Sheet-fed rotary printing presses for multi-color printing

Claim 2

A printing press for multicolor printing, said printing press comprising: a plurality of printing units arranged in series, each of said printing units comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, an inking mechanism and a wetting mechanism; a base frame having a longitudinal dimension and having mounted therein a plurality of impression cylinders with a transfer drum between each pair of impression cylinders, said plurality of impression cylinders being greater in number than said plurality of printing units; each of said plurality of printing units being mounted in a printing unit frame; said printing unit frames each having a width, said widths of said printing unit frames being disposed along said longitudinal direction of said base frame; and at least one of said printing unit frames being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame for providing a space beside at least one of said printing unit frames, said space being located above one of said impression cylinders and having a width which is substantially similar to said width of said printing unit frames.

Claim 3

The printing press according to claim 1, wherein said printing unit frames have substantially similar widths and said base frame is longer than said plurality of printing unit frames mounted thereon by substantially the width of one printing unit frame.

Claim 4

A printing press for multicolor printing, said printing press comprising: a plurality of printing units arranged in series, each of said printing units comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an inking mechanism; a base frame having mounted therein a plurality of impression cylinders with a transfer drum between each pair of impression cylinders, said plurality of impression cylinders being greater in number than said plurality of printing units said base frame having a longitudinal direction; each of said plurality of printing units being mounted in a printing unit frame; said printing unit frames each having a width, said widths of said printing unit frames being disposed along said longitudinal direction of said base frame; and each of said printing unit frame being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame such that each of said printing units may be selectively disposed adjacent more than one of said plurality of impression cylinders for providing a space between at least two of said printing units, said base frame having a length in said longitudinal direction for providing said space between at least two of said printing units, said space being located above one of said impression cylinders having a width which is substantially similar to the width of a printing unit frame.

Claim 5

A printing press for multicolor printing, said printing press comprising: a plurality of printing units arranged in series, each of said printing units comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an inking mechanism; a base frame having mounted therein a plurality of impression cylinders with a transfer drum between each pair of impression cylinders, said plurality of impression cylinders being greater in number than said plurality of printing units said base frame having a longitudinal direction; each of said plurality of printing units being mounted in a printing unit frame; said printing unit frames each having a width, said widths of said printing unit frames being disposed along said longitudinal direction of said base frame; and each of said printing unit frame being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame such that each of said printing units may be selectively disposed adjacent more than one of said plurality of impression cylinders for providing a space between at least two of said printing units, said base frame having a length in said longitudinal direction for providing said space between at least two of said printing units, said space being located above one of said impression cylinders having a width which is substantially similar to the width of a printing unit frame.

Claim 6

A printing press for multicolor printing, said printing press comprising: a plurality of printing units arranged in series, each of said printing units comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, an inking mechanism and a wetting mechanism; a base frame having mounted therein, sequentially along a longitudinal direction of said base frame, a plurality of impression cylinders with a transfer drum interposed between each pair of said plurality of impression cylinders, said plurality of impression cylinders being greater in number than said plurality of printing units, a plurality of printing unit frames in which each of said printing units are disposed; and each of said printing unit frame having means for being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame such that each of said printing units may be selectively disposed adjacent more than one of said plurality of impression cylinders for providing an access space adjacent at least one of said printing unit frames, said space being located above one of said impression cylinders and having a width which is approximately equal to the width of said printing units.

Claim 7

A printing press for multicolor printing, said printing press comprising: a plurality of printing units arranged in series, each of said printing units comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, an inking mechanism and a wetting mechanism; a base frame having mounted therein, sequentially along a longitudinal direction of said base frame, a plurality of impression cylinders with a transfer drum interposed between each pair of said plurality of impression cylinders, said plurality of impression cylinders being greater in number than said plurality of printing units, a plurality of printing unit frames in which each of said printing units are disposed; and each of said printing unit frame having means for being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame such that each of said printing units may be selectively disposed adjacent more than one of said plurality of impression cylinders for providing an access space adjacent at least one of said printing unit frames, said space being located above one of said impression cylinders and having a width which is approximately equal to the width of said printing units.

