Abstract: In one example, a web press includes a web press station (610) and a convertible buffer (600) near the web press station, the convertible buffer being configured to convert to a platform (630) for accessing the web press station. A method for performing web press maintenance is also disclosed.

Abstract: A variable cutoff printing unit is provided including a first upper plate cylinder carrying a first upper image, a first upper blanket cylinder including a first upper blanket print area for transferring the first upper image to a web and a first upper blanket non print area, a second upper plate cylinder carrying a second upper image, a second upper blanket cylinder including a second upper blanket print area for transferring the second upper image to the web and a second upper blanket non print area, a first lower plate cylinder carrying a first lower image, a first lower blanket cylinder including a first lower blanket print area for transferring the first lower image to the web and a first lower blanket non print area, a second lower plate cylinder carrying a second lower image and a second lower blanket cylinder including a second lower blanket print area for transferring the second lower image to the web and a second lower blanket non print area.

Abstract: A printing system is provided with a first printing machine that includes at least one printing unit and a first folding funnel which is located at an exit of the printing unit. A second printing machine, with a second printing unit and a drier, together with a folding funnel at its exit, is also part of the printing system. The first and second folding funnels differ from each other in the number of formers that are placed next to each other in a machine plane, or vary in an effective width of one or more folders. A web, or a partial web, which is printed by the second printing unit, and which is guided through the drier, can be guided either to the second folding funnel structure, or can be guided to the first folding funnel structure, which differs from the second funnel structure in at least one of numbers and width.

Abstract: A variable cutoff printing press is provided that includes a plate cylinder, a first blanket cylinder including a first circumferential section movable with respect to a second circumferential section, and a second blanket cylinder including a third circumferential section movable with respect to a fourth circumferential section. The first, second, third and fourth circumferential sections contact the plate cylinder during a printing mode and print continuous images having a cutoff length on a web. A method of printing is also provided.

Abstract: A printing group of a printing press is comprised of a transfer cylinder, a forme cylinder and a first roller of an inking unit. That first inking unit roller cooperates, as an ink application roller, with the forme cylinder. The inking unit is provided with two axially traversing friction cylinders which are serially disposed in the ink path to the forme cylinder. The first inking unit roller has substantially the same diameter as the forme cylinder.

Abstract: A rotary press including a plurality of printing groups each with a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder arranged in the machine frame such that respectively two blanket cylinders are configured to be leaned against each other and, in this way, a paper web that is guidable between the blanket cylinders is printable on both sides. Furthermore, the press includes inking units for inking the printing groups and damping units for applying a damping medium. The inking units are configured such that, with at least some of the inking units, two plate cylinders and thus two blanket cylinders at a time are able to be inked up. In this way, a compact, space-saving and economical design of the press is achieved.

Abstract: A printing system includes a first printing machine that is provided in the form of a newspaper printing machine and which comprises at least two first printing units that are provided in the form of printing towers and with a number of printing machines arranged one above the other for effecting double-sided printing of a substrate in multiple colors. A first folding funnel is arranged in a machine exit of these first printing units. A second printing machine is provided with at least one second printing unit and with a dryer that is situated in the machine exit of the second printing unit. The at least one second printing unit is positioned with respect to its printing location, and when viewed from above, is arranged next to the machine exit of the first printing units provided in the form of printing towers.

Abstract: A printing machine system includes a first printing machine which has at least one first printing unit and a first fold forming funnel and that is arranged in the machine alignment of the at least first printing unit. A second printing machine, which has at least one second printing unit, and a second fold forming funnel, is also provided in the printing machine system. The second fold forming funnel is in machine alignment with the at least one second printing unit. The printing group cylinders of the first and second printing units are positioned substantially orthogonally in relationship to each other in their axial directions. The two fold forming funnel structures are positioned substantially orthogonally in respect to each other in a line running in a direction of material web transport as projected onto a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A printing machine system includes a first printing machine which is configured as a newspaper printing machine and which has at least two first printing units that are structured as printing towers, each with a plurality of superimposed printing groups that are usable for multicolor printing. The first printing machine also includes a first folder structure which is arranged in a machine alignment of the at least two first printing units. A second printing machine has at least one second printing unit and a second folder structure. The first printing units and the at least one second printing unit are arranged in one row. The first printing units, which are configured as printing towers, differ from the at least one second printing unit in at least one of their effective printing length and a circumference of imaging printing group cylinders.

