A plate handling apparatus comprising a plurality of plate supports; an actuator; and a plate delivery outlet. The actuator is arranged to move the plate supports relative to the plate delivery outlet to thereby enable delivery of plates from the plate supports to the plate delivery outlet.
B41F 27/12 - Devices for attaching printing elements or formes to supports for attaching flexible printing formes
B41F 27/14 - Devices for attaching printing elements or formes to supports for attaching printing formes to intermediate supports, e.g. adapter members
B65H 5/02 - Feeding articles separated from pilesFeeding articles to machines by belts or chains
B65G 47/06 - Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines
B41C 1/10 - Forme preparation for lithographic printingMaster sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme
An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus and method, the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus (10) comprising a tank (12) for in use receiving a cleaning liquid and for receiving an item to be cleaned in a cleaning region (16) thereof, a transducer (21) arranged, when driven, to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into cleaning liquid received in the tank (12) and a controller (30) arranged in use to drive the transducer (21), a gas introducer (40) arranged to in use provide a supply of gas into cleaning liquid in the tank so that macroscopic bubbles of gas are produced wherein the gas introducer (40) provides a plurality of bubble sources distributed below the cleaning region of the tank. The apparatus further comprises an assembly arranged in use to enable movement of the item to be cleaned in the cleaning region.
B08B 3/12 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
B08B 3/02 - Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
B08B 3/04 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid
B08B 3/10 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
B08B 5/02 - Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities
B01F 3/04 - Mixing, e.g. dispersing, emulsifying, according to the phases to be mixed gases or vapours with liquids
An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus comprising: a tank for in use receiving a cleaning liquid and an item to be cleaned; a plurality of transducers arranged, when driven, to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into the tank; and a controller arranged in use to drive the transducers. First and second transducers from the plurality of transducers are arranged in use to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into an overlapping volume; and the controller is arranged in use to drive the first and second transducers to produce ultrasonic pressure waves at different frequencies from each other. The controller is arranged to in use produce first and second drive signals for the transducers using first and second frequency generators to each switch between primary and secondary operation, with the sequential switching taking place to cause different combinations of primary and secondary operation for the first and second frequency generators to occur over time.
B08B 3/10 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
B08B 3/12 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
B06B 1/02 - Processes or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus and method, the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus (10) comprising a tank (12) for in use receiving a cleaning liquid and for receiving an item to be cleaned in a cleaning region (16) thereof, a transducer (21) arranged, when driven, to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into cleaning liquid received in the tank (12) and a controller (30) arranged in use to drive the transducer (21), a gas introducer (40) arranged to in use provide a supply of gas into cleaning liquid in the tank so that macroscopic bubbles of gas are produced wherein the gas introducer (40) provides a plurality of bubble sources distributed below the cleaning region of the tank. The apparatus further comprises an assembly arranged in use to enable movement of the item to be cleaned in the cleaning region.
B08B 3/04 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid
B08B 3/10 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
B08B 3/12 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
B08B 5/02 - Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities
5.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ULTRASONIC CLEANING
An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus comprising: a tank adapted to receive a cleaning liquid and an item to be cleaned; a plurality of transducers arranged to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into the tank; and a controller arranged to drive the transducers. First and second transducers from the plurality of transducers are arranged to direct ultrasonic pressure waves into an overlapping volume; and the controller is arranged to drive the first and second transducers to produce ultrasonic pressure waves at different frequencies from each other. The controller is arranged to produce first and second drive signals for the transducers using first and second frequency generators to each switch between primary and secondary operation, with sequential switching taking place to cause different combinations of primary and secondary operation for the first and second frequency generators to occur over time.
B06B 1/02 - Processes or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
B08B 3/12 - Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
patents
