Western Litho Plate and Supply Company

Kelly T McMasters

John W Powers

Daniel G Choate

Lithographic plates have an identifying folio and an image thereon. The image corresponds to a print image to be printed on sheet material such as newspaper stock. An image camera optically examines the identifying folios of each of the lithographic plates to ascertain folio information, and optically examines the images of each of the lithographic plates to ascertain image information including registration information and exposure information. A CPU records in an the electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the identifying folio of each lithographic plate and records in the electronic memory the corresponding ascertained image information of the image of each lithographic plate. An operator using a keyboard can access the image information of a particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate whereby the folio information and the image information are cross-referenced. The image information may also be compared to predefined information and the difference is stored and cross-referenced to the folio information.

Method and apparatus for automatically inspecting a lithographic plate

Apparatus for bending a lithographic plate having an image thereon, comprising an inspection system for (a) inspecting a plate held on a table at an inspection station, (b) determining the extent to which the plate needs to be adjusted relative to a predetermined reference position, and (c) generating a signal indicative of any such adjustment. A first positioning mechanism responsive to the signal automatically moves the table to position a plate on the table for a bending operation. The apparatus also includes a bending mechanism for bending a plate on the table when the plate is positioned for a bending operation, and a control system for selectively operating said apparatus in either an inspection mode of operation in which the inspection system and the first positioning mechanism are operable to inspect the plate on the table and then to move the table to position the plate for said bending operation, or in an inspection bypass mode of operation in which a second positioning mechanism is adapted to position the plate for a bending operation without prior inspection of the plate.

Method of and apparatus for punching and bending a lithographic plate

Method of and apparatus for punching and bending a lithographic plate to match a particular press so that when the plate is subsequently mounted on that particular press, it is oriented to print a properly positioned image on a print surface. The method comprises the steps of (A) inspecting a plate at an inspection station to identify the plate and to determine the position of a registration mark on the plate, (B) comparing the position of the registration mark to a predetermined reference position, (C) identifying the particular press on which the plate is to be mounted, (D) determining whether the position of the registration mark on the plate is to be adjusted relative to the reference position to a compensating position to compensate for potential misalignment of the plate image on a print surface when the plate is mounted on said particular press, (E) positioning the plate at the inspection station in a final plate punching position in which the registration mark on the plate is either in the reference position in the event it is determined there is to be no compensating adjustment, or in said compensating position in the event it is determined there is to be a compensating adjustment, (F) punching the plate when it is in its said final plate punching position, and (G) bending the plate after it has been punched.

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.

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Springfield, MO, United States of America

Kelly T McMasters