US2224331A - Inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1940. A. A. WITTNEBEL INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY STEEL PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENI 'OR L; ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1940. A. A. WITTNEBEL 2,224,

INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY STEEL PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 MW [A] g .1 INVENTOB Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT. 'orrlcs INKIN G MECHANISM FOR ROTARY STEEL PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Application August 8, 1939, Serial No. 288,905

17 Claims. (Cl. 101-351) The invention relates to inking mechanisms for rotary steel plate printing machines, and more particularly to an inking mechanism adapted for use in a rotary steel plate printing machine I in which the plate cylinder is rotated at high speeds.

For many years the practice has been to operate the plate cylinders of rotary steel plate printing machines at a speed which will result in a travel of the plate at the rate of approximately '70 feet per minute. There has recently been developed a printing machine of this type in which the plate cylinder has a peripheral speed of between 1'75, and in some instances as high as is 275 feet per minute.

In rotary steel plate printing machines, it is necessary to apply ink to the plate to fill all of the intaglio, engraved or undersurface lines and provide excess ink upon the top or non-printing 20 surface of the plate. While most of the surface ink is removed by the wiper and polisher webs, some of it is used in packing the lines of the plate. The lines of a plate differ in depth and width in diiferent portions of the design, and in some instances portions of the plate require a greater quantity of ink than other portions thereof.

Great difflculty has been experienced in properly inking a plate traveling at high speed. There 80 is a tendency, with variation in the peripheral speed of the plate and of the inking roller, to

either fail to fill lines throughout transverse streaks upon the plate caused by a lower speed of the inking roller relative to that of the plate, or to drag ink from different portions of the-plate due to a speed of the inking roller relatively higher than that of the plate.

With higher speeds of the plate cylinder, a greater quantity of ink must be applied to the 40- plate by the inking roller within a given time interval, and this has been found to require a finer adjustment of the blade of the ink fount than is required with lower speeds of the plate. Even with such finer adjustment there is a tendency 5 for the ink to creep past this blade and drop upon portions of the machine positioned below the ink fount.

When using an ink fount blade of the type used with low speed rotary steel plate printing machines, it was found that closer adjustment of the plate had a tendency to buckle it in a manner to result in a different contacting relation between the blade and the ink fount roll at different points of the length of these parts. This not only resulted in an uncontrolled, unequal distribution below this bottom blade, a supplemental blade.

' of ink throughout the surface of the ink fount roller, but a considerable wastage of ink because of drip of that ink which passed between the blade of the fount and the roller and fell from the blade instead of being applied to the roller, 5 and by said roller to the distributing and inking rollers.

In a high speed rotary machine, considerable pressure between the inking roller and the steel plate is required to avoid a lineal contact between 10 this roller and the plate, and such pressure is one factor in the development of those imperfections in the resilient surface of the roller which require the re-flnishing of the roller from time to time, and a consequent periodic reduction in the diiii meter of this roller.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided an inking mechanism wherein the inking rbller is positively driven, and develops a peripheral speed substantially coincident with the to peripheral speed of a plate upon the plate cylinder. The angular speed of the inking roller may be changed from time to time to ensure a desired peripheral speed irrespective of the use of inking rollers having different diameters.

To permit the proper adjustment of the machine to attain the above effect, and at the same time ensure the proper pressure engaging relation between the resilient inking rollerand the plate, it is necessary to provide means whereby so the inking roller may be adjusted toward and from the plate cylinder: whereby the main distributing roller may be adjusted in relation to 7 said inking roller and to the ductor-distributing roller, and the doctor-distributing roller may be as adjusted in relation to the distributing roller and the ink fount roller.

The bottom blade of the ink fount is adjustable toward and from the ink fount roller by a mechanism which will not only permit the con- 0 venient removal of this blade from the fount, but will prevent any such buckling of the blade during adjustment as will result in the formation of crevices at any or different points along the roller through which ink in excess of that required in a the inking operation may escape from the ink fount and drip upon parts of the machine below the ink fount.

