Inking device

• US 4,085,672 A
• Filed: 12/21/1976
• Issued: 04/25/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Grosart
• Original Assignee: John Grosart
• Inventors: Grosart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Fisher, J. Reed
• Application Number:
  US05/753,071
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 101/157, 101/169, 101/120, 101/123, 101/119, 101/124, 101/366, 118/259, 401/235, 401/272, 401/221, 401/261
• US Class Current: 101/169
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 9/065 Using inking rails

Abstract

A device for applying ink to a printing surface is described. The device includes two resilient ink flow control blades. The blades are deflected by contact with said surface to allow ink to flow onto the latter. The blades close to cut off the flow of ink as the device is lifted off the surface.

Claims

1. An device for applying ink to a printing surface, the device comprising:

a body in the form of an elongate one-piece extrusion defining two spaced limbs extending longitudinally of the extrusion, and a central formation intermediate said limbs and defining with said limbs two longitudinally extending slots;

two ink flow control blades having respective inner portions received in said slots in the body, said limbs of the body clamping the blades against said central portion, and the blades projecting from the body to define an ink chamber with the body and parallel outer edges for contact with a printing surface in use;

sealing means located at respectively opposite ends of the blades to define ends of said ink chamber; and

,

inlet means in the body for delivery of ink to said chamber;

whereby, in use, when the device is arranged with the blades in contact with a printing surface and spaced from one another, ink flows from the ink chamber between the blades and onto the printing surface.

2. An inking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extrusion includes a main body portion and two relatively narrow longitudinally extending neck portions coupling said two spaced limbs to said body portion, the extrusion being formed with said limbs in outwardly angled positions and said neck portions allowing the limbs to be deflected inwardly to clamp said blades against said central formation.

3. An inking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two spaced limbs define outer limbs of the extrusion, and wherein said central formation defines inner limbs extending parallel to said outer limbs and defining therewith said slots receiving the blades, and wherein each of said outer limbs has an inwardly directed outer end portion arranged to contact and inwardly deflect the associated blade, and wherein said inner limbs are dimensioned to co-operate with the respective outer limbs to determine the inward curvature of the blades.

4. An inking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said blades are normally closed and are resiliently deflectible upon contact with a printing surface in use to open and allow ink to flow onto said surface, and wherein one of said blades is a leading blade and the other blade is a trailing blade considered in the direction of relative movement between the device and a printing surface in use, and wherein the outer limb of the extrusion associated with said trailing blade engages the blade at a position intermediate its said inner end portion and its outer edge and defines a pivot arranged to cause the portion of the blade between its said inner end portion and said pivot to curve inwardly as the blades open upon contact with a printing surface so that the volume of the ink chamber remains at least substantially constant.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises, at each end of said extrusion;

a body of a resilient sealant adhered to said blades and extrusion and closing the relevant end of the ink chamber, said body of sealant including an inwardly extending portion enclosing an outer end portion of said outer edges of the blades; and

a pad of a low friction material adhered to said inwardly directed portion of the sealant body and arranged for contact with a printing surface over which the inking device moves in use, and wherein each of said blades includes an outer edge portion disposed inwardly of said pad of low friction material and arranged to bias said pad into contact with said printing surface in use.

6. An inking device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising barrier means disposed in said ink chamber adjacent each of said sealant bodies for minimizing contact between ink in said chamber and said sealant body, each said barrier means comprising a barrier liquid which is imissible with ink to be used in the device, and which is disposed in the ink chamber adjacent the sealant body, and retaining means coupled to said body of the device and arranged to retain said barrier liquid in the end portion of the ink chamber.