Apparatus for adjusting the movement of a roller in a printing press

Device to axially reciprocate at least one distributor roller of a rotary printing press, said device for automatically changing the stroke length of at least one distributor roller of a rotary printing press between a printing stroke and an interrupt stroke during a print job, a print job being the transfer of ink from a rotary printing press to a series of individual items to be identically printed, said device comprising:

• adjusting apparatus to adjust the stroke length of the axial reciprocation of at least one distributor roller by said device between a maximum stroke and a minimum stroke;
• setting apparatus to set the stroke length of said adjusting apparatus;
• said setting apparatus comprising:
• apparatus to set a printing stroke for axially reciprocating at least one distributor roller at a first stroke length during printing on the items of a print job;
• and
• apparatus to set an interrupt stroke for axially reciprocating at least one distributor roller at a second stroke length during an interruption of printing on the items of a print job prior to the completion of printing on all the individual items of a print job to minimize the lateral spreading of ink on at least one distributor roller upon an interruption of printing on the items of a print job;
• and
• apparatus to automatically change the stroke from the printing stroke to the interrupt stroke upon an interruption of printing in a print job prior to the completion of printing of all of the items to be printed on in a print job upon the printing press continuing to run and at least one distributor roller continuing to rotate, and to automatically change the stroke from the interrupt stroke to the printing stroke upon a resumption of printing of the remaining items to be printed on in a print job.

A method for printing items of a print job in a rotary printing press, a print job being the transfer of ink from the rotary printing press to a series of individual items to be identically printed, the rotary printing press comprising at least one distributor roller having an axis of rotation, said at least one distributor roller being movable in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation over a lateral stroke, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining an ink profile for the items to be printed on in a print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• determining an ink profile stroke of said at least one distributor roller for printing the print job of individual items to be identically printed based on the determined ink profile for printing;
• determining a minimal stroke of said at least one distributor roller to minimize the lateral spreading of ink on said at least one distributor roller upon an interruption of items being fed in the print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• establishing the ink profile for the items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed on said at least one distributor roller;
• providing the items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• feeding the items to be printed on to the rotary printing press to print in the print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• stroking said at least one distributor roller at the determined ink profile stroke;
• printing on the items being fed in the print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• interrupting the feeding of items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed prior to the completion of printing of all of the items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed while the printing press continues to run and said at least one distributor roller continues to rotate;
• changing the stroke of said at least one distributor roller from the determined ink profile stroke for printing to the minimal stroke during an interruption of feeding of items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed thus minimizing the lateral spreading of ink on said at least one distributor roller;
• resuming the feeding of items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed;
• and
• changing the stroke of said at least one distributor roller from the minimal stroke to the determined ink profile stroke for printing upon a resumption of the feeding of items to be printed on in the print job of individual items to be identically printed.