US3236178A - Selective ink feeding system for printing presses - Google Patents

Description

1966 E. w. WORTHINGTON ETAL 3,236,178

SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 30, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LlLl INVENTOR. EMORY W. WORTHINGTON JAMES R. LANGWORTHY BY wn W flynfm inn-#77 $1 ATTORNE Y5 1966 E. w. WORTHlNGTON ETAL 3,236,178

SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30, 1962 5 O 2 Ww 4A A Y 8 ATTORNEYS Fell 1966 E. w. WORTHINGTON ETAL 3,236,173

SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 50, 1962 R m m V m EMORY W. WORTHINGTON JAMES R. LANGWORTHY BY @nm C 'Iwz-A in/1.1, 5:11am

g0 ATTORNEYS 1966 E. w. WORTHINGTON ETAL 3,236,178

SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 30, 1962 5 SheetsSheet 4 EMORY W. WORTHING'TON JAMES R.

1966 E. w. WORTHINGTON ETAL 3,236,178

SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 30, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

FIG. 8

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INVENTOR.

EMORY w. WORTHINGTON 52 44b 54 52 BY JAMES R. LANGWORTHY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,236,178 SELECTIVE INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Emory W. Worthington, Ridgewood, and James R. Langworthy, Clinton, N..I., assignors to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, Plainfield, N.J., a corporation of Virginia Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,204 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-365) The present invention relates to ink feeding systems for rotary type presses and more particularly the invention relates to a novel means for controlling the flow of ink to selective page-wide portions of the fountain roll of multi-page printing presses.

Printing presses used in printing newspapers are normally designed to simultaneously print a plurality of parallel page-widths and are normally four plates or pages in width. While such conventional machines are capable of printing four page-widths, certain runs of the press may require the printing of less than four pages. For example, a run may be three plates wide or A of a roll in width or two plates Wide which is one half a roll in width. When a multi-page press is to print less than its full width, it is necessary to cut-off or silence the ink supply to the page or pages not being printed while at the same time ensuring that an adequate supply of ink reaches the page-widths which are to be printed. -In some instances, it may be necessary to silence page-widths on either side of the roll.

Prior art mechanisms heretofore used for accomplishing proper ink control have many disadvantages and weaknesses. For example, one conventional method of cutting off or silencing the supply of ink to certain pagewidths of a printing roll in a press having an overshot type of ink fountain is to move a selected portion of the fountain roll control blade into engagement with the fountain roll and tighten the blade against the roll until the thickness of the ink being picked up from the fountain trough and carried by the fountain roll is thinner than the clearance between the fountain and the pick-up rolls. Thus, the pick-up roll is prevented from receiving ink in the selected page-width areas. A difficulty of this method, however, is that the blade often is forced into contact with the roll with subsequent scratching of the roll.

Another conventional method of ink control or page cut-off is to use a supplementary wiper blade located ahead of the ink fountain blade which wipes off the ink in the selected page-width area preventing ink from being delivered to the fountain blade. This particular technique has inherent faults in practical press operation in that the ink tends to spread laterally along the fountain roll to the area that has been previously wiped by the supplementary blade.

The prior art mechanisms mentioned above for controlling the ink supply to selected page-widths operated on the principle of first coating the entire width of the fountain roll and then wiping or scraping selected areas of the roll to remove ink initially coated on the roll. In each instance the conventional fountain roll picks up the quantity and thickness of ink required for full page printing and a scraper or similar device is then used to selectively remove ink from those areas Where ink is not desired to be printed.

The present invention regulates the application of ink to the pick-up or feed roller in a different manner than the prior-mentioned devices in that it provides positive control of application of ink to the fountain roll without the difiiculties inherent in the prior devices. The present invention operates on the principle of positively not feeding ink to the fountain roll in the areas which are not 3,236,178 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 to be used for printing rather than applying ink to the complete roll and then, as a second step, wiping the ink from the selected areas.

In accordance with our invention the fountain roll is not, as in many commercial presses, immersed in an ink trough or bath. Instead ink is coated on the fountain roll using apparatus of general type illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,869,460 issued January 20, 1959 to E. W. Worthington in which an ink reservoir is located on the side of the fountain roll. One of the features of our invention is that ink is supplied to each page-width by a separate feed unit. Each unit comprises an ink compartment and means for supplying ink to it.

Broadly, the present invention comprises apparatus which includes a separate ink feed unit for each pagewidth of the fountain roll. Each ink feed unit has an ink compartment defined by the fountain roll, a scraper blade assembly section substantially equal in length and aligned with the page-width, and vertical dividers positioned at the ends of said assembly.

