US3752071A

US3752071A - Handprinter construction

Info

Publication number: US3752071A
Application number: US00253528A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Mckay
Original assignee: Weber Marking Systems Inc
Current assignee: Weber Marking Systems Inc
Priority date: 1972-05-15
Filing date: 1972-05-15
Publication date: 1973-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-14
Also published as: DE2324517A1; GB1388814A; CA979287A; JPS544647B2; DE2324517C3; JPS4955415A; DE2324517B2

Abstract

An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp having a rectangularly shaped shallow container with a flanged perimeter outlining an opening in the container and formed in a single smooth arcuate curve, and a generally rectangularly shaped arcuately curved perforated member arranged for removable snug engagement with the opening of the container.

Description

United States Patent [191 McKay HANDPRINTER CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Roderick McKay, Rolling Meadows,

[73] Assignee: Weber Marking Systems, Inc.,

Arlington Heights, 111.

[22] Filed: May 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 253,528

[52] US. Cl. 101/125, 101/127.l, 101/328 [51] Int. Cl B4l127/26, B41f 15/00 [58] Field of Search .L 101/114, 125, 327, 101/328 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,445,447 2/1923 Pritchard 101/125 1,549,588 8/1925 Mason 101/125 2,020,151 11/1935 Madden 101/125 Aug. 14, 1973 2,043,438 6/1936 Johnson 101/125 3,146,703 9/1964 Mason et al. 101/125 3,240,149 3/1966 Doppelt 101/ 125 3,335,660 8/1967 Vosburg 101/125 3,570,396 3/1971 Schwartzman [101/327 X 3,678,848 7/1972 Roser et a1 101/125 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Paul '1'. Sewell AnomeyKenneth T. Snow [571' ABSTRACT An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp having a rectangularly shaped shallow container with a flanged perimeter outlining an opening in the container and formed in a singlesmooth arcuate curve, and a generally rectangularly shaped arcuately curved perforated member arranged for removable snug engagement with the opening of the container.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures HANDPRINTER CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Stencil printing hand stamps of the rockable type have been available for many years. These hand stamps included an ink reservoir with a screen on one side thereof to provide ink for a stencil. The screen was usually soldered, brazed or welded to the reservoir. The reservoir was shallow and with only a small opening to replenish ink it was impossible to effectively clean the reservoir in the event the ink became dry or caked. Many inks are corrosive and attack certain materials and thus it is desirable to plate or otherwise coat the reservoir to minimize the corrosive damage caused by the inks. Obviously the affixing of the screen or perforated member to the reservoir container had to be done before the plating or coating and as a result the interior of the reservoir was never adequately plated by a process that occurred after the assembly was completed.

The present invention employs substantially the same devices but the perforated member is made in an arcuate shape and arranged to be removably attached to the shallow ink reservoir container. Thus there are no cor-' ners or crevices that cannot be cleaned and the parts may be separately plated or coated as desired with the interiors all being effectively covered for full protection against corrosive or chemically attacking inks. No feasible way was previously known to acceptably construct the ink reservoir in two separable parts. Further it was thought the problems of sealing of the perforated member in the container against excessive ink leaking would be too great. The construction of the device of this invention is such that the joints are sealed only with greater accuracy than the cross sectional area of one of the openings in the perforated member. Thus the generally liquid or flowable ink seeks the larger openings of the perforated member rather than the joints between the removably attached screen to the ink reservoir container.

2. Description of the Prior Art Hand stamps are common appurtenances in most offices but these are the kind with rubber type which are first pressed against an ink pad and then pressed against a surface to be imprinted. The hand stamp with which we are presently concerned and'which is becoming almost as extensive in use as the rubber stamp is of the stencil printing kind which has its own supply of ink to come from inside outwardly through the stencil so that when it is pressed against a surface to receive an imprinting it causes a transfer of the indicia cut on the stencil to that surface. This requires either a pre-inked pad or a screen or perforated member located between an ink supply and the stencil carrying impression pad.

