JPH0361187B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an automatic developing machine used in manufacturing printing plates such as waterless planographic plates.

(Prior art and its problems) Normally, waterless lithographic printing involves forming a photosensitive resin layer on an aluminum plate, an ink-repellent rubber layer such as silicone rubber or fluorine rubber on top of the photosensitive resin layer, and then a cover film. The original version is constructed by laminating. To manufacture a printing plate from such an original plate, an exposure film is vacuum-adhered to a cover film and exposed.
After peeling off the cover film, the ink-repellent rubber layer in the image area is swollen with a solvent, and then peeling and development is performed using a brush or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the main parts of a conventional automatic developing machine for developing the waterless lithographic plate as described above. The operation of this automatic developing machine will be explained as follows, taking as an example a case where a highly rigid waterless lithographic plate having an aluminum base plate is developed. In other words, a waterless lithographic plate in which the silicone rubber layer in the image area is swollen by a pretreatment step (not shown) is
With the silicone rubber layer facing up, the plate is fed between a pair of plate feeding rolls 1, 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The waterless planographic plate 2 fed between the rolls 1, 1 is nipped by the rolls 1, 1, and is placed between a fixed pedestal 3 formed of a cylindrical body and a rotating brush 4 rotating at high speed in the direction of the arrow. sent,
When passing over the fixed pedestal 3, the swollen silicone rubber layer in the image area is peeled off and removed by the rotating brush 4. The waterless planographic plate 2 that has been developed in this way is transported between a pair of plate feed rolls 5, 5 rotating in the direction of the arrow.
In the post-processing process, the waterless planographic plate 2 is subjected to dyeing and fixing processes to be finished as a printing plate.

However, since the above-mentioned automatic developing machine is manufactured as a developing machine for waterless lithographic plates with high rigidity, it is difficult to develop when processing flexible waterless lithographic plates with low rigidity whose substrate is made of polyester film, paper, etc. This causes various problems. In other words, when the waterless lithographic plate is flexible, the leading edge of the printing plate 2 bends downward under its own weight after passing between the fixed pedestal 3 and the rotating brush 4. The plate cannot be accurately fed to the nip position between the plate feeding rolls 5, 5, and there is a possibility that a plate feeding error may occur. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rear end of the plate material 2 passes between the plate feed rolls 1, 1, the nip of the plate material 2 by the plate feed rolls 1, 1 that had been held until then is released. Therefore, the rear end of the plate material 2 is sent forward at a speed faster than the feed speed of the plate feed rolls 5, 5 by the rotating brush 4, which rotates at high speed in the plate feeding direction, as shown by the imaginary line in the figure. It will turn upwards. In other words, at the rear end of the plate material 2, the swollen silicone rubber layer is not sufficiently peeled off by the rotating brush 4.
A problem arises in that developing defects occur.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention was made in order to solve the above problems, and provides an automatic developing machine that can reliably develop a flexible plate material with low rigidity and also satisfactorily perform the development process over the entire surface of the plate material. The purpose is to

(Means for Achieving the Object) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the automatic developing machine of the present invention is provided with a fixed pedestal on the downstream side of a pair of feed rolls, and a fixed pedestal placed above the fixed pedestal in the feeding direction. A rotating brush that rotates at high speed is disposed, and a pair of plate feed rollers are disposed downstream of the fixed pedestal, and between the fixed pedestal and the feed roll, and between the fixed pedestal and the rotating brush. By letting the plate material fed out from the plate sag downward due to its own weight and then guiding it diagonally upward, the plate material is fed out while applying a frictional force to the plate material that resists the plate feeding force of the rotating brush. A plate feeding guide member is provided to feed the plate to the roller.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic developing machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this automatic developing machine 10 includes a pre-processing section 11 and a developing section 12.
and a post-processing section 13. The schematic structure and operation will be explained as follows.

