Apparatus and method for extracting and conveying printing plates

摘要

An apparatus for extracting and conveying a printing plate (12). The apparatus includes separation plates (92) disposed at corners of a cassette (38) accommodating at least printing plates. Air enters between an uppermost printing plate that is extracted and an underlying printing plate or an interleaf sheet, thereby separating the uppermost printing plate from the underlying printing plate or the interleaf sheet. Guide rails (50) disposed above the cassette are parallel to a bottom of the cassette. Movable/rotatable bodies (58) are disposed on the guide rails so as to be movable along the guide rails and be rotated about 180° within moving ranges, such that the uppermost printing plate is sent into an exposure section with an emulsion surface of the printing plate facing up.