Device for fixing by suction an offset printing plate or like plate in planar state

A device for measuring the area of a printing image or pattern on a printing plate for an offset printing press, said device comprising:

• an inspection head having an optical measuring instrument such as a sensor for detecting the darkness/lightness of the printing image or pattern;
• a guide means for guiding the inspection head over the printing plate fixed to a table;
• a first casing means, the interior of which is partitioned in a grid-like manner and formed into a plurality of small compartments having open front faces lying in a single plane, said grid-like partition walls being formed integrally with the first casing means by a casting process;
• a second casing means surrounding a manifold;
• a partition plate interposed between said first and second casing means and between said first casing means and said manifold, said partition plate thereby separating said first casing means from both said second casing means and said manifold;
• said partition plate comprising a plurality of valve ports communicating said manifold with said plurality of small compartments within said first casing means;
• an elastic valve plate disposed on said partition plate;
• said elastic valve plate comprising a plurality of elastic valves each formed from the material of said valve plate and integral at one edge with said valve plate by making at least one cut in said valve plate to form said valve and bending said valve at said point where said valve is integral with said plate;
• said elastic valves, each disposed within one of said small compartments in said first casing means;
• said elastic valves, each having a member substantially disposed over a valve port in the partition plate for closing a valve port in the partition plate;
• a punching plate having a great number of punching holes and fixed to the first casing means so as to cover the open front faces of the compartments, said punching plate forming a part of the table;
• a negative pressure source connected by way of the valve ports to the respective compartments and operating to apply suction to all valve plate parts, whereby the printing plate can be fixed on the front side of the punching plate, the valve ports of the compartments covered by the printing plate being designed to be held in an opened state, and the valve plate parts of the compartments not thus covered being designed to be automatically closed by the suction;
• a bottom positioning device, for positioning the lower edge of the printing plate, provided at the lower part of the punching plate;
• a side positioning device, for positioning the sides of the printing plate, provided in at least one lateral edge part of the punching plate.