Washing device for impression cylinders

In a washing device for an impression cylinder of a printing machine having an impression cylinder with a gripper bridge, a washing roller, means for bringing the washing roller into contact with and for lifting the washing roller away from a cylindrical jacket surface of the impression cylinder in vicinity of a gripper bridge of the impression cylinder, and means for spraying the washing roller with cleaning solution, the washing roller comprising a washing brush extending over substantially the entire length of the impression cylinder, means for driving the washing roller independently of the impression cylinder so that the washing roller is rotatable in the same direction of rotation as but at a higher speed than that of the impression cylinder and so that respective mutually opposing adjacent locations of said washing brush and said cylindrical jacket surface are travelling in opposite directions, and means for moving the washing roller automatically into its contact with the impression cylinder, said means for driving the washing roller comprising a motor firmly mounted on a frame wall of the printing machine, said motor having a shaft journal whereon a drive spur gear is fastened, said drive spur gear meshing, via two intermediate spur gears, with a spur gear fixed to a shaft of the washing brush for driving the brush, said intermediate spur gear immediately following said motor having a shaft on which an end of a respective bearing lever is mounted so as to be pivotable about the axis of said last-mentioned intermediate spur gear, the other end of the respective bearing lever being likewise rotatably mounted on said shaft of the washing brush, said bearing lever having a surface facing towards the impression cylinder and formed as a cam cooperatively engageable with a support roller mounted on the gripper shaft of the gripper bridge carried by the impression cylinder.