Abstract: To permit high-speed operation of a longitudinal folding apparatus in which a folding blade engages between two folding rollers (11), the folding blade and the folding rollers of the folding apparatus (7) are made sufficiently long to accomodate a plurality of essentially immediately adjacently positioned printed products. The printed products are supplied by a transport system (1, 20) with spacing by about the length of a product therebetween, and, in accordance with the invention, are repositioned immediately adjacent each other, with gaps between immediately adjacent products longer than the spacing between products as supplied.

Abstract: To sense the ink density, in zones, transversely of a plate cylinder while avoiding possible erroneous determination due to transport of contaminants such paper dust or fluff, from the blanket cylinder to the plate cylinder, the attachment groove for the blanket (4) of the blanket cylinder (2) is made wider than the attachment groove (10) for the plate (3) of the plate cylinder (1), to leave a transverse strip (A) extending across the plate, on which sensing fields (12) are applied, for example by printing-on; the sensing fields, located in adjacent zones (Z) will be inked by the inking system (25) of the printing machine and, since out of contact with the blanket, will remain uncontaminated. A densitometer (13) sensing the inking density in the respective fields is translated across the printing cylinder, and sensed values are associated with the measuring fields (12), for example by determining rotation (n(sync)), permitting control of adjustment screws of a doctor blade (24) by suitable servo motors (23).

Abstract: To re-orient the position of a sheet, or package of sheets (3), for example after having been folded in a folding former, cut, and transversely folded in a folding knife cylinder, a pair of vertically aligned dish-like plates, or disks (4,5) are moved in an endless transport path. The plurality of such pairs of plates or disks may be provided, each pair being moved in a path by a gear belt (16, 29) driven by a gear or sprocket wheel (20, 30). The plates or disks receive a sheet, or package of sheets (3) therebetween, then are moved towards each other to clamp the sheet therebetween, for example under cam control (25) and a spring (24), and, when the sheets are clamped, additional rotation is supplied to one (4) of the plates or disks, the other (5) being freely rotatable, for example by a stepping motor (37) coupled thereto via a gear transmission and a bushing or sleeve concentric with the shaft driving the sprocket wheel.

Abstract: The turning cylinder and storage cylinder in a perfecting printing press is provided with changeover mechanisms having spring-loaded electromagnetically releasable latches and sensors for detecting latched adjustments. Moreover, a contactless sensor is provided for detecting clamping of the calendering suckers in the storage cylinder even when the cylinder is rotating. Contactless proximity switches determine the correct phase adjustments between the storage cylinder and the turning cylinder for both perfecting and first form printing. An access door and interlock guarantees that the cylinders are turned to a normal position and braked before the access door is opened, and the access door cannot be closed for subsequent printing until changeover has been completed. An indicator array indicates the sequence of adjustments to follow and abnormal conditions.

Abstract: A rotary printing machine has a plate cylinder and a liquid supply apparatus comprising an inker and a damper. The liquid supply apparatus includes rollers and an endless band guided over two deflection rollers. The band, which has a surface that accepts ink and damping fluid and extends over the width of the rollers, is provided with guide elements cooperating with counterpart guide elements attached to the machine. The guide elements and counterpart guide elements are embodied such that the band is displaceable at right angles to the axes of two rollers and is additionally pivotable at least about one of the axes of a deflection roller. Positioning means supported firmly on the machine are also provided for fixing the band in at least two different operating positions, in which the band is in contact with one or two rollers of the liquid supply apparatus.

Abstract: An ink metering arrangement for a printing press including a fountain roller having a plurality of slides arranged edge-to-edge in respective column positions, each slide being adjustable so that its tip forms a gap with the roller thereby determining the rate of ink flow in the corresponding column position. Each slide has a reversible motor for driving the slide over a limited range of movement with respect to a slide reference position. A potentiometer is connected to the motor for producing an electrical output signal corresponding to the degree of slide displacement, the potentiometer having a stop to establish a reference output condition. A slip clutch is interposed in at least one of the motor connections so that when the motor is energized in a first direction the potentiometer and slide are both driven to their reference positions accompanied by relative slipping movement of the clutch notwithstanding the fact that the tip of the slide may have been shortened by wear against the roller.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a plate-clamping mechanism is provided for clamping and locking flexible printing plates on a printing cylinder wherein a clamping jaw fitted into a cylinder cavity has a leading edge for clamping one end of printing plate which is (1) non-parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation and (2) coincident with the periphery of the cylinder when the clamping jaw is in its opened or closed position. In addition, the clamping jaw's axis of rotation is parallel to the jaw's leading edge. Such a clamping jaw eliminates any void between the printing plate and the cylinder surface which might otherwise exist after the plate is tensioned and clamped: such a void is common in printing cylinders with clamping jaws having leading edges non-parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation.

