Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ME~HO~I;) AND APPARATUS_FOR ATTACHING ANTI-
SMEAR ~ET TO PRINTING PRESS TRANSFER CYLINDER
BACXGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to skeleton or transfer
wheels of the general type ussd in high speed,
multi-station printing pressss, and more specifically to
a new and improved method and apparatus for attaching an
S anti-smear fabric web to such wheels.-
In my U.S. Patent No. 3,791,644 there is
disclosed a skeleton wheel for use in a printing press to
reduce marking and smearing o~ the printed surface of a
sheet during conveying oP the sheet between processing
stations in the press. My U.S. Patent No. 4,402,267 is
directed to an improvement oP the invention disclosed in
my earlier patent, and specifically to a method and
apparatus including the attachment of an anti-smear
fabric to the 6upport sur~ace o~ a skelQton wheel.
A5 di~closed in my U.S. Patent No. 4,402,267,
for proper operation, the anti-smear ~abric must be
loosely attached to the support surPace oP the skeleton
wheel to ~ermit and accommodate slight relative movement
between the fabric covering and the wheel support æurPace
when the printed sheet is supported and transPerred by
the wheel. As al~o disclosed in that patent, the Pabric
coverlng i~ aktached to the ~keleton wheel ~y ~a~tenlng
~trips, ~uch a~ double ~ided adhe~ive ~trips or Pa~tening
st~lp~ m~ undar the trad~mark VELC~O, extending along
the axial width sP the wheel and dlsposed along in-turned
Plange~ Pormed at the leading and trailing edge~ oP the
cylindricAl supporting wheal ~ur~ace.
While the method and apparatus disclo~ed in my
a~orementioned U.S. Patent No. 4,402,267 has been highly
succes~ul in use, it has been Pound that some printed
sheet marking and smearing may occur in the immediate
area oP the leading and trailing edges o~ the wheel
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support surface, and particularly in th~ area of the
leading edg~. It has now been determined that such
marking and smearing is caused principally by the manner
in which the axial ends of the ~abric are fastened to the
wheel.
With the use of fastening strips formed on
in-turned flanges, as disclosed in my U.S. Patent No.
4,402,267, the fabric extends over the leading and
trailing edges of the wheel support surface in a
generally lf~ught condition, thereby restricting relative
movement or` the fabric in the area o~ the leading and
trailing edges. Due to this taught condition, marking
and marring o~ freshly printed sheets has occurred.
The present invention solves the problem of
marking and marring freshly printed sheets in the area of
the leading and trailing edges of the wheel support
surface by providing a new and improved method and
apparatus for attaching the fabric to the wheel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and an
apparatus which permits an anti-smear fabric web to be
readily and easily removed, installed and adjusted ~or
proper tension over the support surEaae Oe a skeleton
wheel of the type~ used ~o support and oonvey prlnted
sheets between proaesslng stations in a high-speed,
multi~station prlnting pre~s. ~he apparatus o~ the
invention provld~ a relatively trouble-~rea and quickly
u~ed means ~or attaching the web to the wheel, and is
relatively inexpensive to manu~acture and simple in
design yet highly ~eative in use.
Th~ fabric web is attached at each end to a pair
o~ substantially identical reel assemblies, one disposed
adjacent the leading edge of the wheel support sur~ace
and the other ad~acent the trailing edge. Each reel
assembly includes a roller to which the web is attached
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and which is coupled to th~ wheel to permit limited axial
movement o~ the roller relative to the wheel during
operation of the press. In this manner, the web is
permitted to move in the area Q~ the leading and trailing
edge of the wheel thereby to reduce sheet marking and
smearing in the areas of the lèading and trailing edges.
Each reel assembly includes a pair of support
brackets disposed ad~acent the sides of the wheel and
which releasably support a rod extending axially between
the supports. The roller is non-rotatably but slidably
coupled to the rod, and is formed to have an axial length
slightly less than the length o~ the rod between the
brackets t.~ permit axial movement of the roller along the
rod between the limits of the brackets. Means are
lS provided to permit the rod to be selectively rotated
within the brackets, and to attach the ends of the fabric
web to the roller.
To attach the weeb to the wheel, one axial end
o~ the weJ, preferably the leading axial edge end, is
attached to the roller o~ the reel assembly ad~acent the
leading edge of the wheel. The trailing axial end o~ the
web is then extended over the wheel support surPace and
attached to the roller o~ the reel assembly adjacent the
trailing ed~e oP the wheel. The rods are then released
~or rotat~ rom their support brackeks and rotated to
wind the ~abric onto the roller until the proper web
tension is achi~ved. ThereaPter, th~ rods are resecured
to their brackets to clamp the rod~ and rollers again~t
rotation thereby maintaining the proper web ten~ion over
the wheel support ~urPaae.