The very old US. Pat. to Pritchard No. 1,170,932 shows and describes an open top box 71 to carry a supply of ink. The box 71 has a perforated bottom for the distribution of ink to a stencil pressing pad. The somewhat later U.S. Pat. to Pritchard No. 1,445,447 shows substantially the same basic construction with the improvement lying in the means of fastening a stencil thereto. Extreme care would have to be given in the use of the Pritchard stamps because any great pressure or rocking would obviously cause the ink to run over the top of the box 71 resulting in ink leaking freely out of the stamp.

The US. Pat. to Madden No. 1,782,877 also shows a stencil printing hand stamp which employs a box type screen for delivering ink to the stencil pressing pad. In all of Pritchard, Pritchard and Madden the screen or perforated member is separate from the ink carrying box but the boxes are loosely positioned in the hand stamp assembly and no one of them could function as such a stamp would be presently used in a shipping room where a number of packages are imprinted with the same indicia by a shipping clerk pressing the stamp against the boxes to be imprinted at all angles.

Later the Thomas US. Pats. Nos. 2,667,] 19 and 2,765,737 show ink reservoirs sealed and the bottoms perforated in certain areas to deliver ink to the stencil pressing pad. However, with such constructions, there was no feasible way to clean or otherwise service the interiors of such a stamp. The stamp of the present invention obviates all of the deficiencies of the above identified earlier stencil printing hand stamps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of the present invention is to provide a stencil handprinter constructed so that its ink reservoir is completely disassemblable to permit cleaning and servicing of the interior.

An important object of this invention is to provide a novel rocking style stencil handprinter which includes an ink reservoir of a shallow container having one side open and with a perforated member press fitted into the container through the open side thereof.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a rocking style stencil handprinter as defined in the preceding object and further including an outwardly projecting peripheral flange around the opening in the container and the perforated member having its exposed surface lying flush with the peripheral flange.

Another and still further important object of this invention is to provide a rocking style stencil handprinter as defined in the preceding object and further including the flush surfaces as a smooth arcuate curve about which the handprinter may rock.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide an ink reservoir for a stencil printing hand stamp having a shallow rectangularly shaped container open on one side and the opening surrounded by an outwardly projecting flange, and a perforated member having side flanges bent at substantially right angles thereto and adapted to snuggly engage the internal sides of the container. 7

Another and still further important object of this invention is to provide a stencil printing hand stamp as defined in the preceding object and further including the perforated member as having end extending lips to superimpose the container flanges at the ends thereof.

Stillanother important object of this invention is to provide the device of the preceding object with the container flanges at the ends thereof recessed an amount equal to the thickness of the perforated member to thereby provide for the outer surfaces of the container and the perforated member lying flush one with the other.

Other and further important objects and advantages will become apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view with parts thereof in elevational of the handprinter of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an explodedview of the ink reservoir as used in the handprinter of FIGS. 1 and 2.

AS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS The reference numeral indicates generally a backing member for the handprinter of this invention. The member 10 might also be termed a top plate and is rectangular in shape. The plate 10 is provided with a short depending peripheral skirt 1] and in the center of the top is provided with an aperture 12. A handle 13 has a threaded shank 14 which projects downwardly and is arranged to pass through the aperture 12 in the backing member 10.

The stencil handprinter of this invention includes an ink reservoir container designated generally by the numeral 15. The container 15 has a closed top or back 16 which is arranged to lie parallel to and closely adjacent the underside of the backing member 10. A reinforcing member 17 is weldably or otherwise fastened to the center of the top 16 on the inside thereof. The reinforced center section of the top is provided with an internally threaded opening 18 for the purpose of threadedly receiving the handles downwardly extending threaded shank 14. The stencil printing hand stamp of this invention thus has the conventional backing or top member 10, the handle 13 and an ink reservoir 15.

