Method of producing laminated printing plates

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING LAMINATED PRINTING PLATES, COMPRISING, THE PLACING OF A PLURALITY OF LAMINATIONS OF A PRINTING PLATE IN SUPERIMPOSED POSITIONS ON THE RIGID JAW PORTION OF A PRESS HAVING AN ADJACENT FLEXIBLE RESILIENT INFLATABLE MEMBRANE WHEREIN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LAMINATIONS IN A PLASTIC MATERIAL, THE PLACEMENT OF A PROTECTIVE FRAME HAVING AN OPEN CENTER IN DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RIGID JAW PORTION AND BEING POSITIONED TO ENGAGE ONLY THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID PRINTING PLATE LAMINATIONS, SAID FRAME BEING OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF THE LAMINATED PRINTING PLATE BEING PRODUCED AND BEING OF A MATERIAL THAT RESISTS COMPRESSION AND IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY HEATING, THE APPLICATION OF HEAT TO SAID LAMINATIONS TO CHANGE SAID PLASTIC LAMINATION TO A FLOWABLE CONDITION, THE INFLATION OF SAID INFLATABLE MEMBRANE TO ENGAGE WITH PRESS UPON SAID FRAME AND SAID LAMINATIONS WHEREIN SAID FRAME IS HELD IN POSITION AGAINST THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID LAMINATIONS TO PROTECT THE EDGES THEREOF FROM SAID MEMBRANE AND TO MAINTAIN SAID FLOWABLE PLASTIC WITHIN SAID LAMINATIONS, THE CURING OF SAID PLASTIC AND THE REMOVAL OF PRESSURE ON SAID LAMINATIONS BY SAID MEMBRANE, AND THE REMOVAL OF SAID RESULTING LAMINATED PRINTING PLATE FROM SAID FRAME AND FROM SAID RIGID JAW PORTION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING LAMINATED PRINTING PLATES, COMPRISING, THE PLACING OF A PLURALITY OF LAMINATIONS OF A PRINTING PLATE IN SUPERIMPOSED POSITIONS ON THE RIGID JAW PORTION OF A PRESS HAVING AN ADJACENT FLEXIBLE RESILIENT INFLATABLE MEMBRANE WHEREIN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LAMINATIONS IN A PLASTIC MATERIAL, THE PLACEMENT OF A PROTECTIVE FRAME HAVING AN OPEN CENTER IN DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RIGID JAW PORTION AND BEING POSITIONED TO ENGAGE ONLY THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID PRINTING PLATE LAMINATIONS, SAID FRAME BEING OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF THE LAMINATED PRINTING PLATE BEING PRODUCED AND BEING OF A MATERIAL THAT RESISTS COMPRESSION AND IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY HEATING, THE APPLICATION OF HEAT TO SAID LAMINATIONS TO CHANGE SAID PLASTIC LAMINATION TO A FLOWABLE CONDITION, THE INFLATION OF SAID INFLATABLE MEMBRANE TO ENGAGE WITH PRESS UPON SAID FRAME AND SAID LAMINATIONS WHEREIN SAID FRAME IS HELD IN POSITION AGAINST THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID LAMINATIONS TO PROTECT THE EDGES THEREOF FROM SAID MEMBRANE AND TO MAINTAIN SAID FLOWABLE PLASTIC WITHIN SAID LAMINATIONS, THE CURING OF SAID PLASTIC AND THE REMOVAL OF PRESSURE ON SAID LAMINATIONS BY SAID MEMBRANE, AND THE REMOVAL OF SAID RESULTING LAMINATED PRINTING PLATE FROM SAID FRAME AND FROM SAID RIGID JAW PORTION.