Other Peatur~ and advantages oP the present
invention will become apparent ~rom the Polloing more
detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanylng drawings whiah illustrate, by way of
example, the principles o~ the invention.
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The accompclnying drawings illustrate the
invention. In such drawinys:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a skeleton
wheel embodying my invention;
~. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view
thereto ta~èn along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing a
fabric web attached to the skeleton wheel, and
illustrating, in broken line the wheel attached to a
shaft of a printing press;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view,
partly in cross~section, of the wheel of FIG. 1 and as
seen in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. l; and
FIG. 4 is a reduced fragmentary plan view,
partly in cross-section, as seen in the direction of the
arrows ~-4 of FIG. 3
~ETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the exemplary drawings, the present
invention is embodied in a new and improved method and
apparatus 10 for attaching an anti smear fabric net or
web 12 (s~e FIG. 2) to a skeleton wheel 14 of the type
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used to support and convey printed sheets between
processing stations in high speed, multi-station printing
presses. In this inqtance, the skeleton wheel 14 is of
the general type disclosed in my U.S. Patent Number
3,791,644, and includes an inner, generally cylindrical
wall 16 ~,nd an outer generally cylindxical support
surface 18 extending between axially spaced sides 20, and
an opening 22 extending along the axial width of the
wheel so that the inner wall and outer cylindrical
support surface extend less than 360 degrees about the
wheel axis. The opening 22 is provided to facilitate
operation~ f gripper apparatus (not shown) normally
positioned adjacent the skeleton wheel 14 in a printing
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press, and de~ines a leading axial edge 24 and a trailing
axial edge 26 of khe outer cylindrical support ~urface
1~ .
To support the skeleton wheel lA in a printing
press, shaft attachment brackets 28 project radially
inwardly from the lnner cylindrical wall 16, there being
three such brackets herein provided in spaced relation
along the axial width of the wheel with each hracket
being substantially identical to the other. In this
instance, each sha~t bracket 28 includes three similar
struts 30 projecting radially inwardly from the inner
wall 16 and terminating in a U-shaped mount 32 which is
dimensioned to receive a shaft 34 (shown in broken line
section in FIG. 2) suitably journaled ~or rotation in the
press.
Mating key-ways 36 and 38 are formed, respec-
tively, in the shaft 34 and closed end portion of the
mount 32 and into which a key 40 is placed to lock the
wheel 14 o~ the shaft against relative rotation. To hold
the shaft 34 in position in the bracket, a plate 42 is
supported in grooves 44 formed in the bracket adjacent
the open end of the brac~et to overlie the shat, and a
bolt 46 is threaded through the plate to engage the shaft
and securely, but releaseably wedge the shaft in position
in the bracket.
As seen in FIG. 2, the outer cylindrical wall 18
is provided with a suitable coating 48 which may be of
the type disclosed in my aforemer.tioned U.S. Patent
Number 3,791,644, or may be of the type described in my
U.S. Patent Number 4,402,267. The structure of the
skeleton wheel 14 thus far described is generally similar
to the skeleton wheels described in my aforementioned
U.S. Patent Numbers 3,791,644, and 4,402,267, and
attention is directed to those patents for further
details concerning the operation of the skeleton wheel or
cylinder in a printing press.
The fabric web 12 is disposed over the coatiny
48 to extend substantially the full axial width of the
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wheel 14, as well as from leading edge 24 to the trailing
ed~e 26, and i5 preferably of the type disclosed in my
aforementioned U.S. Patent Number 4,402,267. While the
fabric web 12 as described in my aforementioned U.S.
Patent Number 4,402,267 successfully prevents smearing or
marking of a printed sheet, ths fabric web does become
soiled after prolonged use and must be either
periodically replaced or cleaned. Moreover, it may be
necessary to periodically adjust the tension in the
fabric web 12 to insure proper operation as the fabric
web must remain relatively loosely disposed over the
outer cylindrical surface 18 to permit slight web
movement during use.
In accordancQ with the present invention, the
method and apparatus 10 permit the fabric web 12 to be
readily and easily removed, installed, and adjusted for
proper tension over the outer cylindrical surface 18 of
the wheel 14, and operates in a reliable manner to
provide a relatively trouble free and quickly used means
for attaching the web to the wheel. Moreover, the
apparatus 10 of the present invention is relatively
inexpensive to manufacture and simple in design yet
highly ef~ective in use.
