APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TRANSPORTING LITHOGRAPHIC PLATES TO A PRESS CYLINDER

• US 20070272105A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burgess Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Burgess Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, William, Burgess, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/477
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 27/1206 Feeding to or removing from the forme cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2227/50 Devices for storing printing plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2227/60 Devices for transferring printing plates
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/332 Superposed compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/512 Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1928 Printing plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/04 by movable tables or carriages rotary tables B65H5/18 ; suction gripper or gripper tables B65H5/10

Abstract

Transportation of a lithographic plate uses an indexer to load plates into pods for delivery to a press cylinder via a pod elevator or a pod cart. The plates are imprinted with a bar code, imaged, punched, bent, sheared, corner notched, and registered to a press cylinder. The plates are loaded into the indexer, which moves the loaded plates into a position in alignment with designated pod compartments, and loads the plates into each of the designated pod compartments by indexed movement of an elevator within the indexer. The pod elevator or the pod cart moves the pods proximate to a press cylinder where the plates are unloaded from the pod and loaded onto a press cylinder. A computing device, such as a PLC, directs the process. A vision system senses information from the indexer, pod, pod elevator, and the plate for feedback to a PLC, which initiates operations of foregoing.

Claims

1. A process for transporting lithographic plates, comprising the steps of (a) using an indexer (i) to load an imaged plate, having a machine readable code thereon, into the indexer;

(ii) the indexer to move the loaded plate into a position in alignment with a designated pod compartment, the designated pod compartment corresponding to information designated by the machine readable code; and

(iii) the indexer loading the plate into the designated pod compartment and (b) using a pod elevator to move the pod proximate to a press cylinder.

2. The process of claim 1, comprising the step of using a computing device for directing steps of the process including modules.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the computing device comprises (a) memory for storing parameters corresponding to (i) virtual locations of modules comprising a conveyor, the indexer, the pod, a pod compartment, a pod elevator, and a press cylinder;

(ii) physical locations of the plates;

(iii) machine readable codes on the plates; and

(iv) feedback from the modules;

(b) instructions for directing movement of the plate along routes based upon preset parameters;

(c) a processor for executing the instructions;

(d) an input channel for receiving and storing the instructions and the parameters; and

(e) an output channel for sending the instructions to a module for directing an operation and for directing the movement of the plate along routes.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the computing device is a programmable logic controller.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code.

6. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of imaging and processing the plate.

7. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of using a conveyor to move the imaged plate to the indexer.

8. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of punching, bending, shearing, and corner notching the plate.

9. The process of claim 8, comprising the step of registration of the plate to a press cylinder.

10. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of using a vision system for sensing information from a module and a bar code, feeding the information back to the computing device, and the computing device initiating a command.

11. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of unloading the plate from the pod.

12. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of loading the plate onto a press cylinder.

13. The process of claim 2, comprising the step of moving a plurality of plates into pod compartments by indexed movement of an elevator of the indexer to align a designated plate with a pod compartment corresponding to the designated plate.

14. The process of claim 6, comprising the step of registration of the image to plate.

31. The pod of claim 3, comprising upper pod support brackets on an upper pod and lower pod support brackets on a lower pod.

49. The pod elevator of claim 10, comprising the upper pod rotatably affixed on the shaft by insertion of the shaft though apertures in the upper support brackets.

64. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indexer pushes plates into separate pod compartments in succession by lowering the compartments incrementally as the plates are loaded by the pusher assembly, whereby the plates are stacked in individual positions one above another.

15. A lithographic plate indexer, comprising a frame, housing, elevator, indexer conveyor, plate centering assembly, and plate finger pusher.

16. The indexer of claim 15, wherein the frame is a box frame.

17. The indexer of claim 16, comprising an internal frame secured to the box frame for support of the elevator.

18. The indexer of claim 15, wherein the elevator is vertically movable within the frame and the housing and in a first position the elevator is in a plate loading position and in a second position the elevator is in a plate exiting position.

