Sleeve-shaped transfer element for rotary printing machines

1. In a printing unit of a web-processing rotary printing machine, an assembly comprising a sleeve-shaped printing element, a carrying cylinder having a an outer circumferential surface of constant diameter for accommodating said sleeve-shaped printing element, a structure formed of material permitting radial expansion of said sleeve-shaped printing element, said carrying cylinder having an elongated axial extent and ducts for discharging an expansion medium, said ducts opening on said circumferential surface of said carrying cylinder, and the expansion medium being pressurizable by a pressure source, said sleeve-shaped printing element being constructed with an inner diameter increasing from one end to the other end of said printing element and being constructed with an at least approximately constant wall thickness.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said one end is the operating-side end, and said other end is the drive-side end of said sleeve-shaped printing element.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , comprising, as a rubber blanket sleeve, a carrying layer and at least one layer of elastic covering.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said carrying layer is an expansible nickel layer formed by electrodeposition.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said printing element is configured as a printing form sleeve.

6. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said drive-side end has an inner diameter exceeding the inner diameter of said operating-side end of said sleeve-shaped printing element by an amount which minimizes a required expansion at said drive-side end of the circumferential surface of said carrying cylinder.

7. In a web-processing rotary printing machine, an assembly comprising a sleeve-shaped printing element serving as a blanket sleeve, said sleeve-shaped printing element having a drive-side end and an operating side end, a carrying cylinder having a drive side, an operating side and an outer circumferential surface of constant diameter whereon said sleeve-shaped printing element is mounted, devices for radial expansion of said sleeve-shaped printing element being mounted on said carrying cylinder in a given direction of mounting, said devices for radial expansion including radial ducts at said operating side, said sleeve-shaped printing element having material characteristics varying in the direction of mounting thereof on said carrying cylinder so that said drive-side end of the sleeve-shaped printing element is more readily expandable than said operating-side end thereof.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 , comprising a wall having a thickness which is at least approximately constant in said mounting direction.

9. In a printing unit of a web-processing rotary printing machine, an assembly comprising a sleeve-shaped printing element, a carrying cylinder having a drive side, an operating side and an outer circumferential surface of constant diameter for accommodating said sleeve-shaped printing element, a structure formed of material permitting radial expansion of said sleeve-shaped printing element, said carrying cylinder having an elongated axial extent and ducts for discharging an expansion medium, said ducts opening on said circumferential surface of said carrying cylinder at said operating side, and the expansion medium being pressurizable by a pressure source, said sleeve-shaped printing element being constructed with an inner diameter increasing from one end to the other end of said printing element and being constructed with an at least approximately constant wall thickness.