Man Roland Druckmaschinen Ag

Franz X Gollinger

Georg Bock

Thomas John

Ingo Kobler

Rainer Burger

Hatto Hechler

Manfred Batke

Wolfgang Obermair

Wendelin Menzinger

The chambered doctor blade unit has an anilox roller against which a doctor blade can be engaged. An ink trough, and an arrangement to transport ink from the ink trough to a chambered doctor blade unit or an ink application roller is provided, the chambered doctor blade unit or the ink application roller being, respectively, operatively coupled with the anilox roller. The ink supply trough, the ink application device, the doctor blade and the ink trough form a single structural unit which is located on a carrier structure on the printing machine, to be removable as a unit. A plurality of units are severably coupled to a common ink pump shaft on the printing machine. The printing machine carrier structure may be pivotable so that the entire unit can be pivoted away from an ink application roller of the printing machine, or away from the anilox roller; or, alternatively, the anilox roller and the support structure therefor may also form part of the single structural unit so that the entire inker can be removed as a unit, for example for exchange with inkers having different colors or different inks, and requiring anilox rollers of different surface configuration.

Chambered doctor blade inker system

The inker includes a chambered doctor blade unit (1) which defines an ink retention chamber. The ink retention chamber has an ink retaining ridge or strip (33) which extends from an upper surface towards the lower surface leaving a narrow ink passage gap (1') between the lower surface and the lower edge of the ridge or strip so that, upon selective connection of the unit (1) through a releasable coupling connection (5) of ink from a primary ink supply (3) or from a secondary ink supply (24, 40) of ink capacity substantially less than the ink capacity of the primary ink supply, ink within the ink retention chamber can be expelled under pressure being applied into said chamber, for example by compressed air, or sucked back into the cartridge. The cartridge permits application of a small quantity of ink, for example of different color than that of the primary ink supply, without disassembly of the entire inker. The compact inker formed by the doctor blade unit and the ink supply unit can readily be severed from the printing machine as a unitary group by disengaging a severable clutch (20), for example a claw clutch, provided to drive pumps (22) in the ink supply from a drive shaft (16, 531) common to a plurality of ink supply units and chambered doctor blade units, for example located axially adjacent each other along the anilox roller (6). The ink supply units have upwardly open troughs to catch ink being stripped off the anilox roller.

Compact printing machine inker system

A chambered doctor blade unit (1) has at least one doctor blade (7, 8; 32) projecting from leading edges of a generally U-shaped or channel-shaped rail element, closed off at the lateral ends by side walls (4) to form the unit so that it can be inexpensively made by extrusion, rolling or other simple profiled rail forming machinery. A rear wall of the unit is formed with an elongated slit (12), preferably narrower in the middle. The unit (1) can be releasably coupled to a carrier (2) by interlocking rotatable pins (22) formed with projecting locking cams (23) with grooves or recesses (25) formed in bolts projecting from a rear surface (10) of the chambered doctor blade unit (1). The chambered doctor blade unit (1) thus can be readily removed by rotating the pins by handles (26), not requiring tools, and maximum ink distribution is ensured by the elongated slit which receives ink via a flattened funnel-shaped distribution duct (16) coupled to the holder unit (2).

Printing machine with separable compact inker including a chambered

To permit access to accessory apparatus, such as inkers or dampers, or parts thereof, through an opening in the side wall of the printing machine which is so small, for reasons of printing machine stability, that normal access thereto is impaired, at least part of the accessory apparatus is located on a slide carriage (27) which is supported similar to a suspension slide on a carriage support rail (28). The carriage support rail (28) is secured to one side wall with a pivot hinge, so that it can be pivoted laterally, horizontally, to remove the part of the accessory apparatus by sliding it outwardly on the slide carriage. A holder extension (39) slidable on the support (38) is secured to the other side wall (1) of the printing machine supports the carriage support rail and provides an end stop for the accessory apparatus when the carriage support rail is swung outwardly.

Offset printing machine with readily accessible accessory apparatus

To permit easy removal and/or engagement and disengagement of a chambered doctor blade unit (1) from an anilox roller (2), the chambered doctor blade unit is attached to a holder (4) which has axially extending projecting pins or bolts (6, 7). The pins or bolts (6, 7) engage in hook-like extensions (12, 13) depending from a cross member (9) extending between the side walls (8) of the printing machine. An eccentric clamping cam disk (10) is rotatable about the cross member (9) and bears, in dependence on the rotary position thereof, against an upper surface of the holder for the chambered doctor blade unit (1) to thereby ensure interengagement of the projecting pins or bolts (6, 7) in the hook-like extensions (12, 13) and on support as well as locating surfaces (14, 16; 17, 18) thereof, while permitting quick release of this interengagement permitting movement and easy removal of the chambered doctor blade unit (1).

