Apparatus for treating the surfaces of cylindrical objects in a number of sequential steps

Apparatus for treating the surfaces of exposed photopolymer printing cylinders in a number of sequential steps, comprising a carrier rotatable about a central axis, the carrier having a central section and a plurality of walls extending radially from the central section to define a radial series of compartments, means for rotating the carrier about said central axis, mounting means in each compartment for releasably engaging opposite ends of an exposed cylinder to support said cylinder in said compartment with the axis of said cylinder parallel to said central axis, means for rotating said mounting means to rotate said cylinder about its axis, a series of bays arranged around the circumference of the carrier and comprising a loading bay where a cylinder may be loaded into a compartment, a first treatment bay including means for drying a cylinder, a second treatment bay including means for exposing a cylinder to ultra-violet light, a third treatment bay including means for spraying a cylinder with liquid, a fourth treatment bay including means for a drying a cylinder and an unloading bay where a cylinder may be unloaded from a compartment, means separating each treatment bay from any adjacent bay, cooperating sealing means on each separating means and each wall for creating a seal when the wall and separating means are radially aligned, and means for indexing said carrier through a plurality of angular positions wherein each compartment sequentially confronts the respective bays and is sealed from adjacent bays by said sealing means.