Printing plate attachment arrangement

Printing plate attachment arrangement to secure a flexible printing plate (2) to the surface of a printing cylinder (1) of a rotary printing machine,

• said printing cylinder (1) being formed with a groove (3) extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder and having resilient means (11, 12) to press end portions (8, 9) of the printing plate (2) against the walls of the groove,
• wherein the groove (3) is defined by two inclined walls (4, 5) which converge towards the open side of the groove and which are positioned in mirror-image relation with respect to a radially extending center plane (10) passing through a median point of the groove, said inclined walls defining angles of inclination with respect to a tangent of the cylinder of the junction of the groove and the outer surface (7) of the cylinder, said angles being acute angles;
• the resilient means comprises leaf spring means (11, 12;
• 11', 11", 12') having two clamping portions (13, 14) shaped and positioned to fit against opposite walls (4, 5) of the groove;
• a clamping wedge body (16) is provided having outwardly shaped surfaces (17, 18) fitting against said clamping portions (13, 14) of the leaf spring means;
• means (21) are provided for guiding said clamping wedge body (16) for radial movement in said center plane (10) within the groove;
• and spring means (15) are positioned to engage said clamping wedge body and biasing said clamping wedge body (16) in radially outward direction,
• whereby the clamping portions of the leaf spring means will be outwardly deflected and pressed against the converging side walls of the groove.
• and wherein the end portions (8, 9) of the printing plate cylinder are wedged between one leaf spring clamping portion (14) and the adjacent wall (5) of the groove by clamping engagement of the leaf spring portion with the adjacent wedge surface (18) of the clamping wedge body (16), the other side (17) of the clamping wedge body bearing against the other leaf spring clamping portion (11) and being supported by engagement of said clamping portion against the adjacent wall (4) of the groove (3).