Lithographic plate bending arrangement

Claim 2

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement comprising, in combination: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame and having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means having bend portions with preselected bend shapes and mounted on said support frame adjacent said plate support; positioning means mounted on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said anvil means; bending bar means moveably mounted on said support frame and having bender bars for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means, and said bending bar means further comprising mounting means for providing limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent; and said limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars is resilient rectilinear movement and said mounting means further comprises main spring means for yieldingly urging said bender bars toward the lithographic plate to be bent to provide said limited resilient rectilinear movement thereof.

Claim 3

The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means further comprises: main pivot pin means mounted on said support frame and having main pivot axis; main journal block means having walls defining main pivot pin receiving apertures therein for accepting said main pivot pin means; said main spring means positioned between said main journal block means and said main pivot pin means for yieldingly urging said main journal block means towards the lithographic plate to be bent to provide said limited resilent rectilinear movement, and said main journal block means rotateably mounted on said main pivot pin means for rotation about said main pivot axis to provide said movement in said lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means; and bender bar support means for supporting said bender bars on said main journal block means.

Claim 4

Arrangement defining claim 2 wherein said bender bar support means further comprises; secondary pivot pin means mounted on said main journal block means and spaced outwardly from said main pivot pin means and having a secondary pivot axis; secondary journal block means rotatable mounted on said secondary pivot pin means for rotation about said secondary axis with respect to said main journal block means and said anvil means; said bender bars coupled to said secondary journal block means; and, bender bar holding means for releaseably securing said secondary journal block means to said main journal block means for selectively providing rotation of said bender bars and said secondary journal block means with said main journal block means on said main pivot pin means about said main pivot axis.

Claim 5

The arrangement defined in claim 3 wherein said mounting means further comprises: main journal block detent means for releaseably securing said main major whole block means in a first position with respect to said support frame means.

Claim 6

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement comprising, in combination: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame and having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means having bend portions with preselected bend shapes and mounted on said support frame adjacent said plate support, and said anvil means further comprises: a leading edge anvil adjacent said leading end of said plate support means; and a trailing edge anvil adjacent said trailing end of said plate support means, and at least one of said leading edge and trailing edge anvils is moveable towards and away from said plate support means between a plate bending position wherein said bender bar passes in lithographic plate bending relationship thereto and a plate removal position wherein the bent lithographic plate may be removed from the plate support means; positioning means mounted on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said anvil means; bending bar means moveably mounted on said support frame and having bender bars for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means, and said bending bar means further comprising mounting means for providing limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent, and said bending bar means further comprises: a leading edge bender bar adjacent said leading edge anvil for performing leading edge bends in the lithographic plate to be bent; and, a trailing edge bender bar adjacent said trailing edge anvil for forming trailing edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 7

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement comprising, in combination: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame and having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means having bend portions with preselected bend shapes and mounted on said support frame adjacent said plate support, and said anvil means further comprises: a leading edge anvil adjacent said leading end of said plate support means; and a trailing edge anvil adjacent said trailing end of said plate support means, and at least one of said leading edge and trailing edge anvils is moveable towards and away from said plate support means between a plate bending position wherein said bender bar passes in lithographic plate bending relationship thereto and a plate removal position wherein the bent lithographic plate may be removed from the plate support means; positioning means mounted on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said anvil means; bending bar means moveably mounted on said support frame and having bender bars for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means, and said bending bar means further comprising mounting means for providing limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent, and said bending bar means further comprises: a leading edge bender bar adjacent said leading edge anvil for performing leading edge bends in the lithographic plate to be bent; and, a trailing edge bender bar adjacent said trailing edge anvil for forming trailing edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 8

Arrangement defined in claim 5 and further comprising: anvil detent means for releaseable securing said at least one anvil in said plate bending position.

Claim 9

Arrangement defined in claim 6 wherein: said predetermined bend shape of said at least one anvil comprises a plurality of bends in the lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 10

Arrangement defined in claim 7 wherein: said bender bar adjacent said at least one anvil further comprises: a primary bender bar for performing a first of said plurality of bends in the lithographic plate to bent; at least one secondary bender bar slideably mounted on said primary bender bar for performing at least one other of said plurality of bends in the lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 11

Arrangement defined in claim 8 wherein: said secondary bender bar is slideably moveable from a first retracted position to a second plate bending position on said primary bender bar; and further comprising: secondary bender bar spring means for yieldingly urging said secondary bender bar into said retracted position.

