US3696744A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Saddle lockup for flexible printing plate
Assignee: Boeing North American Inc
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Filing: 1970-10-13
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Granted: 1972-10-10
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Expires: 1990-10-13
Abstract
Abstract A curved saddle for supporting and tensioning a flexible printing plate which has a series of closely spaced appertures along opposite edge portions. Each end of the saddle is provided with a circumferentially moveable spring biased bar having a series of spaced lugs over which opposite ends of the appertured plate may be positioned and secured. To facilitate positioning of the plate over the bar lugs, each bar has a locking mechanism which secures the bar in a retracted position upon manually moving the bar to that position. After a plate is secured to the bar, the locking mechanism may be readily released by depressing an actuating plunger, thereby permitting the bar to be urged under the spring biasing force to an outwardly extended plate tensioning position.
Inventors
- 👤 Gordon Etchell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:06
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F27/00; B41F27/12; B41F27/1218; B41F27/1225; B41F27/1231; B41F27/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/08; Y10T292/096; Y10T292/0969; Y10T292/14; Y10T292/54
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
A device for mounting a flexible printing plate to a press plate cylinder, comprising a curved saddle for supporting said plate about its outer surface, said saddle having the general shape of a sector of a hollow cylinder and having two straight ends, means at one end of said saddle for securing one end portion of said printing plate, a bar mounted at the other end of said saddle for movement toward and away from said saddle end, means on said bar for securing the other end portion of said printing plate, spring means interposed between said bar and saddle biasing said bar in a direction away from said saddle, means for locking said bar in a retracted position in close proximity to said saddle end, said locking means including an actuating plunger slidably disposed within said saddle end for axial movement in a circumferential direction relative to said saddle end, and means responsive to axial movement of said actuating plunger inward towards said saddle end for releasing said bar from said locking means to permit the bar to be moved outward away from said saddle end by the force of said spring means to tension the plate about said saddle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
201 words
A device for mounting a flexible printing plate to a press plate cylinder, comprising a curved saddle for supporting said plate about its outer surface, said saddle having the general shape of a sector of a hollow cylinder and having two straight ends, means at one end of said saddle for securing one end portion of said printing plate, a bar mounted at the other end of said saddle for movement toward and away from said saddle end, means on said bar for securing the other end portion of said printing plate, spring means interposed between said bar and saddle biasing said bar in a direction away from said saddle, means for locking said bar in a retracted position in close proximity to said saddle end, said locking means including an actuating plunger slidably disposed within said saddle end for axial movement in a circumferential direction relative to said saddle end, and means responsive to axial movement of said actuating plunger inward towards said saddle end for releasing said bar from said locking means to permit the bar to be moved outward away from said saddle end by the force of said spring means to tension the plate about said saddle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The mounting device of claim 1 in which said locking means is operable to secure said bar in its retracted position in response to moving said bar to said position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
82 words
The mounting device of claim 2 in which said bar has an L-shaped cross section with one leg of said L being slidably mounted adjacent the underside of said saddle and the other leg of said L extending parallel to the end of said saddle, said other leg having a series of spaced lugs and said plate end portion secured by said bar being formed with a series of correspondingly spaced apertures which permit said plate to be hooked over said lugs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
144 words
The mounting device of claim 2 in which the said saddle end is formed with a socket within which said actuating plunger is disposed, said locking means including at least one ball element interposed between the outer surface of the actuating plunger and the socket walls, said socket having a recessed groove which receives said ball element when said bar is moved to the retracted position, an abuttment means associated with said bar engaging said ball element when the ball element is disposed in said groove to prevent outward movement of said bar, said plunger having a relieved section into whiCh said ball element is received when said plunger is moved inward to a determined position so as to permit said ball element and said abuttment means to move beyond said recessed groove and allow said bar to move away from said saddle end.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
202 words
The mounting device of claim 2 in which a ball carriage sleeve is secured to said bar, said actuating plunger being slidably supported within said sleeve, said saddle end being formed with a socket within which said ball carrying sleeve is slidably disposed, a spring interposed between the end of said actuating plunger and the end of said socket, at least one ball element interposed between the outer surface of the actuating plunger and the socket wall, said ball carriage sleeve having an aperture within which said ball element is carried, said socket having a recessed groove which receives said ball element when said bar is moved to its retracted position, said ball carrying sleeve bearing against a portion of said ball element when the ball element is disposed in said groove to prevent outward movement of said ball carriage sleeve and bar, said plunger having a relieved section which receives said ball element when said plunger is moved inward to a determined position, said ball element being free to move past said recessed groove when located in said actuating plunger relieved section thereby permitting the ball carriage sleeve and bar to be moved outward under the force of said spring means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The mounting device of claim 4 in which said actuating plunger relieved section has oppositely tapered sides.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
87 words
The mounting device of claim 5 in which the distance between the outer surface of said actuating plunger and the bottom of said recessed groove is approximately the diameter of said ball element and the distance between the bottom of the plunger relieved section and the socket walls is approximately the diameter of said ball element, and the depths of said recessed groove, the depth of said relieved section, and the thickness of said ball carriage sleeve each are approximately one-half the diameter of said ball element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The mounting device of claim 4 in which said actuating plunger has a stem portion which extends through said bar to facilitate moving said plunger to its inward position.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
211 words
A device for mounting a flexible printing plate to a press plate cylinder, comprising a curved saddle for supporting said plate about its outer surface, said saddle having the general shape of a sector of a hollow cylinder and having two straight ends, means at one end of said saddle for securing one end portion of said printing plate, an L-shaped bar mounted at the other end of said saddle for movement in a circumferential direction toward and away from said saddle end, said L-shaped bar having one leg slidably mounted adjacent the underside of said saddle and the other leg extending generally parallel to said saddle end, means on said other bar leg for securing the other end portion of said printing plate, spring means interposed between said other bar leg and saddle biasing said bar in a direction away from said saddle end, means responsive to retracting of said first bar leg to a predetermined position in close proximity to said saddle end for locking said bar in said retracted position, and means for selectively releasing said bar locking means to permit the bar to be moved in a direction away from said saddle end by the force of said spring means to tension said plate about said saddle.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
211 words
A device for mounting a flexible printing plate to a press plate cylinder, comprising a curved saddle for supporting said plate about its outer surface, said saddle having the general shape of a sector of a hollow cylinder and having two straight ends, means at one end of said saddle for securing one end portion of said printing plate, an L-shaped bar mounted at the other end of said saddle for movement in a circumferential direction toward and away from said saddle end, said L-shaped bar having one leg slidably mounted adjacent the underside of said saddle and the other leg extending generally parallel to said saddle end, means on said other bar leg for securing the other end portion of said printing plate, spring means interposed between said other bar leg and saddle biasing said bar in a direction away from said saddle end, means responsive to retracting of said first bar leg to a predetermined position in close proximity to said saddle end for locking said bar in said retracted position, and means for selectively releasing said bar locking means to permit the bar to be moved in a direction away from said saddle end by the force of said spring means to tension said plate about said saddle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The mounting device of claim 9 in which said other bar leg has elongated slots and is slidably mounted to said saddle by fastening means passing through said slots, said elongated slots defining the range of bar movement in the circumferential direction.
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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) | 1975-10-10 | 1976-04-10 | 1976-10-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-10 | 1980-04-10 | 1980-10-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-10 | 1984-04-10 | 1984-10-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |