Method of cleaning a cylinder of a printing press

1. A method of cleaning a cylinder of a printing press, the printing press comprising a frame, a cleaning fabric supply element mounted with respect to the frame and having a wound strip of cleaning fabric, a cleaning fabric take-up means mounted with respect to the frame, and means supported by the frame for guiding the strip of cleaning fabric from the supply element to the take-up means, the method comprising:

dipping said wound strip of cleaning fabric into a container containing a cleaning solvent before unwinding said strip, said container mounted with respect to the frame of the printing press and located between the cleaning fabric supply element and the cylinder such that an introduction of the cleaning solvent to the cleaning fabric eliminates the need for using pumps, spray bars, manifold lines and valves;

unwinding said strip of cleaning fabric containing the solvent from said cleaning fabric supply element; and

cleaning said cylinder with a cylinder cleaning means mounted with respect to the frame for bringing said strip of cleaning fabric containing the solvent into contact with the cylinder, thereby creating a used strip of cleaning fabric which is received by the take-up means.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising winding said used strip of cleaning fabric on a take-up shaft.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said strip of cleaning fabric to be fed out of the cleaning fabric supply element is dipped into said solvent until said strip of cleaning fabric absorbs a measured amount of said solvent such that said strip of cleaning fabric is saturated to functional equilibrium with said solvent.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 further comprising a step of removing said strip of cleaning fabric from said container containing said solvent.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising removing excess solvent from said saturated strip of cleaning fabric to obtain a strip of cleaning fabric saturated to functional equilibrium before cleaning the cylinder with said saturated strip of cleaning fabric.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein only a portion of said cleaning fabric supply element from where the strip of cleaning fabric is unwound from is dipped in the container containing said solvent prior to unwinding the strip of cleaning fabric from said cleaning fabric supply element.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said removing said excess solvent comprises squeezing said excess solvent from said strip of cleaning fabric.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing said removed excess solvent in said container.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing said removed excess solvent in a separate excess solvent container.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein dipping said cleaning fabric supply element comprises dipping at least substantially all of said cleaning fabric supply element in the container containing said solvent.

11. A method of cleaning a cylinder of a printing press, comprising:

dipping a cleaning fabric supply roll into a vat of solvent before removing a strip of cleaning fabric from said cleaning fabric supply roll;

removing said strip of cleaning fabric from the supply roll containing the solvent; and

cleaning the cylinder of the printing press with the strip without using pumps, spray bars, manifold lines and valves.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the dipping includes dipping all of the cleaning fabric supply roll into the solvent.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein all of the cleaning fabric supply roll is removed from the solvent after the dipping.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the solvent is a low volatility, organic compound solvent which does not evaporate readily at ambient temperature and pressure.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the organic compound solvent is selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils, citrus oils, mineral spirits, aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, and any combinations thereof.

16. The method according to claim 11 further including placing the cleaning fabric supply roll into a cylinder cleaning system.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the dipping of the roll into the solvent is done independent of the printing press.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the vat is in the proximity of the printing press cylinder to be cleaned.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the cleaning fabric supply roll is wound on a cleaning fabric supply shaft.

20. The method according to claim 11 wherein the strip of cleaning fabric after removed from the cleaning fabric supply roll is at functional equilibrium with the solvent.

21. The method according to claim 11 further including a step of removing excess solvent from the strip of cleaning fabric to obtain a strip of cleaning fabric saturated to functional equilibrium with the solvent.

22. The method according to claim 21 further including feeding the strip of cleaning fabric into a printing press of the type having at least two rollers and controlling a gap size between the rollers to regulate excess solvent removed from the strip.

23. A method of cleaning a cylinder of a printing press, comprising:

removing a strip of cleaning fabric from a cleaning fabric supply roll;

treating said strip of cleaning fabric in a vat of solvent until the strip of cleaning fabric is at functional equilibrium with the solvent after the strip of cleaning fabric is treated in the vat; and

cleaning the cylinder of the printing press with the strip of cleaning fabric without using pumps, spray bars, manifold lines and valves.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the treating further comprises exposing the strip of cleaning fabric to the solvent.

25. The method according to claim 23 wherein the treating further comprises submerging the strip of cleaning fabric into the solvent.

26. The method according to claim 23 wherein the treating further includes dipping the strip of cleaning fabric into the solvent.

27. The method according to claim 23 wherein said treating further includes removing excess solvent to obtain functional equilibrium of the strip with the solvent.

28. A method of cleaning a cylinder of a printing press, comprising:

dipping a cleaning fabric supply roll into a vat of solvent without unwinding the supply roll; and

cleaning the cylinder of the printing press with the cleaning fabric supply roll without using pumps, spray bars, manifold lines and valves.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the supply roll includes a wound strip of cleaning fabric and the strip is at functional equilibrium with the solvent after the dipping.

30. The method according to claim 28 further including removing excess solvent from the cleaning fabric supply roll.