Claim 12

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement wherein the lithographic plate to be bent has walls defining pin receiving aperture means therethrough adjacent one end thereof and comprising: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame and having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means having bend portions with preselected bend shapes and mounted on said support frame adjacent said plate support; positioning means mounted on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said anvil means, and said positioning means further comprising: a positioning pin means pivotally mounted on said support frame adjacent said anvil means and said positioning pin means having positioning pins thereon insertable in the pin receiving apertures of the lithographic plate to be bent for the condition of the lithographic plate to be bent in an alignment position, for aligning the lithographic plate on said plate support means, and said positioning pin means pivotally moveable from said alignment position to a retracted position free of contact with the lithographic plate for the condition of said lithographic plate being bent; and bending bar means moveably mounted on said support frame and having bender bars for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means, and said bending bar means further comprising mounting means for providing limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent. Pg,39

Claim 13

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement wherein the lithographic plate to be bent has walls defining pin receiving aperture means therethrough adjacent one end thereof and comprising: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame and having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means having bend portions with preselected bend shapes and mounted on said support frame adjacent said plate support; positioning means mounted on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said anvil means, and said positioning means further comprising: a positioning pin means pivotally mounted on said support frame adjacent said anvil means and said positioning pin means having positioning pins thereon insertable in the pin receiving apertures of the lithographic plate to be bent for the condition of the lithographic plate to be bent in an alignment position, for aligning the lithographic plate on said plate support means, and said positioning pin means pivotally moveable from said alignment position to a retracted position free of contact with the lithographic plate for the condition of said lithographic plate being bent; and bending bar means moveably mounted on said support frame and having bender bars for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said anvil means, and said bending bar means further comprising mounting means for providing limited rectilinear movement of said bender bars towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent. Pg,39

Claim 14

The arrangement defined in claim 10 wherein said positioning means further comprises: plate clamping means moveably mounted on said support frame for releaseable clamping the lithographic plate to be bent on said plate support means.

Claim 15

The arrangement defined in claim 10 wherein: said positioning means further comprises: walls defining vacuum grooves in said plate support means; vacuum providing means coupled to said vacuum grooves for applying a predetermined vacuum to the lithographic plate to be bent for holding the lithographic plate on said plate support means; and means for relieving said vacuum.

Claim 16

The arrangement defined in claim 10 wherein said positioning pin means further comprises: a pin holder means having a plurality of positioning pin recesses therein, and said positioning pins in said pin recesses; pin spring means between said positioning pins and said pin holder means for yieldingly urging said positioning pins outwardly therefrom; positioning pin pivot means mounted on said frame means; said pin holder means pivotally mounted on said positioning pin pivot means for said pivotal rotation thereof; and positioning pin attachment means for releaseably securing said positioning pin holder means in said alignment position thereof.

Claim 17

The arrangement defined in claim 13 wherein: said pin holder means has an engagement portion thereon for engagement with said bending bar means at a first predetermined portion of said movement thereof, and said positioning pin attachment means releasing said positioning pin holder means to allow said positioning pin holder means to move from said alignment position to said retracted position for the condition of engagement of said positioning pin holder means with said bending bar means.

Claim 18

The arrangement defined in claim 11 wherein: said plate pipe clamping means further comprises: shoe means adjacent said anvil means and extending substantially the tranverse width of the lithographic plate to be bent; shoe mounting means for resiliently mounting said shoe means on said support frame for movement towards and away from said lithographic plate to be bent, and said shoe mounting means comprising shoe spring means for yieldingly urging said shoe spring means away from said lithographic plate to be bent; and cam means rotatably mounted on said support frame for moving said shoe means into lithographic plate clamping engagement with the lithographic plate to be bent for clamping thereof to said plate support means.

Claim 19

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement comprising, in combination: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means comprising: a leading edge anvil adjacent said leading end of said plate support means; and a trailing edge anvil adjacent said trailing edge of said plate support means; and each of said leading edge anvil and said trailing edge anvil have bend portions therein having preselected bend shapes; positioning means on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said leading edge anvil and said trailing edge anvil; bending bar means pivotably mounted on said support frame, and said bending bar means further comprising: a leading edge bender bar for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said leading edge anvil for providing leading edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent conforming to said preselected bend shape of said leading edge anvil; and a trailing edge bender bar for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said trailing edge anvil for providing trailing edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent conforming to said preselected bend shape in said trailing edge anvil; mounting means for movably supporting saId leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bending bar on said support frame, and said mounting means further comprising: main spring means for yieldingly urging said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar towards the lithographic plate to be bent to provide limited resilient rectilinear movement of said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 20