To secure a proper application of ink to this ink fount roller and effect the saving of what so would otherwise be waste ink, I provide upon and forming a pocket in whichfany drip from the main blade will be accumulated and applied to th i ink fount roller, thus supplying ink to that roller 5;

from two diflerent sources and permitting a closer adiustment of both blades in relation to the roller.

The ink fount blade and its adjusting mechanism are so constructed as to not only'prevent buckling-of this blade in the manner above referred-to, but to permit an accurately controlled minute adjustment of the blade.

In an inking mechanism embodying the invention, I have found that the ink may be properly worked upon the distributing rollers without the use of vibrator rollers commonly used in inking m. Furthermore, the construction and arrangement of these rollers is such that the area or width of the plate to which ink is applied, may

be varied during the makeready of the press, and thus save a substantial percentage of ink not required to fill lines of the plate. Furthermore, the ductor-distributor roller may be so con- 10 structed as to-convey ink in diflerentvolume to different portions of other distributing rollers and therethrough to the inking roller, thus supplying a greater quantity of ink to some portions of the 4 and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referringtothe drawings, v p 0 Fig. 1 is a side view of an inking mechanism em odying the invention and the contiguous portions of a rotary printing machine;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the opposite side of the machine showing the manner the drawings, l0 indicates a portion of a plate cylinder; II a portion of the plate carried thereby; I! a portion of the plate cylinder gear, and I! a portion of the wiper mechanism.

so The ink fount is shown at I4 and the ink fount roller, which is made of metaLat IS.

The-inking roller proper is shown. at It, this roller of a metal core having a resilient jacket I! preferably consisting of soft vules canined rubber. In constant contact with the surface ll of the inking roller is a distributing roller I. which may be, and preferably is, made.

of metal.

Mounted in suitable vertical bearings interme- 70 diate the ink fount roller I5 and the distributing roller I8 is a ductor-distributor roller I! which is capable of movement in its bearings, so asto constantly engage both rollers l5 and II." This roller I! is preferably composed of a plurality of TI short cylindrical sections such as 2l.2l as shown inl'ig.5,eachofatubularmetalcore I! having a resilient surface a, preferably of softvulcanisedrubber .As shown particularly in Fig. 5. the jacket at oneend of the tubular core overhangs them 5 soastohaveaslidingiitwiththeexposedpor: tionofthe'endofthecoreofanadjacentsem, tion. Each section of the core is secured in relation t a shaft ll by means of a set screw'" passingthroughthejacket andthetubularcore l0 and heshaft. Theheadofthisset screw is forced below the surface of the jacket to an extent to avoid engagement of the same witheitherroller llor l8.

By employing a ductor-distributor roller of the 15 construction above referred to, the length of this roller during the of a press maybe varied according to the width of a plate I I, thus limiting the application of ink removed from the ink foimt roller and applied to the distributing roller, and through the inking roller to the plate. to a width required by the width of the plate. A material saving of ink results from sucha practice,sinceallinkwhiehisnotpassedtothedistributing roller by said ductor-distributor roller 2 is returned to the ink fount, or is carried over by the ink fount roller with succeeding revolutions thereof.

In steel plate work, different portions of a plate mayhaveadesi'gnthereomthelinesofwhichare wider and deeper than the lines of other parts -of the plate. Such portions of-the design require more ink than portions with narrower and shallower'lines.

Prior to the present invention, it has been nec.- 36- to apply to the entire surface of a plate, ink in suiiicient quantity to properly fill those lines in. isolated'portions of the plate which are deeper and wider than in other portions of the plate, the result being excessive ink upon the top All or nonprinting surface of a major portion of the plate.

