Device for printing hollow bodies, and method for operating said device

A device for printing on hollow bodies comprising;

• a segmented wheel which is rotatable about a rotational axis, the segmented wheel having a periphery with a plurality of segments positioned one behind the other on the periphery, each segment being adapted to receive a printing blanket, wherein at least one of the printing blankets, which can be arranged on one of the segments, being arranged for one of rolling and being capable of rolling along the hollow bodies to be printed on, at least one of the printing blankets being arranged on a flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate, wherein said flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate, together with the at least one of the printing blankets arranged thereon, forms a metal printing blanket, wherein each of the metal printing blankets formed by the flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate, together with the at least one of the printing blankets arranged thereon one of is and can be arranged, changeable as a complete unit, on one of the segments of the segmented wheel, wherein the flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate of the metal printing blanket arranged on the one of the segments of the segmented wheel is held on this segment in one of a form-fitting connection and a force-fitting connection, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of segments are each separated from one another by one of a plurality of recesses formed on the periphery of the segmented wheel, each of the plurality of recesses being aligned parallel to the rotational axis of the segmented wheel, wherein a leading edge of the flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate of the metal printing blanket is bent at an acute angle in a direction of rotation of the segmented wheel, wherein, when the metal printing blanket is in the operating state, arranged on a segment of the segmented wheel, this bent leading edge of the flexible, plate-shaped metallic substrate is placed on a leading edge of one of the plurality of recesses formed on the periphery of the segmenting wheel, and in the direction of rotation of the segmented wheel, and wherein the bent leading edge of the substrate one of is and can be arranged in a form-fitting connection on this leading edge of the one of the plurality of recesses.