The exposed waterless lithographic plate is placed on the plate insertion table 14 with the silicone rubber layer facing up, and is moved by a pair of plate feed rolls 15, 15 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
The material is fed into the guide plate 16 of the preprocessing section 11 while being nipped by the material. In this pre-processing section 11, the silicone rubber layer in the image area is subjected to swelling treatment by a swelling developer supplied from the shower pipe 17 to the upper surface of the plate material. The plate material pretreated in this way is transferred to a pair of plate feed rolls 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
8 and 18, it is sent to the next developing section 12.

In the developing section 12, the plate material sent out from the pre-processing section 11 is nipped by a pair of plate feeding rolls 19, 19 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
It is fed between a fixed pedestal 20 formed of a cylindrical body and a rotating brush 21. Washing water is supplied to the rotating brush 21 from a shower pipe 22, and as this rotating brush 21 rotates at high speed in the direction of the arrow (plate feeding direction) while swinging in the axial direction, the printing area is swollen. The treated silicone rubber layer is peeled off from the plate material. The developed plate material is sent to the next post-processing section 13 by a pair of plate sending rolls 23, 23 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and at this time, washing water supplied from the shower pipe 24 The upper surface of the plate material is further cleaned by the cleaning method.

In the post-processing section 13, the plate material sent out from the developing section 12 is nipped by a pair of plate feeding rolls 25, 25 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
It is fed between a fixed pedestal 26 formed of a cylindrical body and a rotating brush 27. The rotating brush 27 is supplied with staining liquid from a shower pipe 28, and as the rotating brush 27 rotates in the direction of the arrow (plate return direction), the image area peeled off and left behind by the developing section 12 is removed. The swollen silicone rubber layer is completely peeled off, and the staining solution is applied to the upper surface of the printing plate. The plate material dyed in this way is transferred to a pair of plate feeding rolls 2 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
9, 29 and sent further downstream, at which time it is dyed again with the dyeing liquid supplied from the shower pipe 29'. Next, the plate material passes between a pair of squeezing rolls 30, 30 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure, where the staining solution adhering to the non-image areas is removed, and then sent onto the plate holder 31. The image is then fixed.

Figure 2 shows the developing section 1, which is the key point of this invention.
2 is shown in detail. The first feature is that a plate feeding guide member 32 is disposed between the plate feeding roll 19 and the fixed pedestal 20. This plate feeding guide member 32 is located at its upstream end (plate feeding roll 1
It is arranged so as to be inclined upward at an angle of 3 to 5 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane from the downstream end (end on the fixed cradle 20 side) to the downstream end (end on the fixed cradle 20 side), and the mounting height of the upstream end The plate feed rolls 19, 19 are installed so as to be located approximately 5 to 8 mm below the nip point of the rolls.

If this plate feeding guide member 32 is provided, even when developing a flexible waterless lithographic plate with low rigidity (thickness of 150 μm or more) whose substrate is made of polyester film or the like, the plate material 33 can be moved between the fixed pedestal 20 and the plate feed guide member 32. It can be reliably passed between the rotating brushes 21 for development processing.
That is, when the front end of the flexible plate 33 passes between the plate feeding rolls 19, 19, the front end of the plate bends downward due to its own weight, and then curves diagonally upward by the plate feeding guide member 32. is guided to the entrance side between the fixed pedestal 20 and the rotating brush 21. As a result, the front end of the plate material 33 is deformed into the shape shown in FIG. 2, the rigidity of the front end is increased, and the plate material 33 is sent between the stationary pedestal 20 and the rotating brush 21 with a strong pushing force. . In this way, the plate material 32 is reliably fed between the fixed pedestal 20 and the rotating brush 21 and subjected to development processing.

In addition, also in the post-processing section 13 in the developing process shown in FIG. The feed guide member 34 reliably feeds the flexible plate material 33 between the fixed pedestal 26 and the rotating brush 27 for post-processing.