An improved lithographic plate bending jig arrangement comprising, in combination: a support frame; a plate support means mounted on said support frame having a leading end and a trailing end; anvil means comprising: a leading edge anvil adjacent said leading end of said plate support means; and a trailing edge anvil adjacent said trailing edge of said plate support means; and each of said leading edge anvil and said trailing edge anvil have bend portions therein having preselected bend shapes; positioning means on said support frame for positioning and releasably clamping lithographic plates to be bent thereon in a predetermined location with respect to said leading edge anvil and said trailing edge anvil; bending bar means pivotably mounted on said support frame, and said bending bar means further comprising: a leading edge bender bar for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said leading edge anvil for providing leading edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent conforming to said preselected bend shape of said leading edge anvil; and a trailing edge bender bar for passing in lithographic plate bending relationship to said trailing edge anvil for providing trailing edge bends in said lithographic plate to be bent conforming to said preselected bend shape in said trailing edge anvil; mounting means for movably supporting saId leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bending bar on said support frame, and said mounting means further comprising: main spring means for yieldingly urging said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar towards the lithographic plate to be bent to provide limited resilient rectilinear movement of said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar towards and away from the lithographic plate to be bent.

Claim 21

The arrangement defined in claim 16 wherein: said mounting means further comprises: main pivot pin means mounted on said support frame and having main pivot axis; main journal block means having walls defining main pivot pin receiving apertures therein for accepting said main pivot pin means; said main spring means between said main journal block means and said main pivot pin means for yieldingly urging said main journal block means towards the lithographic plate to be bent, and said main journal block means rotatably mounted on said main pivot pin means for rotation about said main pivot axis; bender bar support means for supporting said bender bars on said main journal block means and comprising: secondary pivot pin means mounted on said main journal block means and spaced outwardly from said main pivot pin means, and having a secondary pivot axis; secondary journal block means rotatably mounted on said secondary pivot pin means for rototation about said secondary axis with respect to said main journal block means and said anvil means; said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar coupled to said secondary journal block means; bender bar holding means for releasably securing said secondary journal block means to said main journal block means for selectively providing rotation of said leading edge bender bar and said trailing edge bender bar and said secondary journal block means about said main pivot axis; and main journal block detent means for releasably securing said main journal block means in a first position with respect to said support frame means.

Claim 22

The arrangement defined in claim 17 wherein: at least one of said leading edge and trailing edge anvils is movable towards and away from said plate support means between a plate bending position wherein said bender bar passes in lithographic plate bending relationship thereto and a plate removal position wherein the bent lithographic plate may be removed from the plate support means; and further comprising: anvil detent means for releasably securing said at least one anvil means in said plate bending position; said predetermined bend shape of said at least one anvil comprises a plurality of bends in the lithographic plate to be bent; and said bender bar adjacent said at least one anvil further comprises: a primary bender bar for forming a first of said plurality of bends, and at least one secondary bender bar slidably mounted on said primary bender bar to form at least one other of said plurality of bends, and said secondary bender bar movable from a first retracted position into a second plate bending position on said primary bender bar; and secondary bender bar spring means between said primary bender bar and said secondary bender bar for yieldingly urging said secondary bender bar into said retracted position.

Claim 23

The arrangement defined in claim 16 wherein the lithographic plate to be bent has walls defining pin receiving aperture means therethrough adjacent one end thereof, and said positioning means further comprises: a positioning pin means pivotally mounted on said support frame adjacent said anvil means and said positioning pin means having positioning pins thereon insertable in the pin receiving apertures of the lithographic plate to be bent for the condition of the lithographic plate to be bent in an alignment position for aligning the lithographic plate on said plate support means, and said positioning pin means pivotally movable From said alignment position to a retracted position free of contact with the lithographic plate for the condition of said lithographic plate being bent; plate clamping means movably mounted on said support frame for releasably clamping the lithographic plate to be bent on said plate support means; said plate clamping means further comprising: shoe means adjacent said anvil means and extending substantially the transverse width of the lithographic plate to be bent; shoe mounting means for resiliently mounting said shoe means on said support frame for movement towards and away from said lithographic plate to be bent and said shoe mounting means comprising shoe spring means for yieldingly urging said shoe spring means away from said lithographic plate to be bent; and cam means rotatably mounted on said support frame for moving said shoe means into lithographic plate clamping engagement with a lithographic plate to be bent for clamping thereof to said plate support means.

