Web guide roller, and printing press incorporating the same

A web-fed rotary printing press comprising:

• (A) web supply means for continuously supplying a web to be printed upon;
• (B) printing means for printing on the web being supplied from the web supply means;
• (C) postprinting processing means for processing the web that has been printed upon by the printing means;
• and
• (D) a noncontact guide roller assembly positioned between the printing means and the postprinting processing means for guiding the printed web from the former toward the latter, the roller assembly comprising:
• (a) a roller in the form of a hollow cylinder defining a plenum chamber therein, the roller having formed in its surface a multiplicity of air outlet openings in communication with the plenum chamber, so that air supplied under pressure to the plenum chamber is expelled from the air outlet openings in order to keep out of contact with the roller the web traveling over circumferential part of the surface of the roller;
• and
• (b) baffle means enclosing at least part of the other circumferential part of the roller surface for confining the air being expelled from the openings in said at least part of said other circumferential part of the roller surface and for redirecting the confined air into a pair of spaces, spaced circumferentially of the roller, between the web and the roller.

A web-fed rotary printing press comprising:

• (A) web supply means for continuously supplying a web to be printed upon;
• (B) printing means for printing on the web being supplied from the web supply means;
• (C) postprinting processing means for processing the web that has been printed upon by the printing means;
• (D) a noncontact heating roller assembly positioned between the printing means and the postprinting processing means, the heating roller assembly comprising:
• (a) a roller in the form of a hollow cylinder defining therein a plenum chamber to which relatively hot air is to be supplied under pressure, the roller having formed in its surface a multiplicity of air outlet openings in communication with the plenum chamber, so that the hot air supplied to the plenum chamber is expelled from the air outlet openings in order to keep out of contact with the roller the web traveling over circumferential part of the surface of the roller;
• and
• (b) baffle means enclosing at least part of the other circumferential part of the roller surface for confining the air being expelled from the openings in said at least part of said other circumferential part of the roller surface and for redirecting the confined air into a pair of spaces, spaced circumferentially of the roller, between the web and the roller;
• and
• (E) a noncontact cooling roller assembly positioned between the heating roller assembly and the postprinting processing means, the cooling roller assembly being of the same construction as the heating roller assembly except that relatively cold air is applied from the roller to the web;
• (F) whereby the web with printings thereon is dried by the heating and the cooling roller assembly while traveling noncontact from the printing means to the postprinting pressing means.