The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 06, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 23, 2004
Laurence S. Blake, Peabody, MA (US);
Philip A. Rombult, Bradford, MA (US);
Libor Krupica, Methuen, MA (US);
David B. Larsen, Woburn, MA (US);
James C. Folsom, Sanford, ME (US);
Ross A. Freeman, Somersworth, NH (US);
Roger A. Jacques, Rochester, NH (US);
Robert S. Ring, Rochester, NH (US);
Gerald L. Smith, Dover, NH (US);
Laurence S. Blake, Peabody, MA (US);
Philip A. Rombult, Bradford, MA (US);
Libor Krupica, Methuen, MA (US);
David B. Larsen, Woburn, MA (US);
James C. Folsom, Sanford, ME (US);
Ross A. Freeman, Somersworth, NH (US);
Roger A. Jacques, Rochester, NH (US);
Robert S. Ring, Rochester, NH (US);
Gerald L. Smith, Dover, NH (US);
AGFA Corporation, Wilmington, MA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for positioning a plurality of cassettes within an automated printing plate handler. In a plate handler, a plurality of cassettes each contain a supply of printing plates for delivery to an automatic plate-recording device. The apparatus includes a separate support table for supporting each of the plurality of cassettes within the plate handler and an elevator device for moving each of the support tables along a vertical axis of the automated plate handler. The automated plate handler is configured to automatically position a selected cassette in a first position to facilitate removal of the cassette from the handler. The plate handler further includes a platform, which substantially forms an extension of the support table supporting the selected cassette in the first position. The platform provides a second position, at which the selected cassette is to be one of, loaded or unloaded. The selected cassette may be filled with a new supply of plates on the platform or the selected cassette may be removed from the platform and replaced by a another cassette.