Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
INK SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESS AND INK TRAY MOUNTED
ON THE SAME APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING CONTAMINATION
PREVENTIVE SURFACE COVER TO INK TRAY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink supply apparatus
for a printing press and an ink tray mounted on the same apparatus
and, more particularly, to an ink supply apparatus capable of
being provided on a rotary press, a sheet-feed press, and the like,
and an ink tray mounted on the same apparatus.
Also, the present invention relates to an ink tray suitably
used for an ink supply apparatus provided with an ink fountain,
and a method for mounting a contamination preventive surface cover
to an ink tray.
Further, the present invention relates to an ink supply
apparatus for a printing press such as a rotary press and a
sheet-feeding press and, more particularly, to an ink supply
apparatus provided with an ink tray detachably mounted on an ink
fountain.
2. Description of Related Art
FIGS. 22 and 23 show a conventional ink supply apparatus
provided on a printing press such as a rotary press and a sheet-feed
press.
A conventional ink supply apparatus 51 has an ink fountain
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53 arranged in front of an ink fountain roller 52. The ink
fountain 53 is composed of side plates 53a, 53a (only one side
is shown) which are located on both end sides in the axial direction
of the ink fountain roller 52 and a part of front end of which
is brought into slidable contact with the outer peripheral surface
of the ink fountain roller 52, an ink blade 54 forming the bottom
surface of the ink fountain 53, and the like.
The ink blade 54 is made up of a plurality of ink keys 54a
to 54n divided in the axial direction of the ink fountain roller
52. Each of the ink keys 54a to 54n can independently be swayed
vertically around a support shaft 55, and an ink amount regulating
device is provided under each of the ink keys 54a to 54n. The
ink amount regulating device is provided with an arm plate 59
engaging with the lower face at the distal end of each of the ink
keys 54a to 54n and a pusher 58 which is in contact with the arm
plate 59 and sways the arm plate 59 by extension and contraction.
The pusher 58 is appropriately extended and contracted by turning
a knob 5b or a motor 57 to turn the arm plate 59, whereby each
of the ink keys 54a to 54n can be swayed vertically. By vertically
swaying each of the ink keys 54a to 54n in this manner, a gap between
the ink key 54a to 54n and the ink fountain roller 52 can be
regulated so that the thickness of ink film formed on the outer
peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller 52 is made uniform
in the axial direction of the roller 52.
Ink 60 supplied into the ink fountain 53 passes through the
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gap between the outer peripheral surface of the ink fountain
roller 52 and the distal end of the ink key 54a to 54n to adhere
to the ink fountain roller 52 , and is transferred by the rotation
of the roller 52. Subsequently, the ink 60 is transferred to an
ink roller group via a vibrating roller ( not shown ) , which comes
into contact with and separates from the ink fountain roller 52,
and is used for printing.
The outflow of the ink 60 from the ink fountain 53 to the
axial direction of the ink fountain roller 52 is prevented by
slidable contact between the ink fountain roller 52 and the side
plate 53a, 53a of the ink fountain 53. Also, the ink 60 is
prevented from flowing downward through gaps between the ink keys
54a to 54n by slidable contact between the adjacent ink keys 54a
to 54n.
Reference numeral 61 in FIG. 22 denotes an ink recovery tray,
and reference numeral 62 in FIG. 23 denotes a frame for the ink
supply apparatus 51.
The above-described conventional ink supply apparatus 51
has the following problems:
(1) A minute gap is provided between the adjacent ink keys 54a
to 54n and between the ink key 54a, 54n and the side plate 53a
so that these elements are slidable. Therefore, ink sometimes
intrudes into the minute gap by capillarity ete. Specifically,
the ink 60 put in the ink fountain 53 intrudes into the gap between
the adjacent ink keys 54a to 54n and solidifies. Thereby, the
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movement (vertical sway) of the ink keys 54a to 54n sometimes
becomes unstable. Further, the ink 60 put in the ink fountain
53 intrudes into the gap between the adjacent ink keys 54a to 54n
over the whole region from the vicinity of liquid surface of the
ink 60 to the distal end of the ink key 54a to 54n, so that there
is a fear of the ink keys 54a to 54n becoming unmovable in the
worst case. Therefore, it is impossible to carry out accurate
control of ink film thickness.
