US3326124A - System for re-filling printing ink containers of printing presses - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1967 F. HEIL ETAL SYSTEM FOR RBI-FILLING PRINTING INK CONTAINERS OF PRINTING PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6. 1965 mm M, d -mm I) UW W June 20, 1967 F. HEIL ETAL 3,326,124

SYSTEM FOR RE-FILLING PRINTING INK CONTAINERS OF PRINTING PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1965 //wmmPsmm M, Wm M! United States Patent 3,326,124 SYSTEM FOR RE-FILLING PRINTING INK CONTAINERS 0F PRINTING PRESSES Friedrich Heil and Wilhelm Miiller, both of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignors to Teletonbau und Normalzeit G.m.b.H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed Apr. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 445,957

Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 25, 1964,

1 Claim. (Cl. 101367) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container for printing ink having an ink-pervious cylindrical surface and a handle for manipulation and mounting in a printing press. The printing press provides a support for the container having a pair of arms pivoted from a base frame the other end of the arms adapted to rotatably engage the container and through a spring attached to a cross member connecting the arms, hold the container in an inking position on the frame.

This invention relates to a system of re-filling printing ink containers of printing presses from a storage device.

Printing presses having a printing cylinder, and more particularly such printing presses for application in postage meters, frequently include a dispenser for printing ink having a container for printing ink whose lateral surface is pervious to printing ink. The ink dispenser inks the plates, or the printing rollers, of the printing press by means of an intermediate roller of felt, or a like printing-ink-absorbent material. The dispenser for the printing ink may include pivotable arm means which make it possible to pivot the container for the printing ink from its operative position to a re-fill position, in which it may be refilled, and vice versa. Re-filling of the container for printing ink may be effected upon removal of a screw-threaded plug, normally closing the container. Re-filling of the container involves the danger of spilling ink, and of thereby soiling the printing press, and parts adjacent thereto. vDuring the process of re-filling the container for printing ink, the operation of the printing press must be interrupted. These are very serious drawbacks, or limitations.

It is one object of this invention to provide improved equipment for printing presses which is not subject to the aforementioned drawbacks or limitations.

Another object of this invention is to provide containers for printing ink and storage devices for such containers positively precluding spilling of printing ink onto the printing press, and consequent soiling of the press, and drastically reducing the time during which the operation of a printing press must be interrupted when the supply of printing ink inside its dispenser for printing ink is exhausted.

The aforementioned objects are achieved according to this invention by means of a container for printing ink forming a structural unit which is readily removable from the printing press and has a handle means projecting away from the lateral ink-pervious surface of the container, thus making it possible to transfer the container from the printing press to a separate storage device in which it may be re-filled, and vice versa, back to the printing press, without danger of soiling the hands of an operator performing these tasks with printing ink. The printing press is preferably porvided with pivotable arms for receiving and supporting the container for printing ink. Upon exhaustion of the supply of printing ink the empty container for printing ink may be readily removed from the printing press and replaced by another container which is filled with printing ink and stored in the aforementioned storage device and thus held ready to replace at any time an exhausted container. This mode of replacement of an exhausted container for printing ink is so simple that it minimises the period of time during which the operation of the printing press must be interrupted. Re-filling an exhausted container for printing ink may be effected conveniently, and without haste, while the latter is placed into and stored in the aforementioned storage device'. Printing ink which may accidentally be spilled during re-filling of the container for printing ink inside the storage device may soil the storage device, but will not soil the printing press, or any part thereof. It is possible to so design the storage device that spilled printing ink may readily be removed from it, thus making it possible to keep the storage device immaculately clean.

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a printing press including a dispenser for printing ink embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the same structure as FIG. 1 shown upon pivoting the support for the container of the printing ink from its operative position to its non-operative position and upon removal of the container of the printing ink from its support, and from the printing press, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the container for printing ink and the handle member forming a part thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a isometric view of a storage device for several containers for printing ink with one container being inserted into it; and

FIG. 6 shows the same structure as FIG. 5, partly in a section taken along VI-VI of FIG. 5 and partly in elevation.

In the drawings reference numeral 1 has been applied to generally indicate the dispenser for printing ink (see FIG. 1). Dispenser 1 includes a fixed plate 2 forming two brackets 3, 4. Pins 9 and 10 projecting through brackets 3,4 pivotally support arms 5, 7 and 6, 8, respectively (see FIG. 2). Arms 5 and 6 support on the ends thereof remote from pivot pins 9, 10 a shaft 12 on which a roller 11 of felt or similar material is rotatably mounted. Reference numerals 13 and 14 have been applied to indicate a pair of helical springs each having one end secured to plate 2 and the opposite end secured to one of arms 5, 6. Springs 13, 14 bias felt roller 11 into engagement with printing cylinder 15. Printing cylinder 15 supports on the surface thereof a printing plate 16 which is being inked-in by felt roller 11 engaging printing plate 16 under the bias of springs 13, 14.

