Patent ID: 8590449
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: B41F,B41P

Abstract:
1. A dry absorbent, non-abrasive cleaner apparatus for cleaning wet ink from a raised, flexible printing surface of at least one flexographic printing plate carried on a plate cylinder, comprising: a frame for traveling along a path parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate cylinder, the frame further comprising one end configured to be disposed toward the printing plate; at least one unwind spindle rotatably attached to the frame, the unwind spindle having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to that of the plate cylinder, the unwind spindle holding a rolled web of dry absorbent cleaning material for absorbing wet ink and for turning to dispense new dry cleaning material; at least one rewind spindle for turning to roll up used dry cleaning material, the rewind spindle being rotatably attached to the frame and having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to that of the plate cylinder; a spindle motor attached to the frame and coupled to one or both spindles to turn the spindles and thereby dispense new dry cleaning material and rewind used dry cleaning material; a pad assembly having a pad retainer configured to be disposed toward the one end of the frame, the pad retainer further including at least one groove, a pad base wherein at least a portion of the pad base is configured to engage the at least one groove of the pad retainer, and a dry, non-abrasive pad configured to be attached to the pad base; and a linear actuator attached to the frame for moving the pad toward and away from the dry cleaning material, the linear actuator disposed between the unwind and rewind spindles and the pad assembly and operating on the pad assembly to urge the pad toward the flexographic printing plate for non-abrasively engaging the dry absorbent cleaning material on one side and urge the other side of the dry absorbent cleaning material against the ink on the raised surface of the flexographic printing plate to remove the wet ink and debris from the raised surface thereof.