Carriage for plate cylinder conveyance

Abstract

To improve workability until a plate cylinder is conveyed after having been mounted.SOLUTION: A carriage 1 for plate cylinder conveyance includes: a carriage body 10; a plate cylinder support part 20 which is formed in a longitudinal direction of a plate cylinder 100, and supports the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 100; and a switching mechanism 30 which rotatably supports the plate cylinder support part 20 around a rotation center line extending in front and rear directions of the carriage body 10, and switches the plate cylinder 100 in such an attitude that the longitudinal direction becomes a vertical direction, to a side support position where the plate cylinder 100 is supportable from the side, and switches the plate cylinder 100 in such an attitude that the longitudinal direction becomes a horizontal direction, to a lower support position where the plate cylinder 100 is supportable from below.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plate cylinder carriage for transporting a plate cylinder.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a gravure rotary printing machine or the like, a plate cylinder for mounting in a state where a printing plate is wound around is used. At a printing site, a plurality of plate cylinders wound with different printing plates are prepared in advance, and at the time of setup change, by replacing the currently used plate cylinder with another plate cylinder, printing different from the current printing is made possible.

[0003] When replacing the plate cylinder, it is necessary to transport it from the place where the plate cylinder is placed to the printing machine. When transporting this plate cylinder, for example, a plate cylinder carriage disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-169230 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) may be used.

[0004] When transporting the plate cylinder with the plate cylinder carriage of Patent Document 1, after advancing the carriage so that the plate cylinder placed standing on the floor surface or the like enters between the two front wheels, the plate cylinder is placed on the side plate of the carriage and then the plate cylinder support portion is rotated toward the rear side of the carriage until it becomes horizontal. As a result, the plate cylinder is supported by the plate cylinder support portion in a horizontal posture.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, an operator who operates a carriage for transporting a plate cylinder generally pushes the carriage from the rear side of the carriage or rotates the plate cylinder support portion from the rear side of the carriage. In the case of Patent Document 1, when placing a standing plate cylinder on the carriage, the plate cylinder support portion is rotated toward the rear side of the carriage, so that the plate cylinder moves in a manner of falling toward the operator. Since the plate cylinder is large and heavy, such a movement of falling toward the operator requires the operator to perform an operation of rotating the plate cylinder support portion to a horizontal position while moving away from the carriage. After that, since the operator pushes and transports the carriage from the rear side, there is an aspect where it is difficult to say that the workability during transportation is good.

[0007] In addition, when trying to operate the carriage with the plate cylinder in a state of falling toward the operator, there is also a problem that the operation is difficult.

[0008] The present disclosure is made in view of such points, and its object is to improve the workability from when the plate cylinder is placed until it is transported.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to premise a carriage for transporting a plate cylinder that transports the plate cylinder in a loaded state. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder includes a carriage body to which front wheels and rear wheels are attached, a plate cylinder support portion formed along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder and supporting the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder, and the plate cylinder support portion is rotatably supported around a rotation center line extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body, and a lateral support position capable of supporting a plate cylinder with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction from the side, and a switching mechanism for switching to a lower support position capable of supporting a plate cylinder with its longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction from below.

[0010] That is, for example, when transporting a plate cylinder placed in an upright state on a floor surface or the like, since the plate cylinder in the upright state has its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction, first, the plate cylinder support part is set as the side support position so as to correspond to the posture of the plate cylinder. When the plate cylinder is supported from the side by the plate cylinder support part at the side support position and the plate cylinder support part is rotated to switch to the lower support position, the plate cylinder with its longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction is supported from below by the plate cylinder support part. Since the rotation center line of the plate cylinder support part at this time extends in the front-rear direction of the carriage body, the plate cylinder will rotate so as to fall in the left-right direction of the carriage body. For this reason, even if the operator is on the rear side of the carriage, the plate cylinder will not fall towards the operator, so the operator does not need to leave the carriage, and then, the carriage can be immediately pushed from the rear side for transportation.

[0011] Further, the switching mechanism may be provided on the plate cylinder support part side and may include a support shaft extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body and a bearing member provided on the carriage body side for receiving the support shaft. According to this configuration, with a simple configuration in which the support shaft extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body is rotatably received by the bearing member, the plate cylinder support part can be switched between the side support position and the lower support position.

[0012] Further, the carriage body may have lifting guide members provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vertical direction, and a guided member guided in the vertical direction by the lifting guide members. In this case, the bearing member can be attached to the guided member. According to this configuration, when the guided member is moved in the vertical direction, the bearing member also moves in the vertical direction. As a result, the plate cylinder support part in the lower support position can be moved in the vertical direction to change the height of the plate cylinder support part. Thereby, when attaching the plate cylinder to the printing machine or removing it from the printing machine, the height of the plate cylinder support part can be adjusted to the height of the printing machine, so the workability during attachment and removal of the plate cylinder is improved.