The fountain roll apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes an ink compartment for each page-width. Ink is separately supplied to each compartment so that one compartment may be silenced While the other page-width compartments continue to receive ink for coating the roll in the remaining page-wide areas. Each ink compartment is bounded longitudinally by a scraper blade assembly section and by the corresponding portion of the fountain roll. The scraper blade assembly section has mounted in it a scraper blade section. The assembly section serves to properly position the blade section with the roll to form an ink-seal and with its protruding scraper blade section comprises part of the ink compartment. The ends of the ink compartments are formed by vertical dividers. The dividers positioned at each end of the roll are end plates and the vertical dividers, other than the center divider, which are selectively positioned between the end plates are referred to as sector dividers. The ends of the assembly are positioned in slots in the sides of the dividers. The sector dividers abut one side of the fountain roll with a flexible gasket material. The sector dividers are positioned at points along the fountain roll to form ink compartments of desired width. A page-width is one-quarter of the web width. Web widths for conventional newspaper printing presses vary between 58 and 68 inches. The center divider which substantially surrounds the roll is secured to parallel frame members and to the fountain blade support frame and forms part of the press frame assembly thus giving added rigidity to the press.

Ink is selectively fed into each compartment from a main ink conduit through outlets or swivel feed spigots associated with each compartment. A valve in each outlet or spigot permits regulating the flow of ink to the compartment. Ink overflowing or dumped from the compartment is received by a fountain ink collector trough where the ink is cleaned with a strainer and recirculated to the main conduit.

Reference is made to the following drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, in which:

FIGS. 1a and lb, viewed together, show a side elevation view of the back of aprinting press fountain roll and its associated page-wide ink compartment, fountain collector trough, and ink supply conduits;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken through line 2-2 of FIG. 1b showing the fountain roll, an ink compartment with center page divider, the fountain blade control assembly and the fountain collector trough and ink supply system;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a single page-wide ink compartment taken along line 33 of FIG. 2 illustrating the positioning of the center and sector dividers with the fountain roll;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the main ink conduit and an outlet and valve arrangement for supplying ink to the various compartments;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 55 of FIG. 4 showing in detail an outlet and valve arrangement; and,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through line 66 of FIG. 4 showing a lock tension device for securing the blade holder and moving the scraper blade section toward the fountain roll;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevation view showing an alternative location for the main ink conduit and its swivel feed spigot; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through line-88 of FIG. 7 showing the swivel spigot mounted in the ink conduit positioned to discharge ink into the compartment.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, it is seen that the printing press side frames 1 support at both ends a fountain roll 2 and a pick-up roll 3 through axle bearing arrangements 4, 5, 6 and 7.

In this conventional newspaper press, two end plates 11 and three dividers 8 and 12 separate the four pagewidth compartments. These four ink compartments, A, B, C and D are positioned in a row along the side of fountain roll 2. A vertical center divider 8 is positioned at the center of the roll which is secured to the fountain blade mechanism frame support 9 and parallel frame members 10. End plates 11 form vertical fluid-tight ends for outer ink compartments A and D. In addition to the center divider 8 and end plates 11, the compartments are bounded by vertical sector dividers 12. Longitudinally positioned between the dividers and end plates are scraper blade assembly sections 13. Mounted in and protruding from the assembly sections are scraper blade sections 14. Sections 14 are placed in tension and urged toward the roll by lock tension devices 15. The ends of each scraper blade assembly section abut and are sealed against their respective dividers and end plates.

Ink overflowing from assembly section 13 drains down to fountain collector trough 16. Pipe 17 serves as a drain for trough 16. Ink is pumped through feed pipe 18 and main manifold conduit 19 onto the compartments. Each compartment receives ink from the main conduit 19 through individual compartment outlet channels 40.

In FIG. 2, fountain roll 2 has center vertical divider 8 positioned perpendicular to the axis of the roll. The center divider, unlike the sector dividers which only abut the fountain roll on one side, substantially surrounds the fountain roll and extends on either side of the roll a sufficient distance to permit the divider to be secured to parallel members of the frame assembly. The ink seal between the center divider and the rotating fountain roll is provided by a seal ring 20 which rides in groove 21 of the roll. A seal ring is employed to facilitate accurate machining of the press parts and to provide for easier assembly of these press parts.

A feature of our invention is the placement of the center divider in order that it forms part of the press frame which includes side frames which in turn support the fountain roll ends. Parallel frame members are mounted between these side frames parallel to and on either side of the fountain roll. The center divider is positioned substantially equidistant between and parallel to the side frames and is secured to the fountain blade mechanism frame support which in turn is parallel to the fountain roll and, like the roll, is supported by the side frames. The center divider has an opening in it to receive the rotatable fountain roll in fluid-sealed engagement. This novel construction serves to reduce'movement and vibration of the press during its operation and particularly reduces movement of the fountain blade control assembly and associated parts.

