Abstract: A guide member is provided at a downstream side of a stack of plates in a direction in which a planographic printing plate is conveyed. The guide member abuts a leading edge of an uppermost planographic printing plate to be conveyed, and bends the planographic printing plate, and further, permits the uppermost planographic printing plate and an interleaf paper adhering thereto in such a manner as to be inclined by being pressed by the planographic printing plate.

Abstract: A planographic printing plate supply unit comprising: carrying rollers rotating while pressing a stacking bundle, in which planographic printing plates and covering papers are stacked alternately, so as to carry the planographic printing plate and covering paper at the top of the stacking bundle, wherein convex portions which are elastically deformed when pressing the stacking bundle and whose contact area with the planographic printing plate is larger after being elastically deformed than before are provided on the outside periphery of the carrying roller.

Abstract: A protective sheet peeling device which reliably separates, from a sheet, a protective sheet (an interleaf sheet) which is superposed with one surface of the sheet. A free roller is disposed at a downstream side of a conveying roller of a peeling section, in a state in which one portion of the free roller is disposed on an “imaginary conveying locus” of a printing plate precursor. Further, a displacement roller is disposed at a downstream side of the free roller. After the printing plate precursor, which is superposed with the interleaf sheet, has passed by the free roller, when the displacement roller moves to a position of reaching the “imaginary conveying locus”, the printing plate precursor and the interleaf sheet are curved along the free roller. Due to reverse rotation of the displacement roller, the interleaf sheet is peeled off of the printing plate precursor.

Abstract: A conveying device has: a moving member provided so as to be movable; a rotating member rotatably supported at the moving member; and a holding member rotatably supported at the rotating member, and able to hold a sheet. In a state in which the holding member is holding the sheet, the holding member conveys the sheet by at least one of movement of the moving member, rotation of the rotating member with respect to the moving member, and rotation of the holding member with respect to the rotating member.

Abstract: In a planographic printing plate feeding apparatus, a load W applied to a stack of plates by a pickup roller which feeds a planographic printing plate from the stack is adjusted. If the load W is increased and exceeds a single feeding threshold, and if a conveyance force F1 applied from the uppermost planographic printing plate to the slip-sheet is increased by such a degree that the conveyance force F1 exceeds a maximum static friction force F2? between the slip-sheet and the planographic printing plate under the slip-sheet, the uppermost planographic printing plate and the slip-sheet 22 can be conveyed integrally (set feeding). Hence, it is possible to obtain a planographic printing plate feeding apparatus with a compact, simple and inexpensive structure and able to feed a planographic printing plate swiftly and reliably.

Abstract: A discrimination device which is disposed on a conveyance path of conveyed items, such as planographic printing plates, slip sheets and the like. The discrimination device is structured with a first sensor, which detects presence or absence of the conveyed items, and second and third sensors, which identify types of the conveyed items. The first sensor can judge presence or absence of a conveyed item from whether or not irradiated light is reflected by a conveyed item. The second and third sensors discriminate between the types—the planographic printing plates and the slip sheets—by the intensity of reflected light, on the basis of a difference in surface reflectivities of the conveyed items. With these three optical sensors, it is possible to reliably identify four conveyance configurations of the conveyed items.

Abstract: A conveying device for a printing plate precursor which takes the printing plate precursor and an interleaf sheet out from a cassette, and which, along a conveying path to an exposure section, takes-off only the interleaf sheet. When a leading end of the interleaf sheet passes by an interleaf sheet peeling roller disposed on the conveying path, the interleaf sheet peeling roller rotates in a direction opposite to a direction of conveying to the exposure section, and contacts the interleaf sheet, and slack is formed in the interleaf sheet between the interleaf sheet peeling roller and a conveying roller. A slack portion is nipped between two belts and fed to a forked-off path, and the interleaf sheet is removed from the conveying path. It is possible to feed only the printing plate precursor out to the exposure section while continuing to convey the printing plate precursor.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for use, with a stack having plates and sheets alternating. Sheets are removed by being reliably suction adhered with a sucker. The sheet feeder includes a suction device, and the sucker and device are mounted at a supporting portion. In order to allow suction adhering of the plates and sheets alternately stacked in a magazine, the suction device is operated when the sucker is brought into contact with the sheet, and the sheet is raised separately from the plate. Thereafter, the sheet is suction adhered to the sucker by suction. This makes it possible to prevent the sucker from suction adhering to the plate together with the sheet, and only the sheet is reliably from the stack.

Abstract: In a removing/conveying portion of a printing plate removing/supplying device, when one cassette among a plurality of cassettes is empty, the empty cassette is placed on a raising/lowering stand and moved to a loading space. Due to a spur gear being rotated clockwise by a motor, a sliding cover, with which the spur gear is engaging, is moved toward a removing portion such that an opening of a cassette stocker portion is opened. In this way, it is possible to refill and load printing plates from a top side of the cassette stocker portion into the empty cassette positioned at the loading space.

Abstract: In a sheet sucking/removing device, suction cups are controlled to a state of a first negative pressure which is a minimum pressure needed to suck and remove only one uppermost printing plate, and sucking/removing is carried out. Thereafter, the suction cups are controlled to a state of a second negative pressure which is needed for conveying and supplying the printing plate, and conveying/supplying of the printing plate is carried out.

