Registering mechanism for printing press

Claim 2

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder, means supporting said plate cylinder in said frame for adjusting movement through predetermined distances in opposite directions from a central position, a reversible-direction drive motor means having two directions of motor output for effecting adjusting movement of said cylinder relative to said frame, means interconnecting said motor means and said plate cylinder for transmitting driving power from said motor means to effect movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said motor, and a control circuit for energizing said reversible drive motor means selectively in the two directions of motor output, said control circuit comprising, sensing means responsive to plate cylinder position for sensing on which side of the central position the plate cylinder is located and for producing a signal accordingly, means connected with said sensing means and said motor means for receiving the signal and for energizing said motor means for moving the plate cylinder toward the central position, means for de-energizing said motor means when the plate cylinder is at the central position comprising means for detecting presence of the plate cylinder at the central position and for producing a stop signal that de-energizes said motor means when said plate cylinder is at the central position, and means actuatable to initiate energization of said motor means, whereby after the means to initiate energization of said motor means is actuated by the plate cylinder automatically moves from wherever it may be toward the central position.

Claim 3

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder, means supporting said plate cylinder in said frame for adjusting movement through predetermined distances in opposite directions from a central position, a reversible-direction drive motor means having two directions of motor output for effecting adjusting movement of said cylinder relative to said frame, means interconnecting said motor means and said plate cylinder for transmitting driving power from said motor means to effect movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said motor, and a control circuit for energizing said reversible drive motor means selectively in the two directions of motor output, said control circuit comprising, sensing means responsive to plate cylinder position for sensing on which side of the central position the plate cylinder is located and for producing a signal accordingly, means connected with said sensing means and said motor means for receiving the signal and for energizing said motor means for moving the plate cylinder toward the central position, means for de-energizing said motor means when the plate cylinder is at the central position comprising means for detecting presence of the plate cylinder at the central position and for producing a stop signal that de-energizes said motor means when said plate cylinder is at the central position, and means actuatable to initiate energization of said motor means, whereby after the means to initiate energization of said motor means is actuated by the plate cylinder automatically moves from wherever it may be toward the central position.

Claim 4

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder, means supporting said plate cylinder in said frame for adjusting movement through predetermined distances in opposite directions from a central position, a reversible-direction drive motor means having two directions of motor output for effecting adjusting movement of said cylinder relative to said frame, means interconnecting said motor means and said plate cylinder for transmitting driving power from said motor means to effect movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said motor, and a control circuit for energizing said reversible drive motor means selectively in the two directions of motor output, said control circuit comprising, sensing means responsive to plate cylinder position for sensing on which side of the central position the plate cylinder is located and for producing a signal accordingly, means connected with said sensing means and said motor means for receiving the signal and for energizing said motor means for moving the plate cylinder toward the central position, means for de-energizing said motor means when the plate cylinder is at the central position comprising means for detecting presence of the plate cylinder at the central position and for producing a stop signal that de-energizes said motor means when said plate cylinder is at the central position, and means actuatable to initiate energization of said motor means, whereby after the means to initiate energization of said motor means is actuated by the plate cylinder automatically moves from wherever it may be toward the central position.

Claim 5

A printing press as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for detecting the presence of said cylinder at the central position comprises a switch means actuated by movement of said plate cylinder to said central position.

Claim 6

A printing press as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for de-energizing said motor means comprises means responsive to the adjusting movement of said cylinder to said central position in one direction only to de-energize said motor means, whereby when the motor means is operating to move said plate cylinder in the opposite direction through said central position the plate cylinder is moved through its central position by said means for energizing the reversible motor means and then reversed because of said signal produced by said sensing means to return it to the central position and de-energize said motor means.

Claim 7

A printing press as defined in claim 1 wherein said control circuit further comprises: means for initially registering a desired amount of change of position of said plate cylinder, means for registering a desired direction of change of position of said plate cylinder, means responsive to the amount and the direction so registered and communicating with said reversible-direction motor means for energizing the motor means to move the plate cylinder the desired amount and direction, means responsive to the movement of said plate cylinder for producing a number of signals dependent upon the amount of said movement accomplished, and means responsive both to the desired amount of change as initially registered and to decrements of said desired amount due to said signals dependent upon said amount of movement of said plate cylinder for displaying the remaining amount of initially registered change of position that is not yet accomplished by said drive motor means.

Claim 8

A printing press as defined in claim 4 wherein said control circuit comprises means for limiting said adjusting movement within said predetermined distances and wherein said means for displaying continues to display said remaining amount when one of said predetermined distances is reached by said plate cylinder.

Claim 9

A press as defined in claim 4 wherein said control circuit produces pulses and said reversible-direction drive motor means is steppably driven in response to said pulses from said control circuit and wherein said means for producing a number of signals dependent upon the amount of said movement accomplished comprises means for producing a number of signals numerically proportioned to said pulses that steppably drive said reversible-direction drive motor means, and wherein said means for initially registering a desired amount of change of position of said plate cylinder compriseS a presettable numerical counter countably responsive to count said signals numerically proportioned to said pulses, and wherein aid means for displaying the remaining amount not yet accomplished comprises a visual display device responsive to effect a display in proportion to the numerical contents of said presettable numerical counter.

Claim 10

A printing press as defined in claim 6 wherein said counter is manually actuatable to be preset to numerically register said desired amount.

