Patent US3631801A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3631801A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Clamp assembly for skewing and securing a printing plate
Assignee: Harris Graphics Corp
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Filing: 1969-09-25
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Granted: 1972-01-04
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Expires: 1989-09-25
Abstract
Abstract An improved clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a cylinder of a printing press includes a rotatable shaft having teeth which meshingly engage corresponding teeth on plate clamp members. The teeth on the shaft are angled in opposite directions relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. Therefore, when the shaft is moved axially, a camming action occurs between the teeth on the shaft and the teeth on the clamp members. This camming action moves the clamp members in opposite directions to skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder. When the shaft is rotated, the clamp members are moved in the same direction to advance or retard the plate relative to the cylinder.
Inventors
- 👤 Hans J Luehrs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:59
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F13/00; B41F13/08; B41F13/10; B41F13/12; B41F13/16; B41F27/00; B41F27/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
403 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press and for adjusting the position of the printing plate relative to the cylinder, said clamp assembly comprising clamp means for positioning and retaining the printing plate on the cylinder, said clamp means including a plurality of clamp members movably mounted on the cylinder and adapted to engage the printing plate and first and second sets of clamp teeth each of which is operatively connected with one of said clamp members, a shaft mounted in the cylinder, first and second sets of actuator teeth each of which is connected with said shaft and meshingly engages one of said sets of clamp teeth, said first and second sets of actuator teeth each including a plurality of teeth having longitudinal axes extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of said shaft with the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said first set of actuator teeth extending transversely to the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said second set of actuator teeth, means for rotating said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth to drive said first and second sets of clamp teeth and move said clamp members through substantially equal distances in the same direction relative to the cylinder to thereby adjust the printing plate circumferentially of the cylinder while maintaining substantially constant the angular relationship between an edge portion of the printing plate and a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and means for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth in a first direction to dRive said first and second sets of clamp teeth in opposite directions and move one of said clamp members in one direction relative to the cylinder and another of said clamp members in another direction relative to the cylinder to thereby skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder and for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth in a second direction to drive said first and second sets of clamp teeth in opposite directions and move one of said clamp members in said other direction relative to the cylinder and said other clamp member in said one direction relative to the cylinder to thereby skew the printing plate in an opposite direction to the direction in which the printing plate is skewed upon movement of said shaft in said first direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
403 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press and for adjusting the position of the printing plate relative to the cylinder, said clamp assembly comprising clamp means for positioning and retaining the printing plate on the cylinder, said clamp means including a plurality of clamp members movably mounted on the cylinder and adapted to engage the printing plate and first and second sets of clamp teeth each of which is operatively connected with one of said clamp members, a shaft mounted in the cylinder, first and second sets of actuator teeth each of which is connected with said shaft and meshingly engages one of said sets of clamp teeth, said first and second sets of actuator teeth each including a plurality of teeth having longitudinal axes extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of said shaft with the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said first set of actuator teeth extending transversely to the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said second set of actuator teeth, means for rotating said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth to drive said first and second sets of clamp teeth and move said clamp members through substantially equal distances in the same direction relative to the cylinder to thereby adjust the printing plate circumferentially of the cylinder while maintaining substantially constant the angular relationship between an edge portion of the printing plate and a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and means for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth in a first direction to dRive said first and second sets of clamp teeth in opposite directions and move one of said clamp members in one direction relative to the cylinder and another of said clamp members in another direction relative to the cylinder to thereby skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder and for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth in a second direction to drive said first and second sets of clamp teeth in opposite directions and move one of said clamp members in said other direction relative to the cylinder and said other clamp member in said one direction relative to the cylinder to thereby skew the printing plate in an opposite direction to the direction in which the printing plate is skewed upon movement of said shaft in said first direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth retains said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth against rotation during movement of said shaft in said first and second directions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth includes a rotatable member and thread means interconnecting said shaft and said rotatable member whereby rotation of said rotatable member in one direction moves said shaft in said first direction and rotation of said rotatable member in a direction opposite to said one direction moves said shaft in said second direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth includes a rotatable member retained against movement in said first and second directions and coupling means for connecting said rotatable member with said shaft and for enabling said shaft to move in said first and second directions relative to said rotatable member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for moving said shaft and said first and second sets of actuator teeth includes external threads on said shaft and an internally threaded member which is mounted in threaded engagement with said external threads on said shaft, said internally threaded member being rotatable relative to said rotatable member to effect movement of said shaft in said first and second directions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including external threads on said internally threaded member and internal threads on said rotatable member engaging said external threads on said internally threaded member to effect movement of said shaft and said internally threaded member in said first and second directions upon rotation of said internally threaded member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
83 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 15 further including a third set of actuator teeth connected with said shaft and operatively connected with one of said clamp members, said third set of teeth being located intermediate said first and second sets of actuator teeth and including a plurality of teeth having longitudinal axes extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of said shaft and transversely to the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said first and second sets of actuator teeth.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second sets of actuator teeth are operable to apply a camming action to said clamp teeth upon movement of said shaft in said first and second directions to thereby move said clamp members to skew the printing plate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
