Impression cylinder for gravure printing press

Claim 2

An impression cylinder assembly for a gravure printing unit including a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of synthetic elastic material disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of the impression cylinder assembly, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A, said material being a polyurethane elastomer and said core comprising a controlled deflection roll, said controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell, a stationary inner shaft disposed within said outer shell, the diameter of said shaft being smaller than the inner diameter of said shell providing a space between the shell and the shaft, longitudinal seals dividing the space between the shaft and the shell into two longitudinal chambers, one of said longitudinal chambers being on the side of the shaft adjacent the working surface of the roller, the other longitudinal chamber being on the side of the shaft opposite the working side of the roller, the said chamber adjacent to the working surface of the roller being filled with a fluid pressure medium, the pressure within said chamber being adjustable whereby the shaft can deflect with respect to the shell and uniform pressure is exerted by the roll along the entire length of the roll.

Claim 3

An impression cylinder assembly for a gravure printing unit including a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of synthetic elastic material disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of the impression cylinder assembly, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A, said material being a polyurethane elastomer and said core comprising a controlled deflection roll, said controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell, a stationary inner shaft disposed within said outer shell, the diameter of said shaft being smaller than the inner diameter of said shell providing a space between the shell and the shaft, a pressure member for containing a hydraulic pressure medium disposed in said space between the inner surface of the outer shell and the stationary inner shaft on the working side of the roll, said pressure member being filled with a fluid pressure medium, the pressure within the pressure member being adjustable whereby the shaft can deflect with respect to the shell and uniform pressure is exerted by the roll along the entire length of the roll.

Claim 4

An impression cylinder assembly for a gravure printing unit including a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of synthetic elastic material disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of the impression cylinder assembly, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A, said material being a polyurethane elastomer and said core comprising a controlled deflection roll, said controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell, a stationary inner shaft disposed within said outer shell, the diameter of said shaft being smaller than the inner diameter of said shell providing a space between the shell and the shaft, a pressure member for containing a hydraulic pressure medium disposed in said space between the inner surface of the outer shell and the stationary inner shaft on the working side of the roll, said pressure member being filled with a fluid pressure medium, the pressure within the pressure member being adjustable whereby the shaft can deflect with respect to the shell and uniform pressure is exerted by the roll along the entire length of the roll.

Claim 5

A printing unit for a gravure press including a printing cylinder, an impression cylinder adjacent and parallel to said printing cylinder, said impression cyLinder comprising a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of a polyurethane elastomer disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of said impression cylinder, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A and a support roller disposed adjacent and parallel said impression cylinder on the opposite side of said impression cylinder from a printing cylinder, said support roller comprising a controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell, a stationary inner shaft disposed within said outer shell, the diameter of said shell providing a space between the shell and the shaft, longitudinal seals dividing the space between the shaft and the shell into two longitudinal chambers, one of said longitudinal chambers being on the side of the shaft adjacent the working surface of the roller, the other longitudinal chamber being on the side of the shaft opposite the working side of the roller, the said chamber adjacent to the working surface of the roller being filled with a fluid pressure medium, the pressure within said chamber being adjustable whereby the shaft can deflect with respect to the shell and uniform pressure is exerted by the roll along the entire length of the roll.

Claim 6

A printing unit for a gravure press including a printing cylinder, an impression cylinder adjacent and parallel to said printing cylinder, said impression cyLinder comprising a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of a polyurethane elastomer disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of said impression cylinder, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A and a support roller disposed adjacent and parallel said impression cylinder on the opposite side of said impression cylinder from a printing cylinder, said support roller comprising a controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell, a stationary inner shaft disposed within said outer shell, the diameter of said shell providing a space between the shell and the shaft, longitudinal seals dividing the space between the shaft and the shell into two longitudinal chambers, one of said longitudinal chambers being on the side of the shaft adjacent the working surface of the roller, the other longitudinal chamber being on the side of the shaft opposite the working side of the roller, the said chamber adjacent to the working surface of the roller being filled with a fluid pressure medium, the pressure within said chamber being adjustable whereby the shaft can deflect with respect to the shell and uniform pressure is exerted by the roll along the entire length of the roll.

Claim 7

An impression cylinder assembly for a gravure printing unit including a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of synthetic elastic material disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of the impression cylinder assembly, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A, said material being a polyurethane elastomer and said core comprising a controlled deflection roll, said controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell subject to deflection, a shaft located within said shell and extending at least for the length of the working surface of said shell, and means for applying variable pressure from said shaft to the inside of said shell at a location and in a direction providing a reaction to the deflection of said shell, the inside of said shell forming a space permitting said shaft to deflect when stressed by said pressure.

Claim 8

An impression cylinder assembly for a gravure printing unit including a cylindrical core and a pre-formed, seamless sleeve of synthetic elastic material disposed on said core to form the outer working surface of the impression cylinder assembly, said sleeve having a hardness lying in the range of about 88* - 98* Shore A, said material being a polyurethane elastomer and said core comprising a controlled deflection roll, said controlled deflection roll comprising a rotating outer shell subject to deflection, a shaft located within said shell and extending at least for the length of the working surface of said shell, and means for applying variable pressure from said shaft to the inside of said shell at a location and in a direction providing a reaction to the deflection of said shell, the inside of said shell forming a space permitting said shaft to deflect when stressed by said pressure.