By making one or more sections, such as 2|, of the ductor-distributor roller of slightly smaller diameter than the abutting sections of this roll- 0 er, and locating this section on the shaft It approximately corresponding with the portion of the plate having the design composed of wider and deeper lines, it is possible to apply a stripe of ink 01' greater thickness along the length oi l0 plate including that portion of the design, and a thinner application of ink to other portions of the plate. Where the entire design upon the plate is repeated in a number of parallel rows, an undersiae ductor-distributor roller section may be u used in relation to each row of designs. In this manner. over-inking of large areas of a plate may beavoided.

The difference in the diameter between sections II and other sections 22 of a ductor-distributor roller may amount to only about .001 of an inch, but even with this small difference, the saving of ink in the day's run of a machine will be substantial.

Adjacent each vertically slotted bearing 28 for 0 the roller II is a vertically adjusted bracket 11 having a V top as shown, which forms supports. for the arbors of the roller. The vertical adjustment of said brackets permits the roller tobe raised and held out of engaging relation with the ink fount roller l6 and the distributing, roller N. This bracket does not act as a bearing for the arbors of the roller it, since this'roller is supported by engagement with the rollers II and 18. The bracket 21 is merely for the purpose of facil- 7s itating the cleaning of the inking mechanism upon the completion of a run.

When operating a steel plate printing machine at higher speeds, I have found it necessary to have the inking roller of resilient, non-ink absorbent material, and to cause this roller to exert considerable pressure upon the plate in order to fill the lines with ink. The contacting area between this inking roller and the plate, instead of being a light lineal contact, is a surface contact throughout a considerable area, possibly onehalf to three-quarters of an inch in width, and throughout the entire width of the plate, the resilient surface I! of the inking roller yielding in order to secure this surface contact area.

I have also found it necessary that the peripheral speed of the inking roller shall be substantially the same as that of a plate upon the plate cylinder, since, as heretofore stated, any material variance in these speeds will result in an improper inking of the plates, which cannot be 'corrected by the wiping webs, and thus result in a high percentage of imperfect impressions.

When using a rubber jacketed inking roller and operating the press at high speeds with pressure of the roller against the plate, the surface of the jacket is in time forced out of true cylindrical form. It may also become slightly pitted from action of the ink thereon or rapid compression and expansion of the resilient surface. This also will result in unsatisfactory inking, and to correct this condition, said inking roller is from time to time removed from the machine and ground to a true circular form.

Such grinding of the roller to restore it to a true cylindrical form results in a condition in the cylinder similar to that present in the copper cylinder of rotogravure printing machines and introduces a serious problem in the operation of the machine as a whole.

With an inking roller of smaller diameter, the desired contact relation between it and the plate II is lost, and even after adjustment of the roller so as to restore the desired contact relation, the relative peripheral speeds of the plate and of this roller would be lost, were not means provided for increasing the angular speed of the roller to compensate for its lessened diameter. This is particularly true as in the operation of the machine the inking roller must be positively driven.

The construction by which the roller I6 is given a peripheral speed corresponding with that of the plate I I will now be described.

It is not only necessary that the inking roller be positively driven, but that the distributing roller I 8 and the ink fount roller 15 also be positively driven. The ductor-distributor roller I9 is driven by frictional contact with the ink fount roller l5 and the distributing roller l3, and the positive driving of this roller is not necessary. The distributing roller l8 and the ink fount roller I5 are positively driven by a gear train 28, the

first gear 23 of which is enmeshed with the gear l2 upon the plate cylinder. The number and arrangement of the gears of this train is such as to impart movement to the rollers 15 and I8 in the 'roller I 6 so as to permit its removal therefrom and the substitution therefor of another gear It is also necessary to provide in a mechanism embodying the invention, means whereby the inking roller may be accurately adjusted toward and from the plate cylinder, not only to compensate for different diameters of this roller, but to control the pressure relation between the inking roller and the plate, which may vary according to the designs upon different plates.

With any adjustment of the inking roller Hi. there must be corresponding adjustment of the distributing roller l3, although the ductor-distributor roller l3 will automatically adjust itself, by gravity, in relation to the ink fount roller I5 and the distributing roller l8. This adjustment of the inking and distributing rollers is an important feature in the mechanism of the invention, since it is a primary contributing factor in the proper inking of a plate.

