Ductor roll accelerating mechanism

Claim 2

An assembly for use in a printing press having at least one printing cylinder, said assembly comprising an ink supply roll driven at a first peripheral speed, an ink-receiving roll driven at a second peripheral speed which is faster than said first peripheral speed, a ductor roll movable between a first position engaging said ink supply roll and a second position engaging said ink-receiving roll to transport ink from said ink supply toll to said ink-receiving roll, first power means for driving said inkreceiving roll and the printing cylinder, second power means independent of said first power means for accelerating said ductor roll to said second peripheral speed during movement of said ductor roll from said first position to said second position to thereby tend to minimize changes in the load on said first power means upon engagement of said ductor roll with said inkreceiving roll.

Claim 3

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first power means including first motor means for driving the printing cylinder and said ink-receiving roll, said second power means including second motor means for driving said ductor roll independently of said first motor means.

Claim 4

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second power means includes a drive roll which is driven at said second peripheral speed and is engageable by said ductor roll during movement of said ductor roll between said first and second positions to thereby enable said drive roll to accelerate said ductor roll to said second peripheral speed before said ductor roll reaches said first position.

Claim 5

An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said ductor roll engages said drive roll when said ductor roll is in said second position.

Claim 6

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second power means is ineffective to drive said ductor roll when said ductor roll is in said first position.

Claim 7

An assembly for use in a printing press, said assembly comprising a first roll mounTed for rotation about a first axis, a second roll mounted for rotation about a second axis and spaced apart from said first roll, a ductor roll mounted for rotation about a third axis and movable between a first position in which said ductor roll engages said first roll and is spaced apart from said second roll and a second position in which said ductor roll engages said second roll and is spaced apart from said first roll to thereby provide for a transfer of fluid from said first roll to said second roll by said ductor roll, first means for driving said first roll at a first peripheral speed and for driving said second roll at a second peripheral speed which is faster than said first peripheral speed, second means for increasing the peripheral speed of said ductor roll to said second peripheral speed independently of said first means during movement of said ductor roll form said first position to said second position to thereby tend to minimize changes in the load on said first means upon engagement of said ductor roll with said second roll.

Claim 8

An assembly for use in a printing press, said assembly comprising a first roll mounTed for rotation about a first axis, a second roll mounted for rotation about a second axis and spaced apart from said first roll, a ductor roll mounted for rotation about a third axis and movable between a first position in which said ductor roll engages said first roll and is spaced apart from said second roll and a second position in which said ductor roll engages said second roll and is spaced apart from said first roll to thereby provide for a transfer of fluid from said first roll to said second roll by said ductor roll, first means for driving said first roll at a first peripheral speed and for driving said second roll at a second peripheral speed which is faster than said first peripheral speed, second means for increasing the peripheral speed of said ductor roll to said second peripheral speed independently of said first means during movement of said ductor roll form said first position to said second position to thereby tend to minimize changes in the load on said first means upon engagement of said ductor roll with said second roll.

Claim 9

An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first means includes a first motor for driving said second roll and said second means includes a second motor for driving said ductor roll during movement of said ductor roll from said first position to said second position.

Claim 10

An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second motor is operable to drive said ductor roll when said ductor roll is in said second position.

Claim 11

An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second means further includes a drive roll mounted for rotation about a fourth axis and engageable by said ductor roll during movement of said ductor roll from said first position to said second position and means for drivingly connecting said second motor to said drive roll to enable said second motor to effect rotation of said drive roll at a speed corresponding to said second peripheral speed, said drive roll being spaced apart from said first and second rolls.

Claim 12

An assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including resilient mounting means for enabling relative movement to occur between said third and fourth axes of rotation upon engagement of said ductor roll with said drive roll.

Claim 13

An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second motor is mounted in a fixed relationship with said first and second axes of rotation.