US2499572A - Ink drier for printing presses - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1950 P. H. DUNAKIN ETAI.

INK DRIER FOR PRINTING PRESSES 2 vSheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1947 INVENToRs.

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March 7, 1950 P. H. DUNAKIN ErAL INK DRIER RoR PRINTING RREssEs 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 INVENTORS. J/aw Filed Feb. 14, 19.47

Patented Mar. 7; v1x95() l INK DRIQR FOB PRINTING PRESSES raul H. Dunakin, Wheaton, and Fred B. Korb, Downers Grove, Ill.

Application February 14, 1947, Serial No. 728,628

1 claim. l

I'his invention relates to improvements in ink dryers for printing presses and has for its principal object to` provide a simple, compact and effective apparatus for applying heated gases to the paper web as it leaves the inking rolls of a printing press, so as to facilitate the drying of the ink and make it possible to increase the speed of the press.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of drying hood and a recirculating air heater of specially compact arrangement which is capable of being readily applied to printing presses of conventional construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of auxiliary air intake for the recirculating system including a cool air vent which automatically opens when the speed of the press is reduced below a predetermined rate so as to avoid the application of an excessive amount of heat to the web when the press is slowed down or stopped.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of our invention in which the furnace is mounted on the printing press below the moving web, with parts of the apparatus shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on line 3 3 oi Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line l-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a composite figure in part diagrammatic showing the automatic control mechanism for the auxiliary air intake; and

Fig. 6 is a side view showing a modified form of apparatus in which the furnace is mounted on the press above the moving web.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the paper web to be dried is indicated at I as it passes from the inking rolls (not shown) and over spaced rollers II and I2 mount' ed as usual between side rails or frame members I3, I3 of the press.

The drying apparatus is formed as a composite structural unit for attachment to the side rails I3, I3 and I4, I4 and includes an elongated furnace or heating element I having inlet and outlet manifolds I6, I1 at vopposite ends thereof connected to the ends of a hood having an elongated restricted passage 2I through which the web I0 passes.

The heating element I5 consists of a cylindrical casing having a gas burner 26 mounted at one end thereof. An air blowerA indicated at 21 is mounted at the opposite end of the casing adjacent'the outlet manifold I1 and is driven by any suitable power device such as an electric motor 29 connected thereto by pulleys 30, 30 and belt 3|. The current supply to the motor 23 can be controlled independently or can be connected for simultaneous control with the power switches for thepress.

The hood 20 includes a top plate 35 and a bottom plate 36 which are generally arched or curved in opposed relation to each other and are connected to each other to vform an enclosed housing excepting for elongated slots 31, 38 at opposite sides of the hood, which define the ends of the passage 2I through which the web I0 is passed.

The manifold I1 which in Fig. 1 is at the left end of the hood 20, is connected with two pairs` of discharge ducts 40, 40 and 4I, 4I extending respectively through the length of the hood and disposed in symmetrical relation to the passage 2|. Said discharge ducts are closed at their opposite ends against the inner wall 42 of the manifold I6. The upper ducts lll, l0 are disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other, along the top plate 35 of the hood, and the lower ducts Il,

4I 'are similarly disposed along the bottom plate 38. The two pairs of ducts l0 and 4I have continuous restricted nozzles 40d and Ila, respectively directed downwardly and upwardly toward each other and terminating in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of the passage 2| as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The manifold I6 communicates with two pairs of exhaust ducts 44 and 45 in said hood which are closed at their opposite ends against the inner upright wall 46 of the manifold I1. The upper exhaust ducts M are disposed along opposite sides of the upper pair of nozzles 40a, 40a and closely adjacent the slots 31 and 38 of the hood. Said exhaust ducts 44 have inlet apertures a therealong, preferably opening toward the center of the hood, l,close to the path of the web II) and at an angle of approximately 45 thereto. The lower exhaust ducts 45 with inlet apertures 45a are similarly disposed near the slots 31 and 38 of the hood in spaced relation to the lower pair of nozzles lla. A,

