Title: Printing plate clamping assembly

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Abstract: Clamping apparatus is provided for holding thin flexible printing plates in position on a press cylinder. In some embodiments, shim members are attached to the outer periphery of the press cylinder for accurately radially positioning the printing plates with respect to the surface of the press cylinder. A clamping assembly is provided separately from and at a spacing from the shim members for releasably clamping one edge of the printing plate while the other edge of the printing plate is engaged over one of the edge portions of the shim member. The shim members and the clamping assembly are independently and separately attachable to the press cylinder so that the shim members can remain in position while printing plates are exchanged, as well as during removal and/or adjustment of the clamping assembly. A pair of symmetrically arranged lock bars are hingedly mounted for selective engagement with detent portions of the printing plates to accommodate reversal of the clamping direction. For very thin plastic plates the detent portions are formed as apertures engageable over pin sections of the lock bar and for other plates they are formed as bent back edge portions which engage over a smooth lock bar. The shim members are provided with symmetrical facing undercut smooth surfaces for anchoring the leading edge of the printing plate. The trailing edge of the printing plate is provided with a tool accommodating central recess. The leading edge of the printing plate is provided with centering apertures engageable with a retaining spring clip clamped in position on the press cylinder by a base member of the clamping assembly.


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