Abstract: A web-fed printing press, in particular a newspaper printing press having at least two printing press subsystems, is disclosed. Each printing press subsystem has a printing unit comprised of several printing mechanisms, a web guidance unit for conveying printed and unprinted substrate webs and a turning bar unit having several turning bars. The printing press subsystems guide the printed substrate webs over at least one shared folding unit. At least one printing press subsystem is designed differently in comparison with the other or each other printing press subsystem such that substrate webs are printable with a different number of print pages in the printing press subsystems.

Abstract: A printing unit, which is a part of a multi-color printing press, has a plurality of double printing units which are arranged vertically one above the other and consist of two printing groups forming a double print position. The printing group cylinders are mounted together in a central stand section. Inking units, which are associated with the printing groups, are mounted in outer stand sections. A distance between adjacent ones of these stand sections is adjustable. Printing and transfer cylinders of each printing group are coupled by a toothed gear wheel connection and are driven in pairs by a separate drive motor. The toothed gear wheels of all of the printing group cylinders are arranged in a common lubricant chamber which is formed by the central stand section and a cover. The inking systems have at least one separate drive motor, which is independent of the printing group cylinders.

Abstract: A printing unit (1, 2) in a web-fed rotary printing press for imprinting both sides of a printing stock web (7) with process colors cyan and/or magenta and/or yellow and/or black (CMYK), wherein at least one imprinting device (3) is arranged at the printing unit. The inking unit or inking units (9) of the imprinting device (3) is/are outfitted with an ink and/or an additive which are/is different than the process colors and which can be applied to the printing stock web (7).

Abstract: A printing unit of a printing press includes at least two frame parts whose distance from each other can be varied. Each of these frame parts include two laterally spaced frame plates. The two frame plates in each of the frame parts accommodate at least one cylinder or roller which extends between them. The two lateral frame plates in each frame part are spaced from each other in an axial direction of the supported cylinder or roller. Adjacent ones of the frame parts are connectable to each other by abutting of their respective lateral frame plates. At least three locking and/or centering devices are used to align and to lock together the lateral frame plates of adjacent ones of the frame parts.

Abstract: At least one of a transverse elongation and a longitudinal elongation of a printing material are compensated for. The printing material passes through serially arranged printing couples in a printing press. A component of the transverse elongation is compensated for after passage of the printing material through a first printing couple and before its entry into a second printing couple. This can be accomplished by the use of a framing controller. Alternatively, this transverse elongation can be compensated for by the displacement of at least one printing form which is situated on a subsequent printing couple. The printing form can be displaced transverse to a production direction of the printing material, relative to a reference mark on the printing material. An elongation of the printing material, which is known at the time of image generation on a printing form of a subsequent printing couple can be compensated for by proper configuration or positioning of the printed image on the printing form.

Abstract: A printing press includes a frame that supports one or more printing units. Each printing unit includes a retractable inker module cantileverly supported by the frame, an ink injection system having a pump, a sidelay registration mechanism for one or more plate cylinders of the printing unit, an extension sleeve extending a length of a plate cylinder sleeve, and an expandable layer for each blanket cylinder and plate cylinder that provides changing the inner diameter of the blanket cylinder and the plate cylinder.

Abstract: A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit 2a having a first and second plate cylinder 4,6 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 8, 10 which are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor 12. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinder 24, 26 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30. The first plate cylinder 24 and the first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30 are mechanically coupled via meshing gea wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor 42. The second plate cylinder 26 is individually driven by a second drive motor 46, and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinder 30 while the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

Abstract: A printing machine is comprised of several printing groups, at least one dryer and at least one folding apparatus. At least two of the printing groups are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the cylinders in the printing groups. A longitudinal direction of the dryer extends perpendicular to the axes of rotation of at least one cylinder group which defines a printing gap.