Toward the foregoing ends, the axial ends of the
fabric web 12 are attached to a pair of substantially
identical reel assemblies 50 constituting the apparatus
10 of the present invention, with one reel assembly being
disposed to extend along the axial width of the wheel 14
adjacent~ ne leading edge 24, and the other extending
along the axial width the wheel adjacent the trailing
edge 26. Each reel assembly 50 includes a cylindrical
roller 52 to which the axial end of the fabric web 12 is
attached, and which is coupled to the wheel 14 in such a
manner that limited axial movement of the roller is
permitted during operation of the wheel in the press,
thereby to permit the fabric web to move slightly in the
area of the leading and trailing edges 24 and 26 of the
cylindrical support surface 18.
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~ore specifically, each roller 52 is slidably
mounted on a central axial rod 54 between a pair of
spaced support bracXets 56 clisposed adjacent the sides 20
of the wheel 14 and which are secured by any suitable
means, herein by welds 58 (see FIG. 3)/ to project
generally radially inwardly from the inner cylindrical
wall 16. Each support bracket 56 has an axially directed
bore 60 of circular cross-section through which the end
of the rod 54 extends, and is provided with an adjustable
bolt 62 t~ ~aded through a cooperatively threaded hole 64
formed in the bracket to project into the bore and engage
the rod.
To slidably mount each roller 52 to its rod 54,
yet prevent rotation of the roller relative to the rod,
the rod herein has a hexagonal cross-section and extends
through a pair of end plugs 66, herein formed of plastic,
having corresponding hexagonal shaped central openings
68, and which are attached, herein by dimples 70 (see
FIG. 4), within each of the ends of the roller. The
axial width of each roller 52 is dimensioned to be
slightly less, preferably on the order of one quarter to
one and one-half inches, depending on the size of the
press, than the axial distance between the support
brackets 56 so that when the rod is secured in position
in the brackets, the roller is free to slide axially
along the rod within the limits of the brackets.
To mount the axial end of the fabric web 12 to
each roller 52, a suitable fastening means 72, such as a
double sided adhesive strip or a fastening strip of the
type made under the trademark VELCR0, is provided along
the length of the roller. Preferably, the fastening
means 72 is provided with a center-line mark 74 midway
between the axial ends of the roller 52 to form a
reference mark for quick attachment of the fabric web 12
to the roller, the web preferably also having a center-
line mark formed on each axial edge between the sides.
To install the fabric web 12 on the roller 52,
the adjustable bolts 62 of each bracket 56 are threaded
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out of engagement with the rods 54, thereby ~raelng the
rods for rotation wi~hin the bores. One axial end,
preferably the leading edge encl, of the fabric web 12 is
then aligned 50 that the midpoint of its axial width
coincides with the center-line mark 74 of the ~astening
means 72 and then is pressed downwardly along the
fastening means whereby the web is attachad to the
fastening means of its roller 52. The other axial end of
the web 12 is then directed around the outer cylinder
support su~face 18 of the wheel 14 and fastened to the
fastening means 72 of the other roller 52 by similarly
aligning the axial width midpoint of the web with the
corresponding center-line mark 74 of the fastening means
and pressing the web into place.
Thereafter, the rod 54 and roller 52 of each
reel assem~ly 50 is rotated in its brackets 56 until the
proper tension of the fabric web 12 over the outer
support surface 18 of the wheel 14 is obtair;ed. The
adjustable bolts 62 are then threaded into engagement
with the rods 54, thereby locking the reel assemblies 50
against rotation. This then maintains the proper tension
in the fah ~c web 12 during operation of the press, yet,
since the roller are slidably mounted on the rods 54,
permits limited axial movement of the web, particularly
in the areas of the leadiny and trailing edges 24 and 26
of the wheel 14.
Should it become necessary to adjust the tension
of the web 12 during use, all that needs be done is to
stop the press, release the rod 54 of one of the reel
assemblies 50 by unthreadiny the adjustable bolts 62, and
then rotating the rod and its roller 52 until the proper
tension has been obtained. The adjustable bolts 62 may
then be rethreaded into engagement with the rod 54 and
the press restarted for continued operation.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that
the apparatus lO of the present invention permits a
fabric web 12 to be readily and easily removed,
installed, and adjusted for proper tension over the
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support surface 18 of a skeleton wheel 14, and pro~ldes A
maans for permitting limited movement of the ~abric web
in the immediate areas of th~ hody and trailing edgeS, 24
and 26, r~spectively, of the wheel thereby to reduce
sheet marking in these areas during use.
A variety of modifications and improvements to
the invention describad herein are believed to be
apparent to one skilled in the art.. Accordingly, no
limitation on the invention is intended, except by way of
the appended claims.
