Patent ID: 6718875
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
An apparatus for extracting an uppermost printing plate from a cassette in which printing plates are stacked and conveying the extracted printing plate to a processing section, the apparatus comprising:movable bodies, each of which are movable along a guide rail adapted to be disposed between the cassette and the processing section; a holding member disposed at each of the movable bodies and adapted to be movable towards and away from ends of the printing plates in the cassette opposite to ends disposed near the processing section, the holding member holding the uppermost printing plate as the holding member is moved towards the uppermost printing plate and separating the uppermost printing plate from an underlying printing plate as the holding member is moved away; separation members adapted to be provided at end corners of the cassette opposite to end corners disposed near the processing section, the separation members curving the uppermost printing plate while the holding member separates the uppermost printing plate from the underlying printing plate; a moving device for moving each of the movable bodies along the guide rail to the processing section while the holding member holds the uppermost printing plate; a rotation device for rotating the uppermost printing plate held by the holding member at a predetermined radius of curvature while the movable bodies are moved by the moving device, such that the uppermost printing plate is inverted; and a device for retracting cassettes accommodating printing plates not in use, such that the cassette accommodating printing plates to be used faces the holding member.