Printing plate support device and printing plate removal mounting apparatus as well as methods of operating the same

In an apparatus for locking up a printing plate in a rotary press having a rotating plate cylinder which is capable of being displaced in its axial direction and being stopped in a predetermined phase of rotation, said plate cylinder is provided on its periphery and along its axis with a printing plate lock-up means, said printing plate is provided at one of its edges with a lock-up hook portion capable of being hooked on and off the printing plate lock-up means, a positioning engagement portion is provided at a predetermined position on said lock-up hook portion of the printing plate, a device for supporting the printing plate comprising:

• a printing plate receiving means located at a position spaced from said periphery of said plate cylinder by a predetermined distance and having a reference site along the axis of the plate cylinder for engaging said lock-up portion of the printing plate and for defining said lock-up portion of the printing plate in parallel to the axis of the plate cylinder, and means for displacing said printing plate receiving means in parallel to said axis of the plate cylinder;
• a receiving position determining means mounted on said printing plate receiving means for engaging said positioning engagement portion of the printing plate and for positioning said printing plate at a predetermined position on said printing plate receiving means;
• and
• a stopping position determining means which is mounted on a side portion of said printing plate receiving means and is displaceable with said printing plate receiving means between a position opposed to a side end surface of the plate cylinder and a position away from the side end surface of the plate cylinder, said displacing means moves aid printing plate receiving means along the axis of the plate cylinder until said stopping position determining means abuts said end surface of the plate cylinder for stopping the printing plate receiving means at a preselected position relative to the plate cylinder.