Abstract: In the strip feeding mechanism of the invention, the main drive shaft drives meshing bevel gears on secondary shafts respectively, which extend in opposite directions with one secondary shaft being journalled by a main bearing cartridge unit. The said cartridge unit is characterized by a concentric surface and by an eccentric surface which is adjacent to the annular flanges of the unit. This novel feature of the cartridge unit enables the secondary shaft journalled thereby to be secured in the housing wall so as to eliminate all clearances in the bevel gearing and also to eliminate all clearances in the conjugate cam arrangements which are driven by this secondary shaft.

Abstract: A plate cylinder has a shaft end portion that is rotatably supported in a press frame for axial movement relative thereto. A gear hub is axially movable and coaxially positioned on the shaft end portion. A helical driven gear is coaxially positioned on and non-rotatably secured to the gear hub. The teeth of the driven gear mesh with the helical gear teeth of a drive gear fixed relative to the driven gear. A circumferential adjustment housing is rotatably secured to the gear hub to permit rotation of the gear hub relative to the housing. The housing is non-rotatably positioned for axial movement in a support frame that extends outwardly from the press frame. Resilient members retained within the circumferential adjustment housing urge the housing to move axially relative to the support frame. A circumferential adjustment mechanism is non-rotatably secured to the circumferential adjustment housing and axially moves the housing toward and away from the main frame.

Abstract: An improved planetary gear drive, employing multiple countershafts to reduce the loads carried by the individual components, is disclosed wherein at least one helical gear set having sets of oppositely inclined oblique teeth is mounted for axial movement on a common shaft to transmit power from a drive component to a power component. A compression spring, disposed contiguous with one face of the helical gear set, cooperates with the oppositely inclined teeth of the helical gear set to resiliently move the helical gear set axially along its shaft to equalize the axial force components on its oppositely skewed sets of teeth. The invention may be embodied at any one of several different points in the gear train.