Abstract: To provide for selective printing by a five-cylinder printing machine either in single prism printing (1/0) or double prime printing (2/0) or prime-and-verso printing (1/1), at least one (3) of the printing cylinders can be selectively positioned by a crank arrangement (16, 15, 15a) which is coupled to a link (13) which link, in turn, operates a lever of an eccentric bearing (12) such that when the first printing cylinder (3) is to be, selectively, in engagement with either the impression cylinder (1) or the second blanket cylinder (2), the link is in a position at which the link passes through the axis of rotation of the crank so that reactive rotary forces from the blanket cylinder will not be transferred to the crank and hence will be isolated from an operating element (18) which moves the crank arrangement. Preferably, the crank arrangement is formed by a gear segment (15) which is rotated by a segmental gear (16), coupled to a linear piston--cylinder arrangement forming the operating element (18).

Abstract: To permit exchange of printed subject matter carried on a plate of a plate cylinder (10, 16) of two printing couples (8, 10; 12, 16) which are selectively engageable with an impression cylinder (4) which, for example, can be a blanket cylinder of another printing couple (3, 4), while continuing to print information from one of the plates (10, 16) of a selected one of the first two printing couples, clutches (9, 15) are provided to engage the respective printing couples through drive gears mounted on the shafts of the respective blanket cylinders (6, 12); circumferential register of the associated plate cylinders (10, 16) is obtained by axial shifting of the blanket cylinders (6, 12) and use of spiral gears in which the gears connecting the blanket cylinder and plate cylinder (6, 10; 12, 16) of one printing couple have opposite direction of gear inclination to the drive gear (7, 13) selectively engageable with the main machine drive, for example through a gear (5) on the impression cylinder (4) which, in turn,

Abstract: To permit selective operation of a rubber blanket--plate cylinder couple located, respectively, above and below an impression cylinder for double prime printing, prime-and-verso printing, or printing plate change while printing is carried out with a remaining couple and during operation of the machine, two clutches (21 or 25) selectively feed a main rotary drive from a main gear (18, 19) to the drive gears (22, 23) of the upper blanket cylinder--plate cylinder couple (2, 4) or, upon operation of a clutch (25) via drive gears (26, 27) to the lower blanket cylinder--plate cylinder couple (3, 5). For prime-and-verso printing, only one of the clutches (e.g. 21) is operated.