Method and apparatus for magnetically clamping printing plates

Apparatus for clamping leading and trailing edges of a printing plate to a support surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a support surface for supporting the printing plate;
• a first elongated blade clamp having opposite ends and for placement on the printing plate supported by the support surface so that the first blade clamp is adjacent and parallel to the leading edge of the plate;
• a second elongated blade clamp having opposite ends and for placement on the printing plate adjacent and parallel to the trailing edge thereof, each blade clamp and the support surface being of a ferromagnetic material and at least one of the first and second blade clamps, on the one hand, and the surface, on the other hand, being magnetically attractive so that when the first and second blade clamps are moved to corresponding first and second positions relatively close to the support surface, they are attracted to that surface and magnetically clamp the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate on the support surface;
• and
• dispensing means for paying out each blade clamp from a roll of blade clamp while a radially outer end of the roll is fixed to the support surface and the roll is moved in one direction along the support surface thereby moving the blade clamps to and from the first and second positions.