When the apparatus is applied to the press, the hood 20 is adjusted so that when the web I0 is passed over the rollers II and I2 of the press, said web passes freely through the slots 3'I and 38 and between the opposed nozzles 40a and lla the heater is put in operation, the blower 21 forces the heated gases from the furnace through the manifold I1 and discharge duct; 4l, 4I so as to .be directed through nozzles 40a and Ia under l'. Vof thejex'haust'ductmas shown in Fig. 2. When y system above described, most of the gases from the left hand discharge noules 40a and lla will tend to be directed along the surface of the web toward the left hand exhaust ducts Il and u,

while most of the gases from the right hand dis- 4 charge nozzles 40a andlla will tend to be directed along the web in the opposite direction,

toward the right hand discharge ducts 4I and Il. However, some of the gases from the adjacent pair of nozzles "a, a will be deflected from the web toward a central zone Il between the ducts Il, Il, and similarly, some of the gases from adjacent pair of nozzles Ila, lla will be deflected into a central zone Il, opposite the zone Il. Since neither of these central zones I8, I9 have direct communication with the exhaust ducts, therewill be a tendency to build up a relatively higher gas pressure in these central zones than' in the outer sones adjacent the exhaust ducts 4l and It. The heated gases will therefore be partially trapped in comparatively static condition in the central sones 48 and 49, which thus form opposed prossure balancing zones extending across the' center of the hood. A Y

An auxiliary' cool air vent is provided in the recirculating system to protect the web against excessive heat when the press rolls are reduced below a predetermined speed. or stopped. In the form shown herein, said air vent indicated at Il is mounted at one side of the heater casing 25 control mechanism shown and described, it will be understood that when the printing press is rst started and the roller and web have exceeded the predetermined speed requii ed for closing the mercury switch 00, the door 52 is closed by -hand and will remain closed until the press again drops below said predetermined speed. In this manner, the web will be protected against excessive heat whenever it slows down or stops.

With our improved drying apparatus, it will be understood that the heated gases can be applied to the moving web at a much higher temperature thaii--wold be practicable with a longer or slower run of the web through the hood. Thus,

y the inked surface is more'quickly heated than the body of the web, and the latter does not become heated to a dangerous degree before it leaves the hood. Moreover, some of the drying occurs after the web has left the hood. Consequently, the ink is dried more eectively than with prior devices.

We havev found in practice that most of the volatile gases collected from the ink while in the hood are burned when they reach the ilame of the burner in the furnace, so that there is usually no necessity for otherwise removing such volatile gases from the circulating systems of the apparatus.

Altho h we have shown and described certain em ents of our invention, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited to the exactconstruction shown and described, but that various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention as defined in the appended claim.

We claim: In an apparatus for applying heated gases to a moving web, an enclosed heat applying hood between the burner 20 and the blower 21, and preferably immediately adjacent the latter. Said air vent consists of a frame 5I having a door l2 hinged on a horizontal shaft 53. The shaft has a lever arm I4 nxed thereon with a weight 55 at its end, arranged to swing the door into opened position by gravity. The shaft also has a lever arm l0 with an amature member 51 thereon, adapted to hold the door closed when engaged with 'an energized electromagnet 5l;

The electromagnetil is connected in circuit with a suitable control device responsive to the speed of movement of the web I0. In the form shown herein, the control device indicated at 53 is for convenience mounted on one of the press frame rails I 3 adjacent one end of a web roller I2. Said control device includes a mercury switch Il carried by a pivoted vane 0I. Said vane is placed in a discharge spout $2 of a blower I3 driven through suitable speed increasing gearing Il connected to the web roller I2. As long as the roller Arotates above a predetermined speed, the air from the blower will maintain the vane in an inclined position, with the mercury switch Il closed. thereby keeping the air vent l0 closed. But as soon as the roller drops below said predetermined speed, the vane 6I will drop by gravity to a position where the mercury switch will open. thus releasing the armature 51 and permitting the door I2 of the cool air vent 5l to open by gravitahaving a, restricted passage therethrough for the web, discharge and exhaust ducts in said hood, manifolds in ends of said hood on opposite sides of said passage connected respectively with said discharge and exhaust ducts, afurnace including a heating chamber connected to said manifolds, and blower means between said heating chamber and said discharge manifold for producing recirculation of gases through said hood and furnace, means for moving the web, said furnace having an auxiliary cool air inlet in the wall of its heating chamber adjacent the discharge manifold, a damper in' said air inlet. and control means for said damper responsive to the speed of movement of said web for opening said damper when the web speed is reduced below the predetermined value, and thereby reducing the heat passing into the hood from said furnace.

PAUL H. DUNAKIN. FRED B. KORB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 tional action of the weight I5. With the specic

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