Category: Troubleshooting the press
Later topic: Kluge Problem?
Earlier topic: Adana HS #3

Windmill Repair - set timing

I’m replacing the gear set on the head and I’m ready to put everything back together. I’ve connected the two gears together aligning the red marks correctly. When I advance the platen by hand it gets to a spot that feels like it is getting into a bind. I remove the gear and can advance the platen easily. I need some information on what the next step is to get everything back in the correct timing.

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Hi Eric,
Sorry I can’t help, but just curious as to why the head gears needed replacing, for in my 50 plus years of working with some 7 or 8 Heidelberg platens, I’ve never had trouble with the gripper head on any of them.

Hi Bern,
It was a case of someone not paying attention to what they were doing. We had a chase drop down and the gripper arm jammed onto it and stripped the head gear. Not a pretty site.

My sympathies, Eric.

I wonder when you say you get to a pont where it feels that its binding, has the drive shaft been bent slightly in the crash, and when the gears are mounted, as they revolve they mesh together more tightly in one spot than another.

Had a similar occurence many years ago when a mate had dropped the forme down onto the platen do do some make-ready on the back of the forme; forgot what he was doing and started the machine; fortunately for us the rollers lifted the forme back upright but jammed it against the bed, with the locking clamp jammed behind the forme.
I struggled for about an hour,trying everything I could, but the forme just wouldn’t move, (I’m only a small fellow and this was a 13x18 GT platen). I gave up and went home, slept on it, and next morning returned, managed to borrow a tripod engine-lifter from the local garage, and after a little adaptation we were able to get enough purchase on the forme to slowly raise it and lift it clear, without any further damage to the machine. Was I relieved!!

Thanks, Bern
We replaced the entire shaft including the bottom gear that connects to the drive gear. The press binds up at the same point in the movement of the platen which is why I think it is a timing issue. I haven’t put the side panel back on yet with the arm that rotates the grippers. I was just playing it safe and advancing the press by hand with the gears on to check that everything was working properly.