The scraper blade assembly section determines the length of the compartment. Each assembly section includes a scraper blade holder section 23, a scraper blade section 14 and bolts 36 for securing the blade to the holder. The blade holder 23 is positioned in slots 22 cut in the sides of the compartment dividers. Slots 22 have upper surfaces 22a and lower surfaces 2211 which guide and support the blade holder sections 23 in their nontensioned positions. Each divider has two slots 22, one on each side, while end plates 11 each require only one slot. Lock tension devices 15 are mounted on the sides of the dividers and end plates and serve to secure the scraper blade holder against surfaces 22a and 22b which urges scraper blade section 14 into ink-sealed engagement with the rotatable fountain roll 2.

Each ink compartment is bounded by the fountain roll 2, scraper blade assembly section 13 including protruding blade section 14, dividers and end plates positioned at the ends of the assembly section. As the ink is fed into the compartment it forms an ink pocket 24. The fountain roll picks up a coat of ink as it rotates in a clock-wise direction. The thickness and uniformity of this ink coat is controlled by the setting of the fountain blade 25. Blade 25 and its control mechanisms 26 are mounted on frame support 9. The blade 25 is flexed by action of fulcrum 27 through blade control mechanism 26.

Ink overflowing from the compartment falls into fountain collector trough 16. After passing through screen 28 it drains out pipe 17 to an ink pump for redelivery to main conduit 19.

In FIG. 3, center divider seal ring 20 forms an ink seal between center divider 8 and fountain roll 2. Sector divider 12 has a resilient gasket 29 positioned between the fountain roll and the divider to form an effective ink seal. The gasket is preferably made of butadieneacrylonitrile.

Scraper blade section 14 has one edge 30 positioned substantially parallel to and urged toward the roll to form an ink seal therewith. Edge 30 of the blade section is Withdrawn from the roll to permit dumping of the ink from the compartment. Slots 22 are formed in the side of the dividers. Scraper blade holder 23 has center V-shaped ink overflow area.

In FIG. 4 main ink conduit 19 has feed outlet hole 31 which communicates with passageway 32 in the end for rotatable valve stem 34. Valve stem 34 is mounted in center divider 8, the stem and the divider having corresponding threaded portions which permit the stem to be rotated by turning stem hand grip 35, thus regulating the flow of ink through outlet channel 40' into the compartment.

The depth of the ink pocket in the ink compartment is determined by the slope and width of the scraper blade assembly section including the protruding scraper blade section. Ink which is added to the compartment after it has been filled overflows through the center portion of V-shaped notch and drains into the fountain trough which extends the length of the fountain roll. The ink passes through a screen in the trough to remove all foreign matter and is then pumped from the fountain trough into main ink conduit from which it is again distributed to the various page-Wide compartments. Ink drained from the trough may be pumped directly back into the main supply conduit or may be diverted into a storage tank. When a storage tank is used the ink pump takes its suction from the tank.

Scraper blade section 14 is mounted on scraper blade holer 23 with bolts 36. Any suitable clamping and tensioning device may be used which is capable both of holding the blade section in ink-sealed relation with the roll and permitting the blade to withdraw from the roll for dumping of the contained ink. Lock tension device 15. includes a handle 37 which is pivotally mounted on screw 38. Handle 37 has cam portion 39 which engages with slot surfaces 22a and 22b to secure scraper blade holder 23 and causing blade section 14 to be pressed against the fountain roll. The device is shown in its tensioned position. Sector divider 12, fountain blade mechanism frame support 9 and fountain blade 25 are also shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a detail of the valve arrangement for controlling the flow of ink from main conduit 19' into the compartment. Valve stem 34 is positioned in center divider 8. The stem is perpendicular to and abuts against main conduit 19. Conduit 19 has an outlet hole 31 which communicates with the permits the flow of ink to and through passageway 32 formed in the abutting end of the stem. Passageway 32 is formed in end of stem 34 by the removal of one-half of the end portion from shoulder 33 to that end of the stem which abuts conduit 19. When the stem is rotated to the position shown in the figure passageway 32 communicates with channel 40 and ink flows to the ink compartment. Ink flow is regulated and stopped by rotating stem 34 until the unremoved end portion blocks entrance to channel 40.

In FIG. 6, lock tension device is shown positioned in the end portion of the scraper blade assembly section which abuts the center divider 8. Screw 38 engages with scraper blade holder 23. When handle 37 is turned to the position shown by the dashed line 41 the cam portion 39 is placed in tension with slot 22 causing the scraper blade section 14 to be urged against the fountain roll.

In FIG. 7, main ink conduit 19 is positioned outside of and below the ink compartment. Swivel feed spigot 42 is rotatably positioned on and surrounds the conduit 19. Spigot 42 has a housing 43 which is formed in two hemispheres 44a and 44b which are secured to one another by bolts 45. Extending from hemisphere 44a is pipe 46. Conduit 19 has outlet hold 47 which communicates with pipe 46 when the spigot is in the position shown in FIG. 7. Valve 48 has a cylindrical gate 49 with removed section 50 to regulate the flow of ink by turning gate handle 51.

