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EP0029312A1 - Flexographic belt printing press - Google Patents

Flexographic belt printing press Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0029312A1
EP0029312A1 EP80303828A EP80303828A EP0029312A1 EP 0029312 A1 EP0029312 A1 EP 0029312A1 EP 80303828 A EP80303828 A EP 80303828A EP 80303828 A EP80303828 A EP 80303828A EP 0029312 A1 EP0029312 A1 EP 0029312A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plate cylinder
transfer roller
roller
support arms
pair
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP80303828A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Charles Aaron
Udo Welschlau
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
VEPA ZELLSTOFF und PAPIERHOLDING AG
Midland Ross Corp
Original Assignee
VEPA ZELLSTOFF und PAPIERHOLDING AG
Midland Ross Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by VEPA ZELLSTOFF und PAPIERHOLDING AG, Midland Ross Corp filed Critical VEPA ZELLSTOFF und PAPIERHOLDING AG
Publication of EP0029312A1 publication Critical patent/EP0029312A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F5/00—Rotary letterpress machines
    • B41F5/24—Rotary letterpress machines for flexographic printing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F13/00—Common details of rotary presses or machines
    • B41F13/08—Cylinders
    • B41F13/24—Cylinder-tripping devices; Cylinder-impression adjustments
    • B41F13/26—Arrangement of cylinder bearings
    • B41F13/32—Bearings mounted on swinging supports
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F17/00—Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
    • B41F17/007—Use of printing belts