193 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press, said clamp assembly comprising first and second cam elements mounted in a fixed relationship with each other in the cylinder, adjustable clamp means for positioning and retaining the printing plate on the cylinder, first means for moving said first and second cam elements along a path extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, connector meanS interconnecting said cam elements and said clamp means for adjusting said clamp means to skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder upon movement of said first and second cam elements along the path extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and second means for moving said first and second cam elements relative to the cylinder while maintaining said cam elements in a given position along said path, said clamp means being operated by said connector means upon movement of said cam elements by said second means to move the printing plate relative to the cylinder with a constant angular relationship between a leading end portion of the printing plate and the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
193 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press, said clamp assembly comprising first and second cam elements mounted in a fixed relationship with each other in the cylinder, adjustable clamp means for positioning and retaining the printing plate on the cylinder, first means for moving said first and second cam elements along a path extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, connector meanS interconnecting said cam elements and said clamp means for adjusting said clamp means to skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder upon movement of said first and second cam elements along the path extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and second means for moving said first and second cam elements relative to the cylinder while maintaining said cam elements in a given position along said path, said clamp means being operated by said connector means upon movement of said cam elements by said second means to move the printing plate relative to the cylinder with a constant angular relationship between a leading end portion of the printing plate and the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said second means includes means for rotating said first and second cam elements about an axis extending generally parallel to said path.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 10 further including mounting means for retaining said means for rotating said first and second cam elements against movement relative to the cylinder in a direction extending generally parallel to said path, said first means cooperating with said means for rotating said first and second cam elements to effect movement of said first and second cam elements along said path.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including a shaft, each of said first and second cam elements including a plurality of teeth integrally formed with said shaft and having longitudinal axes extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of said shaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said first cam element extend transversely to the longitudinal axes of the teeth of said second cam element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said second means includes means for rotating said first and second cam elements about an axis extending generally parallel to said path and for retaining said cam element against rotation during movement of said first and second cam elements along said path under the influence of said first means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
362 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press and for adjusting the position of the printing plate relative to the cylinder, said clamp assembly comprising a plurality of clamp members movably mounted on the cylinder and adapted to engage the printing plate, first and second cam means connected with said clamp members for effecting movement of said clamp members relative to the cylinder, a shaft mounted in the cylinder, third and fourth cam means connected with said shaft and disposed in engagement with said first and second cam means, said third and fourth cam means each including an elongated cam surface having a longitudinal axis extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of said shaft with the longitudinal axis of the cam surface of said third cam means extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the cam surface of said fourth cam means, means for rotating said shaft to force said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against said first and second cam means to effect movement of said clamp members through substantially equal distances in the same direction relative to the cylinder to adjust the printing plate circumferentially of the cylinder while maintaining substantially constant the angular relationship between an edge portion of the printing plate and a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and means for moving said shaft axially in a first direction to force at least one of said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against at least one of said first and second cam means to effect movement of at least one of said clamp members to skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder and for moving said shaft axially in a second direction to force at least one of said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against at least one of said first and secOnd cam means to effect movement of at least one of said clamp members relative to the cylinder to skew the printing plate in an opposite direction to the direction in which the printing plate is skewed upon movement of said shaft in said first direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
362 words
A clamp assembly for securing a printing plate to a rotary cylinder of a printing press and for adjusting the position of the printing plate relative to the cylinder, said clamp assembly comprising a plurality of clamp members movably mounted on the cylinder and adapted to engage the printing plate, first and second cam means connected with said clamp members for effecting movement of said clamp members relative to the cylinder, a shaft mounted in the cylinder, third and fourth cam means connected with said shaft and disposed in engagement with said first and second cam means, said third and fourth cam means each including an elongated cam surface having a longitudinal axis extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of said shaft with the longitudinal axis of the cam surface of said third cam means extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the cam surface of said fourth cam means, means for rotating said shaft to force said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against said first and second cam means to effect movement of said clamp members through substantially equal distances in the same direction relative to the cylinder to adjust the printing plate circumferentially of the cylinder while maintaining substantially constant the angular relationship between an edge portion of the printing plate and a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and means for moving said shaft axially in a first direction to force at least one of said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against at least one of said first and second cam means to effect movement of at least one of said clamp members to skew the printing plate relative to the cylinder and for moving said shaft axially in a second direction to force at least one of said cam surfaces of said third and fourth cam means against at least one of said first and secOnd cam means to effect movement of at least one of said clamp members relative to the cylinder to skew the printing plate in an opposite direction to the direction in which the printing plate is skewed upon movement of said shaft in said first direction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for rotating said shaft includes means for rotating said cam surfaces with said shaft and means for retaining said shaft and said cam surfaces against rotation during movement of said shaft in said first and second directions.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-03 | 1975-07-05 | 1976-01-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-03 | 1979-07-05 | 1980-01-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-03 | 1983-07-05 | 1984-01-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |