Printing – Inkers – Roller
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2004-01-06
Funk, Stephen R. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Inkers
Roller
C101S350100, C101S352010, C101S485000, C101SDIG029, C310S090500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672208
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of positioning a roller that can be moved into at least two different operating positions in a printing machine. In addition, the invention relates to an inking unit for a printing machine having a roller that can be moved into at least two different operating positions.
Printing machines, and in particular rotary printing machines, of the generic type are already known. In an inking unit, it is usual for ink to be transmitted from a ductor roller to a vibrating roller and by means of the latter then to an ink distributor roller. To this end, the ductor roller is operatively connected in a manner known per se to an ink supply container to form a defined ink film on the ductor roller. In order to achieve metered transfer of ink, the vibrator roller is brought into operative contact with the ductor roller using an oscillatory movement (for example a swinging movement). The vibrator roller is subsequently moved from this first operating position into a second operating position, forming an operative contact between the latter and an ink distributor roller for the renewed transfer of ink. Known rolling mechanisms in rotary printing machines normally comprise still further intermediate and ink applicator rollers, by means of which ink is transferred, directly or indirectly, to a plate cylinder in order to ink a printing image located on the latter. This inked printing image is finally transferred onto the printing material to be printed using a blanket cylinder that is in frictional contact with the plate cylinder.
In order to oscillate the vibrator roller between the first operating position (operative contact between the vibrator roller and the ductor roller) and the second operating position (operative contact between the vibrator roller and the ink distributor roller), either a mechanical coupling between the vibrator roller and a main drive of the rotary printing machine, or a separate drive (Published German Patent Application DE 199 40 532 A1) is provided. For this purpose, known drive systems have a tilting lever and a cam disk which, when operated, displaces the longitudinal axis of the vibrator roller in the direction of the ductor roller or the ink distributor roller. In this case, the cam disk can either be coupled to the main drive of the rotary printing machine or can be provided with a separate drive motor.
Disadvantageously, in known rotary printing machines, undesired oscillations occur in the inking unit. Undesired oscillations are produced by the vibrator roller, or by the so-called vibrator shock, when the vibrator roller is moved in an oscillatory fashion between the ductor roller and the ink distributor roller. Vibrator shock is understood to mean the acceleration of the vibrator roller to the circumferential speed of the rapidly rotating ink distributor roller and the braking the vibrator roller to the circumferential speed of the slowly rotating ductor roller, which acceleration or braking is effected by friction between the circumferential surfaces of the vibrator roller and the ink distributor or ductor roller. These rotational oscillations, which in principle should be avoided, are transmitted to the plate cylinder, and therefore, also to the ink printing image on the blanket cylinder, and also to the web to be printed. As a result, unsatisfactory printing results are obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for positioning a roller and an inking unit which overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus and methods of this general type.
In particular it is an object of the invention to provide a method for positioning a roller and an inking unit of the type previously mentioned in which oscillations that can be attributed to the oscillatory movement of a roller can be eliminated or at least reduced in the corresponding printing machine.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of positioning a roller that can be moved into at least two different operating positions in a printing machine, that includes steps of: mounting the roller in a magnetic bearing device; and positioning the roller into one of the at least two different operating positions by performing an operation selected from the group consisting of controlling the magnetic bearing device and regulating the magnetic bearing device.
A magnetic bearing device of this type permits the implementation of controlled-movement and freely predefinable positioning of the roller into a respective operating position. For example, in the case of a vibrator roller in an inking unit of a rotary printing machine, the production of an operative contact between the vibrator roller and the ductor roller (first operating position) and also between the vibrator roller and the ink distributor roller (second operating position) can be carried out gently and in a controlled manner such that undesired oscillations in the inking unit brought about on account of the vibrator shock are eliminated or at least reduced. It is possible, in a relatively simple and reliable manner, to ensure that the vibrator roller is placed against the ductor roller and, respectively, against the ink distributor roller virtually without oscillating. Furthermore, as a result using the magnetic bearing device, it is possible to adapt the revolution rate of the vibrator roller with respect to the main drive, so that the revolution rate, the contact time, and the pressing force of the vibrator roller can be controlled or regulated when a contacting connection is made with the ductor roller or the ink distributor roller. The main operating parameters (pressing force, contact time and revolution rate) for producing an operative contact between the vibrator roller and the ductor roller or the ink distributor roller, respectively, can therefore be predefined flexibly and can be matched precisely to the operating conditions of the printing machine that are present in each case and may vary over the course of time.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the positioning of the roller is carried out by means of an oscillatory movement in accordance with a predefinable movement profile. On the basis of predefinable, different movement profiles, the oscillatory movement of the roller may be determined freely and temporarily variably. Furthermore, in the case of a vibrator roller, the number of vibrator cycles in the rotary printing machine can be defined variably. In this case, by means of a free predefinition of the movement profile, it is possible to achieve a gentle and therefore oscillation-free or reduced-oscillation placement of the vibrator roller against the ductor roller or, respectively, the ink distributor roller. The movement profile can, for example, be chosen in such a way that the roller is moved rectilinearly or along a curve (same path for back and forth movement) or else along a closed, for example circular or elliptical, path (different part-sections for back and forth movement) in order to position the same in a respective operating position.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, in order to assume an operating position, the roller comes into a contact connection with a further roller such that a specific roller pressing force is established during the production of the contacting connection. The roller pressing force is predefinable by means of controlling or regulating the magnetic bearing device. A controllable or regulatable magnetic bearing device is particularly suitable for reliable and matched pressing force regulation when producing a contacting connection between two rollers. In this case, one can use the fact that actively regulated magnetic bearings belonging to the magnetic bearing device are suitable for executing a radial movement of a rotating body (roller), and at the same time, permit the setting of a resultant deflection force. On the basis of these relat
Bechtler Jochen
Spilger Rolf
Funk Stephen R.
Greenberg Laurence A.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Hinze Leo T.
Mayback Gregory L.
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