Claim 24

The arrangement defined in claim 19 wherein said positioning pin means further comprises: a pin holder means having a plurality of positioning pin recesses therein, and said positioning pins in said pin recesses; pin spring means between said positioning pins and said pin holder means for yieldingly urging said positioning pins outwardly therefrom; positioning pin pivot means mounted on said frame means; said pin holder means pivotally mounted on said positioning pin pivot means for said pivotal rotation thereof; positioning pin attachment means for releasably securing said positioning pin holder means in said alignment position thereof; and said pin holder means having an engagement portion thereon for engagement with said bending bar means at a first predetermined portion of said movement thereof, and said positioning pin attachment means releasing said positioning pin holder means to allow said positioning pin holder means to move from said alignment position to said retracted position for the condition of engagement of said positioning pin holder means with said bending bar means.

Claim 25

The arrangement defined in claim 16 wherein the lithographic plate to be bent has walls defining pin receiving aperture means therethrough adjacent one end thereof and said positioning means further comprises: a positioning pin means pivotally mounted on said support frame adjacent said anvil means and said positioning pin means having positioning pins thereon insertable in the pin receiving apertures of the lithographic plate to be bent for the condition of the lithographic plate to be bent in an alignment position for aligning the lithographic plate on said plate support means, and said positioning pin means pivotally moveable from said alignment position to a retracted position free of contact with the lithographic plate for the condition of said lithographic plate being bent; and said positioning pin means further comprises: a pin holder means having a plurality of positioning pin recesses therein, and said positioning pins in said pin recesses; pin spring means between said positioning pins and said pin holder means for yieldingly urging said positioning pins outwardly therefrom; positioning pin pivot means mounted on said frame means; said pin holder means pivotally mounted on said positioning pin pivot means for said pivotal rotation thereof; positioning pin attachment means for releaseably securing said positioning pin holder means in said alignment position thereof; and said pin holder means has an engagement portion thereon for engagement with said bending bar means at a first predetermined portion of said movement thereof; and said positioning pin attachment means releasing said positioning pin holder means to allow said positioning pin holder means to move from said alignment position to said retracted position for the condition of engagement of said positioning pin holder means with said bending bar means.

Claim 26

The arrangement defined in claim 18 wherein the lithographic plate to be bent has walls as defining pin receiving aperture means therethrough adjacent one end thereof and said positioning means further comprises: a positioning pin means pivotally mounted on said support frame adjacent said anvil means and said positioning pin means having positioning pins thereon insertable in the pin receiving apertures of the lithographic plate to be bent for the condition of the lithographic plate to be bent in an alignment position for aligning the lithographic plate on said plate support means, and said positioning pin means pivotally moveable from said alignment position to a retracted position free of contact with the lithographic plate for the condition of said lithographic plate being bent; plate clamping means moveably mounted on said support frame for releasably clamping the lithographic plate to be bent on said plate support means, and said plate clamping means further comprises: shoe means adjacent said anvil means and extending substantially the transverse width of the lithographic plate to be bent; shoe mounting means for resiliently mounting said shoe means on said support frame for movement towards and away from said lithographic plate to be bent and said shoe mounting means comprising shoe spring means for yieldingly urging said shoe means away from said lithographic plate to be bent; and cam means rotatably mounted on said support frame for moving said shoe means into lithographic plate clamping engagement with a lithographic plate to be bent for clamping thereof to said plate support means; walls defining vacuum grooves in said plate support means; vacuum providing means coupled to said vacuum grooves for applying a predetermined vacuum to the lithographic plate to be bent for holding the lithographic plate on said plate support means; and, means for relieving said vacuum; and, said positioning pin means further comprises: a pin holder means having a plurality of positioning pin recesses therein, and said positioning pins in said pin recesses; pin spring means between said positioning pins and said pin holder means for yieldingly urging said positioning pins outwardly therefrom; positioning pin pivot means mounted on said frame means; said pin holder means pivotally mounted on said positioning pin pivot means for said pivotal rotation thereof; positioning pin attachment means for releasably securing said positioning pin holder means in said alignment position thereof; and, said pin holder means has an engagement portion thereon for engagement with said bending bar means at a first predetermined portion of said movement thereof, and said positioning pin attachment means releasing said positioning pin holder means to allow said positioning pin holder means to move from said alignment position to said retracted position for the condition of engagement of said positioning pin holder means with said bending bar means.