Apparatus and method for cleaning a webbing-up device in a printing press

1. A webbing-up device for webbing up a printing substrate web in a printing press, comprising:

a finite conveyor chain, which is made up of several chain segments that are connected to one another in an articulated manner,

a chain guide rail, wherein the finite conveyor chain is guided in the chain guide rail,

a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning device is detachably connected to the finite conveyor chain and is allocated to at least one end of the finite conveyor chain, and

a printing substrate web, wherein the printing substrate web is connected to a second end of the finite conveyor chain,

wherein the finite conveyor chain with the connected cleaning device and the connected printing substrate web is movable through the chain guide rail during a webbing up process in the printing press.

2. The webbing-up device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device features a rod-like or rectangular basic body, and further comprising cleaning bodies allocated to at least two opposing side walls of the basic body, and wherein the cleaning bodies respectively engage with opposing running surfaces of the chain guide rail.

3. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the basic body is embodied of A material which is flexible such that the basic body is passable through all radii and/or curves of the chain guide rail and which is rigid such that the basic body securely accommodates the cleaning bodies.

4. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning bodies are embodied as bundles of bristles.

5. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning bodies are embodied as flexible strippers.

6. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning bodies are embodied as rigid scrapers.

7. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning bodies include a first body with a first configuration and a second body with a second configuration.

8. The webbing-up device according to claim 2 , wherein openings are defined in the basic body and further comprising conveyor chain drive wheels, wherein the openings are engageable with the conveyor chain drive wheels.

9. The webbing-up device according to claim 8 , wherein the cleaning bodies are arranged on at least one side of the openings of the basic body.

10. A webbing-up device of a printing press, comprising:

a conveyor chain;

a chain guide rail;

a cleaning device coupled to an end of the conveyor chain; and

a printing substrate web coupled to a second end of the conveyor chain;

wherein the conveyor chain and the cleaning device are disposed within the chain guide rail;

and wherein the conveyor chain with the coupled cleaning device and the coupled printing substrate web is movable through the chain guide rail of the webbing-up device during a webbing up process in the printing press.

11. The webbing-up device according to claim 10 :

wherein the cleaning device includes a first cleaning body on a first side wall of the cleaning device and a second cleaning body on a second side wall of the cleaning device;

and wherein the first cleaning body engages with a first surface of the chain guide rail and the second cleaning body engages with a second surface of the chain guide rail.

12. The webbing-up device according to claim 11 , wherein the cleaning device defines an opening and wherein the first cleaning body is disposed on a first side of the opening and the second cleaning body is disposed on a second side of the opening.

13. The webbing-up device according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second cleaning bodies are a bundle of bristles.

14. The webbing-up device according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second cleaning bodies are a flexible stripper.

15. The webbing-up device according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second cleaning bodies are a rigid scraper.

16. The webbing-up device according to claim 11 , wherein the first cleaning body has a first physical configuration and the second cleaning body has a second physical configuration, and wherein the first physical configuration is different from the second physical configuration.

17. A method of cleaning a webbing-up device of a printing press, comprising the steps of:

coupling a cleaning device to an end of a conveyor chain of the webbing-up device;

coupling a printing substrate web to a second end of the conveyor chain; and

moving the conveyor chain with the coupled cleaning device and the coupled printing substrate web through a chain guide rail of the webbing-up device during a webbing up process in the printing press.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of moving the conveyor chain with the coupled cleaning device and the coupled printing substrate web through the chain guide rail of the webbing-up device cleans a first surface of the chain guide rail by a first cleaning body on a first side wall of the cleaning device and cleans a second surface of the chain guide rail by a second cleaning body on a second side wall of the cleaning device.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of engaging an opening defined by the cleaning device with a conveyor chain drive wheel during the step of moving the conveyor chain with the coupled cleaning device and the coupled printing substrate web through the chain guide rail of the webbing-up device.