Printing – Cleaning attachments
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2001-09-04
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Cleaning attachments
C101S424000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283028
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tubular blanket washing system which is offline, i.e. not part of a printing press.
Offset lithographic web printing presses have printing units containing several printing cylinders rotating between side frames. The cylinders include a print cylinder carrying a print form having an image thereon and a blanket cylinder carrying a blanket tube. The image is transferred from the print form to the blanket tube and from the blanket tube to the web.
Vertical and horizontal web offset presses having gapless blanket tubes may include on-press blanket washers. Such washers are typically integrated into the structure of the press. However, end users of web offset presses often do not purchase on-press blanket washers and therefore manual washing of the blanket tubes must be performed. This results in down-time for the press and accordingly must be performed quickly leaving little time for inspection. The tubes do not have time to “rest” and be rejuvenated and the use of chemicals on the press is required.
In addition, some presses have limited access for washing the blanket tubes and some washing chemicals are not recommended for use on the press. In such cases, the blanket tubes must be removed for cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,336 discloses a printing unit from which print forms and blanket tubes can be removed through an opening in a side frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an offline tubular blanket washing system, which overcomes the herein afore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type, which reduces down-time while permitting the surface of the blanket tube to be cleaned quickly and inspected for quality and performance, which is less labor-intensive, permits the tubes to rest and be rejuvenated between production runs, controls the use of chemicals and efficiently stores unused blanket tubes.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an offline tubular blanket washing system, comprising a tube washer for cleaning blanket tubes removed from a printing unit; and a storage rack for receiving the blanket tubes cleaned in the tube washer and storing the blanket tubes for installation in the printing unit. The tube washer may be disposed on the storage rack.
Through the use of this device, two sets of blanket tubes can be used, one on and one off the press. The tubes are washed by the tube washing off the press instead of by personnel manning the press. Compounds and conditioners for rejuvenating the surface of the blanket tube my be employed. Cleaned blanket tubes are always ready in the storage rack to be installed in the printing units.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the tube washer includes side frames for rotatably supporting one or two blanket tubes, a driven rotating brush rotatably supported in the side frames for cleaning the blanket tubes, and one or two cleaning solution applicators associated with the blanket tubes and the rotating brush.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the tube washer includes a waste collector disposed below the blanket tubes and the rotating brush for receiving the cleaning solution. The tube washer may also have a filter and treatment device for receiving the cleaning solution and selectively guiding the cleaning solution back to the cleaning solution applicators.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the blanket tubes are installed in and removed from the tube washer through one of the side frames.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the storage rack has two side walls defining a slot therebetween for receiving the blanket tubes from the tube washer and dispensing the blanket tubes for installation in the printing unit.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, according to one embodiment, the slot is L-shaped, and the storage rack has a blanket tube pick up and return region associated with the slot. According to another embodiment, the slot is inverted U-shaped, and the storage rack has a blanket tube pickup region and a blanket tube return region associated with the slot. The storage rack may also be horizontally oriented.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the storage rack has an environmental control device for the blanket tubes.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an offline tubular blanket washing system, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 2597946 (1952-05-01), Olson
patent: 3438078 (1969-04-01), Muselaers
patent: 4108683 (1978-08-01), Anderson
patent: 4215928 (1980-08-01), Bayley et al.
patent: 5253006 (1993-10-01), Bayley et al.
patent: 5277111 (1994-01-01), Uribe et al.
patent: 5365556 (1994-11-01), Mallie
patent: 5392953 (1995-02-01), Maldabus et al.
patent: 5813336 (1998-09-01), Guaraldi et al.
patent: 5884751 (1999-03-01), Metivier
patent: 5925231 (1999-07-01), Metzger
patent: 2040811 (1980-09-01), None
Greenberg Laurence A.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Hilten John S.
Lerner Herbert L.
Nguyen Anthony H.
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