Abstract: Printing press cylinders are washed with a washcloth which is selectively wound forward and backward between a rotatable supply drum and a rotatable takeup drum. The washcloth is thereby cyclically pressed against a surface of a respective cylinder of the printing press in the washing operation and it is transported onward onto the takeup drum. The washing operation is controlled by detecting, with a sensor system, a transport distance of the washcloth and furnishing, with the sensor, a transport distance signal. The system is initialized by checking whether or not the insert is present and/or whether or not the insert carries enough fresh washcloth. This is done by winding the washcloth forward and back by a given distance. During the ongoing washing operation the transport speed of the washcloth is continously determined from the transport distance signal and comparing with a predetermined lower value and a predetermined upper value.

Abstract: Device for measuring contact pressure of a gripper device having a gripper member and a gripper pad in a sheet-fed rotary printing press includes a layer of piezoelectric material, one of the gripper member and the gripper pad being formed of two parts with the layer of piezoelectric material disposed between the two parts, and a device for picking-off a charge from the layer of piezoelectric material which is a measure of contact pressure between the gripper member and the gripper pad of the gripper device.