Printing – Multicolor – Rotary machines
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-22
2001-02-13
Asher, Kimberly (Department: 2854)
Printing
Multicolor
Rotary machines
C101S183000, C101S180000, C101S217000, C101S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186064
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to web fed rotary printing presses, in particular to web fed rotary printing presses for printing newspapers.
2. State of the Art
In today's commercially available web fed rotary printing presses, e.g., for producing newspapers or commercial printed products, the printing units are arranged at fixed locations in the press room and cannot be moved relative to each other in vertical directions. In huge presses such as those used for newspaper production, a plurality of printing units are arranged one above the other for printing on one or more paper webs which pass through the printing units in a substantially vertical direction. Due to the fixed arrangement of the printing units and a limited amount of space available in a press room, the printing units are not easily accessible to the press operators. As a result, substantial amounts of time are required to exchange printing plates and printing blankets and to repair and maintain the printing units.
European Patent No. EP 0 749 369 B1 describes a multi-color web fed rotary printing press, having four blanket-to-blanket printing units which are arranged one above the other and which can be separated horizontally in such a way that a press operator can enter the space provided between the blanket cylinders to exchange the printing blankets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a web fed rotary printing press having a variety of printing units that are vertically arranged one above the other, so that each printing unit can move in vertical directions relative to the other printing units to quickly allow an operator thorough access to each printing unit.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, a web fed rotary printing press for printing a web running through the press in a substantially vertical direction includes one or more tower arrangements of printing units. In each tower, a first printing unit prints a first color onto the web, and a second printing unit prints a second color onto the web. The second printing unit is located above the first printing unit, and a lifting and positioning system or mechanism moves the first and second printing units relative to each other in a substantially vertical direction.
According to another embodiment of the invention, each tower includes three or more printing units positioned one over the other and printing different colors onto the web, each printing unit being movable in a substantially vertical direction relative to the other printing units in the tower via a lifting and positioning system or mechanism.
According to another embodiment of the invention, printing units in each tower arrangement can be moved relative to each other in groups.
Each tower can be configured so that at least two (or all) of the printing units in the tower can be moved together to rest upon each other in a nested formation.
According to another embodiment of the invention, all printing units in each tower are identical in design, and have a housing with a top surface. The top surface corresponds to a contour or shape of a bottom surface of the housing, so that when the printing units have been moved together, they are arranged in nesting formation.
According to another embodiment of the invention, one or more of the printing units in each tower can be moved below an operating floor level, on which the operator stands when performing maintenance or plate and blanket exchange. The operating floor level can be a floor of a press room, or can be a platform which is arranged above the top printing unit of each tower, or between two printing units.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide quick and easy access to the printing plates and printing blankets so that the press operator to quickly adjust and/or replace the printing plates and blankets and other parts as necessary. This allows the press operator to meet shorter deadlines and increases overall productivity of the press. Since the printing units are configured and oriented in the same way and operate in the same fashion, substantially all parts of each printing unit are interchangeable with those of the other printing units, and a single set of troubleshooting techniques and adjustment specifications can be used to maintain and repair the printing units. Thus, labor and parts costs associated with operating, maintaining and repairing the press can be reduced.
The present invention also confers other advantages. For example, the printing press is more compact than conventional presses of comparable performance, and requires less space. In addition, the printing units can be made using less material. This further reduces costs to manufacture the press, and also reduces a weight of the press and a required strength (and associated cost) of a floor supporting the press.
The printing units can also be moved very close together to minimize a length of a web passing through the printing units during operation of the press. Minimizing web length minimizes web wastage that occurs when starting the press. Minimizing web length also reduces fanout, i.e., lateral expansion of the web. Fanout can occur in an offset printing press when a web absorbs water from the blanket rolls and is stretched as it passes through the printing units. Accordingly, the present invention minimizes necessary fanout adjustment and control.
Another advantage of locating the printing units close together during press operation is that the operator can easily and quickly look at different parts of the printing units to check for problems that may be occurring, for example dripping ink or water. Locating the printing units close together during press operation also enhances the press operator's ability to see different parts of the printing units simultaneously. This ease of monitoring allows the operator to detect and correct malfunctions earlier, and the easy access to the printing units also encourages the operator to properly maintain the press. Consequently, the invention provides a printing press with greater production speed and production quality, and less press down time and web wastage.
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European Search Report dated Sep. 3, 1999.
Asher Kimberly
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
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