DE4105317C2 - - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for production of printing plates with a copy table on which little at least one blank can be picked up, with one Copy table assigned exposure device, with preferably designed as a cassette film holder facilities for unused and used foils, esp special films that by means of a suction frame from the orderly film holder for unused Fo removable, for copying in contact with the plates blank can be brought and then in the assigned Fo Line receiving device can be entered for used foils where at least one route is provided,  on the at least one film receiving device, the is accessible from above, in the suction frame work area is richly movable.

A device of this type is from DE-U 88 13 594 known. This known arrangement contains a Saugrah men, which can be moved up and down, and two on top of each other of the arranged cassettes, which act as recording devices act for unused and used artwork films. Each cassette is individually from a side Waiting position in the working area of the suction frame, the here corresponds to the copy area, transferable. For each de the cassettes accordingly becomes a driveway with assigned towing equipment required. This is undesirable.

In this context, it must be taken into account that often not in the manufacture of printing plates only artwork films, but also masking for Prevent double exposure and often films for auxiliary characters to be copied, such as registration marks, etc. are needed, so that a larger number of Cassettes and, provided each cassette has a driveway is assigned a larger number of one above the other lying routes can result. But this leads to an undesirably large height and can also un cheap on the necessary operation and maintenance strike through effort. For these reasons, so far also often tried to put all films, masks etc. in one ner cassette to record, however, a high on wall and a high source of error regarding the content correct order required.  

It has also been proposed (P 39 37 557), several Suction frame for recording or delivering films to next to to move past each other This results in a smaller overall height, because for is the space requirement, especially when used additional mask and drawing cassettes, very large.

Based on this, it is therefore the task of the present the invention, a device of the type mentioned with simple and inexpensive means Ensure that not a driving for every recording facility street is needed and that nevertheless a simple and compact design with low space requirements that can.

This object is achieved in that the film receiving devices for unused and / or used foils in the form of at least one tower register stackable exactly on top of each other and by means of a decoupling tion device out of mutual engagement and that a route is assigned to each tower, on which the assigned tower completely or partially is at least movable into the exposure device, the part of the tower not to be traversed by the decoupling device recordable and by means of this is restrained and the part of the tower to be moved in the top film receiving device the unused Contains foils and / or absorbs the foils used.

With these measures, the disadvantages of the known Orders completely eliminated and at the same time the  Maintain advantage that for each type of film own receiving devices for unused and used foils Find use. In addition, the invention measures the possibility for a highly rational How it works and how easy it is to use. The due to the use of the towers according to the invention resulting savings in overall height results in advantageous Way, short strokes of the suction frame, which is beneficial to the achievable throughput penetrates. The same applies for the resulting saving of space. Nevertheless, a gu te accessibility of the reception facilities for loading reach service personnel.

Advantageous configurations and practical training General measures are in the subclaims Chen specified. It can be particularly advantageous if the lowest film holder of each tower one in the area of the assigned route seen towing device is connected and each on the lowest film receiving device attachable Fo Line receiving device by means of the decoupling device can be lifted. These measures result in a very fold design, since the connection of the towing device be unsolvable with the lowest film holder can. A coupling of the towing device to the other Ren film receiving devices is not required. Rather, they will be the top recordings direction of the moving tower part from the one below located recording facilities taken.  

Another advantageous measure can consist in that at least two towers, each with at least two fo lien receiving facilities are provided. Here you can the reception facilities for those needed in any case a separate tower in the form of the template films be assigned. This enables a special ratio nell way of working, in cases where no Mas ken and / or character films are required, the relevant Tower can be easily passivated. Another advantage can be seen in the fact that when both towers are activated the se are at least partially movable at the same time, what Overlap of individual work processes enables and accordingly advantageous to the achievable Throughput performance affects.

In further training of the general measures NEN two synchronously back and forth, preferably firmly connected frame holder for phase ver pushed and disposable suction frames are provided, which can alternately be moved to the copy area and on the copy table can be lowered. It can be useful in Area of both ends each cross the copy area a decoupling device is provided for the route be the alternate to the opposite Decoupling device with the associated, zwi the opposite decoupling directions movable tower can be occupied with tels whose film receiving devices the suction frame of the frame moved out of the copy area menhalters is disposable. This results in therefore a particularly high throughput, since during  a copy process the Saugrah not involved in this is disposable. Still, it is only required to reciprocate the double frame arrangement slide to the one previously involved in the copying process Suction frame in an area adjacent to the copy area to bring or loading area. Another advantage can be consist in that due to the expansion of the driving streets in both directions of displacement of the double frame arrangement and the mobility of the towers over the Ko Pier range each with a recording device for each type of film, the sorting of each unused slides in the associated recording facilities made easier.