To permit adjustment of the inking roller l6, its arbors are mounted in blocks 33 and 34 mounted in slideways upon opposite sides of the frame of the machine. Acting upon the block 33 are adjusting screws 35 and 36, having associated therewith respectively a lock nut 3|-38. Similar adjusting screws and lock nuts act upon the bearing block 34. The blocks 34 are sectional, as shown, and the frame of the machine is provided with gauge markings 39 by means of which and the parting line, accurate adjustment of the blocks at opposite ends of the roller may be made. The adjusting screws 35 and 36 permit accurate setting of the bearing blocks, and the lock screws 31 and 33 prevent any loss of adjustment due to vibrations about the machine.

Since any adjustment of the inking roller requires a corresponding adjustment of the distributing roller I3, the arbors of this roller are also mounted in blocks 40 and 4|. Acting upon the block 40 is an adjusting screw 42 and two lock nuts 43 and 44, the former of which is mounted upon the screw 42, and the latter of which is mounted upon the adjusting screw 35. A similar adjusting screw and lock nuts act upon the bearing block 4|.

It will be noted that two adjusting screws act upon the bearing blocks 34, and but one adjusting screw upon each of the blocks 40 and 4|. The adjusting screw 36 is used to supplement the action of the adjusting screw 35 in securing nicety in the adjustment of the pressure relation between the inking roller and a plate II. A similar nice adjustment is not required to control the pressure relation between the distributing roller l3 and the inking roller l8, although the lock nuts 44 permit a sumciently nice adjustment of said distributing roller. The adjusting screws 35, 36 and 42 are mounted in webs upon the side frames of the machine.

The bearing blocks 40 and 4|, like the bearing blocks .33 and 34, are split blocks, and the frame accuracy in the adjustment of the distributing roller I8. These'gauge markings permit an accurate right line adjustment of the roller as a whole.

The ink fount roller I5 is mounted in fixed bearings andis positively driven by a gear wheel 45 upon one arbor of this roller enmeshed with the last gear 48 of the gear train 28.

The quantity of 'ink' conveyed by this roller II from the ink fount and delivered to the ductordistributor roller I9 is controlled by an ink iount blade 41 which is adjustable along the bottom of the ink Iount toward or from the roller II.

To avoid buckling of this blade as a result oi the action of adjusting screws thereon, I provide the upper edge of the blade with an enlarged head 48 through which adjusting screws 49 pass andenter a cross bar 58 positioned upon the ink iount above-the blade, so that the adjusting pressure exerted by the screws 49 has a tendency to force the bladedownwardly against the bottom of the ink iount, instead of bulging it upwardly.

The cross bar 59, upon opposite sides of each adjusting screw 49 has a stud 9i surrounded by a spring 82, which springs bear between the head 48 and the bar 58 so that adjustment of the blade is against the tension of these springs. Each screw is provided with a collar 88 bearing upon the head 48 and having gauge markings thereon permitting accuracy in the adjustment of the opposite ends of the blade. The top of the head 48 is provided with a gauge marking co-operating with each collar 88.

The blade 41 is. provided with an undercut lower edge 84, and secured to and flush with the roller.

bottom of this blade, and projecting beyond same in the manner shown in the drawings, is a supplemental blade 85. By this construction, all ink which passes between the edge 84 of the I blade and is notcarried over by the ink iount roller, falls upon the supplemental blade 88 and any accumulation of ink in this pocket isin part applied to the ink tount roller.

The length of the supplemental blade 88 is such as to compensate ior the curvatureo! the roller and to secure a diii'erential spacing, with adjustment of the ink i'ount blade, of the edge 84 of the blade and "the edge of the supplemental blade 89, the latter being spaced irom the ink tount roller at all times a distance slightly greater than the spacing of the main blade from said The diilerence may'amount only to a few thousandths or an inch, but by the use of a plurality oi blades successively acting upon the ink fount roller, there is a more uniform applicathe cylinder I8 can be used and yet secure a product in the machine greater than was possible with older machines in which the plate'cylinder carried two plates.