( 2 ) When the ink fountain 53 is cleaned, it is difficult to remove
the remaining ink 60. In particular, it is difficult to remove
the ink 60 having intruded into the gap between the adjacent ink
keys 54a to 54n.
Specifically, when the printing operation is completed or
the ink is changed, the ink remaining in the ink fountain 53 must
be wiped off with a waste cloth or the like or washed off with
a cleaning fluid. However, it is difficult to remove the ink
because of its high viscosity. In particular, it is difficult
to remove the ink having intruded into the gap between the ink
keys 54a to 54n, which leads to an increased burden to an operator
performing the cleaning work. Further, in order to enhance the
productivity, it is necessary to shorten the preparation time at
the time of order change to increase the rate of operation of
equipment. If the load caused by cleaning at the time of ink
change is high, however, much time is consumed for cleaning.
Therefore, the alleviation of burden to the operator by reduction
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in labor in cleaning work, the increase in rate of operation
of equipment by shortened cleaning time, and the enhancement
of productivity have been desired.
OBJECT OF ASPECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above
situation, and accordingly an object of an aspect thereof is
to provide an ink supply apparatus for a printing press, in
which ink keys forming the bottom portion of an ink fountain
can be operated stably, and ink intruding into gaps between
the adjacent ink keys can be removed easily.
Another object of an aspect of the present invention is
to provide an ink tray and a method for mounting a
contamination preventive surface cover to the ink tray, in
which labor saving and shortened work time for cleaning work
for ink change etc. on the printing press can be achieved.
Still another object of an aspect of the present
invention is to provide an ink supply apparatus in which labor
saving for cleaning work for ink change etc. on the printing
press can be achieved.
To achieve the above object of an aspect, the present
invention provides an ink supply apparatus for a printing
press having an ink fountain formed by an ink fountain roller,
a plurality of ink blades arranged in the axial direction of
the ink fountain roller, and side plates holding the ink
blades therebetween from both sides, so that the ink supply
amount from the ink fountain to the ink fountain roller is
controlled by regulating a gap between the ink blades and the
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ink fountain roller, wherein an integral type ink tray
comprising a bottom portion covering portions of the upper
faces of the ink blades excluding the distal end portions
thereof and side portions covering the inside surfaces of the
side plates is provided, a first seal member is interposed
between the inside surface of the side plate and the side
portion, and a second seal member in slidable contact with the
ink blades is interposed between the ink blades and the bottom
portion of the ink tray.
In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an ink supply apparatus provided with an ink tray detachably
mounted in an ink fountain, wherein a groove portion of the
ink tray is fitted with a seal member for sealing a gap
between distal end edge portions of side walls and of a bottom
plate of the ink tray and the ink fountain when the ink tray
is mounted in the ink fountain, the groove portion being
provided at the distal end edge portions of the ink tray, and
further comprising a surface cover adapted to cover at least a
portion of the tray, wherein a front end portion of the
surface cover is held between the groove portion and the seal
member to fix the surface cover to the ink tray.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method for mounting a contamination preventive
surface cover to an ink tray for an ink supply apparatus,
wherein the surface cover is for covering a portion to which
ink would adhere when the ink is put in an ink fountain of the
ink supply apparatus without the surface cover being present,
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the surface cover is mounted on an upper surface of the ink
tray, and the ink tray is detachably mounted in the ink
fountain, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the surface cover on the upper surface of the ink
tray; and
holding a front end portion of the surface cover between
a groove portion provided on the ink tray and a seal
member fitted in th.e groove portion, to fix the surface
cover to the ink tray.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an ink supply apparatus for a printing press,
comprising an ink fountain roller with a peripheral surface,
right and left side plates which are in slidable contact with
the peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller and form
side portions of an ink fountain, and ink keys forming a
bottom portion of the ink fountain, wherein an ink tray
comprising side walls respectively corresponding to the side
plates and a bottom plate corresponding to the ink keys is
mounted in the ink fountain so that a distal end portion of
one of the side walls is adjacent an inside surface of one of
the side plates, and the one of the side walls being adjacent
the inside surface in such a manner as to be lapped on the one
of the side plates.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an ink tray mounted in an ink fountain for a printing press
formed by an ink fountain roller, a plurality of ink blades
arranged in the axial direction of the ink fountain roller,
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and side plates holding the ink blades therebetween from both
sides, wherein the ink tray is integrally formed by a bottom
portion covering portions of the upper faces of the ink blades
excluding the distal end portions thereof and side portions
covering the inside surfaces of the side plates, and is
mounted in the ink fountain in such a manner that a first seal
member is interposed between the inside surface of the side
plate and the side portion, and a second seal member is
interposed between the ink blades and the bottom portion of
the ink tray.
