Sheet-Fed or Web-Fed Printing Machine

• US 20090095178A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KBA-NotaSys SA (Koenig & Bauer AG)
• Original Assignee: KBA-NotaSys SA (Koenig & Bauer AG)
• Inventors: Schaede, Johannes Georg, Schwitzky, Volkmar Rolf
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/139
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 31/302 Devices for tripping inking devices as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0018 Protection means against injury to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/12 with means, e.g. feelers, which in case of the presence of a body part of a person in or near the danger zone influence the control or operation of the machine F16P3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/14 the means being photocells or other devices sensitive without mechanical contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids

Abstract

The sheet-fed or web-fed printing machine comprises a main unit (1), at least one mobile carriage (2) adapted to be coupled to the main unit for cooperation therewith during printing operations and to be moved away from the main unit during maintenance operations, a control unit for controlling displacement of said mobile carriage toward and away from said main unit, and an access zone (9, 9′) surrounding at least partly the mobile carriage for allowing a human operator to get access to the main unit and mobile carriage, which access zone lies outside of the displacement path (10) of the mobile carriage. The printing machine further comprises detection means (11) for monitoring the access zone and detecting presence of a human operator within the access zone. The control unit is operatively connected to the detection means so as to interrupt or prevent displacement of the mobile carriage in case presence of a human operator is detected within the access zone by the detection means and before the human operator penetrates in the displacement path of the mobile carriage.

Claims

1. Sheet-fed or web-fed printing machine comprising:

a main unit,

at least one mobile carriage adapted to be coupled to the main unit for cooperation therewith during printing operations and to be moved away from the main unit during maintenance operations,

a control unit for controlling displacement of said mobile carriage toward and away from said main unit, and

an access zone surrounding at least partly said mobile carriage for allowing a human operator to get access to said main unit and mobile carriage, which access zone lies outside of a displacement path of said mobile carriage,

wherein said printing machine further comprises detection means for monitoring said access zone and detecting presence of a human operator within said access zone,

and wherein said control unit is operatively connected to said detection mean so as to interrupt or prevent displacement of said mobile carriage in case presence of a human operator is detected within said access zone by the detection means and before the human operator penetrates in the displacement path of the mobile carriage.

2. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said detection means comprise optical detection means for optically scanning said access zone.

3. Printing machine according to claim 2, wherein said optical detection means are located on a floor part of the printing machine so as optically scan a horizontal plane lying parallel above said access zone and detect trespassing of a human operator onto said access zone.

4. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said detection means comprise pressure-sensitive means disposed on a floor part of the printing machine in said access zones for detecting trespassing of a human operator onto said access zone.

5. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said main unit and said mobile carriage are accessible from two sides of the printing machine and wherein said access zone comprises a first zone extending along a first side of the printing machine parallel to the displacement path of the mobile carriage and a second zone extending along a second side of the printing machine parallel to the displacement path of the mobile carriage, each zone being provided with corresponding detection means.

6. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said mobile carriage is an inking unit of the printing machine comprising at least one inking device.

7. Printing machine according to claim 1, further comprising an activation device actuable by a human operator, which activation device is coupled to said detection means and is adapted to activate said detection means and to initiate said control unit, said activation device being placed in direct vicinity of said access zone so as to allow a human operator to oversee said access zone in its entirety when actuating said activating device.

8. Printing machine according to claim 7, further comprising a control panel actuable by a human operator for controlling displacement of said mobile carriage, said control panel being operatively coupled to the activation device and being enabled upon actuation of said activation device.

9. Printing machine according to claim 7, wherein said activation device is actuable by foot and is placed on a floor part of said printing machine in direct vicinity of said access zone.

10. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein barriers and/or side panels are placed along outer limits of said access zone for restricting access to said access zone.

11. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said mobile carriage is displaceable along supporting rails disposed on a floor part of said machine.

12. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein the mobile carriage is displaceable along supporting rails disposed above said mobile carriage.

13. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said mobile carriage is provided with additional detection means for detecting presence of an obstacle along the displacement path of the mobile carriage.

14. Printing machine according to claim 13, wherein said additional detection means are provided on the mobile carriage.

15. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein a displacement speed of the mobile carriage is of the order of 10 meters per minute.

16. Printing machine according to claim 1, wherein said printing machine is a numbering machine with at least one numbering cylinder located in said main unit, said mobile carriage being an inking carriage comprising at least one inking device for inking said at least one numbering cylinder and being adapted to be moved away from the main unit so as to allow maintenance operations to be carried out on said at least one numbering cylinder.