Printing plate having interdigitating mounting lugs, a plate cylinder, and method of mounting

A printing plate configured for use with a plate cylinder having formed therein a groove extending parallel to the cylinder axis, the groove having a depth direction thereof set at an angle to a plane tangent to the plate cylinder at the groove so that opposite sides of the groove are at acute and obtuse angles, respectively, to said plane, the printing plate being generally in the form of a piece of flexible sheet material integrally comprising:

• (a) a major part having a pair of meeting edges which are configured to meet each other when the printing plate is wrapped around the plate cylinder;
• and
• (b) two series of lugs formed on the meeting edges of the major part and bent with respect to the major part for engagement in the groove in the plate cylinder;
• (c) the series of lugs configured for interfitting interengagement with each other in the groove in the plate cylinder,
• wherein the two series of lugs of the printing plate are bent with respect to the major part at approximately the same acute and obtuse angles, respectively, as the opposite sides of the groove are to said plane, and
• wherein the two series of lugs on the major part have notional base lines displaced from the meeting edges of the major part in directions away from the major part by distances approximately equal to the thickness of the printing plate, and the two series of lugs are bent along said notional base lines.

In combination:

• (A) a plate cylinder having formed therein a groove extending parallel to the cylinder axis and having a depth direction thereof set at an angle to a plane tangent to the plate cylinder at the groove so that the opposite sides of the groove are at acute and obtuse angles, respectively, to said plane;
• and
• (B) a printing plate generally in the form of a piece of flexible sheet material integrally comprising:
• (a) a major part having a pair of meeting edges which meet each other when the printing plate is wrapped around the plate cylinder;
• (b) a first series of lugs formed on one of the meeting edges of the major part and bent with respect to the major part at approximately the same acute angle as one side of the groove in the plate cylinder is to said plane, the first series of lugs being engaged in the groove in the plate cylinder from said one side thereof;
• and
• (c) a second series of lugs formed on the other of the meeting edges of the major part and bent with respect to the major part at approximately the same obtuse angle as the other side of the groove in the plate cylinder is to said plane, the second series of lugs being engaged in the groove in the plate cylinder from said other side thereof;
• (C) the first and the second series of lugs of the printing plate being staggered for interfitting interengagement with each other in the groove in the plate cylinder.

A method of mounting a printing plate to a plate cylinder which comprises:

• (a) providing a plate cylinder having formed therein a groove extending parallel to the cylinder axis and having a depth direction thereof set at an angle to a plane tangent to the plate cylinder at the groove so that, with respect to a prescribed direction of rotation of the plate cylinder, a leading side of the groove is at an acute angle, and a trailing side thereof at an obtuse angle, with respect to said plane;
• (b) providing a printing plate having two staggered series of spaced lugs formed on a pair of meeting edges of a major part and bent at approximately the same acute and obtuse angles, respectively, to the major part as the opposite sides of the groove are to said plane;
• (c) hooking the acute-angled series of lugs of the printing plate onto the acute-angled leading side of the groove in the plate cylinder by inserting the acute-angled series of lugs in the groove;
• (d) wrapping the printing plate around the plate cylinder by rotating the plate cylinder in the prescribed direction;
• and
• (e) inserting the obtuse-angled series of lugs of the printing plate in the groove in the plate cylinder into interdigitating relationship with the acute-angled series of lugs.