As described above, according to the ink supply apparatus
for a printing press in accordance with the present invention,
in an ink supply apparatus for a printing press having an ink
fountain formed by an ink fountain roller, a plurality of ink
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blades arranged in the axial direction of the ink fountain roller,
and side plates holding the ink blades therebetween from both
sides, so that the ink supply amount from the ink fountain to the
ink fountain roller is controlled by regulating a gap between the
ink blades and the ink fountain roller, an integral type ink tray
comprising a bottom portion covering portions of the upper faces
of the ink blades excluding the distal end portions thereof and
side portions covering the inside surfaces of the side plates is
provided, a first seal member is interposed between the inside
surface of the side plate and the side portion, and a second seal
member in slidable contact with the ink blades is interposed
between the ink blades and the bottom portion of the ink tray.
Therefore, the effects described below can be achieved.
In the present invention, since most portions of the ink
blades are covered by the ink tray, the region (area) of the ink
keys that is in contact with the ink is significantly reduced as
compared with the conventional apparatus. Thereby, the gaps
between the adjacent ink keys are less clogged with ink, and the
portions contaminated with ink are reduced. Therefore, the ink
keys forming the bottom portion of the ink fountain can be operated
stably, and the ink intruding into the gaps between the adjacent
ink keys can be removed easily. Moreover, since the ink tray
cleaning work and the ink changing work for order change etc. can
be performed on the outside of the apparatus after the ink tray
has been removed from the ink fountain, ink recovery and cleaning
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are made easy, so that labor saving and shortened work time can
be achieved. Further, since a region where ink intrudes into the
gaps between the adjacent ink keys is limited to a narrow region
of only the distal end portions of the ink keys, a trouble such
that the vertically swaying operation of the ink keys becomes
unsmooth can be eliminated to the utmost.
Also, in the present invention, a plate-shaped elastic
member is provided on the lower surface of the bottom portion of
the ink tray, and the contact between the bottom portion of the
ink tray and the ink keys is always maintained via the plate-
shaped elastic member. Therefore, even if a change in height
(change in relative vertical position) of the ink tray with
respect to the ink fountain occurs , the contacting state between
the bottom portion of the ink tray and the ink key can always be
kept good by the plate-shaped elastic member.
Further, in the present invention, the shape of a step
portion of the ink key in contact with the second seal member is
formed into an arcuate curved face substantially concentric with
a turning center around which the ink key is turned to regulate
the amount of ink, or formed into a planar face approximate to
the curved face. Thereby, even if the position of the ink key
is changed by the regulation of ink amount, the contacting state
between the second seal member and the seal face of the ink key
is not changed. Therefore, the sealing state therebetween can
be kept good.
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Still further, in the present invention, since at least a
portion of the first and second seal members contacting with
the step portion of the ink key is formed of an elastic
material, the contact between the first and second seal
members and the step portion of the ink key can be kept good.
In addition, in the present invention, the first and
second seal members are formed continuously, and the
continuously formed seal member is detachably installed in a
holder provided on the ink tray, whereby the
attachment/detachment work and replacement work of the seal
member can be performed easily and rapidly. Specifically, for
example, the cleaning work of the ink tray can be performed
easily in a state i.n which the continuous seal member has been
pulled out of the holder.