[0013] Further, the cylinder carriage for transporting the plate cylinder may further include a fluid pressure cylinder that expands and contracts by supplying and discharging a fluid. One end of the fluid pressure cylinder can be attached below the support shaft on the carriage body, and the other end of the fluid pressure cylinder can be attached to a portion of the plate cylinder support portion that is displaced in the vehicle width direction from the support shaft.

[0014] According to this configuration, the plate cylinder support portion can be rotated around the support shaft by the expansion and contraction operation of the fluid pressure cylinder, so that the labor for the operation of changing the plate cylinder, which is a heavy object, from the standing state to the horizontal state can be reduced. Further, when the fluid pressure cylinder is further extended with the rotation of the horizontally positioned plate cylinder support portion stopped, the object to be guided is guided by the lifting guide member and rises. That is, since the height of the plate cylinder support portion can be adjusted by using the fluid pressure cylinder for rotating the plate cylinder support portion, the structure becomes simple.

[0015] Further, the plate cylinder support portion may be provided with a placement portion on the lower side when in the side support position, on which the lower end portion of the plate cylinder is placed. In this case, the placement portion is attached so as to be position-changeable between a support position extending along the lower end portion of the plate cylinder and a non-support position extending along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder, and the carriage body can be provided with a switching portion for switching the placement portion in the support position to the non-support position.

[0016] That is, by setting the plate cylinder support portion to the side support position and setting the placement portion to the support position, the standing plate cylinder can be placed on the placement portion. Then, when the plate cylinder support portion is rotated until it becomes horizontal, the placement portion switches to the non-support position extending along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder. Thereby, when the plate cylinder is attached to the printing machine, the placement portion does not position on the end face of the plate cylinder, so that the attachment workability is improved.

[0017] Further, a locking hole may be formed in the plate cylinder support portion. In this case, the carriage body may be provided with a locking pin inserted into the locking hole of the plate cylinder support portion at the lower support position, a biasing member that constantly biases the locking pin in the direction of inserting the locking pin into the locking hole, and an operating member that operates in the direction of pulling the locking pin out of the locking hole.

[0018] That is, when the plate cylinder support portion at the lateral support position is rotated to the lower support position, the locking pin is inserted into the locking hole of the plate cylinder support portion, thereby preventing the rotation of the plate cylinder support portion. As a result, the plate cylinder support portion does not rotate unexpectedly, so the safety is enhanced. On the other hand, when switching the plate cylinder support portion at the lower support position to the lateral support position by rotation, the operator can operate the operating member to pull out the locking pin against the biasing force of the biasing member from the locking hole, so the workability when switching to the lateral support position is also good.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] As described above, since the plate cylinder support portion is rotatable around the rotation center line extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body, when the plate cylinder is tilted and placed, it does not fall towards the operator. As a result, the workability from placing the plate cylinder to transporting it becomes good.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 4

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plate cylinder carrier truck 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The plate cylinder carrier truck 1 is used when transporting a plate cylinder 100 (shown by a virtual line in FIG. 1) at a printing site where a gravure rotary printing machine or the like is installed. The plate cylinder 100 is composed of, for example, a metal cylinder member, and a printing plate is engraved on its outer peripheral surface. The length of the plate cylinder 100 is, for example, 1 m or more, and the diameter may be several tens of cm or more. Such a large plate cylinder 100 is a heavy object, and it is difficult for an operator to carry it by hand. Therefore, the plate cylinder 100 is transported in a state where it is placed on the plate cylinder carrier truck 1 using the plate cylinder carrier truck 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] At the printing site, one or more plate cylinders 100 are placed in a plate cylinder storage area (not shown). During setup changeover, it is necessary to replace the plate cylinder that has been used in the printing press with another plate cylinder 100. During the setup changeover, the plate cylinder 100 placed in the plate cylinder storage area is placed on the plate cylinder transport cart 1 and transported to the printing press. After that, the plate cylinder that has been used in the printing press is removed from the printing press, and after removal, another plate cylinder 100 is attached to the printing press.

[0024] The plate cylinder transport cart 1 includes a cart body 10, a plate cylinder support portion 20 that supports the plate cylinder 100, and a switching mechanism 30 that switches the posture of the plate cylinder support portion 20. In the description of this embodiment, the side of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 that is operated by an operator (also referred to as an operator or transporter) is referred to as the front side, and the side opposite to the operating side is referred to as the back side, and thereby the depth direction is defined. The depth direction of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 can also be referred to as the front-rear direction.

[0025] The forward direction of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 is the direction of moving toward the back side, and the backward direction of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 is the direction of moving toward the front side. Also, the side that becomes the right when the operator views the plate cylinder transport cart 1 from the front side is simply referred to as the right, and the side that becomes the left when the operator views the plate cylinder transport cart 1 from the front side is simply referred to as the left. The vehicle width direction of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 is the left-right direction.

[0026] The cart body 10 includes a lower frame 11. The lower frame 11 includes a horizontal member 11a that extends in the left-right direction, and left and right vertical members 11b that extend from the right end portion and the left end portion of the horizontal member 11a toward the back side. The horizontal member 11a is located on the front side of the center of the plate cylinder transport cart 1 in the depth direction, and thereby a wider space is secured on the back side of the horizontal member 11a. Rear wheels 11c are attached to the lower surface of the horizontal member 11a on both the left and right sides. The rear wheels 11c are rotatable around an axis extending in the horizontal direction.