Another, particularly useful training course on orderly measures can consist in that each Route to either side of copy area two Has route sections, the outer of an Ent Coupling device is flanked and the inside of it the unloading or loading area adjacent to the copy area enforced. The decoupling that can be achieved with these measures between the waiting position and the unloading or loading position of the Receiving devices gives one over the Ent- or Be Lift area of the towers beyond the loading area. This overstroke allows good visibility at least of each top film holder and a good side che accessibility of all film receiving devices in the outer waiting position.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the parent Measures can each decoupling device each other  opposite, with the desired film have lifting devices which can be brought into engagement, which is expedient as the desired film holder device driving wedges can be formed. This allows the individual film holder to be set up Lifting and lowering reliably and reliably casually disengage or engage. The  Wedges advantageously result in a simple order setting a horizontal movement into a vertical movement supply.

Another advantageous measure can consist in that each decoupling device several, one above the other arranged, each a liftable film holder direction assigned lifter. They can do this advantageously arranged stationary in height be, which enables a very simple construction.

The film receiving devices can also be advantageous Plug pins and holes are provided, the Plug pins and plug holes are one above the other the film receiving devices in mutual engagement are feasible. This enables a high register accuracy speed with simple and inexpensive producibility.

Further advantageous configurations and expedient There are further training courses for the higher-level measures from the description of an embodiment below game based on the drawing in connection with the rest subclaims.

In the drawing described below:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a copying machine according to the invention in a schematic representation;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a traveling road of an arrangement, according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of film receiving devices consist of the tower and

Fig. 4 shows a detail from FIG. 3.

The copying machine on which FIG. 1 is based contains a copying table 2 which is adjustable on a frame 1 and is adjustable in the x and y directions. On this a pressure plate blank 3 can be clamped in register, for example with the help of suction nozzles not shown here. Above the copying table 2 there is an exposure device 4 . This serves a tenrohling on the Plat 3 launched sheet-shaped artwork film-exposing, which is copied to the fotoempfindli chen printing plate blank. 3

The artwork films are removed before the copying process from a recording device for unused films, here in the form of a so-called film cassette 5 , and after the copying process into a recording device for used films, here in the form of a so-called empty cassette 6 . For handling the artwork films are provided with a vacuum, on the mentioned recorded devices or the copying table 2 lowerable suction frame 7 , the structure and mode of operation of which is known per se. In the illustrated embodiment, a double frame arrangement with two firmly connected frame holders 8 for each one suction frame 7 is used. The frame holder 8 are slidable back and forth on an associated table-parallel frame holder driveway 9 in such a way that in the end positions defined by end stops 10 a suction frame 7 is located in the effective area of the exposure device 4 , ie in the copying area I and the other suction frame 7 outside of this in a loading or unloading area II. There are accordingly two loading or unloading areas II flanking the copying area I. A film change can be carried out in these loading or unloading areas II. Ie the previously copied film can be inserted into the assigned empty cassette 6 and a new, unused film can be removed from the film cassette 5 . In the situation shown in FIG. 1, the right suction frame 7 is located in the copying area I and the left suction frame 7 in the assigned left loading and unloading area II, in which an original film indicated at 11 can be dropped and a new one can be recorded. During the next stroke of the frame holder 8 , the left suction frame 7 enters the copying area I and the right suction frame 7 enters the assigned, right loading and unloading area II, as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1.

Below the frame holder driveway 9 there is a first cassette driveway 12, also parallel to the table. The film cassette 5 and empty cassette 6 can be moved parallel to the table on this. The cassette driveway 12 passes through the copying area I and the two loading and unloading areas II since, and additionally waiting areas III provided laterally outside of this. Accordingly, there are also a left and a right waiting area III. The cassette driveway 12 accordingly extends over five sections, namely how the frame holder driveway 9 over the copy area I and the two side loading and unloading areas II and additionally over the two side waiting areas III. The cassette route 12 accordingly extends in the area of both ends beyond the frame holder route 9 , so that the assigned cassettes can be brought into an outer waiting position. This, defined by end stops 13 of the cassette route 12 end position is drawn in Fig. 1 with solid lines. By moving the cassettes from area III to the adjacent area II, they can be brought into their loading or unloading position, as indicated in FIG. 1 for the left loading and unloading area II with broken lines.