The reservoir container 15 is provided around its lower edge or bottom side with a rectangular shaped full perimeter flange 19 which in its entirety forms a smooth arcuate convex curve as viewed from the end of the hand stamp. The full perimeter flange 19 of sides and ends defines a large rectangular opening 20 positioned substantially in the center of the'bottom of the container 15 and being of a size substantially the same as the top side 16 of that container. Small diameter internally threaded apertures 21 are provided at each corner of the closed top 16 of the reservoir container 15. Short machine screws 22 pass vertically downwardly through the backing member 10 and thereupon threadedly engage the apertures 21 in the container 15 to thereby affix the reservoir 15 to the backing member 10. The threaded engagement of the handle shank 14 with the internally threaded opening 18 acts as an auxiliary means for holding the reservoir and the back together. A sealing gasket of cork or other suitable material 23 is provided between the handle 13 and the ink reservoir 15.

The handle 13 is equipped with a central bore 24 which facilitates the application of the threaded shank 14 to the handle during its fabrication. The handle may be made of any suitable material but it is desirable that the shank 14 be made of a hard material for proper cooperation with the internal threads of the reservoir.

The ink reservoir in addition to the container 15 includes a separate complementary perforated or screen member designated generally by the numeral 25. The separate perforated member includes a rectangularly shaped central portion 26 substantially the same in overall size as the bottom opening 20 in the container 15. The perforated member is provided with upwardly bent generally

parallel side flanges

27 and 28. These flanges or

side walls

27 and 28 although being almost disposed at right angles to the central portion 26 are inclined slightly outwardly so that when they are inserted into the container 15 for nesting of the separate perforated member 25 within the container 15 they act as springs which exert an outward force against the insides of the side walls of the container. The perforated member 25 is also provided with

end extending lips

29 and 30. These end lips [are for the purpose of overlying portions of the ends of the perimeter flange 19 to thereupon give support to the perforated or screen member 25 when downward stamping pressure is imposed thereon. The central rectangular portion 26 of the per forated member and including its end extensions is formed in a single arcuate plane in a smooth arcuate convex curve identical to the smooth arcuate convex curve of the full perimeter flange 19 so that when the parts are brought together in a nesting the complete underside of the combined container 15 and perforated member 25 form one continuous smooth arcuate convex curve. In use the handprinter rocks around this curved bottom. To insure this smooth curve the ends of the perimeter flange 19 are recessed or depressed at 31 and 32 on those portions aligned with the end lips of the screen 25. The recesses have a depth equal to the thickness of the screen to permit the screen's integral lips to fit into the recesses thereby insuring that the whole undersurface of the handprinter is flush as desired.

A pressure pad 33, made of any suitable material to directly impart ink to a stencil, is placed over the smooth arcuate undersurface of the combined screen member 25 and the container 15. The pad 33 is generally rectangular in shape and its lateral side edges are equipped with V-shaped crimped on

side clips

34 and 35 respectively. These V-shaped clips are arranged and constructed to fit over the side edges of the perimeter flange l9 and thus securely hold the pad to the underside of the handprinter.

The stamp is further provided with hingedly mounted side skirt-like clamps generally designated by the

numerals

36 and 37. The lower ends of the skirts are inwardly angled as shown at 38 and 39. These lower ends 38 and 39 of the skirts are spring biased against the side edges of the pad for the purpose of firmly holding a stencil to the pad. Each

skirt

36 and 37 is provided with a finger engaging upward extension 40 and 41 respectively. The finger portions 40 and 41 are disposed substantially in the center of the skirts and pass upwardly through slots in the backing member 10 along the side edges and at the center thereof. The skirts are further provided with angled inwardly and downwardly inclined flanges 42 and 43 respectively along the upper edges thereof on both sides of the finger engaging portions. Relatively narrow leaf type springs 44 and 45 extend across the ends of the hand stamp on the under side of the backing member 10.