19. The indexer of claim 18, comprising a means for raising and lowering the elevator

20. The indexer of claim 19, wherein the means for raising and lowering the elevator comprises a drive motor, worm gear assembly, and speed reduction adapter.

21. The indexer of claim 15, wherein the indexer conveyor is comprised of one or more horizontally, rollable belts and a means for rollably moving the belts.

22. The indexer of claim 15, comprising the plate centering assembly having a means for pushing the plate into lateral registration with belts.

23. The indexer of claim 15, comprising a plurality of plate centering assemblies having at least one assembly positioned on each longitudinal side of the plate.

24. The indexer of claim 15, comprising the finger pushers mounted on each longitudinal side of the plate for gripping the plate with the finger springs to move the plate into registration with the bed of the elevator.

25. The indexer of claim 15, comprising a plate assist assembly

26. The indexer of claim 15, wherein the plate assist assembly comprises a rod less cylinder mounted over the top of the indexer conveyor in a direction parallel to movement of the belts, a first a sensor for detecting the trailing edge of a plate and in response thereto the computing device signals the pusher assembly to move the plate into a pod compartment and thereafter return to its start position.

27. A pod for containment of lithographic plates, comprising (a) a housing;

(b) partitioned compartments within the housing;

(c) a support bracket spanning the housing for mounting the pod in a pod elevator; and

(d) a means for ejecting a plate from of the pod.

28. The pod of claim 27, the housing comprising (a) an enclosure;

(b) a retainer opposite the enclosure;

(c) the partitioned compartments between the enclosure and the retainer; and

(d) a support bracket spanning the enclosure, the compartments, and the retainer for mounting the pod in a pod elevator.

29. The pod of claim 27, comprising a plurality of compartments, support brackets, and means for ejecting a plate.

30. The pod of claim 29, wherein the compartments are comprised of vertically spaced apart parallel partitions for containment and support of a plate.

32. The pod of claim 27, wherein the plates are loaded in a horizontal position.

33. The pod of claim 27, comprising a rotatable support for the plate when the pod is in a vertical position within the pod elevator and a dual rod cylinder for engaging a bend on the plate with the hangar.

34. The pod of claim 27, wherein the means for ejecting the plate from of the pod is a plate ejector.

35. The pod of claim 27, comprising assigned pod compartments successively loaded with corresponding coded plates by incremental movement of the indexer elevator.

36. The pod of claim 32, wherein the pod elevator swivels the pods and their contained plates into a vertical position.

37. The pod of claim 36, wherein the vertical pods are transported by the pod elevator proximate to a press cylindrical.

38. The pod of claim 27, comprising support brackets having apertures for rotatable engagement with a pivot shaft of the pod elevator.

39. The pod of claim 34, comprising sending a signal to open a pod door;

ejecting the plate from a designated pod compartment; and

upon reaching the end of a plate ejector'"'"'s travel retracting the ejector to its home position.

40. A pod elevator for transport of a pod, comprising a movable outer carriage;

a pod movable within the outer carriage;

an inner carriage movable within the outer carriage; and

a pod movable within the inner carriage.

41. The pod elevator of claim 40, comprising a frame having frame members;

mounting frame members;

back frame members;

stabilizers;

cross-members; and

legs.

42. The pod elevator of claim 40, comprising the frame having a frame top portion and a frame bottom portion.

43. The pod elevator of claim 42, comprising the frame having the top portion cantilevered over the bottom portion.

44. The pod elevator of claim 40, comprising the outer carriage having (a) a frame with left and right side channels and top and bottom angle brackets;

(b) a guide rail affixed to the inside of the left channel;

(c) a guide rail affixed to the inside of the right channel;

(d) two guide roller assemblies mounted on the top angle bracket positioned to the left and right of the side channels;

(e) two guide roller assemblies mounted on the bottom angle bracket positioned to the left and right of the side channels;

(f) a cable cylinder mounted to the top and the bottom angle brackets and a cable attached to a top angle bracket of the inner carriage by a cable travel stop;

(g) a rotatable shaft in opposing end bearings, the bearings affixed to the left and the right side channels;

(h) a pivot affixed at one end in a pre-determined angular position to the shaft and rotatably connected at the other end to a cylinder and the top end of the cylinder rotatably connected to the bottom of the top angle bracket.