Abstract: A pair of optical sensors are disposed above photopolymer plates and interleaf papers, which are alternately stacked with one another. These optical sensors basically have the same structure. However, the optical sensor is disposed so as to be inclined to an optical axis of reflected light, and therefore, a detection level of the optical sensor substantially becomes low. Accordingly, although the optical sensors each react to the reflected light from the photopolymer plate, the optical sensor does not react to the reflected light from the interleaf paper. As a result, it is determined whether the uppermost layer of the stack is the photopolymer plate or the interleaf paper. In a discriminating device of the present invention, general purpose optical sensors adapted to react to light having such a fixed intensity or greater, are used.

Abstract: In a removing/conveying portion of a printing plate removing/supplying device, when one cassette among a plurality of cassettes is empty, the empty cassette is placed on a raising/lowering stand and moved to a loading space. Due to a spur gear being rotated clockwise by a motor, a sliding cover, with which the spur gear is engaging, is moved toward a removing portion such that an opening of a cassette stocker portion is opened. In this way, it is possible to refill and load printing plates from a top side of the cassette stocker portion into the empty cassette positioned at the loading space.

Abstract: A conveying device has: a moving member provided so as to be movable; a rotating member rotatably supported at the moving member; and a holding member rotatably supported at the rotating member, and able to hold a sheet. In a state in which the holding member is holding the sheet, the holding member conveys the sheet by at least one of movement of the moving member, rotation of the rotating member with respect to the moving member, and rotation of the holding member with respect to the rotating member.

Abstract: A conveying device for a printing plate precursor which takes the printing plate precursor and an interleaf sheet out from a cassette, and which, along a conveying path to an exposure section, takes-off only the interleaf sheet. When a leading end of the interleaf sheet passes by an interleaf sheet peeling roller disposed on the conveying path, the interleaf sheet peeling roller rotates in a direction opposite to a direction of conveying to the exposure section, and contacts the interleaf sheet, and slack is formed in the interleaf sheet between the interleaf sheet peeling roller and a conveying roller. A slack portion is nipped between two belts and fed to a forked-off path, and the interleaf sheet is removed from the conveying path. It is possible to feed only the printing plate precursor out to the exposure section while continuing to convey the printing plate precursor.

Abstract: A protective sheet peeling device which reliably separates, from a sheet, a protective sheet (an interleaf sheet) which is superposed with one surface of the sheet. A free roller is disposed at a downstream side of a conveying roller of a peeling section, in a state in which one portion of the free roller is disposed on an “imaginary conveying locus” of a printing plate precursor. Further, a displacement roller is disposed at a downstream side of the free roller. After the printing plate precursor, which is superposed with the interleaf sheet, has passed by the free roller, when the displacement roller moves to a position of reaching the “imaginary conveying locus”, the printing plate precursor and the interleaf sheet are curved along the free roller. Due to reverse rotation of the displacement roller, the interleaf sheet is peeled off of the printing plate precursor.

Abstract: A printing plate sucker capable of stably suction-adhering and sheet-feeding both a printing plate and a protective sheet simultaneously without causing wrinkling at the protective sheet during the suction-adherence and sheet-feeding. The sucker is structured by a main body portion formed of a stiff body, a skirt portion formed of a resilient body, and a spring. When a moment from a printing plate acts on the sucker during sheet-feeding, the spring resiliently deforms. Thus, the main body portion is displaced (inclined) in the moment application direction, effective weight on the sucker is reduced, and a state in which a reduced moment acts on the sucker is achieved (the moment is substantially absorbed). Furthermore, the spring which redirects the moment is structured separately from the main body portion and skirt portion. Therefore, the sucker will not be deformed, an interleaf sheet will not be hoistingly deformed, and wrinkling will not occur.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for use, with a stack having plates and sheets alternating. Sheets are removed by being reliably suction adhered with a sucker. The sheet feeder includes a suction device, and the sucker and device are mounted at a supporting portion. In order to allow suction adhering of the plates and sheets alternately stacked in a magazine, the suction device is operated when the sucker is brought into contact with the sheet, and the sheet is raised separately from the plate. Thereafter, the sheet is suction adhered to the sucker by suction. This makes it possible to prevent the sucker from suction adhering to the plate together with the sheet, and only the sheet is reliably from the stack.

Abstract: In a sheet sucking/feeding device, actuators are independently and individually connected respectively to plural suction cups. At a point in time when a printing plate is sucked and raised up by a predetermined amount, every other one of the actuators is simultaneously operated such that the suction cups connected to the operated actuators are displaced upwardly. The sucked uppermost printing plate is curved so as to become wavy. Air enters in between the uppermost printing plate and a next printing plate therebeneath such that that printing plate therebeneath is disjoined (separated). Only the uppermost printing plate is stably removed and fed out.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for use with a stack having plates and sheets alternating. Sheets are removed by being reliably suction adhered with a sucker. The sheet feeder includes a suction device, and the sucker and device are mounted at a supporting portion. In order to allow suction adhering of the plates and sheets alternately stacked in a magazine, the suction device is operated when the sucker is brought into contact with the sheet, and the sheet is raised separately from the plate. Thereafter, the sheet is suction adhered to the sucker by suction. This makes it possible to prevent the sucker from suction adhering to the plate together with the sheet, and only the sheet is reliably removed from the stack.

Abstract: A device for removing an image recording material is provided, which takes up little space and is used with printing plates and interleaf sheets set alternately in a cassette. An interleaf sheet and a printing plate are taken out simultaneously. In the midst of being conveyed along a conveying path leading to an exposure section, only the interleaf sheet is sucked by a fan or drawn-in between a roller pair so as to be peeled off from the printing plate. The peeled-off interleaf sheet is discarded, and the printing plate is conveyed reliably to the exposure section.