[0027] A space where the forme cylinder 100 in an upright state can be placed is formed on the back side of the horizontal member 11a between the right vertical member 11b and the left vertical member 11b. That is, the distance between the right vertical member 11b and the left vertical member 11b is set so that the forme cylinder 100 in an upright state can be inserted between the right vertical member 11b and the left vertical member 11b.

[0028] A cushioning material or the like may be provided, for example, on the front surface of the horizontal member 11a and the right side surface of the left vertical member 11b. The cushioning material is composed of an elastic material such as sponge or rubber, and thus damage to the forme cylinder 100 is suppressed even when the forme cylinder 100 comes into contact with the horizontal member 11a or the left vertical member 11b.

[0029] Front wheels 11d that are rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction are provided at the back side portions of the right vertical member 11b and the left vertical member 11b, respectively. Each of the front wheels 11d and the rear wheels 11c is rotatably supported by a caster that is pivotable about an axis extending in the vertical direction. Thereby, the work vehicle can move the forme cylinder transporting cart 1 forward or backward, and can also turn left and right.

[0030] The carriage body 10 has lifting guide members 12a provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction and extending vertically, and a guided member 12b guided vertically by the lifting guide members 12a. The right lifting guide member 12a extends upward from a right portion of the horizontal member 11a rather than the central portion in the left-right direction, forming a rail shape open to the right side. The right guided member 12b is composed of a member long in the vertical direction and is guided vertically by the inner surface of the right lifting guide member 12a in a state of being accommodated from the right side with respect to the right lifting guide member 12a. The left lifting guide member 12a extends upward from a left portion of the horizontal member 11a rather than the central portion in the left-right direction, forming a rail shape open to the left side. The left guided member 12b is composed of a member long in the vertical direction and is guided vertically by the inner surface of the left lifting guide member 12a in a state of being accommodated from the left side with respect to the left lifting guide member 12a. Between the lifting guide member 12a and the guided member 12b, friction reducing members such as linear guides and rollers are provided.

[0031] The carriage body 10 includes a connecting member 12c that connects the right guided member 12b and the left guided member 12b. The connecting member 12c extends from the upper end portion of the right guided member 12b to the upper end portion of the left guided member 12b.

[0032] On the upper portion of the right lifting guide member 12a, a right gripping portion 13a for an operator to grip is provided. The right gripping portion 13a extends rightward from the upper portion of the right lifting guide member 12a, and the tip portion is bent toward the back side. The right gripping portion 13a can also be rotated as shown by the phantom line.

[0033] On the upper portion of the left lifting guide member 12a, similarly to the right side, a left gripping portion 14a for an operator to grip is provided. The left gripping portion 14a extends leftward from the upper portion of the left lifting guide member 12a, and the tip portion is bent toward the back side. The left gripping portion 14a can be rotated in the same manner as the right gripping portion 13a.

[0034] The right gripping part 13a and the left gripping part 14a are arranged at a position away from the movable part of the plate cylinder carriage 1 and the plate cylinder 100. When the operator moves the plate cylinder carriage 1, by gripping one or more of the right gripping part 13a and the left gripping part 14a and applying a force in the desired moving direction, the front wheels 11d and the rear wheels 11c roll on the floor surface, and the plate cylinder carriage 1 moves on the floor surface.

[0035] The plate cylinder support part 20 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder 100 and is for supporting the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the plate cylinder support part 20 can be switched to a posture extending in the vertical direction and, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, a posture extending in the horizontal direction. The mechanism for enabling the switching of the posture of the plate cylinder support part 20 is the switching mechanism 30. The posture in which the plate cylinder support part 20 extends in the vertical direction means a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder support part 20 faces the vertical direction. It may be a posture in which the plate cylinder support part 20 extends vertically, or a posture inclined at a predetermined inclination angle of, for example, 30 degrees or less or 20 degrees or less with respect to the vertical line. In this embodiment, a posture in which the plate cylinder support part 20 has an inclination angle of 10 degrees or less with respect to the vertical line is defined as the posture in which the plate cylinder support part 20 extends in the vertical direction.

[0036] When the plate cylinder support part 20 is in the posture of extending in the vertical direction, as shown by the virtual line in FIG. 1, it becomes possible to support the plate cylinder 100 with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction from its side. The posture in which the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder 100 is in the vertical direction means a posture in which the plate cylinder 100 is along the plate cylinder support part 20 extending in the vertical direction. For example, it may be a posture in which the plate cylinder 100 can stand independently, or when the plate cylinder support part 20 is inclined with respect to the vertical line, it may be a posture in which the plate cylinder 100 is inclined along the plate cylinder support part 20. The position of the plate cylinder support part 20 that can support the plate cylinder 100 with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction from the side is called the side support position.