45. The pod elevator of claim 40, comprising the inner carriage having (a) a frame with left and right side channels and top and bottom angle brackets;

(b) four guide roller assemblies mounted on the top and the bottom angle brackets positioned outside of the left and right side channels;

(c) a shaft in end bearings;

(d) a pivot affixed between the shaft and a cylinder rod and the cylinder pivotally affixed to the top angle bracket.

46. The pod elevator of claim 41, wherein the outer carriage is movable within the frame;

an upper pod is movable within the outer carriage; and

a lower pod is movable within the inner carriage.

47. The pod elevator of claim 40, comprising support brackets on top of the upper pod and support brackets on the bottom of the lower pod.

48. The pod elevator of claim 47, comprising the outer carriage having (a) a rotatable shaft in opposing end bearings, the bearings affixed to left and right side channels and (b) one end of a pivot affixed to the shaft in a pre-determined angular position, the other end of the shaft rotatably affixed to a cylinder, and the top end of the cylinder rotatably affixed to the top angle bracket.

50. The pod elevator of claim 48, comprising actuation of the outer carriage cylinder to extend the rod downward to clockwise rotate the shaft and the upper pod 90°

upward.

51. The pod elevator of claim 50, comprising the inner carriage having (a) a rotatable shaft in opposing end bearings, the bearings affixed to the left and right side channels and (b) one end of a pivot affixed to the shaft in a pre-determined angular position, the other end of the shaft rotatably affixed to a cylinder, and the top end of the cylinder rotatably affixed to the top angle bracket.

52. The pod elevator of claim 51, comprising the lower pod rotatably affixed on the shaft by insertion of the shaft though apertures in the lower support brackets.

53. The pod elevator of claim 52, comprising actuation of the inner carriage cylinder to extend the rod downward to clockwise rotate the shaft and the lower pod 90°

upward.

54. The pod elevator of claim 53, comprising the load plate mode;

separate pod mode;

rotate pod mode;

lower pod mode;

eject plate mode; and

return home mode.

55. The pod elevator of claim 54, comprising the load plate mode having (a) the upper pod positioned horizontally on the upper shaft in the outer carriage;

(b) the lower pod positioned horizontally on the lower shaft in the outer carriage;

(c) the bottom of the upper pod abutting the top of the lower pod; and

(d) whereby the indexer can load the upper and lower pods as if they were a single pod.

56. The pod elevator of claim 55, comprising the separate pod mode having the horizontal upper pod remaining stationary and the horizontal lower pod separating from the upper pod by movement of the inner carriage downward to the bottom of the outer carriage at least a distance from the outside of the channel shaped retainer to the outside of the enclosure.

57. The pod elevator of claim 56, comprising the rotate pod mode rotating the upper and lower pods upward from their horizontal positions to vertical positions.

58. The pod elevator of claim 57, comprising the lower pod mode (a) moving the outer carriage, along with the vertical upper pod, towards the bottom of the elevator;

(b) moving the inner carriage, located at the bottom of the outer carriage, along with the vertical lower pod to the bottom of the elevator;

(c) wherein the upper pod remains in it vertical position about the vertically positioned lower pod.

59. The pod elevator of claim 58, comprising the eject plate mode ejecting designated plates from compartments in the upper and lower pods.

60. The pod elevator of claim 59, comprising the return home mode directing the elevator to return to its home position for loading.

61. The pod elevator of claim 60, comprising actuation of the inner carriage cylinder to extend the rod downward to clockwise rotate the shaft and the lower pod 90°

.