The cassettes assigned to the cassette route 12 , here in the form of the film cassette 5 and the empty cassette 6 , are stacked on top of one another in the form of a cassette tower 14 . The cassettes 6 are designed so that they can be placed on each other re register-accurate, which can be accomplished by form-fitting, mutual engagement of spacers 15 provided for this purpose. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the film cassette 5 assigned to the unused films is set up on the empty cassette 6 assigned to the films used. Depending on whether a new film is to be removed or a previously used film is to be dispensed, either the entire cassette tower 14 , as indicated in FIG. 1 with broken lines, or only its lower part, here in the form of the empty cassette 6 , moved from the waiting area III into the adjacent loading and unloading area II. This ensures that in each case the required cassette for the relevant Saugrah men 7 is accessible from above. If the cassette tower 14 is only partially moved, the rest of the waiting area III is held back. For this purpose, the upper part of the tower, here in the form of the film cassette 5 , is raised so far that it comes out of stacking engagement with the lower part of the tower, here in the form of the empty cassette 6 . For this purpose, a suitable decoupling device 16 is provided in the waiting area III.

To accomplish the movement along the cassette ten-way 12 , this is provided with a suitable towing device 17 . This can be an endlessly driven drivable tension member, which is connected here to the lower cassette of the tower 14 , here in the form of the empty cassette 6 . As soon as the upper cassette, here in the form of the film cassette 5 , is raised by means of the decoupling device 16 , the lower cassette, here in the form of the empty cassette 6 , can be moved alone. The recorded on the decoupling device 16 , the upper cassette is retained by the device 16 Entkopplungseinrich. If the upper cassette is placed on the lower cassette, it is taken as a result of the mutual, positive engagement, as indicated in Fig. 1 in the left loading and unloading area II with un broken lines. The function of the decoupling device 16 thus ensures that each cassette can be brought from the waiting area III into the adjacent loading and unloading area II in an accessible state from above and is therefore accessible to the suction frame 7 concerned .

With each displacement movement of the frame holder 8 between the end stops 10 of the frame holder driveway 9 , the tower 14 as a whole is moved between the end stops 13 of the cassette driveway 12 . The tower 14 in each case arrives in the outer waiting area III, which is adjacent to the loading or unloading area II, in which the suction frame 7 is located, which has to carry out a film change. To carry out the film change, the tower 14 , as already mentioned, is moved entirely or partially between the waiting area III and the adjacent loading and unloading area II. In the waiting area III, the upper cassette of the tower is clearly visible, so that the films located in the upper cassette can be checked by the operating personnel for proper position. It is therefore advisable to provide the film cassette 5 for unused films, as in the illustrated embodiment, as the upper cassette. The arrangement of a waiting area III on both sides enables said control from both sides.

In the case of simpler machines, a cassette route of the type described above is sufficient for the film cassette 5 and empty cassette 6 assigned to the original films. However, masking masks are often required in the course of the copying process to prevent double exposure. This can e.g. B. be the case when two images in A5 format are copied onto an area of the plate blank 3 corresponding to a DIN A4 page. In this case, the half of the side surface that is not occupied in each case is covered by means of a mask to avoid double exposure. This is a light-impermeable film material. In addition, it is often necessary that, in addition to the print template, auxiliary characters such as registration marks, control strips etc. are copied onto the blank 3 plates. Foil-shaped films and masks are also required for this. The masks and the drawing films are also handled by means of the suction frame 7 . If the mask is used, the mask is sucked in first and then the film is sucked in by means of a further vacuum system. The Saugrah men 7 are accordingly see ver with two vacuum systems. In the lowered state on the copying table 2 , the film is also sucked onto the blank 3 , without, however, losing the adhesion to the suction frame 7 , so that a full system is guaranteed on both sides and thus under-radiation is impossible.