A second feature of this automatic developing machine is that, as shown again in FIG. 2, another plate feeding guide member 35 is disposed between the fixed pedestal 20 and the plate feeding roll 23. Like the plate feeding guide member 32, this plate feeding guide member 35 is also arranged so as to be inclined upward from the upstream end to the downstream end, and
It is attached so that its upstream end is inserted into a groove 20a located below the nip point with the rotating brush 21 of the fixed pedestal 20.

The operation of this plate feeding guide member 35 is as follows. First, when the front end of the flexible plate 33 is fed out from between the fixed pedestal 20 and the rotating brush 21, the front end of the plate bends downward under its own weight and falls between the fixed pedestal 20 and the plate feed roll 23. In other words, the front end of the plate material is accurately guided to the nip position of the pair of plate feed rolls 23, 23, thereby preventing plate feed errors. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, after the rear end of the plate material 33 passes the nip point between the plate feed rolls 19, 19, the rear end of the plate material receives the rotational force of the rotating brush 21, and the rear end of the plate material It functions to prevent the plate from being sent forward at a speed faster than the feed speed of the plate sending roll 23. That is, the region of the flexible plate material 33 immediately after passing through the rotating brush 21 is allowed to accumulate downward due to its own weight, and then the plate feed guide member 35
The plate material 33 is guided so as to be curved diagonally upward, thereby applying a frictional force to the plate material 33 that resists the plate feeding force of the rotating brush 21, thereby preventing the rotating brush 21 from feeding out the rear end of the plate material. thus,
The rear end of the plate material is moved at a speed equal to the feed speed of the plate delivery roll 23 to prevent development defects at the rear end of the plate material.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, a plate feed guide member 36 is also arranged between the fixed pedestal 26 of the post-processing section 13 and the plate feed roll 29 in the developing process, but the direction of rotation of the rotating brush 27 is Since the direction of rotation is opposite to that of the brush 21, the rotating brush 27
Therefore, unlike the plate feeding guide member 35, the plate feeding force is not applied to the plate material 33.
It is installed almost horizontally so that there is no resistance to plate feeding.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the automatic developing machine of the present invention, the plate feeding guide member is disposed between the fixed pedestal and the plate feeding roll, and the plate feeding guide member allows the plate to be fed out from the rotating brush. By guiding the plate material that has been removed, a frictional force is applied to the plate material that resists the plate feeding force of the rotating brush, making it possible to develop plates with low rigidity reliably and efficiently over the entire surface of the plate material. You can get the effect of being able to do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic developing machine which is an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of main parts to explain the development processing operation at the front end of the plate material, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the rear end of the plate material. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part for explaining the development processing operation of the end portion, FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the operation of a conventional automatic developing machine, and FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining its drawbacks. 19... Plate feeding roll, 20... Fixed pedestal, 21... Rotating brush, 29... Plate feeding roll, 33... Plate material, 36... Plate feeding guide member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image is exposed to a plate material in which an ink-repellent rubber layer is formed on a flexible substrate via a photosensitive resin layer,
Next, the ink-repellent rubber layer in the image area is swollen with a solvent, and then peeled and developed using a brush. a pair of plate feed rolls that nip from above and below and send out to the downstream side with the plate facing upward; a fixed pedestal disposed in front of the plate feed rolls; a rotating brush that removes the ink-repellent rubber layer in the image area by brushing the upper surface side of the plate material fed onto the fixed pedestal by the plate feeding roll while rotating at high speed in the plate feeding direction; and the rotating brush. A pair of plate sending rolls arranged downstream of the brush and nipping the upper and lower surfaces of the plate material from above and below and sending it out to the downstream side; and a pair of plate sending rolls arranged between the fixed receiver and the plate sending roll, The plate material fed out from between the table and the rotating brush is allowed to sag downward under its own weight and then guided diagonally upward, thereby imparting a frictional force to the plate material that resists the plate feeding force of the rotating brush. and a plate feed guide member that feeds the plate material between the feed rollers.