Method for mounting a flexible printing plate onto a printing cylinder
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsDavid L. Fox, John L. Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting flexographic printing plate in registration onto a printing cylinder with a mounting bar and a carrier sheet having the plate mounted thereto. The mounting bar and the carrier sheet each have multiple openings which are located to assure consistent alignment between the bar and carrier sheet. The carrier sheet is secured in registration to the mounting bar by aligning the openings of the bar to the carrier sheet and inserting locking pins into the aligned openings. The method for mounting a flexographic printing plate further includes an apparatus for retaining an end of the carrier sheet to prevent its movement while drilling or punching the multiple openings.
Claims15
A method for mounting a flexographic printing plate having a relief image on a printing cylinder having a slot, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a sheet which is either a carrier sheet having the printing plate attached or the printing plate;
- (b) punching at least two openings in the sheet spaced apart in a row parallel to the leading end;
- (c) providing a bar having a first arm with a coupling end and a second arm with multiple openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the coupling end;
- (d) aligning the at least two openings in the sheet to at least two of the multiple openings of the second arm;
- (e) securing the bar to the sheet by placing locking pins in the openings aligned in step d);
- and
- (f) mounting the bar on the printing cylinder so the coupling end of the first arm engages the slot and remains in place on the cylinder during printing.
The method of claim wherein the sheet is the carrier sheet having the printing plate attached.
A process for mounting an aligned flexographic printing plate having relief image to a printing cylinder having a slot comprising:
- (a) providing a mountable flexographic printing element having a relief image comprising:
- (i) a carrier sheet having a leading end;
- (ii) a bar having a first arm with a coupling end and a second arm with multiple openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the coupling end wherein said bar is secured to the leading end of the carrier sheet by locking pins inserted into the carrier sheet and the multiple openings of the second arm, wherein the locking pins secure the bar to the carrier sheet in an aligned manner;
- (iii) a least one flexographic printing plate having a relief image attached to the carrier sheet;
- (b) mounting the coupling end of the mountable flexographic printing element to the slot of the printing cylinder.
A method of manufacturing a mountable flexographic printing element having a relief image, comprising:
- (a) punching at least two openings in a carrier sheet having a leading end spaced apart in a row parallel to the leading end;
- (b) attaching a bar having a first arm with a coupling end and a second arm with multiple openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the coupling end using a plurality of locking pins to the carrier sheet;
- and
- (c) attaching a flexographic printing plate having a relief image to the carrier sheet to form the mountable flexographic printing element.
An apparatus for mounting a flexographic printing plate having a relief image on a printing cylinder having a slot, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a carrier sheet having a leading end with at least two openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the leading end;
- (b) a bar having a first arm with a coupling end for engaging the slot in the cylinder and a second arm with multiple openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the coupling end, wherein at least two of the multiple openings of the second arm are aligned to the openings in the carrier sheet;
- and
- (c) at least two locking pins for securing the carrier sheet to the bar at the at least two aligned openings.
A flexographic printing element having a relief image, comprising:
- (a) a carrier sheet having a plurality of openings on a leading end;
- (b) at least one flexographic printing plate having a relief image attached to the carrier sheet;
- (c) a bar having a first arm with a coupling end and a second arm with multiple openings spaced apart in a row parallel to the coupling end;
- and
- (d) a plurality of locking pins wherein the pins secure the bar to the carrier sheet in an aligned fashion through the openings on the leading end of the carrier sheet and on the second arm of the bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.