Spacer sleeve for torsionally rigidly mounting rotogravure or flexographic printing sleeve on printing cylinder - including innermost core, compressible layer, bridge layer, and rigid outer layer and having means for providing pressurised gas at its outer surface for accommodating changes in diameter.

摘要

Spacer sleeve, for torsionally rigidly mounting on rotogravure or flexographic printing cylinder (13) to support a printing sleeve (15) carrying printing matrices (16), has three different modes enabling it to be selectively air-mounted onto and removed from the printing cylinder, selectively air-mounted onto and removed from the spacer sleeve, and torsionally locked to the spacer sleeve respectively. It consists of an elongated cylindrical core (20) formed of diametrically expandable, very rigid material with a cylindrical hollow interior defining a central rotational axis and a cylindrical outer surface overlaid by compressible means (26) for mechanically absorbing its radial expansion. The inner surface of a cylindrical bridge layer (30) formed of incompressible material faces the outer surface of the compressible means and an outer cylindrical layer (35) of very rigid material is disposed against the bridge layer. The spacer sleeve also includes means for providing pressurise ed gas at its outer surface.