Carrier for flexible printing plates

A device for clamping flexible printing plates having a bent-over end on a curved saddle plate to be attached to a plate cylinder or the like, wherein clamping means is provided at at least one end of said saddle plate and is of a thickness less than that of said saddle plate, said clamping means comprising a clamping element adapted for engagement with the bent-over end of the printing plate and spring loaded in the clamping direction, said clamping element having a projection or nose extending over the entire width of the saddle plate, the bent-over end of the printing plate being adapted to be hooked behind said projection which is provided on torsion spring means attached to the saddle plate, said torsion spring means comprising a rotatable tubular shaft in which a torsion spring is disposed, said torsion spring having one end thereof non-rotatably fastened to a holder mounted in a fixed position on the saddle plate and the other end non-rotatably mounted on the tubular shaft and said torsion spring being installed under initial stressing in accordance with the spring loading to be imparted to the projection.