With a higher speed of the plate, a greater volume of ink per minute must be conveyed from the ink'fount to the plate by the rollers ll, I9, I8 and I8, and this volume must be nicely controlled.

.ripheralspeedasthepl'ate.'andbyusingailex Bydrivingtheinkingrollerllatthesamcpeible jacket II upon this roller, it ispossi to compress the jacket throughout an area or engagement with the plate which will ensure the I inkbeingiorcedintothelinesotaplataand avoidany tendency toward a spotty inking or the draggin of ink from the lines, notwithstanding the limited time for inking the plate.

By positively driving the inking roller I9 from 19 the distributing mller I8, these rollers, irrespective of the diameter oi! the roller. II, will have the same peripheral speed and thus ensure uniformityin' the'thickness of the film 01 ink trans- (erred from the distributing roller l8 to the resilient jacket I! of the roller II. The ductordistributor roller I 9 is in continuous contact with the distributing roller l8 and with the ink iount roller I8, oscillation oi the ductor roller, common to many forms 01 inking mechanims, being-ab- 20 sent from the inking mechanism of the invention. This permits a more accurate control of the ink carried by the ink fount roller I! from the rount and applied to the roller I9.

The pressure relation between the inking roller 28 and the plate varies with the designs upon dinerent plates, and by adjusting the bearing blocks 88 and 84 toward or from the plate cylinder by means or the adjusting screws 88 and 89, a desired pressure relation may be established, and a this pressure relation may be varied at will dur ing the operation 01' a machine.

Under ordinary conditions, with adjustment of the inking roller, similar adjustment oi the distributing roller is also necessary, but the duc- 8| tor-distributor roller I9, by reason of its free vertical movement, will automatically adjust itself to any setting of the distributing roller l8.

After a long run of the machine, the jacket I1 01' the inking roller may. become slightly out oi A.

true, or may become pitted so that it is necessary,

. from time to time, to grind this roller to restore it to a true cylindrical form and remove any pits. Whenever a roller is thus ground, its diameter may be changed by a fraction of an inch, but I even this change will interfere with the desired proper rapid inking of the plate ii.- means are not provided to increase the angular speed of the roller in order to maintain the peripheral speed thereof coincident with that of the plate I I.

When it is necessary to grind an inking roller, this work is donewithout regard to the depth oi' the pits or the extent of deformation oithe roller, the amountof the jacket removed being .a fixed definite amount so that a gear 82 upon 88 to maintain a proper peripheral speed 01' the inking roller notwithstanding changes in its diameter.

Alter each grinding operation and change of gears 82 upon the roller l8, the blocks 88, 84, 48 and 4| are adjusted by means 01' the feed screws operating upon each, in order to secure a proper pressure engaging relation between the rollers I8 and I8 and the proper pressure engaging relation between the former and the plate upon the plate cylinder.

The use 01' lock nuts 88, 48 and 44 is merely for the purpose or avoiding accidental loss 01 the 1. setting oi! the rollers I8 and I8.

' The use of gauge markings is merely to permit accuracy in the setting of opposite ends 0! each of the rollers.

The advantages of using an ink fount blade ad- 78 justable by means of pressure applied above the blade have heretofore been referred to.

It is essential to accurately control the amount of ink carried by the ink fount roller 15 from the fount and applied to the ductor-distributor roller is. "This, with the continuously rotating rollers, not only permits a higher speed of the various rollers, but also permits the closer setting of the inkfount blade 41 than would otherwise be possible. The undercut lower edge 54 of the blade is set fairly close to the roller l5, and the supplemental blade 55 is of a length to be positioned slightly more remote from the roller than the edge 54. The edge 54 cannot be set so close to even a metallic roller, as to avoid ink in excess of that required from passing the plate anddrippin downwardly from the edge 54. The supplemental blade 55, however, will catch any drip and, by reason of its inclination, this ink will flow toward and be applied to the roller II, thus slightly increasing the thickness of the film of ink applied to this roller.