Abstract: A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit 2a having a first and second plate cylinder 4, 6 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 8, 10 which are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor 12. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinder 24, 26 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30. The first plate cylinder 24 and the first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30 are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor 42. The second plate cylinder 26 is individually driven by a second drive motor 46, and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinder 30 while the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

Abstract: In order to create preconditions, in a web-fed rotary press, for good format variability of the printed products and economic utilization of the printing material, at least two printed pages of different heights are arranged in the circumferential direction on a form cylinder.

Abstract: A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit 2a having a first and second plate cylinder 4, 6 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 8, 10 which are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor 12. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinder 24, 26 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30. The first plate cylinder 24 and the first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30 are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor 42. The second plate cylinder 26 is individually driven by a second drive motor 46, and is engageable and disengageable from de associated second blanket cylinder 30 while the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

Abstract: A web printer has a buffer for adjusting the traveling position of the web under its slack status, a tension assigning unit for assigning fixed tension to the web delivered from the buffer, a device for detecting the traveling position of the web delivered from the tension assigning unit, a sew correction unit for adjusting the skew of the web according to the output from the detection device, and an image forming unit that forms images on the web.

Abstract: A satellite printing machine for printing sheets includes a single central common counter-pressure cylinder and at least four satellite printing groups arranged in a peripherally distributed manner about the counter-pressure cylinder in a rotational direction thereof from a feed cylinder to an output cylinder. The counter-pressure cylinder is provided in the form of a rubber blanket cylinder. At least one additional satellite printing group cooperates with the counter-pressure cylinder for at least single-color back side printing, and is disposed in the rotational direction of the counter-pressure cylinder before the feed system and after the output cylinder.

Abstract: A printer, that includes multiple printing groups, is mounted in the frame of an offset printing machine. Each printing group includes at least one printing cylinder, at least one transfer cylinder and at least one inking system. Two of these printing groups are arranged opposite to each other. At least one counter-pressure cylinder is arranged between these opposite printing groups. The frame has at least three separable frame modules. At least one printing group is located in a left module. At least one printing group is located in a right module. At least one counter-pressure cylinder is located in a module frame module situated between the left and right frame modules.

Abstract: A web-fed rotary printing press (1) for alternatively printing, in a perfecting mode, a single web (10) or, in a non-perfecting mode, first and second webs (6, 8), comprises a first impression cylinder (16) having a plurality of first blanket cylinders (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) arranged along a periphery of the first impression cylinder (16). A second impression cylinder (18) located adjacent to the first impression cylinder (16) has a plurality of second blanket cylinders (28a, 28b, 28c, 28d) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) arranged along a periphery thereof. In the perfecting mode, the single web (10) is passed over first impression cylinder (16) to be printed on a first side (10a) thereof and is afterwards passed through a gap (20) between the first and second impression cylinders (16, 18) to the second impression cylinder (18) to be printed on a second side (10b) thereof.

Abstract: The web-fed rotary offset printing machine utilizes a blanket belt onto which two or more colors are offset and which prints the two or more colors at once onto a material web. The blanket belt travels about guide rollers which have a lesser mass and/or a lesser diameter than the form cylinders which offset the colors onto the blanket belt. If several impression nips—blanket to web nips—are formed along the travel path of the material web, they are located so close to one another that fan out register errors cannot occur.

Abstract: In a rotary press, a first press roller adapted to retreat during printing and advance during plate changing to contact a web is provided on a travel route of the web between a printing unit and a dryer. A second press roller having the same function as the first press roller is provided on the travel route of the web between air infeed unit and the printing unit. A web presser for pinching the web is provided on the travel route of the web between the infeed unit and the second press roller. With the web being pinched by the web presser, the first press roller and the second press roller can be moved by the web in a retreating direction. After plate changing is completed, the press rollers can smoothly ascend regardless of their pressure, and can promptly and smoothly return to the state before plate changing.