Definitions

  • the present invention is useful in the printing of a continuous web composed of any suitable material, e.g. paper, plastics, or metal.
  • An important application of the invention is in the multi-colour flexographic printing of packaging material. It is a known disadvantage to use flexographic printing of a continuous web of packaging material, when the printing pattern on the plate cylinder contains large blank areas which produce corresponding blank areas and hence considerable waste of the web between the repetitive patterns of printed matter.
  • Another disadvantage of using a conventional, flexographic printing press is that the plate cylinder must be changed to accommodate different size printing patterns and printing messages. Further, it is necessary to adjust the positions of the plate cylinder and the transfer and fountain rollers to adapt the press to plate cylinders of varying diameters. In practice, this adjustment is difficult and time-consuming.
  • the invention in particular aims to provide a flexographic -type printing press in which the aforementioned disadvantages are largely or wholly overcome.
  • the invention particularly disclosed herein resides in a press which employs certain essential components of a flexographic printing press.
  • the press is provided with a plate cylinder which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis.
  • a continuous belt carrying printing plates similar to those used in normal flexographic printing, is reeved at least partially around the plate cylinder and properly tensioned to print on a continuous web of any suitable material, e.g. packaging material.
  • An engraved ink transfer roller rotatable about its longitudinal axis, is disposed adjacent and parallel with the plate cylinder and is movable to and from the plate cylinder for contacting the printing plates carried by the belt.
  • a fountain roller also rotatable about its longitudinal axis, is positioned adjacent and parallel with the transfer roller.
  • the fountain roller is movable to and from the transfer roller for contacting it and coating it with ink carried by the fountain .roller.
  • means are provided for mounting the fountain and transfer rollers for relative movement to and from each other and for movement in unison towards and away from the plate cylinder.
  • a big advantage of using a belt-type printing press is that the size and location of the plate cylinder, transfer and fountain rollers need not be changed when the length of the printing pattern is changed. It is only necessary to change the belt to produce different printing patterns or to alter the size of the printed matter on the continuous web.
  • the arrangement disclosed herein allows for easy belt changing.
  • a belt-type printing press 5 which is designed for printing on a continuous web 6 of any suitable material such as paper, plastics, or metal.
  • the printing press 5 comprises an impression cylinder assembly 7 which is in juxtaposed relation vertically above a plate cylinder assembly 8 when the press 5 is in a normal vertical position and rests on a horizontal surface.
  • the impression cylinder assembly 7 comprises an impression cylinder 9 which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis that is normal to the direction in which the continuous web 6 travels as it moves to and from the impression cylinder 9.
  • the impression cylinder 9 is rotatably mounted between a pair of parallel pivot arms 10, 11, each of which have a pair of opposing ends 12, 13.
  • the pivot arms 10, 11 are mounted on the upper framework 14 of the printing press 5 for unitary rotation about an axis which is parallel to the rotational axis of the impression cylinder 9 and located intermediate the opposing ends 12, 13 of the pivot arms 10, 11.
  • a pair of air cylinders 15, 16, designed to function in unison, are operatively connected between the upper framework 14 of the printing press 5 and adjacent ends 13 of the pivot arms 10, 11, to rotate the impression cylinder 9 about the rotational axis of the pivot arms 10, 11, between operating and non-operating positions, i.e. into and out of printing relation with the plate cylinder assembly 8.
  • the free ends 12 of the pivot arms 10, 11 each carry a plurality of adjustable stops 17-19 which are strategically located for engaging a set of correspondingly positioned abutments or stops 17'-19' adjacent each of the free ends 12 of the pivot arms 10, 11 to control the positioning of the impression cylinder 9.
  • the vertically uppermost set of stops 17, 17' are used in the positioning of the impression cylinder 9 in its vertically lowermost operating position relative to the plate cylinder assembly 8.
  • the first to encounter vertically lowermost set of stops 18, 18' are designed to regulate the normal non-operating position of the impression cylinder 9, out of printing engagement with the plate cylinder assembly 8.
  • the second to encounter lowermost set of stops 19, 19' are used to regulate the fully retracted position of the impression cylinder 9 away from the plate cylinder assembly 8, to permit the continuous web 6 to be more conveniently threaded through the impression cylinder assembly 7.
  • Similar conventional air cylinders 20 are provided to reposition the first to encounter set of stops 18, 18' to permit engagement of the second to encounter set of stops 19, 19'.
  • a hand operated wheel 21, in conjunction with a pair of digital readout devices 22, 23 correlated to the turning of the wheel 21 is provided to help an operator locate the set of operating stops 17, 17' to properly position the impression cylinder 9 for printing relation with the plate cylinder assembly 8.
  • a compensator roller mechanism 24 is used to adjust the length of the pathway which the continuous web 6 travels between a pair of similar adjacent printing presses 5 normally employed in a multi-colour printing operation to control the registration of colour to colour.
  • the mechanism 24 comprises a spring biased compensator roller 25 whose vertical position is automatically controlled by operation of a motor, or manually adjusted by a hand operated wheel 26 in conjunction with a pair of digital readout devices 27, 28, similar to that used in adjusting the position of the operating stops 17.
  • the spring biased compensator roller 25 is designed to rotate freely about its longitudinal axis which is parallel to the rotational axis of the impression cylinder 9. Any other suitable means can be used, to bring about registration of colour to colour, if desired.
  • the plate cylinder assembly 8 comprises a plate cylinder 30 which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis that is parallel to the rotational axis of the impression cylinder 9.
