Apparatus and method for applying a damping solution onto a form cylinder of a press unit

1. A printing unit having a press unit, the press unit having a form cylinder, a transfer cylinder, an inking unit and a damping unit, wherein a printing ink is transferable to the form cylinder via the inking unit and wherein a damping solution is transferable to the form cylinder via the damping unit by way of indirect damping-solution supply in such a way that a damping-solution applicator roll, which is driven by way of friction by an ink distributor roll of the inking unit, rolls on the form cylinder and the ink distributor roll and thus applies the damping solution to the form cylinder, firstly directly via the damping-solution applicator roll and secondly indirectly via an ink applicator roll of the inking unit, and wherein the damping solution is transferable to the form cylinder by way of direct damping-solution supply via the damping unit in such a way that the damping-solution applicator roll, which is set away from the ink distributor roll and is driven by way of friction by the form cylinder, rolls only on the form cylinder and thus applies the damping solution to the form cylinder only directly via the damping-solution applicator roll, and further wherein, in an event of indirect damping-solution supply, which is selected by a controller or a machine and in a print set-up mode, in which the damping-solution applicator roll rolls exclusively on the ink distributor roll and is driven by way of friction by the ink distributor roll, the damping-solution applicator roll is set away from the ink distributor roll more quickly in order to switch over to direct damping-solution supply than the damping unit and thus the damping-solution applicator roll is set against the form cylinder:

wherein the press unit has a first and a second piston/cylinder system which are coupled to one another, firstly for displacing the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the ink distributor roll and secondly for displacing the damping unit and therefore the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the form cylinder;

wherein the piston/cylinder systems are coupled to one another in such a way that a throwing-off connection of the first piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping unit or of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the form cylinder is coupled to a throwing-on connection of the second piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the ink distributor roll; and

wherein a restrictor is connected between the throwing-off connection of the first piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping unit or of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the form cylinder and the throwing-on connection of the second piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the ink distributor roll.

2. The printing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the piston/cylinder systems are coupled to one another in such a way that a throwing-on connection of the first piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping unit or of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the form cylinder is coupled to a throwing-off connection of the second piston/cylinder system for the displacement of the damping-solution applicator roll relative to the ink distributor roll.

3. The printing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a bypass is connected parallel to the restrictor.

4. The printing unit according to claim 3 , wherein, when the damping unit and therefore the damping-solution applicator roll is set against the form cylinder, the bypass is blocked and the restrictor is accordingly active, and wherein, when the damping unit and therefore the damping-solution applicator roll is set away from the form cylinder, the bypass is free and the restrictor is accordingly inactive.

5. The printing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the damping-solution applicator roll is drivable exclusively by way of friction without a dedicated drive.

6. The printing unit according to claim 5 , wherein, in the event of indirect damping-solution supply, the damping-solution applicator roll is drivable by way of friction by or with the ink distributor roll and, in an event of direct damping-solution supply, is drivable by way of friction by or with the form cylinder.

7. A press unit, comprising:

a form cylinder, a transfer cylinder, an inking unit and a damping unit;

wherein a printing ink is transferable to the form cylinder via the inking unit;

wherein a damping solution is transferable to the form cylinder via the damping unit in an indirect damping-solution supply mode where a damping-solution applicator roll rolls on the form cylinder and an ink distributor roll and in a direct damping-solution supply mode where the damping-solution applicator roll is frictionally driven by. and rolls on, the form cylinder and is set away from the ink distributor roll;

wherein in a switch from the indirect damping-solution supply mode to the direct damping-solution supply mode in a print set-up mode, the damping-solution applicator roll is set away from the ink distributor roll more quickly than the damping-solution applicator roll is set against the form cylinder;

and further comprising a first piston/cylinder system and a second piston/cylinder system coupled to the damping-solution applicator roll;

wherein a throwing-off connection of the first piston/cylinder system is coupled to a throwing-on connection of the second piston/cylinder system; and

wherein a restrictor is connected between the throwing-off connection of the first piston/cylinder system and the throwing-on connection of the second piston/cylinder system.

8. The press unit according to claim 7 , wherein a throwing-on connection of the first piston/cylinder system is coupled to a throwing-off connection of the second piston/cylinder.

9. The printing unit according to claim 7 , wherein a bypass is connected parallel to the restrictor.