Apparatus for exposing and conveying photosensitive plates

In apparatus for exposing photosensitized plates comprising a conveyor having gripping means spaced at intervals along its length each adapted releasably to grip a plate and a film on the plate for movement of the plate and a film on the plate by the conveyor in a forward direction along a predetermined path, the conveyor being intermittently operable to index each gripping means from a first station for application of a plate and film thereto to a second station along said path for bringing the gripped plate and film to an exposure position and thence to a third station farther along said path for discharge of the plate, means including a window movable downwardly from a raised retracted position clear of a plate and film in the exposure position at the second station to a lowered position for the pressing of the plate and film, and movable upwardly from its lowered to its raised position, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• means for actuating the gripping means on the conveyor at the second station operable to open the gripping means to allow a film on a plate at the second station to be lifted from the plate;
• means associated with the window operable on raising it to grip a film on a plate at the second station and lift the said film away from the plate to a raised position clear of the plate;
• the means for actuating the gripping means being operable to close the gripping means on a plate at the second station after the said film has been lifted from the plate to enable the conveyor to index the plate to the third station and bring the next plate to the second station for exposure;
• and
• the window then being movable down to its lowered position for the pressing of the said film and the next plate and the exposure of said next plate through said film.