Any ink upon the roller I! which is not transferre" to the roller IQ of course will be carried back to the fount. By using the supplemental blade 55, a rapid, more u'niiorm application of ink to the roller 15 is assured, and wastage of ink is avoided.

Proper working of the ink upon the distributing roller is possible without the use of any vibrator rollers.

The brackets 21 are used merely to raise and hold the roller 18 out of contacting relation with the rollers l5 and it when cleaning the rollers. If desired, during cleaning up of the machine, the rollers I8 and I8 may be moved respectively out of engagement with a plate and with each other.

By removing the bar 50 from the ink fount, the entire ink fount blade mechanism may be removed from the fount.

The gears for operating the various rollers, and particularly the gear 32, should be hardened to minimize wear, since any substantial back lash will impair the inking operation.

By using a ductor-distributor roller composed of sections, the over-all length of the roller may be varied during the makeready of .a press to correspond with the width of the plate II to be used. In many plates there are isolated portions of the plate which contain a mass of wide and deep lines, such as in a vignette used in a bank note.

Prior to the present invention,.enough ink had to be applied to the entire surface of the plate to meet the requirements of such isolated portions of the design, since the lateral movement of the wiper bars was not sumciently great to utilize ink, other than that closely adjacent the vignette, in completing the filling and packing of the ink in the lines.

The efiective length of the roller l9 may be determined by the number of sections 2ll-2I,

or the length of such sections.

By using a ductor-distributor roller made up of short sections as described, and avoiding the use of vibrators, one or more sections of this roller may be made of slightly smaller diameter, possibly .001 or .002 oi an inch, than the adjacent rollers and thus cause a greater quantity of ink to be applied to the plate in a stripe, in-

cluding the vignette or other heavily lined portions of the design. "In this manner, ink may be distributed throughout the plate in varying frames of the machine by means of overhanging side flanges, dovetails or in any other desired manner not shown in detail in the drawings.

In actual practice, the diameter of the inking roller is reduced approximately one-eighth of an inch with each grinding operation, and the various interchangeable'gears 32 have pitch diameters which correspond in variation with the changes in diameter of the roller.

The gears are secured to the cylinder ends by means of bolts as shown, and, if desired, by means of metal dowel pins passing through the gear and entering the body of the cylinder.

It 'is not my intention to'limit the invention to the detailed construction and arrangement-oi parts shown in the accompanying drawings, it being obvious that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is essential, however, that the inking roller shall be positively driven at an angular speed which will ensure a peripheral'speed, irrespective of the diameter of the roller, substantially equalling that of the plate upon the plate cylinder, and that said inking roller shall be capable of adjustment toward and from the cylinder to establish and maintain a proper pressure engaging relation between the cylinder and the plate to ensure the filling of the lines of the plate without possibility of an improper application of ink thereto or the dragging of ink from the lines of the design. I

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:

1. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with sufllcient pressure to deform said resilient surface, means positively driving said inking roller indirectly from the plate cylinder with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a cylinder, means acting upon each of said bear ings whereby the pressure engaging relation of said roller with a plate may be varied to regulate the amount of deformation of said resilient surface, means positively driving said inking roller indirectly from the-plate cylinder with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder to which ink is to be applied, and means applying ink from said ink fount to said inking roller.

3. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suilicient pressure to deform said ing roller, means positively driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincident with that of a plate upon said plate-cylinder, a

gear carried by said distributing roller, and a gearmeshingtherewithcarriedby-saidinking roller,saidlastnamedgearbeingsoproportioned in relation to'the gear upon the distributing rollerastnimpartperipheraltraveltosaidinking rollersubstantially coincident withthatof said distributing roller and a plate upon'said plate cylinder, irrespective of the diametafof said inking roller.

