US2519229A - Printing press ink fountain - Google Patents

Description

Au@ 145, 1950 c. s. CAFIS 2,519,229

" PRINTING `PRESS INK FOUNTAIN Filed Nov. 27, 1944 y 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 15, 1950 c. s. CRAFTS 2,519,229

` PRINTING PRESS INK FOUNTAIN v l Filed Nov. 27, 1944 s sheets-sheet 2 6&6 53 l. /9

TTO NEYJ Aug. 15, 1950 c. s. GRAF-rs PRINTING PRESS INK FOUNTAIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 2'7, 1944 NYENTOQ-w 5. Cra IMJ( .s mf al C@ 37 m@ m n@ Y Patented Aug. 15,1950

" UNlTEu STAT kration of Illinois es PATENT: oF

PRESS INK FOUNTAIN Curtis S. Crafts, Oak Park, Ill., Aassignor to Goss Y 4 of "5 Printing Press Company, Chicago, Ill.', a corpo- FICE ' Application November 27, 1944, serial No. 565,242f

' 11 Claims. (Cl. lOl- 350) 1 'pIlhe present invention pertains to ink fountains forfprinting presses, the general aim being to facilitate the removal ofrink from such devices without either wastage of ink or loss of time.

Occasion frequently arises for removal of ink from printing press fountains either in cleaning the same, `or more often, in changing from one color 'towanotheiz In xed'fountain's such removal has heretofore been effected byscooping the' ink out of a fountainjwithY a spatula or the likel and fsopping up the `remainder with rags.

Such a procedure is not only tedious and timeconsuming, but'yery wasteful of the ink since a large portion of it cannotbe reclaimed. The latteris'a particularly important'factor in the event that expensive heat setting inks or the like areemployed, asis done for example in magazine presses g To obviate the shortcomings of the prior practiceY outlined above, it is an ,objectofjthe present inventionv to provide a fountainwhich is movably mounted inV such manner that `it Vmay be readily swung' from'working position, in which it supplies ink to acoacting fountain roller, into a tiltedldrainage position Yin which Athe ink spills out by free gravity flow over the lip or edge Vof the'fountairciV for collection in a bucket or other suitablereceptacle.

AAnother object is to providea fountain-equipped with an overshot'fountainroller and embodying an arrangement -for rocking the fountain betweenga working positionV in which the fountain is Afirmly locked (in a precisely fixed upright porsition, and an alternatively available drainage position in which the fountainvis'tipped so that its contents ru'nq'out in a free flowing'stream.

rIn-^`aisomewhat morefspecific aspect, 'it is an object-of theinvention to provide aj fountain having an overshot fountain rollerand coactingl y l4J) regulating blade, together with means for rocking the fountain and blade bodily as a unit about the 1 axis of the fountain roller for discharging thecontents-of the fountain and without disturbing the adjusted setti'ngcfv the blade with reference to the peripheryV ofthe roller. 1

'Still another object is to provide a fountain of the character set forth above and in which aV the accom-.'

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a printing press ink` fountain embodying the present invenv tion.

taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional viewY Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the fountain tilted for discharge of the ink from'.

taken substantially along the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.;

FigfV but showing the `fountain inV its tilted or Vmodifications and alternative constructionsfI'` have shown inthe drawings and will herein def" scribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but

it is to be understood that I do not therebyinff tend to limit the invention to the specific'fo'rrn disclosed, but intend to cover all modificationsv and alternative constructions fallingwithin the spirit andscope of the invention asv expressedin the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the exemplary embodimentY of the invention illustrated in the* accompanying drawings, an ink fountain Aorpan l0 has been shown and in which a conventional overshot fountain' roller I IY is arranged to revolve. During use the fountain roller I'I runs partially submerged in a bath of'ink whose level is indicated at l2 Vin Fig. 3. 0n the side of the roller l I l emerging from'the ink bath a regulating blade'N4 I3 is provided and which presents an edge extending longitudinally of the roller;` The dispress in which the fountainis employed.l

As so far described; the arrangement is more or less conventional and removalA vof inkl from? 1 Vthe fountain would entail the tedious and waste-'f ful process of scooping it out with a spatulaandV To overcome that dif-4 f culty, the-fountain Il) herein has been pivoted.; to tilt llaterallyy about the axis of the 'fountain-f roller Il so that when tilted itscontents Lwillrn.

soaking it up with rags.

pour out in afreeflowing streameven though a suitable printing cylinder or plate, theespeciic1` "mechanisms used depending upon the typeffiit be highly viscous. For that purpose the fountain II is journaled to swing on a pair of bushings I5, one of which appears in Figs. 4 and 6, and through which passes the shaft Iii of the fountain roller I I. Such bushings I5 are clamped by split blocks Il on supporting brackets I8 carried by the press frame fragmentarily indicated at I9. Sleeve bearings telescoped within interior bores 2I in the bushings I5 journal the fountain roller shaft II, while reduced end portions 22 on the bushings I5 pass through apertures 23 in the end plates or members 24 of the fountain II to journal the latter coaxially with the fountain roller. j.

