Method of and apparatus for automatically inspecting an exposed and bent lithographic plate
First Claim
1. A method of automatically inspecting an exposed and bent lithographic plate having an image thereon to determine whether the image is in proper registration relative to the plate, the plate having front, rear, and opposite side edges, said method comprising, automatically conveying a lithographic plate from bending apparatus to an inspection station, the plate having been bent by the bending apparatus to form flanges along the front and rear edges of the plate to enable mounting of the plate on a press,moving the lithographic plate into a fixed reference position at the inspection station and holding the plate in said position,automatically inspecting the plate when it is in said fixed reference position to determine whether said image is in proper registration relative to the plate,automatically conveying the plate from the inspection station to a first destination if the image is not in proper registration relative to the plate and to a second destination if the image is in proper registration relative to the plate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of automatically inspecting an exposed and bent lithographic plate having an image thereon to determine whether the image is in proper registration relative to the plate. The plate has front, rear, and opposite side edges. The method comprises the steps of automatically conveying a lithographic plate from bending apparatus to an inspection station, the plate having been bent by the bending apparatus to form flanges along the front and rear edges of the plate to enable mounting of the plate on a press, moving the lithographic plate into a fixed reference position at the inspection station and holding the plate in that position, automatically inspecting the plate when it is in its fixed reference position to determine whether the image is in proper registration relative to the plate, and automatically conveying the plate from the inspection station to a first destination if the image is not in proper registration relative to the plate and to a second destination of the image is in proper registration relative to the plate. Apparatus for carrying out this method is also disclosed.
30 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of automatically inspecting an exposed and bent lithographic plate having an image thereon to determine whether the image is in proper registration relative to the plate, the plate having front, rear, and opposite side edges, said method comprising, automatically conveying a lithographic plate from bending apparatus to an inspection station, the plate having been bent by the bending apparatus to form flanges along the front and rear edges of the plate to enable mounting of the plate on a press,
moving the lithographic plate into a fixed reference position at the inspection station and holding the plate in said position, automatically inspecting the plate when it is in said fixed reference position to determine whether said image is in proper registration relative to the plate, automatically conveying the plate from the inspection station to a first destination if the image is not in proper registration relative to the plate and to a second destination if the image is in proper registration relative to the plate.
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12. Apparatus for automatically inspecting an exposed and bent lithographic plate having an image thereon to determine whether the image is in proper registration relative to the plate, the plate having front, rear, and opposite side edges, said apparatus comprising,
first conveyor means for automatically conveying a lithographic plate from bending apparatus to an inspection station, the plate having been bent by the bending apparatus to form flanges along the front and rear edges of the plate to enable mounting of the plate on a press, positioning means at the inspection station for moving the lithographic plate into a fixed reference position and for holding the plate in said position, inspection means for automatically inspecting the plate when it is in said fixed reference position thereby to determine whether said image is in proper registration relative to the plate, second conveyor means for automatically conveying the plate from the inspection station to a first destination if the image is not in proper registration relative to the plate and to a second destination of the image is in proper registration relative to the plate.
Specification