Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of increasing the strength, abrasion-resistance, solvent-resistance and press life of a lithographic image of a lithographic plate comprising said image over a substrate having a water-wettable hydrophilic surface, said image comprising a layer of light-reacted light sensitive material and an outer layer comprising an epoxy resin overlying said light-reacted layer, the method comprising the steps of: contacting and wetting the surface of said outer layer with an aqueous solution comprising at least about 7% by weight of a boron trifluoride-amine complex; evaporating solvent from said solution on said surface to deposit dry boron trifluoride-amine complex on said outer layer; and heating said outer layer in the presence of said complex to cross-link said epoxy resin and form a hard, tough abrasion-resistant, solvent-resistant and wear-resistant epoxy resin layer at the outside of said image.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of increasing the strength, abrasion-resistance, solvent-resistance and press life of a lithographic image of a lithographic plate comprising said image over a substrate having a water-wettable hydrophilic surface, said image comprising a layer of light-reacted light sensitive material and an outer layer comprising an epoxy resin overlying said light-reacted layer, the method comprising the steps of: contacting and wetting the surface of said outer layer with an aqueous solution comprising at least about 7% by weight of a boron trifluoride-amine complex; evaporating solvent from said solution on said surface to deposit dry boron trifluoride-amine complex on said outer layer; and heating said outer layer in the presence of said complex to cross-link said epoxy resin and form a hard, tough abrasion-resistant, solvent-resistant and wear-resistant epoxy resin layer at the outside of said image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resin outer layer is present at the outside of said image as a result of application of an epoxy lacquer over the light reacted light sensitive layer after exposure of said plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said image is produced by exposure of a lithographic coating containing a light-sensitive negative acting diazo resin to light through a photographic negative and thereafter contacting the lithographic coating with a lacquer developer containing said epoxy resin and a solvent for the unexposed diazo resin, whereby diazo resin is removed from the nonimage areas and a coating comprising said epoxy resin is formed over the light-reacted lithographic coating in the image areas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the solvent component of said aqueous solution comprises both water and an organic solvent which is miscible with water and in which said epoxy resin is substantially insoluble.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said organic solvent comprises ethylene glycol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the proportion of said organic solvent in said aqueous solution is sufficient to promote wetting of the surface of said epoxy resin layer and evenly distribute said amine complex thereover.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said complex is selected from the group consisting of boron trifluoride-monoethylamine, boron trifluorideaniline, boron trifluoride-2,6-diethylaniline, boron trifluoride-di-sec-butylamine, and boron trifluoride-N-dimethylaniline.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said complex comprises boron trifluoride-monoethylamine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said solution contains approximately 10% by weight of boron trifluoride-monoethylamine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said epoxy resin coating is heated at a temperature of at least about 220° F. for a time sufficient to effect cross-linking.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
A planographic printing plate comprising a substrate having a water-wettable hydrophilic surface and over said hydrophilic surface a printing image defined by a coating comprising a layer comprising a light-reacted light sensitive layer and overlying said light-reacted layer an outer oleophilic ink-receptive layer comprising an epoxy resin cross-linked by heating in the presence of a topically applied boron trifluoride-amine complex, said outer layer imparting strength, abrasion resistance, solvent resistance and press wear resistance to said plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
76 words
A planographic printing plate comprising a substrate having a water-wettable hydrophilic surface and over said hydrophilic surface a printing image defined by a coating comprising a layer comprising a light-reacted light sensitive layer and overlying said light-reacted layer an outer oleophilic ink-receptive layer comprising an epoxy resin cross-linked by heating in the presence of a topically applied boron trifluoride-amine complex, said outer layer imparting strength, abrasion resistance, solvent resistance and press wear resistance to said plate.