Printing machine having chambered doctor blade unit inker

To eliminate a separate cleaning roller to clean a forme cylinder and in application roller in a printing machine system, and utilize existing rollers of the damping system to apply cleaning fluid, a support lever (8, 26) axially journals and retains a damping liquid application roller (1) and a damping liquid transport roller (2); a pivot lever (11) is pivotably coupled to the supply lever (8, 26), and a guide arrangement is provided, for example formed by a link system (14, 15, 16) or a cam track and cam control element (27, 28) to control movement of the support lever under control of an operating element, such as a solenoid or a piston-cylinder arrangement (13). Movement of the support lever is controlled by the guide means between a first position a first position, in which the damping liquid application roller is engaged on the forme cylinder (4) and the damping liquid transport roller (2) is in surface engagement with the damping liquid application roller and the liquid supply roller and a second position, in which the damping liquid application roller is in liquid transfer contact with the cleaning fluid supply means (18) and the transport roller (2) is in engagement with the ink application roller (5).

Combined damping and cylinder cleaning system for a printing machine

To easily control flexographic printing ink of different colors, and washing liquid, to a plurality of printing plates on a plurality of printing stations of a system, a valve housing (26) is formed with a plurality of connection ducts, each coupled to a respective ink and washing fluid supply line. A plurality of elongated plug valve elements (41) are located in bores of the housing, the valve elements having axial bores and axially and circumferentially offset radial bores, leaving a portion of the plug elements solid to form an OFF position. The radial bores can be aligned, upon rotation of the valve elements, with coupling ducts which, in turn, connect with second fluid connection ducts (27-30, 31). Selectively, flow connection between selected supply lines and selected receiving lines are established by a fluid path: second fluid connection ducts (27-30, 31), a selected radial bore (45-48, 49) in the valve element, through a coupling duct (40) in alignment with the selected radial bore, the axial bore (44) of the valve element and one of the first connection ducts (36-39).

Multi-liquid control valve system, particularly for flexographic ink of

To permit separating a flexograph ink trough, and flexograph ductor or trough roller into axial zones for respectively differently colored inks, a separating plate is located beneath the doctor blade which has a sealing element (7) attached thereto, resiliently engaging the underside of two doctor blades (2, 3), facing the ductor or trough roller (1) from different directions to permit operation of the ductor or trough roller (1) in either direction of rotation. A low-friction surface is applied to the edge which faces the ductor or trough roller, the sealing element spanning the space between the doctor blades and being matched to the circumference of the ductor or trough roller. The doctor blades extend axially beyond the sealing elements. The separating plates and sealing elements can be mounted on units which are axially positionable along an ink trough, and hence the ductor or trough roller, at selected positions, as required by the axial extent of differently colored inking zones.

Ink separating unit for flexo printing machinery

To simply and reliably connect together clamping jaws located in the groove of a printing machine cylinder, while permitting secure and aligned positioning of jaw pairs holding the leading edge of a printing plate while permitting self-alignment or self-adjustment by pivoting movement of jaw pairs holding the trailing end, a bolt with an intermediate flange is screwed into the side wall of the groove, the jaw which is to positively position the leading end of the plate is engaged against the flange and located by a nut threaded on the bolt, the bolt previously having been adjusted to set the circumferential register of the plate by screwing into--and out--from the cylinder wall. The associated jaw of the pair clamps the plate in position. At the trailing end, the nut is not used or loosened, for example held against removal by a C-ring, so that springs which clamp both jaws together can also move that one of the jaws closest to the side wall towards the inside of the groove, thus tensioning the trailing end of the plate.

Apparatus for stretching a printing plate on a plate holding cylinder

To permit placement of an exchange or replacement cylinder, such as an Anilox inker roller between side walls (1) of a printing machine which is formed with openings to receive rollers of an inker for a raised letter, or offset printing system, and positioned such that the larger diameter Anilox roller will not fit into an existing opening, an arrangement is provided to relocate the center of rotation (7a) of the Anilox roller (7) with respect to the center (6a) of an existing opening which includes an axially (15) journaled in the existing opening and rotating about the original bearing axis (6a), the axially shaft having two spur gears (16, 17) at its ends, projecting, respectively, inwardly and outwardly of the side wall (1). The spur gears are engaged by inwardly geared ring gears (19, 22) respectively, one ring gear (19) being located outside of the side walls and journaled for rotation about the replacement axis (7a) by a flanged bearing bolt (18) secured the side wall, for example, and preferably including an outer gear (19a) to receive drive power. A, preferably similar, inwardly geared ring gear (22) meshes with the inner spur gear (16), the inner ring gear being secured to a stub shaft (23) on the Anilox roller, rotatable about the replacement axis of rotation (7a), and retained in place by bearing (24) located within the bearing housing (25) which, preferably, can be rocked about the original bearing axis (6a), by being connected over bearings (27) with the side wall (1) of the machine, so that the Anilox roller (7) can be rocked in and out of engagement with an existing plate cylinder.

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Hirschbach, Germany

Franz X Gollinger