Photographic printing apparatus and method
AssigneeWestern Litho Plate & Supply Co.
InventorsJohn W. Powers, Daniel G. Choate
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Automated apparatus and method for exposing lithographic plates to light through films and masks. The method involves placing a plate, film and mask at an exposure station in superposed relation to one another with the film overlying the plate and the mask overlying the film, exposing the plate to light through the mask and film at the exposure station, raising the mask off the film to a raised position, gripping the film and moving it relative to the plate to expose a portion of the plate therebelow, gripping the exposed portion of the plate, gripping the mask in its raised position, moving the film, plate and mask forwardly while so gripped to a discharge station, and releasing the film, plate and mask at the discharge station.
Claims14
Apparatus for exposing photosensitized plates to light through films and masks, comprising:
- an exposure station at which a plate may be exposed to light through a film overlying the plate and through a mask overlying the film and plate,
- a support at the exposure station for supporting the superposed plate, film and mask,
- a window at the exposure station movable downwardly from a raised position spaced above the support to a lowered position for exposure of the plate through the window, mask and film to a light source,
- means associated with the window operable to grip the mask to the bottom of the window, the window being movable to its raised position while gripping the mask after exposure of the plate,
- a discharge carriage movable from a forward position forward of the exposure station to a rearward position at the exposure station when said window is in its raised position,
- film discharge gripper means movable up and down on the discharge carriage and operable to grip a film overlying a plate on said support,
- plate discharge gripper means movable up and down on the discharge carriage and operable to grip a plate on said support,
- mask discharge gripper means movable up and down on the discharge carriage and operable to grip a mask on said window, and
- means for operating the discharge carriage and each of said film, plate and mask discharge gripper means to move the discharge carriage rearwardly from its forward position to its rearward position when the window is in its raised position and gripping a mask, to lower the film discharge gripper means and actuate it to grip a film overlying a plate, to move the film discharge gripper means while gripping the film thereby to expose a portion of the plate under the film, to lower the plate discharge gripper means and to actuate it to grip said exposed portion of the plate, to raise the mask discharge gripper means and to actuate it to grip the mask on the window, and to move the discharge carriage forwardly to its forward position and deactuate the film, plate and mask discharge gripper means to release the film, plate and mask, respectively.
An automated method of exposing photosensitized plates to light through masks and films at an exposure station, said method comprising the following steps:
- placing a plate, film and mask at the exposure station in superposed relation to one another with the film overlying the plate and the mask overlying the film;
- exposing the plate to light through the mask and film at the exposure station;
- raising the mask off the film to a raised position;
- gripping the film and moving it relative to the plate to expose a portion of the plate therebelow;
- gripping the exposed portion of the plate;
- gripping the mask in its raised position;
- moving the film, plate and mask forwardly while so gripped to a discharge station;
- and
- releasing the film, plate and mask at the discharge station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.