  • a continuous flexible belt 31 is at least partially reeved around the plate cylinder 30 and carries a plurality of printing plates similar to those used in a conventional flexographic printing process.
  • the printing plates are bonded in position on the flexible belt 31 which is composed of any suitable material, as is well known in the trade.
  • the belt 31 is also reeved at least partially around a smaller roller 32 which is provided to tension the belt 31 on the plate cylinder 30.
  • the belt tensioning roller 32 is mounted for rotating freely about its longitudinal axis which is parallel to the rotational axis of the plate cylinder 30. Any suitable mechanism 33 may be used to adjust the position of the belt tensioning roller 32 relative to the plate cylinder 30, to accommodate belts of different lengths used in the multi-colour printing process.
  • the mechanism 33 comprises a pair of vertically disposed parallel drive screws 34, 35 which are operatively connected to any suitable drive mechanism 36 for rotating the drive screws 34, 35,in unison.
  • a pair of parallel guide rods 37, 38 are disposed in parallel relation within the drive screws 34, 35, and a pair of carriages 39, 40, are slidably mounted on the guide rods 37, 38, and coupled to the drive screws 34, 35 which, when rotated, cause the carriages 39, 40 to move along the guide rods 37, 38.
  • the belt tensioning roller 32 is rotatably mounted between the carriages 39, 40.
  • the pair of drive screws 34, 35 are allowed to float, i.e. they are mounted for limited axial movement relative to the adjacent guide rods 37, 38 which are fixedly mounted on the lower framework 41 of the printing press 5.
  • a pair of similar, double acting air cylinders 42, 43 are coupled by any suitable means 44 to the drive screws 34, 35 and carriages 39, 40 to counterbalance the weight of the belt tensioning roller 32 and to place a desired, downwardly directed force or load on the carriages 39, 40 to correspondingly move the belt tensioning roller 32 to a position where the belt 31 is placed under a predetermined tension on the plate cylinder 30 for printing engagement with the continuous web 6 passing between the nip of the impression cylinder 9 and plate cylinder 30.
  • a conventional, engraved ink transfer roller 45 and fountain roller 46 are associated with the plate cylinder 30 and employed to transfer ink 47 from a fountain 48 to the printing plates carried by the belt 31.
  • Any suitable mechanism such as an air loaded doctor or scraper blade SB can be used, if desired, to remove excess printing ink from the transfer roller 45.
  • the scraper blade SB can be mounted in a positive angle position, as shown in Figure 2, or a reverse angle position as shown in Figure 3.
  • the fountain 48 is mounted by any appropriate means for movement to and from the fountain roller 46.
  • the transfer roller 45 and fountain roller 46 are, like the belt tensioning roller 32, mounted for rotation about their own particular longitudinal axes which are parallel to theirotational axis of the plate cylinder 30.
  • the transfer roller 45 is rotatably mounted between adjacent ends 49, 50 of a pair of parallel arms 51, 52 which are provided to support both the transfer roller 45 and the fountain roller 46 on the plate cylinder assembly 8.
  • the support arms 51, 52 are mounted for rotation about an axis 53 which is parallel to the rotational axis of the plate cylinder 30 and which is located intermediate the rotational axis of the transfer roller 45 and opposing free ends 54, 55 of the support arms 51, 52.
  • a pair of air cylinders 56, 57 are coupled between the lower framework 41 of the printing press 5 and the adjacent free ends 54, 55 of the support arms 51, 52 to rotate the support arms 51, 52 and move the transfer roller 45, carried thereby, to and from the plate cylinder 30.
  • the fountain roller 46 is rotatably mounted between a pair of parallel pivot arms 58, 59 intermediate opposing ends 60, 61 and 62, 63 thereof.
  • the ends 60, 61 of the pivot arms 58, 59, closest the transfer roller 45, are pivotally mounted by similar pivot pins 64 to a pair of brackets 65, 66 which project from the support arms 51, 52 in parallel relation adjacent the transfer roller 45.
  • a pair of air cylinders 67, 68 are coupled between the opposing free ends 62, 63 of the pivot arms 58, 59 and the adjacent free ends 54, 55 of the support arms 51, 52 to rotate the fountain roller 46 to and from the transfer roller 45.
  • the transfer roller 45 and fountain roller 46 are mounted for relative rotational movement to and from each other and for unitary rotational movement (i.e. movement in unison) towards and away from the plate cylinder 30.
  • the first set of stops 70, 71, closest the free ends 54, 55 of the support arms 51, 52, are utilized to position the transfer roller 45 adjacent the plate cylinder 30 for transferring ink to the printing plates carried by the belt 31.
  • the second set of stops 72, 73 are used to regulate the normal position of the transfer roller 45 out of engagement with the printing plate carried by the flexible belt 31.
  • Conventional air cylinders 76 are also presided to retract the stops 73 of the second set of stops 72, 73 out of interference with the coaction of the third set of stops 74, 75, at which point the transfer roller 45 is in farthest spaced relation from the plate cylinder 30.
  • a hand operated wheel 77 arid digital readout devices 78, 79 are likewise employed to position the first set of stops 70, 71 for controlling the ink transferring position of the transfer roller 45 relative to the plate cylinder 30.
  • the plate cylinder 30 and transfer roller 45 are conventionally geared together for synchronized rotation relative to the linear speed at which the web 6 travels between the nip of the impression and plate cylinders 9, 30 and are operated by any appropriate drive mechanism which is coupled to the projecting end 80 of a power input shaft 81 that is geared to the plate cylinder 30 and transfer roller 45.
  • the fountain roller 46 is operated or rotated independently of the transfer roller 45 by any suitable motor means M and at a speed and distance from the transfer roller 45 sufficient to meter a uniform and constant desired flow of ink to the printing plates carried by the belt.
  • a motor driven or hand operated wheel 82 and locking mechanism 83 are provided for use by an operator in axially adjusting the position of the plate cylinder 30 relative to the impression cylinder 9.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Rotary Presses (AREA)
  • Inking, Control Or Cleaning Of Printing Machines (AREA)
EP80303828A 1979-11-16 1980-10-28 Flexographic belt printing press Withdrawn EP0029312A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US9483679A 1979-11-16 1979-11-16
US94836 1979-11-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0029312A1 true EP0029312A1 (en) 1981-05-27

