Printing press cylinder release system

Claim 1

In a printing preSs cylinder separation mechanism the combination of: a frame, a first plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder in rolling contact with the bottom of said first plate cylinder, an impression cylinder in rolling contact with the bottom of said blanket cylinder, a second plate cylinder in rolling contact with the side of said blanket cylinder; a third plate cylinder in rolling contact with the bottom of said impression cylinder but displaced to one side, which side is opposite from the side of contact of said second plate cylinder, rotatable eccentric bearing carriers mounted for rotation in said frame and adapted to support said first blanket cylinder and said impression cylinder, and rotating means connected to said rotatable carriers adapted to rotate said carriers in a direction to move said blanket cylinder and said impression cylinder in generally opposite directions from each other and out of contact with the first, second, and third plate cylinders, which rotating means comprises a pair of pivotally mounted arms connected to said rotatable carriers at each end of said blanket and impression cylinders and to an actuating means, said actuating means comprising an air cylinder mounted to move a pair of bell crank members connected together by a torque member through the frame, said pivotally mounted arms being connected between said crank member and said rotatable carriers.