Swinging of the fountain .ID isaccomplished by means of a manual actuating mechanism (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) including a worm 25 journaled in projections 26 on the bracket 27 and having a squared end 28 to which a suitable wrench or operating crank (not shown) may be applied. The worm 25 meshes with a worm wheel 29 fixed to a transverse shaft 39 journaled in the brackets 2'I at opposite ends of the fountain, such shaft having rigid therewith crank arms 3l. Pivoted to the outer end of such crank is a link 32 which is in turn pivoted to a lug 33 on the lower front side of the fountain. As the worm 25 is revolved to swing the crank arm 3| counterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3)., the fountain Ii) is tilted downward to the discharge position of Figs 2 and 5. Similarly, turning of the worm in the vopposite direction restores the fountain to its upright or working position of Figs. l and 3. Precision location of the fountain I9 in its Working position is important for a number of reasonsincluding the fact that the pickup roller 34 is arranged to swing with it and must therefore be restored to exactly the proper position for contact with the next roller in the series (indicated at 35 in Fig. 3) to which the ink is transferred. To effect such precision location of the fountain when in working position a positive stop arrangement is provided including a lug 36 rigid with the bracket I8 (Fig. 4) and presenting an accurately machined top surface 31 against which a `Compler'nental machined surface 38 on the lower side of the fountain abuts when the fountain is in Working position. Once the stop surfaces 3l, 38 have been abutted, the fountain is securely locked in such position by the action of the worm 29 which is preferably of the low efficiency or socalled non-reversible type, meaning that it cannot .be revolved byrturning of the worm wheel.

The fountain l0 is preferably of the special shape shown, both in order to facilitate drainage 0f ink from it and to aid in efficiently supplying ink to the fountain roller II when in use.

so rthat ink will be crowded by it toward the roller and thus carried under the latter. The opposite or front side wall 42 is,gon the other hand, less steeply inclined, therein7 minimizing the angle through which theyfountain must be tilted in order to effect complete gravity drainageof its contents.

A, heat exchange jacket is provided on the exterior of the fountain I to accommodate either the heating or cooling, as the case may be, of certain types of inks that should be kept at particular temperatures while in use in the fountain. Such jacket in the present instance comprises a chamber 43 bordered by a rectangular wall member 44 integral with the fountain body 39 and closed by a bottom plate 45. Water or other suitable heating or cooling medium enters at the inlet 46 and leaves the chamber 43 at the outlet 47. To accommodate the use of such a fluidsuppliedjacket even with a tiltable fountain such as that shown, flexible conduits or hoses 48 leading to the inlet and outlet 4S, 41 are provided (Figs. 3 and 5). Maintenance of the uid connections during emptying of the fountain is desirable in that lowering of the ink viscosity A fountain, -blade and pickup roller are, in a general sense, located at circumferentially spaced pointsabout the periphery of the fountain roller. In the particular construction illustrated,v the regulating blade I3 is fixed to the underside of an elongated housing or support 49 eXtr-:ndingv lengthwise of the-fountain and secured at its opposite ends to the end members 24 of the fountain. A retaining strip 50 clamps the portion of the blade IS remote from the fountain roller II to the housing 49, leaving the opposite edge portion of the blade free for iiexuretoward and away from the fountain roller. The usual regulating screws 5I, threaded in the housing 49, project into contact with the upper face of the blade and serve to vary its flexure. Such screws are located at suitable intervals along the length ofthe blade as, for example, one for each columy nar width on the press. The open top portion of the fountain` I9 between its front edge or lip and the blade supporting housing 49 is closed by a removable sheet metal cover 52.- The picky up roller, on the other hand,` is journaled iny brackets 53 bolted to the end portions of the housing 49.

The operation of the disclosed apparatus will, in general, be clear from the foregoing. By way of brief -recaptulation, it may be observed that during press operation the fountain II) is in the generally upright or working position shown in` Figs. 1 and 3. In such case the stop faces 37, 3B are abutted in firm engagement with each other so that the fountain I9 is located with precision in its working position as heretofore described. They fountain roller revolves counterclockwise (as Viewed in Fig. 3) picking up a perpiheral film of ink from the bath in the fountain, and the thickness of such nlm is regulated by the setting of the blade I3. The regulated nlm of ink passing under thel blade `I 3 progresses to the pickup roller 34 to which it is transferred and from which it passes on to the point of use in the press as heretofore described.

