US3046885A - Printing machine ink rail - Google Patents

Description

July 31, 1962 F. NEAL 3,046,885

PRINHNG MACHINE INK RAIL Filed May 12, 1960 FIG.

INVENTOR fm M ATORNEYS ilnited gratas @arent @if 3,946,885 PRINTNG MACWE EJK RAE..

Frank Neal, New City, N317., assigner to R. Hoe & Co., inc., New York, NX., a corporation of New York Filed May 12, 19611, Ser. No. 28,572 13 Claims. (Ci. 101-350) This invention relates to the inking mechanisms of printing machines and more particularly to the ink rails thereof.

In known inking mechanisms, ink is pumped through an ink rail to the initial drum of a series of such drums, some of which may have an axially reciprocating movement and which cooperate to Work the ink into a suitably uniform film and then transfer it by means of form rollers to the printing or plate cylinder. In these devices, the ink rails are conventionally arranged with respect to the distributing drums with which they cooperate so that ori fices or slots in the face of the rail through which the printing ink is forced onto the drum are centrally located and the face of the rail extends a considerable distance followmg the curve of the distributing drum on each side of the orifices.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the distributing drum may rotate in either direction, but ink spraying. or misting is diiiicult to avoid because it is practically impossible to locate the iirst ink roller, which spreads the freshly applied ink over the surface of the first distributing drum, close enough to the rail. Also, such an ink rail cannot be vset correctly for both directions of rotation where the printing couple is reversible.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved ink rail by means of which the printing ink is supplied to the surface of the first distributing drum immediately before the contact line between this drum and a rubber roller cooperating therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ink rail arrangement having substantially the same `distribution in both directions of rotation of the mechanism.

A further object is to provide an ink rail of the type indicated having conveniently operable means for shifting over of ink from one side of the rail to the other, when the printing couple is reversed.

An inking mechanism embodying the invention in a preferred form will now rst be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and the features forming the invention will then be poined out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a section taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 through the ink rail and showing schematically adjacent drums and rollers cooperating therewith;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the ink rail;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan View of a piston valve forming part of the mechanism; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the piston valve shown in FIG. 3

As shown in FIG. 1, the mechanism of the invention comprises ink distributing drums 11 and 12, which are typically steel or other hard surfaced drums, a plurality of ink transfer rollers 13, 14, 15 which are typically rubber covered or other soft surfaced rollers, together with an ink rail 16 from which the ink is supplied. As will be understood, further drums and rollers taking ink from the drum 12 may and ordinarily will be provided, as for eX- ample, in the ink motions shown in prior patents to Ginsberg, 1,962,011 and to Harless 2,699,116. The ink rail Patented .italy 31, 1952 fre 16 is designed to furnish ink in one direction of rotation (corersponding to the solid arrows applied to drums 11 and 13) and also in the opposite direction of rotation (corresponding to the broken arrows applied to drums 111 and 14) `it will be understood that when the direction of rotation is changed, allthe drums shown reverse their rotation. supply ink closely adjacent a line of engagement between elements 11 and 13 in the one direction of rotation and also to supply ink closely adjacent the line of engagement between elements 11 and 14 when the drums are rotated in the opposite direction.

The inl: rail structure providing for this operation lis shown in FlGS. l and 2. As lthere shown, the ink rail body 16 has spaced faces 17 and 1S curved so as -to conform generally to the drum 11 and rearwardly of these faces has ink ducts 19 and 211, terminating respectively in the ink supplying orifices 21 and 21. These orifices are conveniently formed by milling shallow pockets 22 and 22' in the body of the ink rail and covering them by inserts 23 and 23' suitably shaped to conform to the curvature of the adjacent drum and rollers as shown. The `ink is supplied through conduits 24 from the usual ink pump such as shown, for example, in prior patent to Schmidt 1,348,900 or White 1,311,198 and through piston valves 25 which are reciprocable in bores 26 for connecting the conduits 241 selectively to either the bores 19 or the bores 211 as desired. The piston valves are operable by means of forks 27 engaging in recesses 28 in the piston bodies, these forks being mounted on a common shaft 29 which may be rocked by means of a hand lever 30-and which is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 37 secured. to the ink rail body. As will be apparent, turning the handle 3G from one position connects the conduits 24 to the bores 19 while turning it to another connects them to the bores 24). The ink rail is supported by securing body 16 to members 3S, 39, holding it in the desired position with reference to the drum and rollers.

The piston valve itself is of simple construction, having circumferential grooves 3.1 carrying sealing rings 32 which seal to the wall of the bore 26, and each piston has a center bore 33 and cross bore 34 for establishing connection either to the ports 35 leading to the bores 19 or to the ports 36 leading to the bores Ztl. Conduits 24 may be made of plastic or .even metallic material and will possess suiiicient iexibility to permit the required piston valve movement.

With the piston valves set in their outer position as shown in FG. l, the ink is supplied through bores `19 and orifices 21 closely adjacent theV nip or line of engagement of drum 11 and roller 13 so that immediately after its being placed upon the drum 11, it is worked between this drum and soft surfaced roller 13 and is partly transferredy by the latter to the second distributing drum 12.

Further working and transfer of ink occurs at the nip of roller 15 and drum 11 and some further Working is given the remaining ink by roller 14.

In the reverse direction of operation, the ink is applied by the orifices 21v to the drum 11 immediately adjacent the nip of this drum and roller 14 and is smoothed out and worked by this 'roller and further worked and transferred by rollers 1S and 13.

The faces 17 and 1S are preferably spaced close to the Vdrum 11 (a spacing of the order of .00A-.006 inch being appropriate) and the upper and lower faces of the rail adjacent the rollers 13 and 141 are spaced close to these elements and conform to the curvature thereof, although The ink drum structure is arranged so as to the nips of the drum and rollers, the said rail having a the two said drums for transferring ink from the rst menline of orifices in its face adjacent the drum positioned toned drum to the said second drum. close to the nip of one of said rollers and the drum and a second line of orifices in itsV face adjacent the drum and n positioned close to the nip of the other said roller and 5 References Cmd m the me of thls patent the said drum, the ink rail surfaces being in wiping re- UNITED STATES PATENTS lation to the drum and both said rollers for smoothing 1,901,076 Behman Man 14,1933 out any globules thereon, a second hard surfaced drum 1,962,011 Ginsberg June 5, 1934 cooperating With one of said rollers for taking ink there- 2,762,301 Col-neu Sept 11, 1956 from and a third soft surfaced roller cooperating with 10

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