Rubber blanket unit fastening device

In a rotary printing press, the combination comprising:

• a blanket cylinder;
• a narrow, axially extending, generally radially inwardly directed slit formed on a peripheral surface of said blanket cylinder and extending inwardly into said cylinder from an outer surface of said cylinder;
• a flexible rubber blanket unit having leading and trailing beveled ends, said rubber blanket unit further having a rubber blanket fastened on an underlying support plate, said rubber blanket having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said support plate having a leading end leg and a trailing end leg, said support plate end legs projecting past said blanket leading and trailing edges, said support plate end legs having inner and outer lateral faces, said leading and trailing support plate end legs being insertable in said slit;
• a rotatable pivot spindle positioned in said cylinder and extending generally parallel to said slit for rotation between a support plate end leg insertion position and a support plate end leg clamping position;
• a plurality of ejectors supported for movement in said slit between said support plate end leg insertion and clamping positions, each said ejector having a free outer end and an inner end secured to said rotatable pivot spindle, said ejectors being shiftable in said slit in response to rotation of said pivot spindle, each said ejector being positionable between said leading and trailing support plate end legs when said end legs are inserted in said slit;
• and
• a filler strip attached to said outer ends of said plurality of ejectors and extending generally axially, said filler strip and said ejector free ends extending beyond said blanket cylinder peripheral surface in said insertion position, said filler strip being disposed between said rubber blanket leading and trailing edges in said clamping position to close a gap defined by said rubber blanket leading and trailing edges.