Plate loader for offset printing machines
AssigneeGestetner Limited
InventorThomas G. Selman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plate loader for an offset printing machine includes means for allowing the loader to be pivoted between an operative position in which drive is automatically connected to the plate forwarding means of the plate loader, and a raised inoperative position in which drive is automatically disconnected from the plate forwarding means to allow plates to be fed by hand. The printing machine also includes an applicator for plate priming liquid, where the applicator is mounted movably on the machine frame for adjustment of the spacing between the plate delivery mechanism of the applicator and a stop position for the leading edge of a plate on the plate loader, in order to adjust for different plate lengths.
Claims10
In an offset printing machine including a plate cylinder, and a plate loader which plate loader comprises a plate support;
- a plate forwarding means for driving said plates from said support along a feed direction;
- means mounting said support on an offset printing machine;
- and a drive mechanism for said forwarding means;
- the improvement wherein said plate loader mounting means include pivot means defining an axis of pivoting of said plate loader with respect to said offset printing machine, said axis being parallel to said plate cylinder, and said drive mechanism includes means automatically engageable to transmit drive upon pivoting of said plate loader into an operative position and automatically disengageable to interrupt drive when said plate support is pivoted from its operative position.
In an offset printing machine including a frame;
- a plate cylinder;
- a plate loader having stop means to be engaged by the leading edge of a plate to be fed from said loader to said plate cylinder;
- applicator means for applying plate priming liquid to plates to be printed, said applicator means having a trough for a plate priming solution and a pair of rolls defining a nip through which the wet plate is drawn on its removal from the trough;
- and first guide means guiding a primed plate from said nip-defining rolls to said stop means;
- the improvement comprising second guide means slidably supporting said applicator means movably on said frame for movement towards and away from said plate loader, whereby the distance between said nip-defining rolls of the applicator means and said stop means for the leading edge of the plate in the plate loader can be adjusted to be equal to different values of plate length;
- and means for locking said applicator means in a desired position on said second guide means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.