On the other hand, to achieve the above object of an
aspect, an ink tray in accordance with an aspect of the
present invention, a groove portion fitted with a seal member
for sealing a gap between the distal end edge portions of side
walls and a bottom plate of the ink tray and the ink fountain
when the ink tray is mounted in the ink fountain is provided
at the distal end edge portions of the ink tray, and the front
end portion of the surface cover is held between the groove
portion and the seal member to fix the surface cover to the
ink tray.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method for mounting a contamination preventive
surface cover to an ink tray for an ink supply apparatus, in
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which a contamination preventive surface cover covering a
portion to which ink adheres when the ink is put in an ink
fountain is mounted on the surface of the ink tray detachably
mounted in the ink fountain for the ink supply apparatus,
comprising the steps of: placing the surface cover on the
upper surface of the ink tray; and holding the front end
portion of the surface cover between a groove portion provided
on the ink tray and a seal member fitted in the groove portion
to fix the surface cover to the ink tray.
An ink tray in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention, which is detachably mounted in an ink fountain of
an ink supply apparatus, is characterized in that a groove
portion fitted with a seal member for sealing a gap between
the distal end edge portions of side walls and a bottom plate
of the ink tray and the ink fountain when the ink tray is
mounted in the ink fountain is provided at the distal end edge
portions of the ink tray, and the groove portion and an
essential portion :in the vicinity of the groove portion are
coated with a film capable of being peeled off.
An ink tray in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention, which is detachably mounted in an ink fountain of
an ink supply apparatus, is characterized in that a groove
portion fitted with a seal member for sealing a gap between
the distal end edge portions of side walls and a bottom plate
of the ink tray and the ink fountain when the ink tray is
mounted in the ink fountain is provided at the distal end edge
portions of the ink tray, and the groove portion and an
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essential portion in the vicinity of the groove portion are
coated with a film less likely to be contaminated with ink.
As described above in detail, according to the ink tray
in accordance with an aspect of the present invention and a
method for mounting a contamination preventive surface cover
to an ink tray in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention, even when the ink tray is mounted in the ink
fountain and ink is put in the ink fountain, the ink does not
adhere to the surface of the ink tray because the surface of
the ink tray is covered by the surface cover. At the time of
cleaning, therefore, it is necessary only that the surface
cover to which ink adheres be removed from the ink tray and
replaced with a new surface cover. Therefore, the cleaning
work is made easy at the time of ink change or at the
completion of printing operation, so that the operator's
burden is alleviated.
Also, according to the ink tray in accordance with an
aspect of the present invention, since the peripheral portion
of the groove portion fitted with the seal member, which is
especially difficult to clean when ink adheres is coated with
a film, the ink tray can be cleaned only by removing ink from
the bottom plate and the side walls, from which ink can be
removed relatively easily. Therefore, the cleaning work is
made easy at the time of ink change or at the completion of
printing operation, so that the operator's burden is
a:Lleviated .
Further, according to the ink tray in accordance with an
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aspect of the present invention, since the peripheral portion
of the groove portion fitted with the seal member is coated
with a film less likely to be contaminated with ink, the
portion from which :ink is removed with special difficulty when
ink adheres can be cleaned easily. Therefore, the cleaning
work is made easy at the time of ink change or at the
completion of printing operation, so that the operator's
burden is alleviated.
On the other hand, to achieve the above object of an
aspect, the present invention provides an ink supply apparatus
for a printing press, comprising an ink fountain roller, right
and left side plates which are in slidable contact with the
peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller and form an ink
fountain, and ink keys forming the bottom portion of the ink
fountain, wherein an ink tray comprising side walls
corresponding to the side plates and a bottom plate
corresponding to the ink keys is mounted in the ink fountain
so that the distal end portion of the side wall is disposed on
the inside of the side plate in such a manner as to be lapped
on the side plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in the
ink supply apparatus, a step portion is formed on the ink key,
and the distal end of the bottom plate is caused to abut on
the step portion.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in the
ink supply apparatus, a step portion is formed on the side
plate, and a seal member continuous from the distal end of the
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bottom plate to the outside surface of the side walls is
provided on the ink tray, so that the seal member is brought
into contact with the step portion formed on the ink key and
the step portion formed on the side plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in the
ink supply apparatus, the distal end of the side wall is
inclined with respect to the bottom plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in the
ink supply apparatus, a step portion is formed on the side
plate, and a portion of the seal member provided on the
outside surface of the side wall is locked by the step portion
of the side plate.