62. A lithographic plate transport apparatus, comprising an indexer having (a) a plate loading end;

(b) an elevator for transporting a plate from the plate loading end to a plate pusher end;

(c) a means for pushing the plate into a pod;

(d) separate vertically spaced pod compartments for storage of a plate in the pod; and

(e) a pod elevator for transporting the pod from the indexer to a location proximate a press cylinder.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the means for pushing the plate into the pod is a pusher assembly.

65. The apparatus of claim 62, comprising pod compartments separated from one another by parallel partitions.

66. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein printing press ready plates are loaded into the plate loading end of the indexer one at a time.

67. The apparatus of claim 66, comprising (a) a first indexer sensor means for sensing entry of the leading edge of the incoming plate;

(b) in response to the first indexer sensor means an indexer conveyor moves the plate forward proximate to a second indexer sensor means;

(c) in response to the second indexer sensor means indication that the plate is fully loaded into the indexer conveyor the plate stops further movement.

68. The apparatus of claim 67, comprising the elevator having a plate thereon movable into horizontal alignment with an assigned pod compartment corresponding to a code on the plate.

69. The apparatus of claim 68, comprising each compartment indexed at a pre-determined position of the indexer.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, comprising a linear encoder for sensing the point at which the elevator has reached a specified location corresponding to the assigned pod compartment, at which point the elevator stops.

71. The apparatus of claim 70, comprising pusher finger assemblies proximate each side of the plate to align the plate with the elevator and the assigned pod compartment.

72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein (a) upon completion of alignment of the plate with the elevator and assigned pod the indexer conveyor initiates forward movement of the plate into the assigned pod compartment and (b) upon sensing the trailing edge of the plate by the second indexer sensor means a plate assist assembly pushes the trailing edge fully into the assigned pod compartment.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein after the plate is fully lodged in the assigned compartment, the indexer elevator returns to the plate loading end and repeats the cycle.

74. A lithographic plate transport apparatus, comprising an indexer having (a) a plate loading end;

(b) an elevator for transporting a plate from the plate loading end to a plate pusher end;

(c) a pusher assembly for pushing the plate into a cart pod; and

(d) separate vertically spaced cart pod compartments for storage of a plate in the cart pod.

75. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein the indexer pushes plates into separate cart pod compartments in succession by lowering the compartments incrementally as the plates are loaded by the pusher assembly, whereby the plates are stacked in individual positions one above another.

76. The apparatus of claim 74, comprising cart pod compartments separated from one another by parallel partitions.

77. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein printing press ready plates are loaded into the plate loading end of the indexer one at a time.

78. The apparatus of claim 77, comprising (a) a first indexer sensor means for sensing entry of the leading edge of the incoming plate;

(b) an indexer conveyor, in response to the first indexer sensor means, moving the plate forward proximate to a second indexer sensor means;

(c) the plate, in response to the second indexer sensor means, is stopped from further movement, whereby the plate is fully loaded into the indexer conveyor.

79. The apparatus of claim 78, comprising the elevator with a plate thereon movable in a vertical direction into horizontal alignment with an assigned cart pod compartment corresponding to a code on the plate.

80. The apparatus of claim 79, comprising each cart pod compartment indexed at a pre-determined vertical position of the indexer.

81. The apparatus of claim 80, comprising a linear encoder for sensing the point at which the elevator has reached a specified vertical location corresponding to the assigned cart pod compartment, at which point the elevator stops.

82. The apparatus of claim 81, comprising pusher finger assemblies proximate each side of the plate to align the plate with the elevator and the assigned cart pod compartment.

83. The apparatus of claim 82, comprising pusher finger assemblies proximate each side of the plate to align the plate with the elevator and the assigned cart pod compartment.

84. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein (a) upon completion of alignment of the plate with the elevator and assigned cart pod compartment the indexer conveyor initiates forward movement of the plate into the assigned cart pod compartment and (b) upon sensing the trailing edge of the plate by the second indexer sensor means, a plate assist assembly pushes the trailing edge fully into the assigned cart pod compartment.

85. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein after the plate is fully lodged in the assigned cart pod compartment, the indexer elevator returns to the plate loading end and repeats the cycle.