Abstract: To provide a synchronous control apparatus in a rotary press having a plurality of multicolor printing units to print the synchronous control apparatus including a printing image allocation setting section for allocating printing images which printing couples are to print, a drive unit for driving the printing couples, an inking transmission unit, a first moving unit for moving blanket cylinders of two sets of printing couples, a second moving unit for making it possible to supply ink, slave control sections for controlling rotation of the drive unit, a transmission unit related to the printing couples and inking devices, operation control sections for controlling operations of the first moving unit and second moving unit according to output signals of the slave control sections, and a master control section connected to the printing image allocation setting section and each of the slave control sections via a network.

Abstract: A nine-cylinder satellite printing unit includes printing stations having a first, second, third and fourth transfer cylinder which a web passes through. The transfer cylinders are capable of being stopped when the printing assembly is switched off. A distance between each of the first and second transfer cylinders, the second and third transfer cylinders, and the third and fourth transfer cylinder is shorter than the distance between the first and fourth transfer cylinder. A guide roller keeps a supplied portion of the web away from the first transfer cylinder and another guide roller keeps a discharged portion web away from the fourth transfer cylinder when the first and fourth printing cylinders are respectively in print thrown-off positions.

Abstract: The web-fed rotary offset printing machine utilizes a blanket belt onto which two or more colors are offset and which prints the two or more colors at once onto a material web. The blanket belt travels about guide rollers which have a lesser mass and/or a lesser diameter than the form cylinders which offset the colors onto the blanket belt. If several impression nips—blanket to web nips—are formed along the travel path of the material web, they are located so close to one another that fan out register errors cannot occur.

Abstract: In the present invention, a blanket cylinder for a printing press is made up of a shaft roller and a cylindrical blanket capable of being attached and detached freely to and from the shaft roller. The cylindrical blanket comprises an elastic layer formed integrally with a cylindrical sleeve by winding and bonding a sheet-form elastic member on and to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve, the elastic layer having a gap extending in the axial direction formed between both ends in the circumferential direction of the sheet-form elastic member; and a separation preventive member for preventing both ends in the circumferential direction of the sheet-form elastic member from being separated from the sleeve, the separation preventive member being embedded in the gap so as to be thinner than the thickness of the sheet-form elastic member to form a groove in the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer.

Abstract: A web-fed rotary printing press includes at least two printing units each of which has two print units. The two print units are situated adjacent each other and form a double print unit or print unit module. Several double print units or printing units can be situated one after the other. One of the printing units can be shifted with respect to the other printing unit to afford access to each print unit for maintenance work.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a web of material by applying a liquid material to the web, heating the web, cooling the web and moistening the web is provided with an applicator that applies the liquid material to the web, a drying apparatus that heats the web to an initial temperature of greater than about 250° F. and causes the web to have a moisture content of no greater than about 1.5%, a first cooling apparatus that causes the initial temperature of the web to be reduced to a second temperature no greater than about 210° F. and no less than about 100° F., a moistening apparatus that causes the moisture content of the web to be increased to at least about 2.5%, and a second cooling apparatus that causes the web to be cooled to a temperature not greater than about 100° F.

Abstract: A printing unit of an offset printing press utilizes a plurality of forme cylinders, transfer cylinders and at least two counter-pressure cylinders. In one mode of production all of the transfer cylinders engage one of the counter-pressure cylinders. In another mode of production two of the transfer cylinders cooperate with one of the counter-pressure cylinders and at least another one of the transfer cylinders cooperate with the other counter-pressure cylinder.

Abstract: A web-fed, multicolor, offset perfecting printing press having a stack of printing units each having a combination of a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder on one side of a continuous web of paper, and another such combination on the other side. Each plate cylinder is split into a pair of halves for printing a pair of images in juxtaposition transversely of the web. For precise registration of the different color images printed by the different printing units on the web, there are provided a pair of axial adjustments coupled to opposite ends of each plate cylinder for causing axial displacement of the respective plate cylinder halves with a view to fine image positioning transversely of the web, and a circumferential adjustment for causing circumferential displacement of either half of each plate cylinder with a view to fine image positioning longitudinally of the web.