Small screws

46 and 47 pass downwardly through the ends of the backing member 10 to engage the leaf springs 44 and 45 at substantially their centers. The angled or bell-crank shaped flanges 42 and 43 are disposed beneath the outer free ends of the leaf springs 44 and 45 respectively to thus spring bias the skirts inwardly for engagement with the pressure pad 33. This insures that the inwardly angled lower ends 38 and 39 of the

skirts

36 and 37 will securely hold a stencil to the underside of the ink dispensing pad 33. To insert a stencil the finger engaging portions 40 and 41 are squeezed together causing the lower ends of the

skirts

36 and 37 to swing outwardly so the inwardly angled

lower edges

38 and 39 will move away from their engagement with the stamp pad 33. At this time a stencil may be placed over the underside of the pad 33 and the side edges tucked under the lower edges of the skirts. Now the hand or finger engaging portions 40 and 41 are released whereupon the springing action causes the lower edges of the side skirts to grip and hold the stencil to the underside of the pad.

OPERATION Assembly of the handprinter of this invention has been described above. Now, let us assume the stamp has not been used for some time and the ink has caked and dried out. The operator first removes any stencils that may be on the pad. Then he takes the pad 33 off the stamp by rocking the V-shaped side edges off from their engagement with the outer free side edges of the perimeter flange 19. This exposes the complete ink reservoir. With any instrument such as a thin screw driver the perforated member 25 is lifted out of the container 15. Now all of the container is open and the ink may be scraped or cleaned out of all the comers thereof. Also, the screen 25 may be easily. immersed in a solvent or scraped free of ink. This rejuvenates the entire stamp and it may then be used as a new stamp. Previously when the screen was soldered or otherwise permanently attached to the ink reservoir container the task of cleaning out caked ink was almost an impossible task. One may ask why this is so important. When you are reproducing indicia cut in a stencil it is imperative that ink flows uniformly throughout the full area of the stencil and if some of the holes in the perforated member are clogged or one or more of the four corners of the rectangular container contain caked ink the flow will not be uniform through the stencil and any reproduction thereof will be a failure.

Also, in the making of the handprinter it can be much improved by applying protective coatings to the separate container and screen so that all of the minute corners thereof will be uniformly coated. Previously the ink reservoir had to be plated after the joining of the container and screen because welding or soldering could not be done after the coating appications without destroying the coatings. The purpose of giving a metallic plating to the parts is to give the reservoir an outer material which will not be attacked by any corrosive action of the inks used in the printer. Also, there are now certain plastic coatings to which ink will not adhere to thus permit easy cleaning of the hand stamp. It is therefore desirable to plate the parts with a metal such as cadmium and to thereafter coat the parts with a suitable plastic.

This new handprinter requires very accurate tooling in order to permit the necessarily close fitting of the two parts of the reservoir but once made the printer operates more efficiently than the previously soldered reservoir and the fact that it may be disassembled is of the utmost importance. Applicant has designed the two parts so ingeniously that the two parts may be easily pushed together to produce a flush smooth arcuate curve over the full underside of the ink reservoir with its joined container and its perforated member 25.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the disclosures made herein and I do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp comprising a rectangularly shaped shallow container having an enclosed top side and a bottom side, the bottom side having a rectangular shaped open ing in the center thereof of a size substantially the same as the top side of the container, said opening in the bottom side defined by an outwardly extending full flanged perimeter, the bottom side of the container with its outwardly extending full flanged perimeter being convex in a smooth arcuate convex curve as viewed from one end, a separate rectangularly shaped perforated member having a main central portion curved in a smooth arcuate convex curve identical to the convex arcuate curve of the bottom side of the container as defined by the outwardly extending full flanged perimeter of the bottom side of the container, said separate perforated member having upwardly bent side flanges of a height no greater than the depth of the shallow container at the position of engagement of the side flanges with the container, means removably nesting said separate perforated member within the opening in the bottom side of said container, said means including the cooperation of the upwardly bent side flanges of the separate perforated member with the interior walls of the container, whereby when the perforated member is fully nested within the container they together provide a smooth arcuate convex curve with the arcuate convex curved portion of the perforated member lying flush with and in the same arcuate convex curved plane of the outwardly flanged perimeter of the container.