Abstract: To prevent introduction of paper scraps or torn paper into the inker of a web printing machine, a web paper tear sensor (17, 18) controls a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder-piston unit (25) which severs engagement between an ink supply roller (13) and an ink application roller (12) while maintaining contact of the ink application roller with the plate cylinder (4) of the printing machine; the greater quantity of ink on the ink application roller will cause paper to adhere to the ink application roller, and thus wrap itself about that roller, severance of contact with the ink supply roller (13) preventing introduction of torn paper into the inker.

Abstract: In order to eliminate the contaminant particles collecting between the inking roller in the inking system of a rotary printing machine and the doctor blade, a strip or wiper element of elastic material extending in the axial direction and projecting from the surface of the inking roller is glued onto the surface of the ink roller or inserted into grooves thereon to pick up and transport small contaminants from the trough into the ink path where they are harmless.

Abstract: A sheet feeding assembly for a printing press including a feed table having a set of front stops and which is inclined downwardly so that a sheet travels toward the front edge of the table where it is temporarily retained in registered position. A port connected to a source of compressed air extends through the table at a position spaced from the front edge of the table. A rear feed plate is seated on the table upstream of the port and a front feed plate is seated on the table downstream of the port, the plates being substantially coplanar with their respective front and rear edges in proximity and uniformly spaced with respect to one another. The front edge portion of the rear feed plate is undercut to form an overhang which defines a transversely extending air conducting cavity which overlaps the port so that an air blast is directed at an angle upwardly and forwardly of the table to lubricate the passing sheet and to urge the sheet in the direction of the front stop.

Abstract: To permit, selectively, thicker or thinner ink films being transferred from an inker supply (1, 2) having a doctor blade (2) to a plate cylinder (10) via ink application rollers (8, 9) and an ink roller train, without readjustment of the position of the doctor blade (2) with respect to the ink roller (1), the ink roller train has a main train of ink rollers, and auxiliary trains or sets of paired ink rollers, the main ink roller train being so arranged that some of the rollers can be physically shifted to define a gap in the ink transfer path through the main roller train, and, instead, the gap is bridged by rollers of the auxiliary roller train (B). Inserting more rollers, serially, in the path of ink between the ink roller (1) and the plate cylinder (10) provides for a thin film of ink for offset printing; a lesser number of rollers provides a thick film of ink, for example for use in di-litho printing.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of a sheet when the sheet is placed on a support having at least two spaced apart CCD linear image sensors recessed in the sheet support and partially covered by the edge portions of the sheet. The CCDs operate as line cameras, and are scanned to generate signals correlated with the points of intersection of the sheet edges and the axes of the image sensors. Preferably the apparatus has circuitry for storing calibration values of the CCD signals obtained when the image sensors are not covered by the sheet, circuitry for storing corresponding scanning signal values when the image sensors are covered by the sheet, circuitry for comparing corresponding calibration and scanning values for obtaining difference values, and circuitry for detecting maxima in the gradient of the difference values for adjacent image points to find the locations of the points of intersection of the sheet edges and the axes of image sensors.

Abstract: In response to a stop command such as a printing disturbance signal, the transfer of varnish to the varnish applicator roller is shut off but the feeding of sheets through the varnishing unit is not immediately shut off; rather, a few remaining sheets are thereafter fed through the varnishing unit before the varnish applicator roller is thrown off from the cooperating cylinder and the machine drive is shut off. The few remaining sheets remove the residual varnish from the varnish applicator roller so that when printing is resumed the newly printed sheets do not stick to the varnish applicator roller or the cooperating cylinder. In a preferred embodiment a preselection counter, clocked by sheet feed cycles, determines the number of remaining sheets.

Abstract: To match the speed of incoming sheets, typically folded sheets, form a first high-speed transport system (3, 4) to a receiving speed of a second, lower speed transport system (5, 6), a decelerating path is formed by a third transport system (1, 2) which includes moving belts which are looped about looping rollers (17, 18) in S-configuration to further define a third path between opposed rollers (19, 20), the looping rollers being reciprocatably connected to a slide unit by an eccenter-and-crank arrangement (22, 23) so that the belts (14, 14') of the third unit will have undulating variable speed between maximum and minimum. The rotation of the eccenter-and-crank arrangement (22, 23) is synchronized with the transport of sheets such that, when the belts are at their maximum speed, they are about to grip the leading edge of a sheet being fed thereto, and then decelerate to their minimum speed when the sheets are about to leave the third transport system.