Arms 7 and 8 are joined together by transverse bridge member 17 and by transverse rod 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Reference numeral 19 has been applied to indicate a helical over-center spring of which one end is secured to plate 2 and the other end is secured to the center of rod 18. In the position shown in FIG. 2 spring 19 tends to pivot arms 7 and 8 in clockwise direction about pivot pins 9, 10. The direction of the bias of spring 19 is reversed if and when arms 7 and 8 are moved manually in counterclockwise direction to such an extent that spring 19 is moved past the straight line interconnecting pins 9, 10. In other words, under such conditions arms 7 and 8 are biased by spring 19 in counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2. The ends 20, 21 of arms 7, 8 remote from pivot pins 9, 10 are fork-shaped and form bearings for supporting the container for printing ink in form of a cylinder 22 having an ink-pervious lateral surface (see FIG. 1).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 ink-pervious cylinder 22 has adjacent one end surface thereof a ratched-wheelshaped collar 23, and adjacent the other end surface thereof a cylindrical collar 24. The yoke 25 of wire forming a handle member has eyelets 26 pivotally supported on collars 23 and 24. Cylinder 22 is further provided with an additional collar 27 adjacent one end surface thereof and with an axially extending pin 28 adjacent the other end surface thereof. Parts 27, 28 are means for mounting cylinder 22 on the fork- shaped ends 20, 21 of arms 5, 6 (see FIG. 2). Cylinder 22 is kept closed by a screwthreaded cap 36 (FIG. 4) which must be removed when it is desired to reafill cylinder 22 with printing ink. Yoke 25 is provided with resilient projections 29 and 30 each engaging upon insertion of cylinder 22 into supporting arms 7 and 8 a corrugation or recess 31 and 32 formed in transverse bridge member 17. The central part of transverse bridge member 17 forms a tab-like projection 45 intended to be used as a handle for pivoting arms 7 and 8. Wire yoke 25 is shaped in such a fashion that its central portion by-passes tab-like projection 45.

The storage device shown in FIGS. and 6 has been generally designated by reference numeral 33. It comprises a wall structure defining a plurality of cylindrical compartments 34, e.g. four such compartments. The size of each compartment 34 is such that it may receive cylinder or container 22 for printing ink, some clearance being left between the lateral side wall of the compartmerit and the ink-pervious lateral surface of cylinder or container 22. FIGS. 5 and 6 show one compartment 34 of storage device 33 as being occupied by a cylinder or container 22, the three remaining compartments which could possibly be occupied by cylinders or containers 22 being unoccupied. Each compartment 34 is provided adjacent the bottom thereof with a central or coaxial support 37 for one cylinder 22, and each support 37 has a central recess for receiving one pin 28 intergral with one cylinder 22. Support 37 is further provided with a fixed eccentric abutment pin 35 intended to engage a recess formed by ratched-wheel-shaped collar 23 of container 22. Pin 35 is a means for precluding rotation of any cylinder 22 inside of chambers or compartments 34 when screwthreaded caps are rotated in order to open or to close cylinders 22.

The side wall of each chamber or compartment is provided with a slot 38 extending in a direction longitudinally of the respective chamber or compartment and arranged at a point thereof remote from the adjacent chamber or compartment (see FIG. 5). Slots 38 are in tended to receive wire yokes or handle member 25 when a cylinder 22 is inserted into one of compartments 34. Slots 38 do not extend to the level of the bottom of compartments 34, and passageways 39 arranged to the sides of supports 37 make it possible for printing ink spilled in the process of filling cylinders 22 to flow into a tray 40 arranged below supports 37. Tray 40 is arranged on a base plate or socket 41 of synthetic resin having resilient projections 42 engaging cooperating apertures 44 arranged in a protective hood 43. Thus hood 43 is firmly attached to base plate or socket 41 from which it may be removed readily on account of the resiliency of projections 42. The latter may be formed by beads of a synthetic resin.

Upon rotation of the printing cylinder in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 1 the printing plate 16 is inkedin by means of printing ink released from porous cylinder 22 and transferred to printing plate 16 by the intermediary of felt roller 11. When the ink supply formed by a given cylinder 22 is exhausted, parts 7, 8, 17, 18 and 22 may be pivoted about pins 9, 10 from the position shown in. FIG, 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 and further until the bias of spring 19 is reversed. This operation is performed by grasping and manipulating the tab-like projection 45 of transverse bridge member 17. Thereupon handle member or yoke 25 may be used for lifting cylinder 22 off parts 7, 8, 17, 18 which involves the removal of projections 29, 30 from corrugations or recesses 31, 32 in transverse bridge member 17. Now the empty cylinder 22 may be inserted into the structure of FIGS. 5 and 6 and a similar replacement cylinder 22 filled with printing ink taken from that structure and placed into parts 7, 8, 17, 18 of the dispenser, thus making 'the printing press almost instantly ready for continued use.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present system eliminates the steps of removing from a container for printing ink a plug or cap and of re-filling the container at the time the ink dispenser of a printing press is exhausted and the printing press requires replenishment of printing ink. These operations may be performed at any other convenient point of time.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated and described herein Without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claim.

We claim as our invention:

A printing ink dispenser for printing presses comprising in combination:

(a) a container for printing ink having a lateral cylindrical surface pervious to printing ink, a screwthreaded removable closing element for said container adjacent one of the end surfaces thereof, a pair of supporting means for said container each arranged adjacent one of the end surfaces thereof, a pair of collars each arranged adjacent one of the end surfaces of said container, a handle member formed of wire defining a pair of eyelets each mounted on one of said pair of collars, said handle member having a central portion projecting away from said lateral cylindrical surface of said container allowing manipulation of said container without physical engagement with said lateral cylindrical surface thereof, and said handle member further including a pair of resilient projections situated between said pair of eyelets and said central portion thereof; and

-(b) a support for said container including a pair of pivotable arms having substantially fork-shaped ends receiving said pair of supporting means for said container, a first transverse tie member interconnecting said pair of arms, said first tie member having a pair of recesses each engaged by one of said pair of resilient projections of said handle member and said first tie member further having a tab-like handle for pivoting said pair of arms, an over-center spring for biasing said support to either of two limit positions thereof, and a second transverse tie member interconnecting said pair of arms and supporting one end of said over-center spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,046 1/ 1893 Fairfield 101348 1,018,886 2/1912 Dodge 101--331 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,021 10/ 1950 Australia. 330,678 6/1930 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFR'EY, Primary Examiner,

F, A, \VINANS, Assistant Examiner, I

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