In FIG. 8, pipe 46 is shown in the position for discharging ink into the compartment over V-shaped ink overflow area of scraper blade holder 23. The valve housing which surrounds conduit 19 is positioned in fluid-sealed engagement therewith by gasket units 52. Cylindrical valve gate 49 is shown in the open position. Nipple 53 mounted on the outside of conduit 19 travels in housing groove 54. When the spigot is in the discharge position the nipple rests on one end of the housing groove 54 and when the spigot is in its retired or down position the nipple rests on the other end of the housing groove.

The alternative embodiment of our invention as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 provides the additional feature of reducing the ink cleaning requirements of the printing press by positioning the main ink conduit outside of the ink compartment in order to prevent the exterior of the conduit from becoming covered with ink. Placing the main ink conduit outside of and below the ink compartment eliminates the necessity for cleaning the outside of the conduit when the particular page-width of the printing press is converted to a color ink.

The present invention is particularly adapted for controlling the supply of ink to high-speed rotary printing presses, where silencing of page-widths is often required and a continuous supply of clean ink is particularly important due to necessity of preventing any down-time of the presses.

A feature of the present invention is maintaining a supply of fresh and clean ink to selected areas of the fountain roll through a recirculatory system which carries the ink through a filter positioned in the fountain collector trough. The fountain roll may be enclosed in a fountain housing to minimize the entry of cellulose fibers, dirt and other foreign matter into the ink supply.

We claim:

1. A rotary type printing press having a multipage fountain roll, side frames for supporting said roll, parallel frame members connecting said side frames and extending below said roll to form part of an ink collecting trough, a center divider contacting the center of said roll, a movable scraper blade assembly including a plurality of scraper blade sections each urged towards said roll, end plates positioned at the ends of said scraper blade assembly whereby said fountain roll, scraper blade sections, end plates, and center divider form an ink retaining chamber wherein each said scraper blade section forms a part of the bottom of the chamber and wherein said scraper blade section is positioned in advance of said chamber relative to the rotation of said roll whereby portions of said roll are scraped before contacting the chamber, and a fountain blade assembly supported by said side frames and positioned above said chamber for regulating the amount of ink on said roll; said center divider being fixed to said parallel frame members to provide additional support to said fountain blade assembly to increase the rigidity of the fountain blade assembly.

2. A press according to claim 1 wherein said end plates are movable longitudinally of the roll and having in addition movable sector dividers movable longitudinally of the roll which form with said scraper blade sections, roll, end plates and center divider, a plurality of adjustable page width ink retaining compartments in the ink retaining chamber.

3. A press according to claim 2 having in addition an ink supply means for each said compartment, valve means for regulating flow of ink into each said compartment from said supply means and locking means for moving each said blade section into and out of scraping contact with said roll whereby ink supplied to individual page width portions of the roll may be silenced.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 318,617 5/1885 Hawkins 101-365 729,002 5/1903 Spalckhaver 10l365 X 1,962,897 6/1934 Duffy et a1. 101365 1,995,701 3/1935 Buttner 101365 X 2,744,464 5/1956 Harless 101-2-10 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A ROTARY TYPE PRINTING PRESS HAVING A MULTIPAGE FOUNTAIN ROLL, SIDE FRAMES FOR SUPPORTING SAID ROLL, PARALLEL FRAME MEMBERS CONNECTING SAID SIDE FRAMES AND EXTENDING BELOW SAID ROLL TO FORM PART OF AN INK COLLECTING TROUGH, A CENTER DIVIDER CONTACTING THE CENTER OF SAID ROLL, A MOVABLE SCRAPER BLADE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SCRAPER BLADE SECTIONS EACH URGED TOWARDS SAID ROLL, END PLATES POSITIONED AT THE ENDS OF SAID SCRAPER BLADE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY SAID FOUNTAIN ROLL, SCRAPER BLADE SECTIONS, END PLATES, AND CENTER DIVIDER FORM AN INK RETAINING CHAMBER WHEREIN EACH SAID SCRAPER BLADE SECTION FORMS A PART OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAMBER AND WHEREIN SAID SCRAPER BLADE SECTION IS POSITIONED IN ADVANCE OF SAID CHAMBER RELATIVE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID ROLL WHEREBY PORTIONS OF SAID ROLL ARE SCRAPED BEFORE CONTACTING THE CHAMBER, AND A FOUNTAIN BLADE ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED BY SAID SIDE FRAMES AND POSITIONED ABOVE SAID CHAMBER FOR REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF INK ON SAID ROLL; SAID CENTER DIVIDER BEING FIXED TO SAID PARALLEL FRAME MEMBERS TO PRO-

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