Patent Application
20090241791
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for printing plate transport speed control inside a plate developing processor for the printing industry.
Printing plate developing processors often utilize horizontal transport systems for incoming plates. The transport system typically comprises a plurality of motor driven rollers, and the rollers are covered with a flexible material such as rubber.
Referring to
The transformation of the angular velocity of the rollers into linear plate velocity is affected by the radius of the roller at the point of contact with the plate. The plate motion depends on the pressure applied to the rollers, the degree of rubber coating deterioration of the rollers, as well as other factors. The resulting differences of rollers radii may generate variable forces on plate 10, thus causing the plate to be deformed inside the processor, as it is illustrated by the deformed plate area 17.
Briefly, according to one aspect of the present invention a method for preventing printing plate deformation in a plate processor device comprises transporting the printing plate in a plate processor device comprising a motor and plurality of rollers. One way couplers connect the motor and the plurality of rollers. The slower rollers are identified and decouple from the motor.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the method and apparatus may be practiced. Because components of embodiments of the present apparatus can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting.
The present invention solves the problem of plate deformation, folding, or stretching during the plate horizontal movement within a plate developing processor. Referring to
The added clutches 21 will cause the roller with the fastest tangential velocity to prevail, and thus take control and drive plate 20. The control of all the other rollers will be inhibited by the clutches attached to them, and will cause those rollers to rotate at the speed of the advancing plate 20. This will result in elimination of contradictory forces that are applied on the plate 20 while transported in the clutch equipped transport system 29, thus preventing plate 20 from being deformed.
In another embodiment a transport system 39 (in
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the scope of the invention.