To empty the fountain i0 and clean it during idle periods for the press, the operator removes the cover 52, applies a drainageguard 54 (Fig. 2) i 'adequate for free flowing spillage of the ink.

Whenthe fountain is in suchtilted position the operator hasfree access (through the-space previouslyoccupiedby the cover `52) tothe interior,

of the fountainfor wiping` cut any sludge or; remnants'- Of ink thatimayvremain. Since the pickup roller 34 is tilted forward heyalso can reach- .the-rearnside ofthe fountain roller to wipe `it clean. It will thus be seen that the ink can be readily and quickly drained from the fountain, making possible maximum reclamation .of the ink andthorougli cleaning of the fountain structure.

In restoring the fountain to operating position the operator simply revolves the Worm to swing y the fountain, pickup'roller `and blade back `to working position. ,During all such rocking -or tilting motion the displacementof the bladewith reference tothe f ountainvroller remains undisturbedsothat no readjustment of the blade by the regulating screws 5I is lrequired following drainage of the fountain.

`I claim as inyinvention: ,y n

1. The combination of a printing press ink fountain, an overshot fountain roller, means journalingsaid roller for rotation within said fountain, a regulating blade, means supportingsaid regulating blade with a lfree edge of the saine adjacent the periphery of the roller and extending longitudinally of the latter, and means supporting said fountain and blade for coincident rocking motion about the axis of said roller between an upright operating position for said fountain and a tilted drainage position therefor.

2. The combination of a printing press ink fountain, an overshot fountain roller, means journaling said roller for rotation within said fountain, a regulating blade rigidly mounted on said fountain and adapted to coact with said fountain roller, and means supporting said fountain for rocking motion about the axis of said roller between a Working position and an alternatively available drainage position.

3. The combinationV of a printing press ink fountain of generally trough shape, means for journaling an overshot fountain roller to rotate in said fountain, a pickup roller adjacent the upper side of said fountain roller, and means supporting said fountain as well as said pickupA roller for rocking as a unit about the longitudinal axis of said fountain roller between an upright operating position for said fountain-and a tilted drainage position therefor.

4. The combination of a revoluble overshot fountain roller fixed on a shaft projecting axially from opposite ends thereof; a pan-shaped ink fountain, a regulating blade and a pickup roller al1 located at circumferentially' spaced points about the periphery of said fountain roller for coaction therewith; means journaled on said shaft supporting said fountain, blade and pickup roller for oscillatory motion in unison with each other about `the axis of said fountain roller `between an,y operating position in which said fountain generally upright for presentation of a contained body offink to said fountain yroller. and a drainage position in which said fountain is canted for free spillage ofits contents.

, 5. The combination with an ink fountain having a `fountain, roller revoluble-therein and a l regulating bladerigidly mounted on saidfountain for` coaction with said roller, of means supporting saidl fountain for tilting movement ibe-v tween two alternatively availablepositionsone,

of whichis an operating position in which said fountain is located'to present abody of ink to said roller and the.' other of which is a drainage position in which said fountain is eantedfor free spillage of its contents. i

6. The combination of` an ink fountain having a fountain roller revoluble therein, means supporting said fountain for movement between alternatively available `positions one of Awhich is an operating position in whichsaid fountain is.

surface, and a coactingstationary stop located to vabut against said vstop surface' when said fountain is `in said operating positionto thereby lef-v fect precision location of said fountain in the latter position.

. 7. The combination of an inkifountain,having-y a fountain roller 4revoluble therein, `means supporting said fountain for movement between alternatively` available positions one of whichris an operating position inv which said fountain is 1o-r cated to present abody of ink to said roller and the other of which is a drainage position in which said fountain is canted for free spillage of its contents, ink transfer means entirelysupported by said fountain for picking up ink from said roller, said fountain presenting an accurately located stop surface, a coacting stationary stop located to abut against said stop surface when said fountain is in said operating position to thereby effect precision location of said fountain in the latter position, and means for locking said fountain in operating position with said stationary stop in engagement with said stop surface.

8. The combination of an ink fountain having a fountain roller revoluble therein, means supporting said fountain for movement between alternatively available positions one of which is an operating position in which said fountain is located to present a body of ink to said roller and the other of which is a drainage position in which said fountain is canted for free spillage of its contents, a pickup roller adapted to coact with said fountain roller and mounted on said fountain for bodily movement therewith, said fountain presenting an accurately located stop surface, a coacting stationary stop located to abut against said stop surface when said fountain is in said operating position to thereby effect precision location of said fountain in the latter position, and an operating mechanism for tilting said fountain including a manually rotatable worm meshing with a worm wheel, said Worm being of the low efficiency type wherefore said fountain is held against inadvertent displacement whenever said fountain is at rest.

9. The combination of an ink fountain having a fountain roller revoluble therein, means sup-

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