Abstract: A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit 2a having a first and second plate cylinder 4, 6 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 8, 10 which are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor 12. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinder 24, 26 and associated first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30. The first plate cylinder 24 and the first and second blanket cylinders 28, 30 are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor 42. The second plate cylinder 26 is individually driven by a second drive motor 46, and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinder 30 while the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

Abstract: A print unit of an offset printing machine utilizes individually driven cylinders. Each forme cylinder or plate cylinder is driven by its own, separate drive motor. The blanket cylinders, or cooperating blanket cylinders and counter-pressure cylinders are driven together by associated drive motors.

Abstract: A rotary printing press control method receiving a drive reference from a master control section, generating a phase correction based on dividing a length between a printing unit and a folding unit by an outer peripheral length of a printing cylinder of the printing unit, generating a drive reference speed signal based on the drive reference, generating a corrected drive reference phase signal obtained by correcting a drive reference phase based on the drive reference with the phase correction, generating a feedback speed signal and a feedback phase signal based on the operating condition of the printing unit, generating a phase difference signal based on a phase difference between the corrected drive reference phase and the feedback phase signal, and correcting the drive reference speed signal and the feedback speed signal to control a drive for the printing unit.

Abstract: In a rotary rotogravure printing press for accomplishing the multicolor printing of first and second sides of a material to be printed, first side printing units and second side printing units are arranged in an alternating form. Dryers are located between the alternating first and second material side printing units, which may be configured as tower printing units.

Abstract: A multi-pass imaging system and method provides for duplex documents and multiple color images with variable information to be printed by re-entering a substrate into a same tower system, employing a split roller design, for generating subsequent portions of a printed image. When a webbed substrate is fed into a tower, a first one in each of multiple pairs of rollers moves the substrate past a first set of printheads for generating a first portion of the printed image. The substrate is then re-entered into the tower, and a second one in each of the multiple pairs of rollers moves the substrate past a subsequent set of printheads for generating a subsequent portion of the printed image. Each of the multiple pairs of rollers comprise independently operating dual rollers on a single shaft.

Abstract: A cylinder unit is provided for a web-fed printing press. The unit includes first and second cylinders which form printing gaps with a common first counterpressure cylinder. Third and fourth cylinders are provided which form printing gaps with a common second counterpressure cylinder. The four cylinders and the two counterpressure cylinders are cylinders of a single H-shaped cylinder bridge. The second and third cylinders are spaced from one another at such a distance that a web can run in between these two cylinders in their printing-on positions at the respective counterpressure cylinders and can run out after wrapping around the two counterpressure cylinders. The first and fourth cylinders are spaced so close to one another that they can be reversed from a printing-on position against their respective counterpressure cylinder into printing-on position in relation to one another.

Abstract: A web-fed rotary press has an adjustable reel changer for accommodating printing material webs of different widths, a printing couple with printing cylinders, which can be engaged with one another to form printing stations, and an adjustable folder. The width of the reel changer and the positions of the printing cylinders and of components of the folder are adjusted automatically and in a mutually coordinated manner during the run of the press for changing over the production from a first printed product to a second printed product.

Abstract: A tower printing unit is formed using a plurality of bridge printing units, each of which has two opposing individual printing units. Ink roller trains in vertically alternating ones of these bridge printing units are oriented either vertically or horizontally. The resultant tower printing unit is more compact and efficient.

Abstract: A paper guide for a web-fed rotary printing press which prints multiple colors on both sides of a paper web uses multiple color printing groups arranged in pairs on a plurality of vertically spaced levels. Separate air drying paths are provided for the web after it has been initially printed in multiple colors on one side and again after it has been printed in multiple colors on its other side. The length of these paths are a multiple of the spacing between plate cylinders in each of the levels of the printing machine.

