Patent ID: 8764183

Claim:
A device for receiving and carrying material to be printed, for a printing press, comprising: a conveyor comprising an endless mat formed from a plurality of box structures that extend transversely and each have a flat external face, and comprising drive means for the endless mat and guide means for the box structures such that the flat external faces of the box structures circulating on a flat longitudinal track form an upper flat surface for receiving the material to be printed, the box structures each having a plurality of outer orifices in the external face and at least one inner passage in an internal face opposite the external face; and a suction device configured to interact with the inner passages of the box structures circulating over a longitudinal suction zone corresponding to at least part of said flat longitudinal track so as to create suction through said outer orifices of the box structures circulating on said longitudinal suction zone, wherein the suction device comprises an endless belt which has through passages and guide means for the endless belt such that the guide means for the endless belt has a portion that forms a surface adjacent to the internal faces of the box structures over the longitudinal suction zone, a drive means for driving the endless belt such that the through passages of the endless belt correspond with the inner passages of the box structures over the longitudinal suction zone while the endless mat is driven, and a suction box having an opening adjacent to the through passages of the endless belt on the longitudinal suction zone, and a pump means connected to the suction box.