Alignment system for offset printing presses

In an alignment system for the positioning of a printing plate on offset printing presses, and including a stamping machine for the punching out of register holes in the printing plate and a mask, a bending device for the printing plate, and a printing press having a printing plate receiving surface across which a fastening channel is formed, the improvement comprising:

• at least two stamping pegs on said stamping machine operative to punch rectangular register holes having corresponding linear edges in linear alignment with one another along a first straight line spaced inwardly from the edge at an end of a printing plate;
• a pair of side chocks on said stamping machine, each side chock having a linear plate striking surface for contacting a side edge location of said plate;
• said linear plate striking surfaces of said side chocks lying along a second straight line which is perpendicular to said first straight line, and the distance betwen the midpoints of said side chock surfaces being equal to the length of said plate receiving surface reduced by the width of said fastening channel;
• said bending device having rectangular register pins which match in spacing said register holes punched by said stamping pegs, the width of said register pins being an exact fit with the width of said register holes, and the length of said register pins being less than the length of said register holes to provide a gap between each end of each register pin and the confronting edge of the corresponding register hole;
• said bending device being operative to bend said end of the printing plate along a bend line aligned with said first line and perpendicular to said second line;
• and
• blocking means located in said fastening channel to define an abutment surface for contacting the printing plate at each said side edge location previously contacted by said plate striking surfaces of said side chocks in said stamping machine, so that alignment of the printing plate on the plate receiving surface is not affected by irregularities in the edges of the printing plate.

In an alignment system for the positioning of a printing plate on offset printing presses, and including a stamping machine for the punching out of register holes in the printing plate and a related mask, a bending device for the printing plate, and a printing press having a printing roll across which a fastening channel is formed, the improvement comprising:

• at least two stamping pegs on said stamping machine operative to punch rectangular register holes having corresponding linear edges in linear alignment with one another along a first straight line spaced inwardly from the edge at an end of a printing plate;
• a pair of side chocks on said stamping machine, each side chock having a linear plate striking surface for contacting a side edge location of said plate;
• said linear plate striking surfaces of said side chocks lying along a second straight line which is perpendicular to said first straight line, and the distance between the midpoints of said side chock surfaces being equal to the circumference of said printing roll reduced by the width of said fastening channel;
• said bending device having rectangular register pins which match in spacing said register holes punched by said stamping pegs, the width of said register pins being an exact fit with the width of said register holes, and the length of said register pins being less than the length of said register holes to provide a gap between each end of each register pin and the confronting edge of the corresponding register hole;
• said bending device being operative to bend said end of the printing plate along a bend line aligned with said first line and perpendicular to said second line;
• blocking means located in said fastening channel to define an abutment surface for contacting the printing plate at each said side edge location previously contacted by said plate striking surfaces of said side chocks in said stamping machine, so that alignment of the printing plate on the printing roll is not affected by irregularities in the edges of the printing plate;
• said fastening channel being open to said printing roll;
• the blocking means comprising a truncated cone-shaped base plate whose profile matches that of the fastening channel, whereby the width of the top side of the base plate is larger than the width of the opening of said fastening channel;
• and
• a flat head screw insertable into a tap boring of the base plate through the opening in the fastening channel, the head diamter of said screw being larger than the width of the opening of said fastening channel.