Blanket cleaning apparatus with selectively engageable flicker bar

An apparatus for cleaning a surface of a blanket cylinder of a printing press having undesired foreign matter thereon comprising

• a brush unit including a rotatable brush roller having a longitudinal axis and substantially radially extending bristles,
• means for moving said brush unit between an operative position with said brush roller in contact with the surface to be cleaned and an inoperative position with said brush roller removed from said surface,
• means for applying cleaning fluid to said cylinder surface to facilitate removal of foreign matter from said surface when said brush unit is in said operative position,
• a flicker bar mounted for movement between an inoperative position removed from the bristles of said brush roller and an operative position engaging the brush roller such that the bristles thereof pass over the flicker bar and are flexed to effect removal of cleaning fluid and foreign matter carried by the bristles, and
• means for moving said flicker bar between said flicker bar inoperative and operative positions, said flicker bar moving means being operable in timed relation to said brush roller moving means whereby said flicker bar is moveable into engaging relationship with said brush roller for removing cleaning fluid and foreign matter from the bristles of the brush roller while said brush roller is out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned.

An apparatus for cleaning a surface of a cylinder of a printing press having undesired foreign matter thereon comprising

• scrub means including a rotatable brush roller having outwardly extending bristles,
• means for moving said rotatable brush roller into and out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned,
• means for applying cleaning fluid to said cylinder surface to facilitate removal of foreign matter from said surface when said brush roller is in engagement with said surface,
• a flicker bar, and
• means for effecting relative movement of said flicker bar and brush roller between first relative positions in which said flicker bar is in removed relation from the bristles of said brush and second relative positions in which the flicker bar is in engaging relation with the brush roller such that the bristles thereof pass over the flicker bar and are flexed to effect removal of cleaning fluid and foreign matter carried by the bristles, said means for effecting relative movement of said flicker bar and brush roller being operable in timed relation to said brush roller moving means whereby said flicker bar and brush reoller are moveable into engaging relation for removing cleaning fluid and foreign matter from the bristles of the brush roller while said brush roller is out of engagement with the surface to be cleaned.