Abstract: Two satellite printing stations (2, 3) are located vertically above each other, and a web (22) is guided first about a common impression cylinder (13) of the lower printing station, then upwardly about a common impression cylinder (4) of the upper printing station (2). To prevent set-off of freshly printed ink in the lower printing station (3) on the common impression cylinder (4) of the upper printing station, blanket cylinders (6, 7, 10, 12) of the upper printing station (2) are so located that, respectively, two blanket cylinders (6, 7, 10, 12) of printing couples of the upper printing stations are in vertical alignment so that a tangent at the nip between these blanket cylinders will be in an essentially horizontal plane (31).

Abstract: To permit selective operation of two printing couples (1, 2, 4, 5) for printing, on a continuous web (7) respectively double-image prime printing (FIG. 1), single-image prime printing (FIGS. 3, 5), while permitting flying plate changes of one of the plates of a disengaged printing couple, or prime and verso printing (FIG. 7), two impression cylinders are provided, engageable with the blanket cylinders of the respective printing couples, the impression cylinders being spaced from each other by a gap sufficient to permit passage of the web therebtween when the system operates in the prime-and-verso printing mode, with a gap sufficient so that freshly printed subject matter will not be smeared by contact with the respective impression cylinders.

Abstract: An offset press unit which has a main frame defining a pair of spaced apart walls having bores therein, a pair of plate cylinders are disposed within the frame and are rotatably supported in spaced apart relation, and a pair of blanket cylinders are disposed within the frame each is rotatably supported for rolling contact with the other and with one of said plate cylinders, internal support means are secured to one of the walls and include at least one cylinder supporting bearing, external support means are secured to the other of said walls including at least one cylinder supporting bearing and one of the printing cylinders is rotatably supported by the cylinder supporting bearings.

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: A method and apparatus for conversion of a web fed letterpress unit (10) into a web fed offset printing press unit (42) having a main frame (12) an auxiliary frame (44) inside the main frame for receiving cylinders, a pair of offset plate cylinders (46 and 46a) for mounting printing plates thereon, an inking arrangement (16, 18 and 20) for applying films of ink to the plates, and a pair of blanket cylinders (48 and 48a) in close proximity to a position for respective rolling contact with the plates on the plate cylinder and the other blanket cylinder. An offset press gear train (114) is installed outside the frames if the shafts for the cylinders can be extended through the bores (56, 56a, 58, 58a, 76 and 112) in the main frame left from the removed letterpress unit cylinders. Otherwise the gear train (54) is placed inside the main frame. Pilots (60, 60a, 62 and 62a) for insertion into bores in the main frame guide the installation of the auxiliary frame.

Abstract: To provide for versatile printing, while permitting exchange of the plate of a blanket cylinder - plate cylinder couple during operation of the printing machine, i.e. while the machine is printing, for example only prime or verso printing in a single color, two blanket cylinder - plate cylinder (2, 4; 3, 5) are provided, selectively engageable with an impression cylinder (1). One (3) of the blanket cylinders is positionable in three axial positions, selectively (a) for engagement with the impression cylinder (1), (b) for engagement with the other blanket cylinder (2) or (c) removed from both the impression and the blanket cylinder, to permit exchange of the plate of the associated plate cylinder (5). A paper web substrate (6) can be passed, selectively, between the two blanket cylinders and partially about the impression cylinder, or between the impression cylinder and one of the blanket cylinders.

Abstract: An offset press unit which has a main frame defining a pair of spaced apart walls having bores therein, a pair of plate cylinders are disposed within the frame and are rotatably supported in spaced apart relation, and a pair of blanket cylinders are disposed within the frame each is rotatably supported for rolling contact with the other and with one of said plate cylinders, internal support means are secured to one of the walls and include at least one cylinder supporting bearing, external support means are secured to the other of said walls including at least one cylinder supporting bearing and one of the printing cylinders is rotatably supported by the cylinder supporting bearings.