[0037] When the plate cylinder support portion 20 is in a posture extending in the horizontal direction, as shown by the solid line in FIGS. 5 and 7, it is possible to support the plate cylinder 100 with its longitudinal direction in the horizontal posture from below. The posture in which the plate cylinder support portion 20 extends in the horizontal direction means that the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder support portion 20 is oriented in the horizontal direction. It may be a posture in which the plate cylinder support portion 20 is along a strict horizontal plane, or it may be a posture inclined by about several degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, or it may be a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal plane within a range that can occur due to some manufacturing errors. That is, it is not necessary for the plate cylinder support portion 20 to be strictly horizontal, and an inclination that does not prevent the transportation of the plate cylinder 100 may occur. The position of the plate cylinder support portion 20 that can support the plate cylinder 100 with its longitudinal direction in the horizontal posture from below is called the lower support position.

[0038] The switching mechanism 30 is a mechanism for rotatably supporting the plate cylinder support portion 20 around a rotation center line extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body 10 and switching between a side support position and a lower support position. It has a support shaft 31 for supporting the plate cylinder support portion 20 and a bearing member 32 for receiving the support shaft 31.

[0039] The plate cylinder support portion 20 has a base portion 21 and a turning portion 22. The base portion 21 extends in the left-right direction and also in the depth direction. On the front side portion of the base portion 21, the support shaft 31 formed to extend in the front-rear direction of the carriage body 10 is attached so as to project toward the front side. That is, the support shaft 31 is provided on the plate cylinder support portion 20 side. The axis of this support shaft 31 becomes the rotation center line of the plate cylinder support portion 20.

[0040] On the other hand, the bearing member 32 is attached to the connecting member 12c of the carriage body 10. The bearing member 32 is composed of a cylindrical member extending in the front-rear direction and is offset to the right from the center in the left-right direction of the carriage body 10. That is, the bearing member 32 is provided on the carriage body 10 side.

[0041] With the support shaft 31 inserted into the bearing member 32, the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 31 is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the bearing member 32. As the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the bearing member 32 slide, the support shaft 31 rotates with respect to the bearing member 32. Since the bearing member 32 is displaced to the right from the center in the left - right direction of the carriage body 10, the support shaft 31 is similarly displaced. Therefore, the rotation center line of the plate cylinder support portion 20 is displaced to the right from the center in the left - right direction of the carriage body 10.

[0042] The swivel part 22 is attached to the base part 21 so as to be swiveling. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the swivel center line A of the swivel part 22 is set at the intermediate part in the left - right direction and the intermediate part in the depth direction of the base part 21 in the lower support position, and extends in the vertical direction. The structure for making the swivel part 22 swiveling with respect to the base part 21 is well - known conventionally and can be realized using various swivel mechanisms, swivel members, etc. FIG. 9 shows a state where the swivel part 22 has swiveled 90 degrees. The swivel angle of the swivel part 22 is not limited to 90 degrees, and a 180 - degree swivel is also possible.

[0043] The swivel part 22 can have its swivel operation restricted by a locking mechanism as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a view of the right - hand side portion of the base part 21 and the swivel part 22 seen from the back side and obliquely downward. A swivel operation restricting plunger 23 for restricting the swivel operation is attached to the base part 21. The swivel operation restricting plunger 23 has a pin (locking pin) 23a that protrudes upward, and when this pin 23a is inserted into a locking hole 22a formed in the swivel part 22, the swivel of the swivel part 22 with respect to the base part 21 is restricted. The pin 23a of the swivel operation restricting plunger 23 can move forward and backward in the vertical direction and is constantly biased upward by a biasing member (not shown) provided inside the swivel operation restricting plunger 23. That is, the biasing member constantly biases the pin 23a in the direction of inserting it into the locking hole 22a.

[0044] At the right end of the base portion 21, an operation lever 24 is provided for operating the pin 23a of the swivel movement restricting plunger 23 in a direction to pull it out of the locking hole 22a. The operating force of the operation lever 24 is transmitted to the pin 23a of the swivel movement restricting plunger 23 via a flexible transmission member 25. Since the swivel movement restricting plunger 23 can be remotely operated via the transmission member 25, the operation lever 24 and the swivel movement restricting plunger 23 may be separated from each other.

[0045] The transmission member 25 is composed of an outer cable 25a and an inner cable 25b. One end of the inner cable 25b is connected to the operation lever 24, and the other end of the inner cable 25b is connected to the pin 23a of the swivel movement restricting plunger 23. The outer cable 25a is a member that covers the inner cable 25b. In a state where the operator is not operating the operation lever 24, the pin 23a is constantly biased upward by a biasing member provided inside the swivel movement restricting plunger 23, and thus is inserted into the locking hole 22a of the swivel portion 22. Thereby, the swivel portion 22 does not swivel inadvertently.