.Aninkingmechanism forrotarysteelplate printing machines of them having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an inkfountroller,aninkingrollerhavinga resillent surface, bearings therefor adiustably mounted in relation to a plate cylinder, means acting upon each of said bearings whereby the pressureensaslns relation of said roller with a plate may be varied to regulate the amount of deformation-of said resilient surface, a distributing roller oo-operating with said inking roller, bearingstherefor, means acting upon each of said bearings whereby said distributing roller maybeadiustedlnrelationtosaidinkingroller, means transferring ink from said ink fount roller to said distributing roller, means positively driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincidentwiththatofaplateuponsaidplate cylinder, a gear carried by said distributing roller, and a gear meshing therewith carried by said inkingroller,saidlastnamedgearbeingsoproportioned in relation to the sear upon the distributing roller as to impart p ripheral travel to said inking roller substantially coincident with that of said distributing roller and a plate upon saidplate cylinder, irrespective of thediameter of said inking roller.

5. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink .fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suflicient pressure to deform said resilent surface, a distributing roller'co-operating with said inking roller, means transferring ink from said ink fount roller to said distributing roller, means positively driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder, a gear carried by said distributing roller, a gear meshing therewith carried by said inking roller, and means detachably connecting said gear with said roller, whereby with the reduction of the diameter of said inking roller when refinishing same, gears having a different number of teeth may be mounted upon said roller to impart peripheral travel thereto substantially coincident with that of said distributing roller and a plate upon said plate cylinder.

6. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, anink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into relation with a plate upon the cylinder with sufiicient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said, inking roller, a ductor-distributor roller idly mounted in vertical bearings intermediate said ink fount roller and said summing roller, means positively driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder, a gear cylinder, irrespective of the diameter of said inking roller.

'LAninkingmecbanismforrotai-y steelplate printingmachinesofthetypehavingaplate cylinderembodyingthereinaninkfount,anink foimt roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suillcient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operat-. ing with said inking roller, a duster-distributor roller having a resilient jacket, idly mounted in vertical bearings intermediate said ink fount roller and said distributing roller, means positively driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder, a gear carried by said distributing roller, and a gear meshing therewith carried by said inking roller, said last named gear being so proportioned in relation to the gear upon the distributing roller as to impart peripheral travel to said inking roller substantially coincident with that of said distributing roller and a plate upon said plate cylinder, irrespective of the diameter of said inking roller.

8. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodyingtherein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into enga ing relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suillcient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said inking roller, a ductor-distributor roller cooperating with said distributing roller and said ink fount roller composed of a shaft, a plurality of closely abutting short sections each having a resilient surface, each section being removably secured to said shaft whereby the effective length of said roller may be varied, and means positively driving said inking roller indirectly from the plate cylinder with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder-to which ink is to be applied.

9. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with sumcient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said inking roller, a ductordistributor roller co-operating with said distributing roller and said ink fount roller composed of a shaft, a plurality of closely abutting short sections each having a resilient surface, the different sections varying slightly in diameter, whereby the quantity of ink applied to different portions of a plate may be varied, and means positively driving said inking roller with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a plate to which ink is to be applied. I

10. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printingmachinesembodying therein an ink fount,

-inder with sufficient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said inking roller, a ductor-distributor roller co-operating with said distributing roller and said ink fount roller composed of a'shaft, a plurality of closely abutting short sections each having a resilient surface, the different sections varying slightly in diameter, whereby the quantity of ink applied to different portions of a plate may be varied, each section being removably secured to said shaft whereby the effective length of said roller may be varied, and means positively driving said inking roller with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with i that of a plate to which ink is to be applied.

11. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a cross bar upon said fount, an ink fount blade positioned below said cross bar and having a head along'the upper edge thereof, adjusting screws engaging said head co-operating with screw threads in said cross bar, whereby said blade may be adjusted toward and from said ink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a'plate upon the cylinder with sufllcient pressure to deform said resilient surface, means positively driving said inking roller indirectly from the plate cylinder with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a plate to which ink is to be applied, and means applying ink from said ink fount roller to said inking roller.

12. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a cross bar upon said fount, an ink fount blade positioned below said cross bar and having a head along the upper edge thereof, ad-

justing screws engaging said head co-operating with screw threads in said cross bar, whereby said blade may be adjusted toward and from said ink fount roller, springs positioned between said cross bar and the head of said blade adjacent each said adjusting screw, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suiiicient pressure to deform said resilient surface, means positively driving said inking roller indirectly from the plate cylinder with a peripheral speed substantially coincident with that of a plate to which ink is to be applied, and means applying ink from said ink fount roller to said inking roller.

13. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a main ink fount blade, a supplemental blade carried thereby and spaced below and projecting beyond same toward the ink fount roller, to form a pocket for accumulating ink passing the main blade and applying it to the ink fount roller, means whereby both said blades may be simultaneously adjusted toward and from the ink fount roller, an inking roller, and means applying ink from said ink fount roller to said inking roller.

14, An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a main ink fount blade having an undercut edge adjacent the ink fount roller, a supplemental blade-carried thereby and spaced below and projecting beyond same toward the ink fount roller, to form a pocket for accumulating ink passing the main blade and applying it to the ink fount roller, means whereby both said blades may be simultaneously adjusted toward and from the ink fount roller, an inking roller, and means applying ink from said ink fount roller to said inking roller.

15. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a main ink fount blade, a supplemental blade carried thereby and spaced below and projecting beyond same toward the ink fount roller, to form a pocket for accumulating ink \passing the main blade and applying it to the ink fount roller, said supplemental blade being of a length to always be spaced from the ink fount roller a slightly greater distance than the main blade, means whereby both said blades may be simultaneously adjusted toward and from the ink fount roller, an inking roller, and means applying ink from said ink fount roller to said inking roller.

16. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an ink fount, an ink fount roller, an inking roller having a resilient surface, means whereby said roller is brought into engaging relation with a plate upon the cylinder with suflicient pressure to deform said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said inking roller, a ductor-distributor roller having a resilient jacket, idly mounted in vertical bearings intermediate said ink fount roller and said distributing roller, means whereby said ductor-distributor roller may be held out of engaging relation with said ink fount roller and said distributing roller, means positively'driving said distributing roller at a peripheral speed coincident with that of a plate upon said plate cylinder, a gear carried by said distributing roller, and a gear meshing therewith carried by said inking roller, said last named gear being so proportioned in relation to the gear upon the distributing roller as to impart peripheral travel to said inking roller substantially coincident with that of said distributing roller and a plate upon said plate cylinder, irrespective of the diameter of said inking roller.

17. An inking mechanism for rotary steel plate printing machines of the type having a plate cylinder embodying therein an inking roller having a resilient surface, bearings therefor adjustably mounted in relation to a plate cylinder,

means acting upon each of said bearings whereby the pressure engaging relation of said roller with a plate may be varied to regulate the amount of deformation of said resilient surface, a distributing roller co-operating with said inking roller, bearings therefor, means acting upon each of said bearings whereby said distributing roller may be adjusted in relation to said inking roller, means supplying ink to said inking roller comprising an ink fount, an ink fount roller, a main ink fount blade, a supplemental blade carried thereby and spaced belowand projecting beyond same toward the ink fount roller, to form a pocket for accumulating ink passing the main blade and applying it to the ink fount roller, means whereby both said blades may be simultaneously adjusted toward and from the ink fount roller, a ductordistributor roller having a resilient jacket, idly mounted in vertical bearings intermediate said ink fount roller and said distributing roller, and

means positively driving said inking roller, said distributing roller and said ink rount roiler at the same peripheral speed as a plate to be inked, comprising a gear train including a gear upon the plate cylinder, gears enmeshed respectively with said distributing roller and with said ink tount roller, a gear upon said distributing roller, and a gear meshing therewith detachably connected

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