Plate material placement apparatus and method

A plate material placement method for placing a flexible plate material on a plate cylinder which is provided with a plate front clamp mechanism and a plate back clamp mechanism each having an upper tooth portion and a lower tooth portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• attaching a pin abutment member having higher rigidity than said plate material to two positioning pins projected from the lower tooth tooth portion;
• inserting a plate front of the plate material into a space between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion of the plate front clamp mechanism, as well as securing the plate front of the plate material to the pin abutment member in such a manner that a plurality of fixation pins placed on the pin abutment member are respectively inserted into a plurality of fixation holes formed in the plate material;
• winding an intermediate portion of the plate material between the front plate and a plate plate of the back material onto the plate cylinder while the plate cylinder is rotated;
• inserting the plate back into a space between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion of the plate back clamp mechanism while a portion adjacent to the plate back is bent;
• rotating the plate cylinder so as to make a peak part of an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder pass by a press roller, while pressing the plate material against an outer peripheral surface of a plate cylinder by the press roller;
• and
• fixing the plate back between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion at the back clamp mechanism.

A plate material placement method for placing a flexible plate material on a plate cylinder which is provided with a plate front clamp mechanism and a plate back clamp mechanism each having an upper tooth portion and a lower tooth portion, the method further comprising the steps of:

• attaching a pin abutment member having higher rigidity than the plate material to the plate front of the plate material in such a manner that a plurality of fixation pins placed on the pin abutment member are inserted into a plurality of fixation holes formed in the plate material;
• inserting the plate front of the plate material into a space between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion of the plate front clamp mechanism;
• positioning and fixing the plate front to the clamp mechanism in such a matter that the pin abutment member is abutted against two positioning pins projected from the lower tooth portion;
• winding an intermediate portion of the plate material between the front plate and a plate back of the plate material onto the plate cylinder while the plate cylinder is rotated;
• inserting the plate back into a space between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion of the plate back clamp mechanism while a portion adjacent to the plate back is bent;
• rotating the plate cylinder so as to make a peak part of an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder pass by a press roller, while pressing the plate material against an outer peripheral surface of a plate cylinder by the press roller;
• and
• fixing the plate back between the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion at the back clamp mechanism.

A plate material placement apparatus comprising:

• a plate cylinder on which a flexible plate material is placed;
• a plate front clamp mechanism and a plate back clamp mechanism each having an upper tooth and a lower tooth, said clamp mechanisms being formed on said plate cylinder;
• a press roller for pressing the plate material against an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder;
• and
• at least three positioning pins against which a plate front of the plate material is abutted for positioning the plate front, in which said at least three positioning pins are placed on the lower tooth of the plate front clamp mechanism in a predetermined interval in an axial direction of the plate cylinder.

A plate material placement apparatus comprising:

• a plate cylinder on which a flexible plate material is placed;
• a plate front clamp mechanism and a plate back clamp mechanism each having an upper tooth and a lower tooth, said clamp mechanisms being formed on said plate cylinder;
• a press roller for pressing the plate material against an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder;
• a pin abutment member having higher rigidity than the plate material, to which a plate front of the plate material is fixedly secured, for abutting at least three positioning pins placed on the lower tooth of the plate front clamp mechanism, thereby positioning the plate material;
• and
• a plurality of pins and holes for positioning and fixing the pin abutment member and the plate material.