Like the artwork, the masks and drawing films are housed in cassettes. Accordingly, a mask cassette 18 for unused masks, a mask empty cassette 19 for used masks, a drawing film cassette 20 for unused drawing films and a drawing film empty cassette 21 for used drawing films are provided. These can be stacked on one another in register form in the form of a further tower 22 , to which a second, here lower, cassette route 23 is assigned. The second tower 22 is accordingly higher than the first tower 14 . The structure and the mode of operation of the lower cassette route 23 corresponds to the structure and mode of operation of the upper cassette route 12 described above. Accordingly, the towing device 17 assigned to the lower Kas settenstrasse 23 is firmly connected to the bottom cassette of the associated tower 22 . Likewise, the cassettes located further up can be lifted off from the cassette located below them, so that each cassette can be moved from the waiting area III into the respectively adjacent loading and unloading area II in the state accessible from above, as in FIG. 1 on the right with broken lines is indicated by the drawing film cassette.

Of course, it would also be conceivable for all cas put together to form a tower and only one Cassette route to be provided. The illustrated embodiment On the other hand, with two cassette driveways but the advantage that the tower partially overlaps Movements are possible, which is the achievable hourly rate stung increased. Of course, it would also be conceivable any type of film, d. H. the artwork films, the Ab cover masks and the drawing films a tower with each assign two cassettes and one route.

The decoupling devices 16 provided for lifting the respective non-moving cassettes in the waiting areas III here consist, as can best be seen from FIG. 2, of sections of the cassette driveways 12 , 22 provided on both sides of the outer routes, stacked lifting sets from one another here lifters opposite each other in pairs 24 . The outer sections of the cassette routes 12 , 23 are accordingly flanked by the associated decoupling lines 16 . The number of superimposed lifters 24 here corresponds to the number of cassettes or receptacles or receptacles that can be placed on the lowest one connected to the towing device 17 . Each lifting device in the form of a cassette or the like is accordingly assigned a lift set here. When activating the decoupling device, only the lifting device assigned to the lowest cassette to be lifted etc. is activated. The rest are not needed. The lifters 24 can be arranged stationary here. However, it would also be readily possible to provide a lifter arrangement on a vertically adjustable adjusting device, which is adjustable on each of the cassettes to be lifted etc., so that one can make do with a lifter arrangement.

The lifter 24 are in the illustrated embodiment, as can be seen in FIG. 2, formed as horizontally angeord nete thrust wedges, each of which is movable by means of an associated cylinder-piston unit 25 or another actuator. To accommodate the lifter 24 or the cylinder-piston units 25 carrying these, the associated cassette routes 12 , 23 flankie-generating frames 26 belonging to the machine frame are provided. The thrust wedges forming the lifters 24 run with their beveled surface onto a bottom edge or counter surface of the respectively assigned cassette or receiving device, as a result of which the horizontal thrust movement is converted into a vertical lifting movement. This is dimensioned such that a complete Ent coupling between the cassette, which is detected by the jacks 24 , etc., and the respective cassette located below it.

The thrust wedges forming the lifters 24 are here, as shown in FIG. 3, in the area of the receptacles designed as cassettes etc. guide surfaces 27 , here in the form of grooves with beveled contact surfaces, which are associated with a particularly smooth movement and reliable mutual engagement and ensure high accuracy. The receiving devices, which according to the above description are to be designed as cassettes, can also be designed as pallets 28 . Such an embodiment is based on FIG. 3. The receiving devices, here in the form of pallets 28 , are, as FIG. 3 further shows, provided with their receiving surfaces projecting register pins 29 . These are used to record films to be recorded, which are provided with assigned register holes, in register. The re register pins 29 are here to facilitate the introduction into the associated register holes in the area of their upper ends with insertion cones. The register pins 29 are attached to the pallets 28 or in the case of kas-shaped receptacles on the Kassettenbö.

The receiving devices in the form of pallets, cassettes or the like are spaced apart from one another by spacer bolts 30 , as FIG. 3 further shows. At the same time, these serve to fix the superimposed receiving devices in register register.

For this purpose, the spacer bolts 30 , as can best be seen from FIG. 4, are provided with plug pins 31 projecting downwards and plug holes 32 open upwards. These are designed and arranged in such a way that the plug pins 31 of a respective upper recording device can be inserted into the plug holes 32 of the receiving device below each one with a precise fit. The spacer bolts 30 are formed here as assigned rotating parts of the pallets 28 or the cassette bottoms. Especially when using cassette-shaped receptacles, it would also be easily conceivable to accomplish the desired spacing of the cassette edge and bottom so that stackability with mutual positive locking is possible.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been explained in more detail above, this is not intended to imply any limitation. Rather, a number of options are available to the person skilled in the art to adapt the general idea of the solution according to the invention to the circumstances of the individual case. It would also be conceivable, for example, to assign a device for feeding the plate blanks 3 to the copying table 2 and in the area of this feed device to form a magazine for plate blanks of different sizes, a tower corresponding to the towers 14 and 22 with a plurality of receptacles which can be positively placed on one another to provide, each of which the ge desired blank size containing receiving device can be brought into engagement with a suitable removal device.

