US3911816A

US3911816A - Wiper blade assembly for roller fountain dampener

Info

Publication number: US3911816A
Application number: US536022A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph E Hutton; R Kent Hilborn
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Priority date: 1974-12-23
Filing date: 1974-12-23
Publication date: 1975-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-14

Abstract

The roller fountain dampener for a lithographic printing press has a wiper blade assembly mounted within the pan adjacent the opposite side wall thereof. Each blade assembly comprises supports fixedly mounted within the pan and an arm adjustably mounted on the support for movement toward and away from the transfer roller of the press. An elastomeric wiper blade is fixedly secured on each arm for wiping engagement with opposite ends of the transfer roller to thereby control movement of the dampening fluid at both roller ends. Dampening fluid build-up is therefore prevented at the ends of the metering roller of the press as well.

Description

United States Patent Hutton et al.

WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR ROLLER FOUNTAIN DAMPENER Inventors: Ralph E. Hutton, Java Center; R.

Kent Hilborn, Cheektowaga, both of NY.

Assignee: Moore Business Forms, Inc.,

Niagara Falls, NY.

Filed: Dec. 23, 1974 Appl. No.: 536,022

US. Cl. 101/148; 101/363 Int. Cl. B41F 7/32 Field of Search lOl/350, 351-352,

lOl/363, 364, 365, 148, 207, 208, 210

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l96O Nitchie et al. lOl/350 3,352,317 11/1967 Dahlgren lO1/148X Primary ExaminerJ. Reed Fisher Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson ABSTRACT The roller fountain dampener for a lithographic printing press has a wiper blade assembly mounted within the pan adjacent the opposite side wall thereof. Each blade assembly comprises supports fixedly mounted within the pan and an arm adjustably mounted on the support for movement toward and away from the transfer roller of thepress. An elastomeric wiper blade is fixedly secured on each arm for wiping engagement with opposite ends of the transfer roller to thereby control movement of the dampening fluid at both roller ends. Dampening fluid build-up is therefore prevented at the ends of the metering roller of the press as well.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Oct. 14, 1975 U3. Patent WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR ROLLER FOUNTAIN DAMPENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to lithographic presses, and more particularly to a wiper blade assembly provided for the roller used in transfer-ring dampen ing fluid from the pan to a printing surface of the press.

2. Description of the Prior Art In US. Pat. No. 3,259,062 to Dahlgren, a lithographic press operation is generally disclosed as making use of a particular dampening fluid. The present invention relates to a similar type press and to the dampening control aspect thereof. US. Pat. No. 2,915,007 to Johnson et al. relates to a dampening device for lithographic presses. Dampening is controlled by the location of the ductor roll and the specific-structural assembly of the press including such roll. A U.-S. Pat. No. 3,504,626 to Worthington includes a dampening control system for a printing press making use of a flexible strainer and a wiper blade arrangement. Further among the prior art is an adjustable wiper blade assembly as set forth in US. Pat. No. 3,312,366 to Gentile. Here, the contact pressure of various wiper blade edges with respect to the transfer roller may be regulated so as to determine the quantity of moistening fluid transferred by the roller.

In each of the presses disclosed in the abovementioned patents, no means for controlling dampening is shown as provided by the present invention and functioning in the manner to be hereinafter described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION- In accordance with the present invention, wiper blade assemblies are provided for controlling movement of dampening fluid at both ends of the transfer roller of a printing press. Each such assembly comprises supports mounted within the fountain or pan with arm members extending toward the transfer roll and being adjustably mounted on the supports for movement toward and away therefrom: Wiper blades are secured to the free ends of thearm members and the wiper blades have edges for contacting the surface of the roller near opposite ends thereof, these edges being parallel to the rotational axis of the roller and extending a short distance from the roller opposite ends toward the center thereof. The pressure of the wiper blades against the surface of the roller can therefore be adjusted. Besides controlling movement of the dampening fluid at both transfer roll ends, dampening fluid build-up is also prevented on the ends of the metering roller of the press which is disposed in rolling contact with the transfer roller.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for controlling the dampening fluid movement at opposite ends of the transfer roller of a printing press with the use of wiper blade assemblies mounted within the fountain and at a location below the rotational axis of the transfer roller, such assemblies being easy to install and economical to manufacture as well as efficient in their operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS" FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the invention in its relation to several of the rollers of a lithographic pri-nting press shown in general outline;