Abstract: A mechanism for axially reciprocating at least one of the distributing rollers of a printing press. A rocker having an elongated slot therein is mounted on a first pivot and oscillated thereabout by means of a link eccentrically connected to the press drive shaft. An oscillating lever is pivotally connected to the press frame for movement about a second pivot and includes a sliding block captively held in the elongated slot of the rocker. The oscillating lever is operatively connected to at least one of the distributing rollers so as to axially reciprocate the roller in response to the oscillation of the lever. The location of the first pivot is adjustable with respect to the press frame so as to change the orientation of the elongated slot in the rocker and, thus, vary the magnitude of travel of the oscillating lever which reciprocates the distributing roller. For such purpose, the first pivot is secured in one arm of a two-armed lever, the lever being pivotally connected to the frame.

Abstract: To eliminate the necessity for stapling together web portions which are derived, for example, from a rotary printing machine, and superimposed, and which should be joined together, one of the web portions is deflected in a separate path and has a strip of adhesive applied transversely to the direction of movement, for example by passing the web portion between a pair of rollers, one of which has adhesive applied thereto. The web is passed free from contact with the two rollers of the pair, and the uncoated roller, at least, is formed with a projecting strip providing an impression or counter strip to press the web portion against the adhesive coating on the other roller to thereby apply an adhesive strip thereon. The two web portions are then guided into contact with each other and folded in the folding apparatus transversely to the movement at a fold line (19). The projecting strip need not be continuous, but may be a row of projecting bumps or teeth (FIGS.

Abstract: To support a cover wrapped about the printing cylinder and prevent oscillations and resonance phenomena from arising when an attachment groove (2, 23) passes along an adjacent cylinder, a filler strip (8) is located within the groove to close off the groove. The filler strip has circumferentially extending fingers (14) which are supported on circumferentially extending fingers (15) projecting circumferentially from within the groove. The filler strip is axially shiftable along the fingers so that the gap between the support fingers (15) can be used to drop the comb fingers (14) on the filler strip radially inwardly, thus retracting the filler strip. The filler strip is preferably retracted by a retracting mechanism such as a slotted guide tube (11) engaging a lifting strip (10) projecting circumferentially from the filler strip.

Abstract: To provide for threading of paper webs to a folding apparatus (140), a plurality of paper webs (1-8; 77-84) are fed from respectively opposite sides to a plurality of deflection rollers directing the paper webs in a vertical combining plane (9). The deflection rollers are positioned in vertically staggered arrangement. The paper webs are positively fed by transport rollers (26-29; 53-56) or transport belts (110-113; 128-130), located on respective carrier plates (18, 19; 93, 94) which are movable towards or away from the combining plane and on which the transport rollers or belts are located, staggered, between the deflection rollers on the same side and so as to engage the deflection rollers on the other side of the combining plane, to provide for positive drive of paper webs and feeding to the folding apparatus (140) during threading, or upon tearing of a web, but permitting withdrawal laterally upon full-speed operation of the paper handling apparatus, for example the folder.

Abstract: The paper web capturing apparatus includes two capturing rollers, preferably disposed downstream of the last printing station, which when used in a prime-and-verso printing machine both have the same diameter as the printing station cylinders. Both cylinders acting as capturing rollers are provided with a rubber blanket and are driven at approximately the linear speed of the web. They are in continuous engagement with the web of material to be printed. During normal operation, the cylinders of the capturing apparatus effect an enhancement of the printing, in particular of the color printed at the last printing station, and in the event of web tearing the web is wrapped about one of the cylinders, which are positioned resiliently against one another.

Abstract: For the rapid simultaneous engagement, disengagement and adjustment of all the applicator rollers at the plate cylinder of a printing machine, cam discs are mounted on the journals independently of the plate cylinder bearing. In an offset printing machine, the inking and damping rollers are each associated with their own cam discs. The cam discs are pivotable by means of drives, about the journals, with respect to adjustable stops for the engagement positions and end stops for the disengaged positions of the applicator rollers. The applicator rollers are mounted on rocker arms with respect to the stationary axis of the distributors preceding the applicator rollers and are adjustable with respect to the plate cylinder through the agency of adjustment means which co-operate with the cam discs. Adjustment of the applicator rollers during operation is effected by way of the cam discs which, in addition to the disengagement lobes, have cam zones for the roller engagement and adjustment.