As described above in detail, according to the ink supply
apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the present
irzvention, the contact area of the ink key with ink can be
reduced significantly by mounting the ink tray in the ink
fountain. Thereby, the possibility of ink protruding into the
gaps between the ink keys is lessened to stabilize the
operation of the :ink keys, and also the inside of the ink
fountain can be cleaned easily. Therefore, the cleaning time
at the time of ink change is shortened, whereby the
productivity can be enhanced.
Also, since the distal end portion of the side wall of
the ink tray is disposed on the inside of the side plate of
the ink fountain in such a manner as to be lapped on the side
plate, the transverse positioning of the ink tray can be
performed easily.
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Also, according to the ink supply apparatus in accordance
with an aspect of the present invention, since the distal end
of the bottom plate is caused to abut on the step portion
formed on the ink key, the longitudinal positioning of the ink
tray can be performed easily.
Further, according to the ink supply apparatus in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention, since the
seal member is brought into contact with the step portion
formed on the ink key, ink leakage through the gap between the
distal end of the bottom plate and the step portion can be
prevented reliably.
Further, according to the ink supply apparatus in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the distal
end edge of the side wall is inclined with respect to the
bottom plate, and the seal member is provided continuously
from the distal end of the bottom plate at a position shifted
rearward from the distal end edge on the outside surface of
the side wall. Therefore, even when the distal end edge of the
side wall is inclined with respect to the bottom plate, the
seal member can be set in a natural form without being bent
into a three-dimensional, unnatural shape.
Further, according to the ink supply apparatus in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the step
portion is formed on the side plate, and a portion of the
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seal member provided on the outside surface of the side wall is
locked by the step portion of the side plate. Therefore, ink
leakage through the gap between the side plate and the side wall
can be prevented while the longitudinal positioning of the ink
tray is performed reliably.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first
embodiment of an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment
of an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in accordance with
the present invention, especially showing a state in which an ink
tray is disposed;
FIG. 3 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrow
A of FIG. 1;
FTG. 4 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrows
along the line B-B of FIG. l;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second
embodiment of an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the second embodiment
of an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in accordance with
the present invention, especially showing a state in which an ink
tray is disposed;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of
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an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in accordance with
the present invention, especially showing a state in which an ink
tray is disposed;
FIG. 8 is a side view showing a fourth embodiment of an ink
supply apparatus for a printing press in accordance with the
present invention, especially showing an ink tray therefor;
FIG. 9 is a front view of an ink tray viewed in the direction
of the arrow C of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the
arrows along the line D-D of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic construction of
an ink supply apparatus provided with an ink tray in accordance
with a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a construction of an
ink tray body in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 13 is a side view showing a construction of an ink tray
body in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 14 is a view showing an engagement of an ink fountain
with an ink tray in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the
present invention, showing a bracket partially broken;
FIG. 15 is a view showing a construction of a surface cover
put on an ink tray in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the
present invention, FIG. 15(a) being a plan view showing a shape
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before mounting, and FIG. 15(b) being a perspective view showing
a shape at the time of mounting;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a construction of an
ink tray in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing another construction
of a surface cover put on an ink tray in accordance with the fifth
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a construction of an
ink tray in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. I9 is a side sectional view showing an engagement of
an ink fountain with the bottom plate of an ink tray for an ink
supply apparatus in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing an engagement of an ink
fountain with the side wall of an ink tray devised in a process
in which the present invention was made, FIG. 20(a) being a view
showing one example, FIG. 20(b) being a view showing another
example, and FIG. 20(c) being a view for illustrating problems
in FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b);
FIG. 21 is a view for illustrating an engagement of an ink
fountain with the side wall of an ink tray for an ink supply
apparatus in accordance with the seventh embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 21(a) being a side view showing a mounting state
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of a packing to the side wall of an ink tray, and FIG . 21 ( b ) being
a sectional view shawing an engagement of an ink fountain with
the side wall of an ink tray;
FIG. 22 is a partially longitudinal sectional view of a
conventional ink supply apparatus for a printing press; and
FIG. 23 is a plan view of a conventional ink supply apparatus
for a printing press.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An ink supply apparatus for a printing press and an ink tray
mounted on the same apparatus, in accordance with the present
invention, will be described now in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of
an ink supply apparatus for a printing press in accordance with
the present invention.
