Patent GB-985095-A (GB)
Title: Printing plate bending and mounting machine
Inventor: MANGUS GEORGE
IPC: B41D5/00
Filed: 1961-06-22
Abstract: 985,095. Mounting printing plates. KNIGHT NEWSPAPERS Inc. June 22, 1961, No. 22646/61. Heading B6C. A flat flexible printing plate 60, Fig. 11, having attaching clips 66 is fixed to a semi-cylindrical mounting block in the form of an adapter 114, Fig. 10, by a machine which comprises a cylindrical bending unit 196, Fig. 1, upon which the adapter 114 is temporarily heldby clamping devices 250, Fig. 8, the devices on one side of the adapter being fixed whilst those on the other are slidingly movable transversely of the unit through screw devices-and a bed 52 upon which the plate is placed properly aligned. Both the cylinder 208 of the unit 196 and the bed 52 are heated electrically and correct traverse of the unit along the bed is ensured through the engagement of gear-wheels 198 at each side of the cylinder 208 and mounted on the shaft 194 thereof with racks 44 secured to the bed. Alignment of the ends of the adapter 114 with the ends of the plate to which they are to be secured is provided by stopping levers 172, pivotally mounted on supports 162 attached to the bed at appropriate locations adjacent the plate ends, which may engage a projected end of the shaft 194, Fig. 2. The bed also carries pivotally mounted bending bars 142 at each end, these bars being swung upwardly by handles 138 when the associated end of the plate 60 is to be bent about the appropriate end of the adapter 114. Prior to the actuation of the left-hand bending bar the unit 196 is rotated anticlockwise to the left of the position of Fig. 4, and the adapter 114 is placed on the cylinder 208 and secured thereto. The unit is then rotated clockwise until the projected shaft end 194 abuts the raised lever 172 after the electric heating means of unit and bed have been energized such heating being differential, the bed being heated to between 50‹ and 100‹ F. above the cylinder. The left-hand bending bar 142 is then swung upwards and the position of Fig. 7 ensues where suitable screws 87 may be inserted through holes 146 in the bar structure to securely fix the appropriate clip-66 of the plate to the associated end of the adapter. The left-hand lever 172 is then removed from the path of the projected shaft 194 before rolling the unit 196 across the bed 52 curving the plate of the adapter until the right-hand lever 172 abuts the shaft. The right-hand bar 142 is then swung upwardly and the bent plate end securely screwed to the adapter end. The completed printing plate and adapter assembly 150 is then removed from the cylinder 208 by retracting the clamping devices 250. After cooling, the assembly 150 may be mounted directly upon a rotary press cylinder. In a modification a plate 282, Fig. 16, is curved by the machine of Fig. 1, but the attachment of the plate to the adapter 292 takes place after the plate and adapter have been removed from the machine. The plate ends have grooves 298 and 336 whereby they are secured to the adapter through devices 308 which basically comprise cavities 326 housing bars 334 the bar in the device at one end providing platetensioning means by being slidable through actuation of screw members 344. A modification of this arrangement is shown in Fig. 18 wherein the slidable bar 334 is moved by threaded devices 368 actuated by Allen wrenches. In yet another modification a plurality of plates 382 are secured to an adapter 384 by screw-held bars 404, Figs. 20, 21, previously bent in the machine of Fig. 1, which extend across the adapter and seat in grooves 390 therein to thereby clamp the plate ends 394. Any grooves 390 which are not being used are sealed by filler bars 415. A further embodiment, Figs. 22, 23 (not shown), illustrates another arrangement for electrically heating the cylinder of the bending unit. Specification 985,096 is referred to.