Abstract A registration system for registering a thin magnetic printing plate on a magnetic cylinder, the cylinder having a set of registration pins projecting a short distance from the surface of the cylinder at the corner positions of the plate, the leading and trailing edges of the plate being notched to register with the pins. The first notch is dimensioned to engage both axial and peripheral surfaces on the pin which it engages and the second notch is dimensioned to engage only the peripheral surface of the corresponding pin while providing clearance in both axial directions. The third notch is dimensioned to engage only the axial surfaces of the corresponding pin while providing clearance in the peripheral direction. The fourth notch is dimensioned to provide clearance with the corresponding pin in both the axial and peripheral directions so that the plate is registered on the cylinder accurately, with freedom from buckling, notwithstanding any initial error in the spacing of the notches with respect to the pins and notwithstanding slight changes in the axial and peripheral dimensions of the plate. In accordance with one of the aspects of the invention printing plates are spaced in multiple around the periphery of the cylinder, with leading and trailing edges spaced edge to edge, and with the same pins serving to register adjacent plates. Still further in accordance with the invention pins spaced axially along the printing cylinder are employed to accommodate plates of unit length and width or platess of any multiple of unit length and width, with the notches, or openings, corresponding to the redundant ones of the pins being enlarged to provide pin-clearance in all directions.
A registration system for accommodating printing plates in multiple around a plate cylinder comprising, in combination, a magnetic cylinder, a plurality of thin plates each having a magnetic backing and superimposed printing surface, each of the plates being of rectangular shape presenting straight axially facing ends and straight peripherally facing leading and trailing edges, the plates being dimensioned so that the leading and trailing edges of adjacent plates are spaced slightly edge to edge on the cylinder to define plate junctions, first and second pins at each junction, the pins being spaced to lie in the corner positions of the adjacent plates, each of the pins being of shallow height presenting Flat axially facing surfaces as well as peripherally facing surfaces, the leading and trailing edges of each plate being notched to registeringly accommodate the pins, one of the notches in the leading edge of each plate being dimensioned to engage the two axial surfaces and a peripheral surface on its associated pin and the remaining notch in such edge being dimensioned to engage only a peripheral surface on its associated pin, one of the notches in the trailing edge of each plate being dimensioned to engage only the two axial surfaces of its associated pin while the remaining notch in such edge provides clearance in all directions about its associated pin, the pins all being peripherally elongated and centered on the junctions to extend therefrom equally in both peripheral directions into the edges of the adjacent plates so that each pin while registered in notches of two adjacent plates performs differing functions on behalf of such plates, thereby to achieve register of the plates with freedom from buckling notwithstanding initial error in the spacing of the notches with respect to the pins and notwithstanding slight changes in the axial and peripheral dimensions of the plates occurring incident to a printing run.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
312 words
A registration system for accommodating printing plates in multiple around a plate cylinder comprising, in combination, a magnetic cylinder, a plurality of thin plates each having a magnetic backing and superimposed printing surface, each of the plates being of rectangular shape presenting straight axially facing ends and straight peripherally facing leading and trailing edges, the plates being dimensioned so that the leading and trailing edges of adjacent plates are spaced slightly edge to edge on the cylinder to define plate junctions, first and second pins at each junction, the pins being spaced to lie in the corner positions of the adjacent plates, each of the pins being of shallow height presenting Flat axially facing surfaces as well as peripherally facing surfaces, the leading and trailing edges of each plate being notched to registeringly accommodate the pins, one of the notches in the leading edge of each plate being dimensioned to engage the two axial surfaces and a peripheral surface on its associated pin and the remaining notch in such edge being dimensioned to engage only a peripheral surface on its associated pin, one of the notches in the trailing edge of each plate being dimensioned to engage only the two axial surfaces of its associated pin while the remaining notch in such edge provides clearance in all directions about its associated pin, the pins all being peripherally elongated and centered on the junctions to extend therefrom equally in both peripheral directions into the edges of the adjacent plates so that each pin while registered in notches of two adjacent plates performs differing functions on behalf of such plates, thereby to achieve register of the plates with freedom from buckling notwithstanding initial error in the spacing of the notches with respect to the pins and notwithstanding slight changes in the axial and peripheral dimensions of the plates occurring incident to a printing run.