[0046] On the other hand, when the operator operates the operation lever 24, the inner cable 25b is pulled by the operating force, and the pin 23a moves downward against the biasing force of the biasing member. As a result, the pin 23a comes out of the locking hole 22a of the swivel portion 22, and the swivel portion 22 can swivel. The position where the operation lever 24 is provided is not limited to the illustrated position, and any position where the operator can easily operate it and does not interfere with the swiveling of the swivel portion 22 is acceptable.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, a plurality of front-side rolling prevention members 22b for preventing the rolling of the supported plate cylinder 100 are provided at intervals in the depth direction and the left-right direction on the front-side portion of the turning part 22. The rolling of the plate cylinder 100 is prevented by a pair of front-side rolling prevention members 22b provided at intervals in the depth direction. Similarly, a plurality of rear-side rolling prevention members 22c for preventing the rolling of the plate cylinder 100 are provided at intervals in the depth direction and the left-right direction on the rear-side portion of the turning part 22.

[0048] A left support plate 22d extending leftward from the front-side portion of the turning part 22 is provided on the turning part 22, and the longitudinal direction of the left support plate 22d is the left-right direction. The leftward direction is the direction when the plate cylinder support part 20 is in the lower support position, and when the plate cylinder support part 20 is in the side support position, it is the downward direction. The left support plate 22d is arranged so as to be located directly below the plate cylinder 100 whose rolling is prevented by the front-side rolling prevention member 22b. A left placement part 26 is provided on the left side portion of the left support plate 22d. The left side of the left support plate 22d is the side that becomes downward when the plate cylinder support part 20 is in the side support position. The left placement part 26 is a part where the lower end portion of the plate cylinder 100 is placed when the plate cylinder support part 20 is in the side support position, and is composed of a high-strength member such as a plate material.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the left placement part 26 is attached to the left support plate 22d via a hinge 26a. The axis of the hinge 26a is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the left support plate 22d and extends in the depth direction. As a result, the left placement part 26 can be changed in position between a support position (shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) extending along the lower end portion of the plate cylinder 100 and a non-support position (shown in FIGS. 4 to 8) extending along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder 100, and is attached to the left support plate with respect to 22d. That is, the carriage body 10 is provided with a hinge 26a as a switching part for switching the left placement part 26 in the support position to the non-support position. Incidentally, the left placement part 26 in the non-support position can also be switched to the support position by the hinge 26a.

[0050] When the left placement portion 26 is in the support position, the angle formed between the left placement portion 26 and the longitudinal direction of the left support plate 22d is an angle close to a right angle. On the other hand, when the left placement portion 26 is in the non-support position, the angle formed between the left placement portion 26 and the longitudinal direction of the left support plate 22d is an angle close to 0 degrees.

[0051] FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of the attachment portion of the left placement portion 26 to the left support plate 22d. In FIG. 11, the left placement portion 26 is in the non-support position. An arc-shaped portion 26b is provided on the left placement portion 26 so as to protrude from the upper surface of the left placement portion 26. The arc-shaped portion 26b is formed so as to enter an opening 22e formed in the left support plate 22d. Even if the arc-shaped portion 26b is provided, the left placement portion 26 is not inhibited from rotating around the axis of the hinge 26a and switching from the non-support position to the support position. A first positioning hole 26c and a second positioning hole 26d are formed in the arc-shaped portion 26b at intervals in the circumferential direction. The first positioning hole 26c is located on the tip side of the arc-shaped portion 26b with respect to the second positioning hole 26d.

[0052] A rotation restricting plunger 27 for restricting the rotation of the left placement portion 26 is provided on the left support plate 22d so as to be located on the front side of the arc-shaped portion 26b. The rotation restricting plunger 27 has a pin 27a protruding toward the back side. When this pin 27a is inserted into the first positioning hole 26c or the second positioning hole 26d, the rotation of the left placement portion 26 with respect to the left support plate 22d is restricted. That is, when the left placement portion 26 is rotated until the pin 27a is inserted into the first positioning hole 26c, the left placement portion 26 is in the non-support position (the position shown in FIG. 11). On the other hand, when the left placement portion 26 is rotated until the pin 27a is inserted into the second positioning hole 26d, the left placement portion 26 is in the support position.

[0053] The pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 is constantly biased by a biasing member (not shown) provided inside the rotation restricting plunger 27 so as to protrude toward the back side. An operating portion 27b is provided on the front side of the rotation restricting plunger 27. The operating portion 27b is connected to the pin 27a. In a state where the operating portion 27b is not operated from the outside, the pin 27a is constantly biased by the biasing member provided inside the rotation restricting plunger 27 so as to protrude toward the back side, and thus, depending on the posture of the left mounting portion 26, it is inserted into the first positioning hole 26c or the second positioning hole 26d. When the left mounting portion 26 reaches the support position, the pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 is automatically inserted into the second positioning hole 26d, and when the left mounting portion 26 reaches the non-support position, the relative positional relationship among the first positioning hole 26c, the second positioning hole 26d, and the pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 is set so that the pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 is automatically inserted into the first positioning hole 26c.