Claim 8

The printing press according to claim 4, wherein each of said printing unit frames are of substantially equal longitudinal width, as disposed along said longitudinal direction of said base frame, and wherein said length of said base frame in said longitudinal direction is greater by the longitudinal disposed width of one of said printing unit frames, than the combined longitudinal widths of all of said printing unit frames.

Claim 9

The printing press according to claim 4, wherein the number of said impression cylinders mounted in said base frame is at least one greater than the number of said printing units displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame.

Claim 10

The printing press according to claim 5, wherein the number of said impression cylinders mounted in said base frame is at least one greater than the number of said printing unit frames displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame.

Claim 11

The printing press according to claim 4, said printing press further comprising at least one additional unit disposed in a frame being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame, said additional displaceable frame unit comprising a member chosen from the group consisting essentially of coating means, perforating means and numbering means.

Claim 12

The printing press according to claim 5, said printing press further comprising at least one additional unit disposed in a frame being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame, said additional displaceable frame unit comprising a member chosen from the group consisting essentially of coating means, perforating means and numbering means.

Claim 13

The printing press according to claim 6, said printing press further comprising at least one additional unit disposed in a frame being displaceable along said longitudinal direction of said base frame, said additional displaceable frame unit comprising a member chosen from the group consisting essentially of coating means, perforating means and numbering means.

Claim 14

The printing press according to claim 4, said printing press further comprising rail means mounted on said base frame, said printing unit frames being slidingly displaceable with respect to said base frame along said rail means, and pneumatic cylinder means for slidingly displacing said printing units with respect to said base frame along said rail means.

Claim 15

The printing press according to claim 5, said printing press further comprising rail means mounted on said base frame, said printing unit frames being slidingly displaceable with respect to said base frame along said rail means, and pneumatic cylinder means for slidingly displacing said printing units with respect to said base frame along said rail means.

Claim 16

The printing press according to claim 6, said printing press further comprising rail means mounted on said base frame, said printing unit frames being slidingly displaceable with respect to said base frame along said rail means, and pneumatic cylinder means for slidingly displacing said printing units with respect to said base frame along said rail means.

Claim 17

The printing press according to claim 4, said printing press further comprising locator bolt means or selectively securing at least one of said printing unit frames at a plurality of locations along said longitudinal direction of said base frame.

Claim 18

The printing press according to claim 11, said printing press further comprising locator bolt means for selectively securing at least one of said printing unit frames at a plurality of locations along said longitudinal direction of said base frame.

Claim 19

The printing press according to claim 4, wherein said impression cylinders are provided with gear toothed drive wheels, wherein said transfer drums are also provided with gear toothed drive wheels, wherein said impression cylinder drive wheels are located above transfer drum drive wheels by at least the distance of one of said gear teeth.

Claim 20

The printing press according to claim 16, comprising rotational position monitoring means for monitoring the rotational positions of said impression cylinders and said blanket cylinders.

Claim 21

The printing press according to claim 13, wherein said impression cylinders are provided with gear toothed drive wheels, wherein said transfer drums are also provided with gear toothed drive wheels, wherein said impression cylinder drive wheels are located above transfer drum drive wheels by at least the distance of one of said gear teeth, and further comprising rotational position monitoring means for monitoring the rotational positions of said impression cylinders and said blanket cylinders.

Claim 22

The printing press according to claim 4, wherein said printing press further comprises a collapsible catwalk dimensioned to be positioned between adjacent printing units when said adjacent printing units are spaced one from the other, transmission means for driving said impression cylinders and said blanket cylinders and bellows means, said transmission means having means for excluding contaminants from said transmission means.

Claim 23

The printing press according to claim 5, wherein said printing press further comprises a collapsible catwalk dimensioned to be positioned between adjacent printing units when said adjacent printing units are spaced one from the other, transmission means for driving said impression cylinders and said blanket cylinders and bellows means, said transmission means having means for excluding contaminants from said transmission means.

Claim 24

The printing press according to claim 17, wherein said printing press further comprises a collapsible catwalk dimensioned to be positioned between adjacent printing units when said adjacent printing units are spaced one from the other, transmission means for driving said impression cylinders and said blanket cylinders and bellows means, said transmission means having means for excluding contaminants from said transmission means.