Patent ID: 7017491

Claim:
A printing apparatus having a plate discharge mechanism for removing used printing plates mounted peripherally of a plate cylinder from the plate cylinder, and discharging the printing plates to a plate discharge station that successively stores the printing plate as stacked one after another, said plate discharge mechanism comprising: a transport unit configured for passing said printing plates through a transport path disposed between said plate cylinder and said plate discharge station to discharge said printing plates to said plate discharge station; and an air blowing unit configured for blowing air to an undersurface of each of the printing plates passing through said transport path, wherein said transport unit includes: a rotary shaft; a first transport roller rotatable about said rotary shaft; a second transport roller rotatable synchronously with rotation of said first transport roller and arranged to pinch said printing plates with said first transport roller; and a push-up unit arranged in substantially the same position as or downstream of said first transport roller with respect to a direction of transport of said printing plates, for pushing up transversely opposite ends of said printing plates.