FIG. 2 is a'top plan view of the fountain and wiper blade assemblies mounted therein in relation to the transfer roller,'taken generally along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

,FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wiper blade assembly of the invention taken generally along line 33 of FIG. -1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In especially muIti-color lithographic presses, there has been a continual problem with dampening fluid build-up on the ends of the metering roller which is disposed inrolling contact with the transfer roller provided for transferring the dampening fluid from the fountain or pan to a printing surface of the press. Such build-up of the dampening fluid splashes and adheres for example to outer surfaces of the pan, to guide bars provided for the press, to blanket cylinders and to the transfer cylinders thereof. This dampening fluid also tends to splash onto the printed sheets travelling through the press thus requiring press stoppage and possibly resulting in spoiled press sheets.

Referring to .the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, a portion of a lithographic or other planographic printing press is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 as including a plate cylinder 10, a form roller 11 a metering roller 12 and a transfer roller 13. The plate cylinder is in rotative contact with a blanket cylinder (not shown) which is in turn in rotative contact with an impression cylinder (also not shown) when the press is in operation. Further details of the press and its operation are believed not necessary since they are standard and well known among those having knowledge in this art. Typically, form roller 11 is of resilient rubber in rotative contact with the plate cylinder, this roller as well as other similar form rollers being in contact with the plate cylinder for distributing the ink fed to'these rollers from a conventional ink supply source and to distribute same on a plate (not shown) arranged about the plate cylinder.

Transfer roller 13 is in rotative contact with both the form roller and metering roller 12, each of these rollers rotating about their

respective axes

11a, 12a and 13a in anormal manner.

A dampening fluid pan 14 extends parallel to the plate cylinder and has a quantity of dampening fluid (not shown) therein. Transfer roller 13 is preferably metallic and may have a smooth chrome surface which rotates in the fluid and picks it up from the pan.

Water has been used as a dampening fluid although a highly volatile alcohol such as ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol is preferred.

Pan 14 has a bottom wall 15 and side walls 16 extending upwardly therefrom.

End walls

17 and 18 interconnect with the side walls and extend also upwardly of the bottom wall. As seen in FIG. 1, bottom wall 15 of the pan typically slopes downwardly toward end wall 17 and has a forwardly sloping end wall 18.

A wiper blade assembly generally designated 19 is mounted in the pan, one such assembly being located adjacent one of the panside walls and the other wiper blade assembly being located adjacent the other pan side wall. Each assembly comprises a support block 21 welded or otherwise fixedly mounted on bottom wall 15 of the pan inwardly of each side wall 16. Each block is disposed parallel to their respective side walls, and each has a continuous groove 22 provided along the top surface thereof. An elongated arm member 23 is mounted for sliding movement within each groove 22. Each arm'member is provided with elongated slots 24 through which threaded fasteners such as bolts 25 extend for threaded engagement with tapped openings provided in the support blocks. Accordingly, the arm members are adjustably supported for movement toward and away from transfer roller 13.

As clearly shown in FIG. 1, each arm member is provided with a jaw 26 atlits'forward end for the reception of a resilient wiper blade 27. The wiper blades, which may be of neoprene or some other elastomeric material, are secured in place by means of threaded fasteners such as screws 28. 1

ltcan be seen-that each. support block of the wiper blade assemblies has a sloped bottom wall 29 conforming to the slope of bottom wall of the pan. Also, the heightofeach support is such that the wiper blades are located at a level below the rotational axis of transfer roller 13.'Each wiper blade has a leading edge 31 which is moved into' contact with the surface of the transfer roller as the arm members are adjusted forwardly into such position. These wiper blade leading edges extend from the opposite ends 32 of the transfer roller and toward the center thereof. The length of the wiper blades including their leading edges is, as clearly shown in FIG. 2, substantially less than the length of the transfer roller. The size of the wiper blades is such that the surface area of the transfer roller near its opposite ends only is wiped by the blades since it has been found that dampening fluid build-up normally occurs at the opposite ends of the transfer roller, thereby causing such a fluid build-up to be transferred to the opposite ends of the metering roller. However, with the adjustable wiper blades of the invention, the dampening fluid on the surface of the transfer roller adjacent its opposite ends can be simply and effectively controlled so as to avoid any transfer of this fluid build-up to the metering roller. This dampening fluid control feature is significant for dampening fluid control on especially multi-color lithographic presses.

