-printing state disabling printing, a second state changing unit to change each ink feeder from an ink feeding state enabling ink feeding to the printing plate surface to an ink non-feeding state disabling ink feeding, wherein the apparatus comprises; a reference control section performing an input operation of at least an operation instruction for a printing operation, such as start, acceleration/deceleration and stop, outputting a drive reference corresponding to the operation instruction, and selectively outputting a monotonously increasing reference speed that monotonously increases at a predetermined gradient and a monotonously decreasing reference speed that monotonously decreases at a predetermined gradient, aside from the outputting of the drive reference; a drive control section being provided for each printing drive unit for controlling the rotation of the printing drive unit on the basis of a signal from the reference control section; a printing control section setting a required number of print copies for a printing operation, carrying out a first calculation where “1” is subtracted from the required number of print copies for the printing operation every time a printing material is detected at a predetermined detecting position and a second calculation where a period of time for a currently stopped printing drive unit to be driven at the monotonously increasing reference speed and reach a printing operation speed at that point of time in the printing operation is calculated, calculating the number of printing materials to be printed when the printing operation at that point of time is continued for the calculated period of time, and subtracting at all times the sum of the calculated number of printing materials and a predetermined constant from the value obtained in the first calculation, outputting a first signal when a value obtained in the second calculation becomes less or equal “0,” and outputting a second signal when a value obtained as the calculation result of the first calculation becomes less or equal “0;” and an operation control section outputting a state changing signal for operating the first state changing unit to change the state of plate cylinders, and the second state changing unit to change the state of the ink feeder, wherein the drive control section outputs the monotonously increasing reference speed in response to the output of the first signal in a predetermined relationship, and outputs the monotonously decreasing reference speed in response to the output of the second signal in a predetermined relationship, and the operation control section outputs an operation signal for operating the first state changing unit and the second state changing unit in response to the output of the second signal in a predetermined relationship.
Furthermore, the control apparatus acco
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
Nguyen Hoai-An D.
Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho Ltd.
LandOfFree
Control apparatus and method for automatically changing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Control apparatus and method for automatically changing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Control apparatus and method for automatically changing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3185920