Printing press plate clamping mechanism

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR CLAMPING AND TENSIONING A FLEXIBLE PRINTING PLATE AROUND THE SURFACE OF A PRINTING PRESS PLATE CYLINDER BY INWARDLY BENT OPPOSITE AXIAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATE, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF CLAMPING RAILS IN SAID CYLINDER AND EXTENDING AXIALLY THEREALONG ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID CLAMPING RAILS DEFINING AN AXIAL SLOT FOR INSERTION OF SAID BENT OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID PRINTING PLATE THEREBETWEEN AND BEING MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDERS FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS BETWEEN SAID RAILS FROM A CLAMPING POSITION IN WHICH THE RADIALLY OUTER EDGES OF SAID RAILS ARE URGED TOWARD EACH OTHER AND THE RADIALLY INNER EDGES ARE SPREAD APART TO A NON-CLAMPING POSITION IN WHICH THE RADIALLY INNER EDGES OF SAID RAILS APPROACH EACH OTHER AND THE RADIALLY OUTER EDGES THEREOF ARE SPREAD APART, A CLAMPING PRESSURE MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CLAMPING RAILS AND ADJACENT RADIALLY INNER EDGES THEREOF FOR CLAMPING OPPOSITE AXIAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PRINTING PLATE AGAINST THE INNER EDGES OF SAID CLAMPING RAILS UPON RADIALLY INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID CLAMPING PRESSURE MEMBER, MEANS FOR URGING SAID CLAMPING PRESSURE MEMBER RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO CLAMPING POSITION AGAINST SAID INNER EDGES OF SAID CLAMPING RAILS AND FOR URGING RADIALLY OUTER EDGES OF SAID CLAMPING RAILS TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR TENSIONING SAID PRINTING PLATE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND SAID PLATE CYLINDER, AND MEANS FOR OPPOSITELY MOVING SAID CLAMPING PRESSURE MEMBER OUT OF SAID CLAMPING POSITION FOR RELEASE OF SAID PRINTING PLATE.