High-voltage contact assembly for a gravure press

A high-voltage contact assembly adapted to be coupled to an impression roller of a gravure printing press having a central axis which passes through a support shaft of said impression roller, said contact assembly comprising:

• a first assembly having a brush support member and a plurality of brushes associated with said brush support member, said brushes being held by said brush support member at a plurality of positions circumferentially disposed with respect to said central axis;
• a second assembly having a conductive contact member disposed adjacent said brushes and being rotatable relative to said first assembly;
• and
• means for allowing relative movement between said first assembly and said second assembly in a direction parallel to said central axis of said support shaft.

A method of installing a high-voltage contact assembly on an impression roller of a gravure printing press assembly, said impression roller having a core portion, a support shaft for supporting said core portion and being rotatable with respect to said core portion, and an outer conductive layer disposed about said core portion, said high-voltage contact assembly having a first assembly with a brush support member and a plurality of brushes and a second assembly with a conductive contact member and being rotatable relative to said first assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) connecting one of said first and second assemblies to said core portion of said impression roller so that said one assembly is fixed relative to said core portion of said impression roller;
• (b) moving the other of said first and second assemblies along said support shaft of said impression roller in a direction parallel to a longitudinal central axis of said support shaft until said other assembly reaches a desired position along said central axis of said support shaft;
• and
• (c) with said other assembly in said desired position, fixing said other assembly to said support shaft of said impression roller so that said other assembly is maintained in said desired position.