2. An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp comprising a rectangularly shaped shallow container having an enclosed top side and a bottom side, the bottom side having a rectangular shaped opening in the center thereof of a size substantially the same as the top side of the container, said opening in the bottom side defined by an outwardly extending full flanged perimeter over the sides and ends, the bottom side of the container with its outwardly extending full flanged perimeter being convex in a smooth arcuate convex curve as viewed from one end, a separate rectangularly shaped perforated member having a main central portion convexly curved in a smooth arcuate convex curve identical to the convex arcuate curve of the bottom side of the container as defined by the outwardly extending full flanged perimeter of the bottom side of the container, said separate perforated member having upwardly bent side flanges for engaging the inside walls of said container, said separate perforated member having extension lips at each end thereof, said end extension lips lying in the same plane as the main central portion of the separate perforated member, said container flanges having portions adjacent the ends of said rectangular shaped opening over the area of the end extension lips of the separate perforated member depressed to a depth of the thickness of the perforated member and its end extension lips whereby when the separate perforated member is nested within the shallow container the upwardly bent side flanges of the perforated member snuggly engage the inside walls of the container and the end extension lips thereof rest in the depressed portions of the end flanges of the container with the result that the convexly curved main portion of the perforated member lies flush with the curved perimeter flange of the container and the depressed portions act 'to support the perforated member in its curved shape.

l #0 k l

Claims

1. An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp comprising a rectangularly shaped shallow container having an enclosed top side and a bottom side, the bottom side having a rectangular shaped opening in the center thereof of a size substantially the same as the top side of the container, said opening in the bottom side defined by an outwardly extending full flanged perimeter, the bottom side of the container with its outwardly extending full flanged perimeter being convex in a smooth arcuate convex curve as viewed from one end, a separate rectangularly shaped perforated member having a main central portion curved in a smooth arcuate convex curve identical to the convex arcuate curve of the bottom side of the container as defined by the outwardly extending full flanged perimeter of the bottom side of the container, said separate perforated member having upwardly bent side flanges of a height no greater than the depth of the shallow container at the position of engagement of the side flanges with the container, means removably nesting said separate perforated member within the opening in the bottom side of said container, said means including the cooperation of the upwardly bent side flanges of the separate perforated member with the interior walls of the container, whereby when the perforated member is fully nested within the container they together provide a smooth arcuate convex curve with the arcuate convex curved portion of the perforated member lying flush with and in the same arcuate convex curved plane of the outwardly flanged perimeter of the container.

2. An ink reservoir for a stencil printing rockable hand stamp comprising a rectangularly shaped shallow container having an enclosed top side and a bottom side, the bottom side hAving a rectangular shaped opening in the center thereof of a size substantially the same as the top side of the container, said opening in the bottom side defined by an outwardly extending full flanged perimeter over the sides and ends, the bottom side of the container with its outwardly extending full flanged perimeter being convex in a smooth arcuate convex curve as viewed from one end, a separate rectangularly shaped perforated member having a main central portion convexly curved in a smooth arcuate convex curve identical to the convex arcuate curve of the bottom side of the container as defined by the outwardly extending full flanged perimeter of the bottom side of the container, said separate perforated member having upwardly bent side flanges for engaging the inside walls of said container, said separate perforated member having extension lips at each end thereof, said end extension lips lying in the same plane as the main central portion of the separate perforated member, said container flanges having portions adjacent the ends of said rectangular shaped opening over the area of the end extension lips of the separate perforated member depressed to a depth of the thickness of the perforated member and its end extension lips whereby when the separate perforated member is nested within the shallow container the upwardly bent side flanges of the perforated member snuggly engage the inside walls of the container and the end extension lips thereof rest in the depressed portions of the end flanges of the container with the result that the convexly curved main portion of the perforated member lies flush with the curved perimeter flange of the container and the depressed portions act to support the perforated member in its curved shape.