Apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate

Claim 1

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end and an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate as the plate leaves said entry rollers; first and second rotatable brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller being in contact with the particulating image carrying coating on said one face of the particulating printing plate, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member disposed below the outer surface of the pile of said first brush roller, which squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said brush rollers for spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said first and second brush rollers; a first pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and transporting the plate in a horizontal direction towards the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and said squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate, and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers; and means for rotating said second brush roller in a direction opposite to that of said first brush roller and at a slower speed than that of said first brush roller.

Claim 2

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end and an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate as the plate leaves said entry rollers; first and second rotatable brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller being in contact with the particulating image carrying coating on said one face of the particulating printing plate, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member disposed below the outer surface of the pile of said first brush roller, which squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said brush rollers for spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said first and second brush rollers; a first pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and transporting the plate in a horizontal direction towards the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and said squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate, and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers; and means for rotating said second brush roller in a direction opposite to that of said first brush roller and at a slower speed than that of said first brush roller.

Claim 24

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end and an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate as the plate leaves said entry rollers; first and second brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller being rotatable and being in contact with the particulating, image carrying coating on said one face of the printing plate, said second brush roller being stationary, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member disposed below the outer surface of pile of said first brush roller, which squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said brush rollers for applying developer solution to the coated surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said first and second brush rollers; a first pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and transporting the plate in a horizontal direction towards the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and said squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; and means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate, and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers.

Claim 25

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end and an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream end of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate as the plate leaves said entry rollers; first and second brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller being rotatable and being in contact with the particulating, image carrying coating on said one face of the printing plate, said second brush roller being stationary, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member disposed below the outer surface of pile of said first brush roller, which squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said brush rollers for applying developer solution to the coated surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said first and second brush rollers; a first pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and transporting the plate in a horizontal direction towards the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and said squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; and means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate, and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers.

Claim 26

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end, an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion, said exit end being disposed at an upward tilt relative to said entrance end; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate, and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate, said first spray means being directed from said higher side portion towards said lower side portion; means for collecting excess developer solution applied by said first spray means as said solution flows off the surface of the plate; first and second rotatable brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member extending along its length and disposed below the outer surface of the pile of said first brush roller, said first brush roller being in contact with the particulating, image carrying coating on said one face of the plate such that said squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for aiding in removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said brush rollers, said second spray means comprising a tubular manifold member extending from the high side portion of the casing to the lower side portion thereof, said manifold member including a plurality of spray jets each of which is directed towards said lower side portion of the outer casing, each of said spray jets having a flat nozzle portion for emitting a flat stream of solution, the diameter of said manifold being greater than that of each nozzle orifice such that an equal amount of solution is emitted from each nozzle, said second spray means being disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said brush rollers such that when no plate is being passed under said second spray means, said second spray means sprays said brush rollers with developer solution; a pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and conveying the plate in a horizontal direction toward the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers; and means for rotating said second brush roller in a direction opposite to that of said first brush roller, and at a slower speed than that of said first brush roller.

Claim 27

An apparatus for processing a particulating printing plate having an image carrying coating on one face thereof in a horizontal, continuous, through-put manner comprising: an outer casing having an entrance end, an exit end, and a pair of opposed side portions, one of said side portions being disposed at an upward tilt relative to the other side portion, said exit end being disposed at an upward tilt relative to said entrance end; a pair of rotatable entry rollers disposed one above the other in nip contact adjacent the entrance end of the outer casing for receiving the plate, and conveying it in a horizontal direction; first spray means disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said entry rollers for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate, said first spray means being directed from said higher side portion towards said lower side portion; means for collecting excess developer solution applied by said first spray means as said solution flows off the surface of the plate; first and second rotatable brush rollers for removing unwanted coating on said plate, said brush rollers being disposed in nip contact with one another adjacent said first spray means, said first brush roller including a spiral squeege member extending along its length and disposed below the outer surface of the pile of said first brush roller, said first brush roller being in contact with the particulating, image carrying coating on said one face of the plate such that said squeege member functions to provide a screwing effect for aiding in removing said developer solution and the particulate off the plate in the direction of said lateral flow of developer solution; second spray means for laterally spraying developer solution onto the image carrying surface of the plate after the plate leaves the nip of said brush rollers, said second spray means comprising a tubular manifold member extending from the high side portion of the casing to the lower side portion thereof, said manifold member including a plurality of spray jets each of which is directed towards said lower side portion of the outer casing, each of said spray jets having a flat nozzle portion for emitting a flat stream of solution, the diameter of said manifold being greater than that of each nozzle orifice such that an equal amount of solution is emitted from each nozzle, said second spray means being disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said brush rollers such that when no plate is being passed under said second spray means, said second spray means sprays said brush rollers with developer solution; a pair of squeege rollers disposed adjacent said second spray means, one above the other to form a nip for receiving the plate, removing excess solution from the plate and conveying the plate in a horizontal direction toward the exit end of the outer casing; means for rotating said entry rollers and squeege rollers at substantially the same speed in the direction of travel of the plate; means for individually rotating said first brush roller in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the plate and at a speed greater than that of said entry rollers; and means for rotating said second brush roller in a direction opposite to that of said first brush roller, and at a slower speed than that of said first brush roller.