[0054] When the operating portion 27b of the rotation restricting plunger 27 is pulled toward the front side, the pin 27a moves toward the front side against the biasing force of the biasing member. As a result, the pin 27a comes out of the first positioning hole 26c or the second positioning hole 26d, and thus the left mounting portion 26 can be rotated by the hinge 26a.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the operation of removing the pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 and the rotation of the left mounting portion 26 can be performed only by switching the posture of the plate cylinder support portion 20 without the operator directly operating them. That is, an operating rod 26e is provided on the front side portion of the left mounting portion 26 so as to protrude toward the front side. The center line of the operating rod 26e and the axis of the hinge 26a are in a parallel positional relationship with each other. A roller 26f is rotatably provided around the center line of the operating rod 26e at the tip side portion of the operating rod 26e.

[0056] On one side, a support member 15 that protrudes leftward is provided on the upper portion of the left-side case internal member 12b of the carriage body 10. A guide member 16 for applying an operating force to the operated portion 27b of the rotation restricting plunger 27 and the operating rod 26e is attached to the tip side portion of the support member 15. The guide member 16 is attached to the surface located on the back side of the support member 15. The guide member 16 is formed with a slit 16a for operating the operated portion 27b of the rotation restricting plunger 27 and a cam groove 16b for operating the operating rod 26e.

[0057] The slit 16a extends in the vertical direction, and the formation position of the slit 16a is set such that the operated portion 27b of the rotation restricting plunger 27 enters the slit 16a from below during the process of switching the posture of the plate cylinder support portion 20 from the side support position to the lower support position. A contact surface 16c that contacts the operated portion 27b of the rotation restricting plunger 27 from the back side is formed on the inner surface of the slit 16a. The more the position of the contact surface 16c is on the front side, the greater the amount of pulling of the operated portion 27b toward the front side. Conversely, the more the position of the contact surface 16c is on the back side, the smaller the amount of pulling of the operated portion 27b toward the front side. In the present embodiment, the position of the contact surface 16c in the depth direction is set such that the operated portion 27b that has entered the slit 16a can be pulled toward the front side until the pin 27a comes out of the first positioning hole 26c or the second positioning hole 26d. The lower end portion of the contact surface 16c is inclined so as to be located more on the back side as it is lower, and due to this inclined shape, the operated portion 27b can be gradually pulled toward the front side.

[0058] The cam groove 16b is located on the left side of the slit 16a and extends in the vertical direction. The formation position of the cam groove 16b is set so that the roller 26f of the operating rod 26e enters the cam groove 16b from below during the process of switching the posture of the plate cylinder support portion 20 from the side support position to the lower support position. The cam groove 16b has a shape bent in the left-right direction. Due to the shape of this cam groove 16b, a left-right direction force can be applied to the operating rod 26e at a desired timing, and the left-right direction movement amount of the operating rod 26e can also be arbitrarily set. In the present embodiment, a left direction force acts on the operating rod 26e after the timing when the pin 27a of the rotation restricting plunger 27 comes out of the second positioning hole 26d, and the left mounting portion 26 becomes the non-support position before the plate cylinder support portion 20 switches from the side support position to the lower support position. The left direction movement amount of the operating rod 26e is set.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, a support plate 22f similar to the front side is provided on the back side of the swivel portion 22, and a mounting portion 22g similar to the left mounting portion 26 is provided. Therefore, it is possible to place the plate cylinder 100 on the back side of the swivel portion 22.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the plate cylinder transport cart 1 includes a hydraulic unit 60. The hydraulic unit 60 includes a hydraulic cylinder 61, a foot-operated pump 62 for supplying hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 61, a tank 63 for storing the hydraulic oil, and a release lever 64 for performing an operation to release the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 61. The hydraulic cylinder 61, the foot-operated pump 62, and the tank 63 are connected by hydraulic piping. When the lever 62a of the foot-operated pump 62 is operated by stepping on it with the foot, the hydraulic oil fed from the foot-operated pump 62 is supplied to the hydraulic cylinder 61 and the hydraulic cylinder 61 extends. On the other hand, when the release lever 64 is operated by hand, the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic cylinder 61 is discharged and the hydraulic cylinder 61 contracts. The hydraulic cylinder 61 is an example of a fluid pressure cylinder that expands and contracts by the supply and discharge of fluid.

[0061] The longitudinal direction of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is the telescopic direction of the hydraulic cylinder 61. One end portion in the longitudinal direction of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is attached below the support shaft 31 in the carriage body 10. Further, the other end portion of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is attached to a portion offset in the vehicle width direction from the support shaft 31 in the plate cylinder support portion 20.