I Dampening fluids other than for example isopropyl alcohol have recently 'come into use as alcohol substitutes. However, when using such alcohol substitutes, it has been found necessary to increase the speed of the chrome transfer roller 13 by as much as 50% over the transfer roller speed normally used during press operations using isopropyl alcohol. Of course, the increased speed of the transfer roller depends on the size of the press, the imagecoverag'e and the type ofink or varnish used for "the press. The greater speed at which the transfer roller rotates, the greater is the possibility of dampening fluid build-up at opposite ends of the transfer end metering rollers thereby compounding the initial problem of dampening fluid build-up.

Obviously, many. modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1.1n a printing press having an elongated fountain for containing dampening fluid, said fountain having a bottom wall and spaced upstanding side walls and end walls, a transfer roller located above said fountain for transferring dampening fluid to a printing surface, said transfer roller extending between said side walls and having its opposite ends located inwardly thereof, said transfer roller being rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said fountain, wiper blade assemblies mounted in said fountain at one side of said roller, each said assembly comprising supports fixedly mounted on the inner surface of said bottom wall adjacent each said side wall, arm members mounted on said supports for movement toward and away from said roller, and elastomeric wiper blades secured to said arm members and extending toward said roller, said blades having free edges lying parallel to said roller axis and extending therealong from said opposite ends of said roller toward the center thereof, said edges together having a length substantially less than the length of said roller, whereby said wiper blades are capable of wiping the surface of said roller adjacent said ends thereof to thereby control movement of the dampening fluid at said ends thereof.

2. 1n the printing-press according to claim 1, wherein said arm members lie along axes perpendicular to said roller axis-,and said arm members having elongated slots lying along said perpendicular axes, fasteners extending through said slots and engaging with said supports for adjusting the movement of said arm members.

3. In the printing press according to claim 1, wherein said wiper blade edges are located below said roller aXlS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,911,816 DATED October 14, 1975 INVENTOR(S) 1 Ralph E. Hutton and R. Kent Hilborn It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Title Page, correct the named assignee to read F. N. Burt Company, Inc., Buffalo, New York-- Column 1, line 24, "5,512,366" shou read 5,3

Signed and Scaled this Twenty-first Day Of December 1976 [sun] A ties t:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Office Commissioner oj'Parents and Trademarks

Claims

1. In a printing press having an elongated fountain for containing dampening fluid, said fountain having a bottom wall and spaced upstanding side walls and end walls, a transfer roller located above said fountain for transferring dampening fluid to a printing surface, said transfer roller extending between said side walls and having its opposite ends located inwardly thereof, said transfer roller being rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said fountain, wiper blade assemblies mounted in said fountain at one side of said roller, each said assembly comprising supports fixedly mounted on the inner surface of said bottom wall adjacent each said side wall, arm members mounted on said supports for movement toward and away from said roller, and elastomeric wiper blades secured to said arm members and extending toward Said roller, said blades having free edges lying parallel to said roller axis and extending therealong from said opposite ends of said roller toward the center thereof, said edges together having a length substantially less than the length of said roller, whereby said wiper blades are capable of wiping the surface of said roller adjacent said ends thereof to thereby control movement of the dampening fluid at said ends thereof.

2. In the printing press according to claim 1, wherein said arm members lie along axes perpendicular to said roller axis, and said arm members having elongated slots lying along said perpendicular axes, fasteners extending through said slots and engaging with said supports for adjusting the movement of said arm members.

3. In the printing press according to claim 1, wherein said wiper blade edges are located below said roller axis.