Agfa Corporation

Agfa Corporation Law & Patent Department

Roger L Audet

Dennis W Dodge

William W Tice

Thomas P Marincic

David M Leclerc

Christopher Evans

Salvator J Calascibetta

Joseph Benassi, Jr

An apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of printing plates includes a sleeve having one open end which receives the printing plates and a handle connected to the sleeve. The sleeve comprises two mutually-opposed surfaces which enclose all but one edge of each received printing plate. The edges are enclosed such that all of the edges, but one, are unexposed external to the apparatus and such that the one edge which is exposed is only partially exposed. The sleeve also includes a plurality of stiffening members therein for maintaining substantial rigidity thereof.

Printing plate storage and transportation system

A pin registration system uses a plurality of registration pins having different thickness heads to align an edge of a printing plate when mounting the plate to a drum of an imaging system. The registration pins are optionally adjustable along the longitudinal axis of the drum. The registration system avoids the requirement to punch holes or notches in a printing plate and does not require adjusting the thickness of a common registration pin. The registration system allows printing plates having different widths to be mounted without necessitating adjustments of the registration pins.

Pin registration system for mounting different width printing plates

A switch detects a vacuum that is created by suctioning air through a port hole in a media support surface. The switch includes a first layer having (i) a first hole therein which is at least partially aligned with the port hole in the media support surface and (ii) a conductive region, and a second layer, which is disposed above the first layer relative to the media support surface and which is substantially non-conductive. The second layer has a second hole therein which aligns, at least in part, to the first hole in the first layer and to the port hole in the media support surface so as to allow air to flow through the port hole, the first hole, and the second hole. A third layer, which is disposed above the second layer relative to the media support surface, comprises a printed circuit pattern that aligns, at least in part, to the second hole. The printed circuit pattern on the third layer comprises an open circuit. When air is suctioned through the port hole, the first hole and the second hole, a vacuum is created which draws at least a part of the printed circuit pattern through the second hole and into contact with at least a part of the conductive region of the first layer such that the at least part of the conductive region of the first layer completes the open circuit of the printed circuit pattern.

Vacuum detection switch

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Salem, NH, United States of America

Roger L Audet