[0062] The mounting structure of the hydraulic cylinder 61 will be specifically described based on, for example, FIG. 5. The hydraulic cylinder 61 is inclined and arranged so as to be positioned to the right as it goes downward. The lower end portion (the end portion corresponding to one end portion in the longitudinal direction) of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is rotatably attached around an axis extending in the depth direction with respect to a bracket 11e provided on the right vertical member 11b on the right side of the carriage body 10. The bracket 11e is formed so as to protrude rightward from the right side surface of the right vertical member 11b. Thereby, the lower end portion of the hydraulic cylinder 61 can be positioned to the right of the right side surface of the right vertical member 11b. The upper end portion (the end portion corresponding to the other end portion in the longitudinal direction) of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is rotatably attached around an axis extending in the depth direction to the left of the portion where the support shaft 31 in the base portion 21 of the plate cylinder support portion 20 is connected.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows the state where the hydraulic cylinder 61 is contracted. When the hydraulic cylinder 61 contracts, the portion to the left of the support shaft 31 in the base portion 21 of the plate cylinder support portion 20 can move downward. Therefore, the base portion 21 rotates around the support shaft 31 and the plate cylinder support portion 20 reaches the side support position. FIG. 5 shows the state where the hydraulic cylinder 61 is extended. When the hydraulic cylinder 61 extends, an upward force acts on the portion to the left of the support shaft 31 in the base portion 21 of the plate cylinder support portion 20. Therefore, the base portion 21 rotates around the support shaft 31 and the plate cylinder support portion 20 reaches the lower support position.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a stopper plate 28 is provided on the base portion 21 of the plate cylinder support portion 20. The stopper plate 28 is positioned on the left side portion rather than the support shaft 31. As shown in FIG. 5, when the plate cylinder support portion 20 is in the lower support position, the stopper plate 28 abuts against the connecting member 12c from below, thereby preventing the rotation of the plate cylinder support portion 20 around the support shaft 31.

[0065] Further, on the left side surface of the right lifting and guiding member 12a, a stopper bolt 12e is provided so as to protrude toward the left side. As shown in FIG. 2, when the plate cylinder support portion 20 is in the side support position, the stopper plate 28 abuts against the stopper bolt 12e from the left side, thereby preventing the rotation of the plate cylinder support portion 20 around the support shaft 31.

[0066] When the hydraulic cylinder 61 is further extended from the state where the plate cylinder support portion 20 is switched from the side support position to the lower support position, since the plate cylinder support portion 20 is prevented from rotating from the lower support position by the stopper plate 28, the force by the hydraulic cylinder 61 acts on the base portion 21 of the plate cylinder support portion 20 as an upward force. At this time, since the base portion 21 is connected to the connecting member 12c via the support shaft 31 and the bearing member 32, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an upward force acts on the connecting member 12c. The connecting member 12c is a member that connects the left and right guided members 12b, and the left and right guided members 12b are respectively guided in the vertical direction by the left and right lifting and guiding members 12a. Therefore, the plate cylinder support portion 20 can be lifted by further extending the hydraulic cylinder 61.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the release lever 64 is attached to a cross member 12h that connects the upper portions of the left and right elevating guide members 12a. When an operator grips the release lever 64, a valve (not shown) for releasing the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 61 operates. By manually operating the release lever 64, fine adjustment becomes possible, and the plate cylinder support portion 20 can be rotated around the support shaft 31 at a desired speed. By operating the release lever 64, the above-described valve for releasing the hydraulic pressure can also be closed. After closing the above-described valve for releasing the hydraulic pressure, the foot-operated pump 62 can be operated to supply hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 61.

[0068] The plate cylinder transport cart 1 is provided with a cart stopper 70 for preventing the movement of the plate cylinder transport cart 1. The cart stopper 70 is configured such that a plurality of portions come into contact with the floor surface by stepping on it with the foot. Therefore, the operability is better than a structure in which a stopper is provided for each caster. The cart stopper 70 can also be released by operating the foot when releasing it.

[0069] Next, a procedure for transporting the plate cylinder 100 using the plate cylinder transport cart 1 configured as described above will be described. When transporting the plate cylinder 100 placed in an upright state on the floor surface or the like, since the longitudinal direction of the upright plate cylinder 100 is in the vertical direction, first, the plate cylinder support portion 20 is set as the lateral support position so as to correspond to the posture of the plate cylinder 100. Also, the left mounting portion 26 is set as the support position.

[0070] The operator moves the plate cylinder 100 in a rolling manner while it is in an upright state and places it on the left mounting portion 26. At this time, since the plate cylinder support portion 20 at the lateral support position is inclined by about 10 degrees with respect to the vertical line, the plate cylinder 100 is also supported by the plate cylinder support portion 20 in an inclined state. The plate cylinder 100 supported by the plate cylinder support portion 20 is prevented from rolling by the front-side anti-rolling member 22b.

[0071] The operator operates the foot-operated pump 62 to supply hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 61, extending the hydraulic cylinder 61. Then, the plate cylinder support portion 20 rotates around the support shaft 31 and switches to the lower support position, and the plate cylinder 100 is supported from below by the plate cylinder support portion 20. When switching the plate cylinder support portion 20 from the side support position to the lower support position, since the rotation center line of the plate cylinder support portion 20 extends in the front-rear direction of the carriage body 10, the plate cylinder 100 will tilt in the left-right direction of the carriage body 10. Therefore, even if the operator is at the rear side of the plate cylinder transport cart 1, the plate cylinder 100 will not tilt towards the operator, so the operator does not need to leave the plate cylinder transport cart 1, and then, it is immediately possible to push the plate cylinder transport cart 1 from the rear side for transportation.