Family

ID=22247467

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP80303828A Withdrawn EP0029312A1 (en) 1979-11-16 1980-10-28 Flexographic belt printing press

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0029312A1 (es)
JP (1) JPS56123863A (es)
AU (1) AU533714B2 (es)
BR (1) BR8007295A (es)
DK (1) DK486780A (es)
ES (1) ES254042Y (es)
FI (1) FI803571L (es)
MX (1) MX148412A (es)
ZA (1) ZA806677B (es)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3406595A1 (de) * 1983-02-23 1984-08-23 I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A., Ozzano Emilia, Bologna Vorrichtung zum flexographischen bedrucken eines verpackungsbandes in verpackungsmaschinen, insbesondere fuer blisterpackungen
GB2162793A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-02-12 Waddingtons Business Forms Lim Printing separate images on a web
GB2192152A (en) * 1986-09-12 1988-01-06 Tsai Chien Fa A continuous, multi-chromatic and multi-productive press
US4817525A (en) * 1986-07-08 1989-04-04 Isowa Industry Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for synchronously controlling the printing speed of belt-type printing machine
US4896599A (en) * 1986-06-12 1990-01-30 Dahlgren Duplicator Sales, Inc. Swing-away colorhead for offset duplicator
US4932322A (en) * 1986-06-12 1990-06-12 Dahlgren Duplicator Sales, Inc. Swing away color head for offset duplicator
US8776683B2 (en) 2009-06-02 2014-07-15 The Procter & Gamble Company Process for manufacturing absorbent products having customized graphics
US10080691B2 (en) 2003-01-21 2018-09-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Absorbent product containing absorbent articles each having different graphic

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5942957A (ja) * 1982-09-04 1984-03-09 Isowa Ind Co 印版交換段取り方法及びこれを実施するための装置
DE4213012C2 (de) * 1992-04-21 1995-10-12 Frankenthal Ag Albert Rollenrotationsdruckmaschine - Druckwerk

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE689218C (de) * 1937-07-16 1940-03-14 Anton Huebner Vorrichtung zum Ein- und Ausruecken von Maschinen, beispielsweise Schneid- und Falzwerken bei Rotationsdruckmaschinen
GB1065154A (en) * 1964-08-05 1967-04-12 Thomas De La Rue Engineering L Improvements in rotary printing machines
US3416444A (en) * 1962-10-16 1968-12-17 Lee Machinery Corp Web registry for flexographic presses
GB1215195A (en) * 1967-06-30 1970-12-09 Cameron Machine Co Automatic continuous printing machine
US3762323A (en) * 1971-10-06 1973-10-02 Wm Staley Machinery Corp Flexographic printing system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE689218C (de) * 1937-07-16 1940-03-14 Anton Huebner Vorrichtung zum Ein- und Ausruecken von Maschinen, beispielsweise Schneid- und Falzwerken bei Rotationsdruckmaschinen
US3416444A (en) * 1962-10-16 1968-12-17 Lee Machinery Corp Web registry for flexographic presses
GB1065154A (en) * 1964-08-05 1967-04-12 Thomas De La Rue Engineering L Improvements in rotary printing machines
GB1215195A (en) * 1967-06-30 1970-12-09 Cameron Machine Co Automatic continuous printing machine
US3762323A (en) * 1971-10-06 1973-10-02 Wm Staley Machinery Corp Flexographic printing system

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3406595A1 (de) * 1983-02-23 1984-08-23 I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A., Ozzano Emilia, Bologna Vorrichtung zum flexographischen bedrucken eines verpackungsbandes in verpackungsmaschinen, insbesondere fuer blisterpackungen
GB2162793A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-02-12 Waddingtons Business Forms Lim Printing separate images on a web
US4896599A (en) * 1986-06-12 1990-01-30 Dahlgren Duplicator Sales, Inc. Swing-away colorhead for offset duplicator
US4932322A (en) * 1986-06-12 1990-06-12 Dahlgren Duplicator Sales, Inc. Swing away color head for offset duplicator
US4817525A (en) * 1986-07-08 1989-04-04 Isowa Industry Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for synchronously controlling the printing speed of belt-type printing machine
GB2192152A (en) * 1986-09-12 1988-01-06 Tsai Chien Fa A continuous, multi-chromatic and multi-productive press
US10080691B2 (en) 2003-01-21 2018-09-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Absorbent product containing absorbent articles each having different graphic
US8776683B2 (en) 2009-06-02 2014-07-15 The Procter & Gamble Company Process for manufacturing absorbent products having customized graphics
US9108787B2 (en) 2009-06-02 2015-08-18 The Procter & Gamble Company Process for manufacturing absorbent products having customized graphics

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES254042Y (es) 1981-08-16
JPS56123863A (en) 1981-09-29
ES254042U (es) 1981-02-16
AU6351680A (en) 1981-05-21
FI803571L (fi) 1981-05-17
AU533714B2 (en) 1983-12-08
MX148412A (es) 1983-04-18
BR8007295A (pt) 1981-05-19
ZA806677B (en) 1981-11-25
DK486780A (da) 1981-05-17

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LU NL SE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19811023

ITF It: translation for a ep patent filed
STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN

18W Application withdrawn

Withdrawal date: 19831126

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: WELSCHLAU, UDO

Inventor name: AARON, CHARLES