Printing roller with removable cylinder

A printing roller assembly including a tubular printing cylinder and a mandrel on which said printing cylinder is removably supported, said mandrel including:

• dual axially-spaced journal members, each having an outer cylindrical portion received within an end portion of the bore of said tubular printing cylinder;
• a concentric cylindrical boss at one end of each said journal member;
• a hollow, relatively light-weight cylindrical member having an outside diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of each said cylindrical portion of each said journal member, and which is fixedly attached to said cylindrical end bosses of the respective journal members;
• locating members extending radially through said cylindrical member at positions spaced circumferentially of each end thereof and secured within the associated bosses of said journal members;
• said cylindrical member supporting said journal members in axial alignment with each other, and said locating members locating said bosses and said cylindrical member against rotational movement relatively to each other, the combined axial length of said cylindrical member and said bosses being substantially equal to the axial length of said printing cylinder;
• said journal members each including dual, continuous, axially-spaced grooves in the outer periphery thereof and a continuous circumferential recess intermediate said grooves;
• an imperforate radially-expandable metal sleeve loosely positioned on each journal member, each said sleeve having an axial length greater than the distance between the axially remote walls of said grooves in the associated journal member, each said sleeve having an internal diameter only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the associated journal member;
• locating members extending radially through each said sleeve at positions spaced circumferentially thereof and secured in the associated journal member, said locating members inhibiting relative rotational and axial movement between each said sleeve and the associated journal member;
• a sealing member located within each groove, each sealing member being held under compression by the associated sleeve and acting to center the associated sleeve on the associated journal member;
• means positioned in each said groove and located between each said sealing member and the said remote wall of the associated groove adapted to inhibit axial extrusion of said sealing member under the influence of hydraulic fluid under pressure supplied to the circumferential recess intermediate said grooves;
• said printing cylinder being positioned over said mandrel and overlying at least a portion of each said sleeve;
• and
• hydraulic pressure supply means incorporated into each said journal member are connected by internal conduits to the associated circumferential recess thereof, said supply means including a cylinder for hydraulic fluid, a piston closing the cylinder and movable into the cylinder, and means for moving said piston into said cylinder;
• said hydraulic supply means being located within a member on at least one of said journal members and adapted for the support and driving of said mandrel and said printing cylinder carried thereby, said hydraulic pressure supply means being operative to exert pressure and to expand said sleeves into supporting and driving engagement with the inner periphery of said printing cylinder.