192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Axially engaging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-06-12
Marmor, Charles A (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Axially engaging
C192S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244406
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drive clutch for connecting a drive shaft with an exchangeable cylinder of a printing machine.
It is frequently necessary to exchange cylindrical, rotatable elements, such as printing cylinders, inking rollers and the like of printing machines. These exchangeable, cylindrical elements are referred to in an abbreviated fashion in this application as “cylinders”.
Robots are known, with which the generally relatively heavy cylinders can be lifted out of their bearings in the machine frame after the appropriate cap pieces of the bearing have been opened or removed. If the cylinders are driven over mutually meshing gearwheels, the engagement of the teeth is cancelled automatically when the cylinder is lifted out of its bearings. Recently, however, driving systems are increasingly being used, for which the cylinders and rollers of a printing machine, instead of being driven by gearwheel transmissions synchronously with the help of a single driving motor, are driven by a separate driving motor, which is provided for each cylinder and which is seated directly on a drive shaft connected coaxially with the cylinder in question.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide a drive clutch which, on the one hand, permits the cylinder to be driven precisely directly and, on the other, to be exchanged easily.
Pursuant to the invention, this objective is accomplished owing to the fact that a locking part is provided at one end of the cylinder and that, in or on the drive shaft, a spanner is disposed, which has a radially opening recess, into which the locking part can be introduced positively, and that the spanner can be retracted axially, in order to pull the cylinder with the help of the locking part against one end of the drive shaft.
During the operation of the printing machine, the cylinder is tensioned axially with the help of the spanner against the end of the drive shaft, so that a positive or preferably predominantly frictional connection between the drive shaft and the cylinder is created. For exchanging the cylinder, the spanner is moved into a release position, in which the locking part can radially leave the recess of the spanner. Accordingly, the cylinder can be uncoupled from the drive shaft in a very simple manner, in that it is moved, with the help of the robot, radially in the direction, in which the recess of the spanner opens up. By reversing this course of motion, the new cylinder with its locking part can be introduced into the spanner and then, by retracting the spanner, tensioned once again against the end of the drive shaft, so that the driving connection is restored.
The inventive drive clutch is intended, particularly for printing machines, in which, although the cylinder is driven over the drive shaft, which is connected coaxially with the cylinder, the cylinder itself is directly supported in the machine frame. Since the bearings in this case have a relatively large diameter, the drive clutch, which naturally must have a certain minimum diameter, can adjoin the bearing site of the cylinder directly or even mesh somewhat with the end face of the cylinder, so that a very small construction is achieved. Moreover, it proves to be advantageous that the cylinder is stressed by the drive clutch axially with the drive shaft. The clutch therefore behaves in a stiff manner in the axial direction and in the direction of rotation, so that the side register and the longitudinal register can be adjusted precisely. On the other hand, in the radial direction, the clutch can be somewhat elastic. This has the advantage that the axis of rotation of the cylinder is defined precisely by the mounting in the machine frame and a slight eccentricity in the drive shaft, resulting from installation inaccuracies, can be compensated, as also described in the European patent application 98 121 059 of the applicant.
Preferably, the mutual facing ends of the cylinder and of the drive shaft together form a friction clutch which, in a particularly preferred embodiment, is combined with a positively meshing clutch, especially a single tooth clutch. In this case, the single tooth clutch serves to hold the cylinder in a defined angular position in relation to the drive shaft, so that the longitudinal register can be adjusted with the help of an angle sensing device, which is disposed at the drive shaft or directly at the motor. However, the driving torque is transferred mainly by the friction clutch.
Preferably, the spanner is tensioned elastically in the clamped position and can be moved into the release position with the help of an actuating rod extending axially through the hollow drive shaft. When the drive shaft is connected coaxially with the motor shaft or formed in one piece with the latter, the actuating rod can extend through the whole of the motor and optionally also through the angle sensing device. For loosening the clutch, the free end of the actuating rod can then be acted upon by a tappet, which is actuated pneumatically or hydraulically and does not need to participate in the rotation of the drive shaft.
REFERENCES:
patent: 989007 (1911-04-01), Hanson
patent: 4293061 (1981-10-01), Brown
patent: 4645373 (1987-02-01), Purdy
patent: 5230412 (1993-07-01), Dawley et al.
patent: 6015034 (2000-01-01), Ruplin
patent: 0713023 (1996-05-01), None
Kolbe Wilfried
Schirrich Klaus
Steinmeier Bodo
Terstegen Manfred
Fischer & Krecke GmbH & Co.
Goldberg Richard M.
Marmor Charles A
Rodriquez Saul
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