[0072] Also, when switching the plate cylinder support portion 20 from the side support position to the lower support position, the left mounting portion 26 automatically switches to the non-support position by the guide member 16, so the left mounting portion 26 does not get in the way when mounting the plate cylinder 100 on the printing press. In this state, the plate cylinder 100 can be transported to a desired location. Since the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder 100 is oriented in the left-right direction of the plate cylinder transport cart 1, even if the gap for loading the plate cylinder 100 in the printing press is narrow, the plate cylinder 100 can be loaded by moving the plate cylinder transport cart 1 in the left-right direction.

[0073] When increasing the height of the plate cylinder 100 in the state supported by the plate cylinder support portion 20, the operator operates the foot-operated pump 62 to further extend the hydraulic cylinder 61. Thereby, the height of the plate cylinder 100 can be adjusted to match the height of the printing press. Also, when rotating the plate cylinder 100 by the rotating portion 22, the operation lever 24 is operated to pull out the pin 23a of the rotation operation restricting plunger 23 from the locking hole 22a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the plate cylinder 100 can be rotated around the vertical axis.

[0074] The plate cylinder transport cart 1 is not only used to simply move the plate cylinder 100, but can also be used, for example, when removing an old plate cylinder (not shown) attached to a printing press and replacing it with a new plate cylinder 100. First, when removing the old plate cylinder attached to the printing press, it can be supported by the support plate 22f on the back side of the swivel part 22. That is, the new plate cylinder 100 is supported by the left support plate 22d, and in this state, the plate cylinder transport cart 1 is moved so that the old plate cylinder is positioned directly above the support plate 22f on the back side of the swivel part 22. After further extending the hydraulic cylinder 61 to adjust the height of the back side support plate 22f, the old plate cylinder is supported by the back side support plate 22f. Then, by rotating the swivel part 22 180 degrees around the vertical line, the positions of the old plate cylinder and the new plate cylinder 100 are inverted in the depth direction. And the new plate cylinder 100 is attached to the printing press. The old plate cylinder can be transported to a predetermined location while being supported by the plate cylinder support part 20.

[0075] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in every respect and should not be construed in a limiting sense. Furthermore, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0076] As described above, the plate cylinder transport cart according to the present disclosure can be used when replacing a plate cylinder of, for example, an intaglio rotary printing press.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1 Plate cylinder transport cart 10 Cart body 12a Lifting guide member 12b Guided member 20 Plate cylinder support part 22a Locking hole 23a Pin (locking pin) 26 Placing part 26a Switching part 30 Switching mechanism 31 Support shaft 32 Bearing member 61 Hydraulic cylinder (fluid pressure cylinder) 100th version of the barrel

Claims

1. A carriage for transporting a plate cylinder, which transports the plate cylinder with the plate cylinder placed thereon, comprising: a carriage body to which front wheels and rear wheels are attached; a plate cylinder support portion formed along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder and supporting the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder; a switching mechanism that rotatably supports the plate cylinder support portion around a rotation center line extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body, and switches between a side support position where the plate cylinder in a posture with its longitudinal direction being the vertical direction can be supported from the side and a lower support position where the plate cylinder in a posture with its longitudinal direction being the horizontal direction can be supported from below. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder is provided with such a switching mechanism.

2. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism includes a support shaft provided on the plate cylinder support portion side and extending in the front-rear direction of the carriage body, and a bearing member provided on the carriage body side and receiving the support shaft. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder has such a structure.

3. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder according to claim 2, wherein the carriage body has lifting guide members provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vertical direction, and a guided member guided in the vertical direction by the lifting guide members, and the bearing member is attached to the guided member. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder has such an attachment structure.

4. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder according to claim 3, further comprising a fluid pressure cylinder that expands and contracts by supplying and discharging fluid, one end of the fluid pressure cylinder is attached to a lower side of the support shaft in the carriage body, and the other end of the fluid pressure cylinder is attached to a portion of the plate cylinder support portion that is displaced in the vehicle width direction from the support shaft. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder has such an attachment structure.

5. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the plate cylinder support portion is provided with a placement portion on the lower side when in the side support position, on which the lower end portion of the plate cylinder is placed, the placement portion is attached so as to be positionally changeable between a support position extending along the lower end portion of the plate cylinder and a non-support position extending along the longitudinal direction of the plate cylinder, and the carriage body is provided with a switching portion that switches the placement portion in the support position to the non-support position. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder has such a switching portion.

6. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder according to claim 1, wherein locking holes are formed in the plate cylinder support portion, the carriage body is provided with a locking pin inserted into the locking hole of the plate cylinder support portion in the lower support position, a biasing member that constantly biases the locking pin in a direction of inserting the locking pin into the locking hole, and an operating member that operates the locking pin in a direction of pulling the locking pin out of the locking hole. The carriage for transporting a plate cylinder has such components.

Images