Method and apparatus for cleaning printing cylinder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for cleaning off the ink sediment and paper powder and the like which adhere to a cylinder such as a blanket cylinder in a printing machine, without using any cleaning solution. A brush roll rotated by an independent rotational driving source is brought into contact with a blanket cylinder during printing. The brush roll has many brush fibers which are planted in the outer periphery thereof and which are bent at the ends thereof so as to have a combing function. This is realized by bending the brush fibers in zigzags. It is preferable that the rotational directions of the blanket cylinder and the printing cylinder are opposite to each other, and the relative rotational speed is set to 5 to 12 m/s. The dry brush roll is surrounded by a casing in which a scraper for removing dust from the brush fibers and a dust collecting portion are provided, or to which negative pressure function means is connected so that the dust can be easily removed. Since the dust removed contains no organic solvent, it can be easily handled.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.