Claim 11

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder having an axis, means supporting said plate cylinder in said frame for circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder and for axial adjusting movement to change the lateral position of said plate cylinder relative to said frame, main drive means for rotating said plate cylinder about said axis, said main drive means comprising: a main drive shaft, a drive member intermediate said main drive shaft and said plate cylinder, and third means for effecting circumferential movement of said plate cylinder relative to said intermediate drive member upon said axial adjusting movement of said cylinder, a first reversible-direction motor for effecting said circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder, first means interconnecting said first motor and said plate cylinder through said intermediate drive member for effecting said circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said first motor, a first control circuit for energizing said first motor, means actuatable for activating said first control circuit to effect said circumferential adjusting movement, a second reversible-direction motor for effecting said axial adjusting movement of the cylinder, second means interconnecting said second motor and said plate cylinder for effecting said axial adjusting movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said second motor, a second control circuit for energizing said second motor for effecting said axial adjusting movement, means actuatable for activating said second control circuit to effect said axial movement, and means for compensating for the circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder relative to said intermediate drive member caused by said second motor so that the net circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder is zero, including means interconnecting said first and second control circuits for energizing said first motor upon energization of said second motor, whereby upon actuation of said second control circuit for axial adjusting movement of said plate cylinder, circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder due to said third means is effectively prevented and only an axial adjusting movement is effected.

Claim 12

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder having an axis, means supporting said plate cylinder in said frame for circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder and for axial adjusting movement to change the lateral position of said plate cylinder relative to said frame, main drive means for rotating said plate cylinder about said axis, said main drive means comprising: a main drive shaft, a drive member intermediate said main drive shaft and said plate cylinder, and third means for effecting circumferential movement of said plate cylinder relative to said intermediate drive member upon said axial adjusting movement of said cylinder, a first reversible-direction motor for effecting said circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder, first means interconnecting said first motor and said plate cylinder through said intermediate drive member for effecting said circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said first motor, a first control circuit for energizing said first motor, means actuatable for activating said first control circuit to effect said circumferential adjusting movement, a second reversible-direction motor for effecting said axial adjusting movement of the cylinder, second means interconnecting said second motor and said plate cylinder for effecting said axial adjusting movement of said plate cylinder upon energization of said second motor, a second control circuit for energizing said second motor for effecting said axial adjusting movement, means actuatable for activating said second control circuit to effect said axial movement, and means for compensating for the circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder relative to said intermediate drive member caused by said second motor so that the net circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder is zero, including means interconnecting said first and second control circuits for energizing said first motor upon energization of said second motor, whereby upon actuation of said second control circuit for axial adjusting movement of said plate cylinder, circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder due to said third means is effectively prevented and only an axial adjusting movement is effected.

Claim 13

A printing press as defined in claim 8 wherein said drive member comprises a driving helical gear and said third means comprises a driven helical gear engaging the driving helical gear, the plate cylinder being fixedly attached to the driven helical gear, and wherein said second means effects said axial adjusting movement by axially displacing said driven helical gear in relation to said driving helical gear, and said first means effects said circumferential adjusting movement of said plate cylinder by angularly advancing and retarding said driving helical gear in relation to said main drive shaft.

Claim 14

A printing press as defined in claim 8 wherein said first reversible-direction motor is a steppable motor operated in response to pulses, and said means interconnecting said first and second control circuits comprises means for supplying a number of pulses to said first motor dependent upon the magnitude of the axial adjusting movement.

Claim 15

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder supported for adjusting movement in said frame and bearing an image and having an axis, a main drive for rotating said plate cylinder about saiD axis, first means for adjustably moving the plate cylinder circumferentially relative to said main drive to adjust the circumferential position of said image, and second means for adjustably moving the plate cylinder axially with respect to said frame to effect an axial positioning of the image, said second means comprising: an alternating current synchronous motor, means for applying A.C. power to said motor to effect an axial position adjustment of said image, means for converting the cycles of said A.C. power to periodic pulses to indicate the extent of axial adjustment accomplished by said motor, and means operated in response to said pulses for controlling said motor.

Claim 16

A printing press comprising: a frame, a plate cylinder supported for adjusting movement in said frame and bearing an image and having an axis, a main drive for rotating said plate cylinder about saiD axis, first means for adjustably moving the plate cylinder circumferentially relative to said main drive to adjust the circumferential position of said image, and second means for adjustably moving the plate cylinder axially with respect to said frame to effect an axial positioning of the image, said second means comprising: an alternating current synchronous motor, means for applying A.C. power to said motor to effect an axial position adjustment of said image, means for converting the cycles of said A.C. power to periodic pulses to indicate the extent of axial adjustment accomplished by said motor, and means operated in response to said pulses for controlling said motor.

Claim 17

A printing press as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for controlling said motor comprises a presettable counter connected to receive said periodic pulses for counting said periodic pulses and presettable to a predetermined count for producing a signal to terminate the axial adjustable moving of said plate cylinder after said predetermined count is accomplished.

Claim 18

A printing press as defined in claim 11 wherein said first means comprises third means for adjustably moving said plate cylinder circumferentially an increment for each pulse applied thereto, said third means including a pulse-responsive motor, and wherein said means for controlling comprises means for directing a numerically proportioned number of said periodic pulses to said pulse-responsive motor for effecting a predetermined circumferential adjustment for a given axial adjustment of said image.