Claims (18)

1. Device for producing printing plates with a copying table ( 2 ), on which at least one blank plate ( 3 ) can be received, with an exposure device ( 4 ) assigned to the copying table ( 2 ) and preferably with cassettes ( 5 , 6 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ) trained film receiving devices for unused and used films, in particular films ( 11 ) which can be removed by means of a suction frame ( 7 ) from the associated film receiving device for unused films, can be brought into contact with the blank ( 3 ) for copying and can then be entered into the associated film receiving device for used films, at least one route ( 12 ) being provided, on which at least one film receiving device, which is accessible from above, can be moved into the suction frame work area, characterized in that the film is opened receiving devices for unused and / or used foils in the form of at least one tower ( 14 , 22 ) r e stackable on top of each other and can be brought out of mutual engagement by means of a decoupling device ( 16 ) and that each tower ( 14 , 22 ) is assigned a route ( 12 , 23 ) on which the assigned tower ( 14 , 22 ) is wholly or partly at least in the exposure device can be moved, the part of the tower ( 14 , 22 ) that is not to be moved in each case can be received on the decoupling device ( 16 ) and retained by means of this, and the part of the tower to be moved in the uppermost film receiving device contains the unused films and / or used used foils. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lowermost film receiving device of each tower ( 14 , 22 ) with a towing device ( 17 ) provided in the region of the respectively assigned driveway ( 12 , 23 ) and that each is connected to the lowest film receiving device attachable Fo lienaufnahmeeinrichtung by means of the decoupling device ( 16 ) can be raised. 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two towers ( 14 , 22 ), each with at least two film receiving devices are provided. 4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the film receiving devices for the unused and used films of the same Fo liengenat the same tower ( 14 and 22 ) are assigned. 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a tower ( 14 ) is formed for the unequipped and / or used template films ( 11 ) for the film receiving devices. 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims 3 to 5, characterized in that a tower ( 22 ) is provided from individual film receiving devices for unused and used masks and / or for unused and used drawing films. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two synchronously back and forth, preferably firmly interconnected frame holder ( 8 ) for phase-shifted and disposable suction frame ( 7 ) are provided, which alternately in the copying area (I) can be moved and lowered onto the copying table ( 2 ). 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that in the region of both ends of each of the copying area (I) traversing route ( 12 , 23 ) a decoupling device ( 16 ) is provided which alternately to the opposite decoupling device ( 16 ) with the each associated, between the opposite decoupling devices ( 16 ) reciprocating tower ( 14 , 22 ) can be occupied, by means of the film receiving means of the suction frame ( 7 ) of the frame holder ( 8 ) which is moved out of the copying area (I). or is available. 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that each route ( 12 , 23 ) on both sides of the copying area (I) has two sections, the outer of which is flanked by a decoupling device ( 16 ) and the inner one of the copying area (I) each adjacent loading and unloading area (II) forms. 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each Entkopplungseinrich device ( 16 ) opposite one another, which can be brought into engagement with the respectively desired film receiving device ( 24 ). 11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the lifters ( 24 ) as the desired film receiving device underneath wedges are formed. 12. Device according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that each Entkopplungseinrich device ( 16 ) has a plurality, arranged one above the other, each of a liftable film receiving device assigned sets of jacks ( 24 ). 13. The device according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the film receiving devices the levers ( 24 ) have associated guide surfaces ( 27 ). 14. Device according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the towing device ( 17 ) provided in the region of each driving road ( 12 , 23 ) is designed as a preferably endless, drivable pulling member in both directions. 15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Folienaufnahmeein directions are provided with register pins ( 29 ), on which the associated, ver provided with register holes foils can be received. 16. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Folienaufnahmeein directions with mutually stackable spacer elements, preferably in the form of spacer bolts ( 30 ) are provided. 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that in the area of the spacer plug ( 31 ) and plug holes ( 32 ) are provided, the plug pins ( 31 ) and plug holes ( 32 ) superimposable foil receiving devices are fit into each other. 18. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Folienaufnahmeein directions are designed as pallets ( 28 ).