Patent ID: 6901860

Claim:
A printing machine for recording an image on a printing plate, and printing the image by using the printing plate with the image recorded thereon, comprising: a plate cylinder for supporting a printing plate as mounted peripherally thereof; an image recorder having a recording head movable along a surface of said plate cylinder in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation of said plate cylinder for recording an image on said printing plate mounted peripherally of said plate cylinder; an ink feeder for feeding ink to said printing plate with the image recorded thereon mounted peripherally of said plate cylinder; a printing means for printing an image on a printing sheet by using the printing plate with an ink fed; retreat moving means, operable at a printing time, for moving said recording head to a retreat position sideways from a moving region where said recording head is moved at an image-recording time; a shielding plate disposed between said moving region and said retreat position, and defining an opening for allowing passage of said recording head; and a gas jet nozzle for forming an air curtain along said opening as a barrier between said retreat position and said moving region.