I5 An ink supply apparatus 11 for a printing press of this
embodiment is provided with an ink tray 13 detachably mounted in
an ink fountain 12. The ink fountain I2 is composed of side plates
12a, 12a which are fixed to an apparatus frame and located on both
end sides in the axial direction of an ink fountain roller 14,
an ink blade 15 forming the bottom surface of the ink fountain
12, and the like (see FIG. 1). The front end of the side plate
12a, 12a is in slidable contact with the outer peripheral surface
of the ink fountain roller 14. The ink blade 15 is constructed
so as to be divided into a plurality of ink keys 15a to 15n in
the axial direction of the ink fountain roller 14. These ink keys
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15a to 15n each are independently swayed vertically around a
support shaft 16 by a plurality of drive units 17.
The ink tray 13 is formed integrally by joining side
portions 13a, 13a covering the inside surface of the right and
left side plates 12a, 12b of the ink fountain 12 to a bottom portion
13b covering the ink blade 15 of the ink fountain 12. The bottom
portion 13b covers the upper face of the ink blade 15 excluding
a distal end portion 15' . The material of the side portion 13a
and the bottom portion 13b should preferably be, for example, a
i0 stainless steel sheet with a thickness of about 1 mm, but the
material is not limited to this.
End portions 13c, 13c on the side of the ink fountain roller
14 on the outside faces of the side portions 13a, 13a of the ink
tray 13 are fitted with a first seal member 18 along the depth
direction of the ink fountain 12. Also, on the lower surface of
the end portion on the side of the ink fountain roller 14 of the
bottom portion 13b of the ink tray 13, a second seal member 19
is installed in parallel with the axial direction of the ink
fountain roller 14. The second seal member 19 is formed
integrally so as to be continuous with the first seal member 18
using the same material as that of the first seal member 18. The
ink blade 15 is disposed, as described later, so as to be slidable
with respect to the second seal member 19 at the contact portion
with the second seal member 19. The present invention is not
limited to the above-described configuration, and the first and
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second seal members 18, 18, 19 may be installed on the side of
the side plate 12a of the ink fountain 12 and on the side of the
ink blade 15.
In a state in which the ink tray 13 is mounted in the ink
fountain 12, the first seal member 18, 18 is brought into contact
with a step portion 20a on the side of the ink fountain roller
14 of a concave portion 20 formed on the inside face of the side
plate 12a, 12a on each side of the ink fountain 12. Also, the
second seal member 19 is brought into contact with a step portion
21a on the side of the ink fountain roller 14 of a substantially
square-shaped concave portion 21 formed on the upper face of the
ink blade 15 forming the bottom portion of the ink fountain 12
(see FIGS. 1 and 2) . Specifically, the second seal member 19 abuts
on the step portion 21a of the ink blade 15 in the sliding direction
with respect to the ink blade 15 ( substantially in the direction
of the arrow X of FIG. 1) and in the substantially perpendicular
direction (in the direction of the arrow Y of FIG. 1). By the
first and second seal members 18 , 18 , 19 , a seal is provided between
the side portion 13a, 13a of the ink tray 13 and the side plate
12a, 12a of the ink fountain 12, and between the bottom portion
13b of the ink tray 13 and the upper face of the ink blade 15 of
the ink fountain 12 , on the side of the ink fountain roller Z4 .
Thereby, the ink in the ink tray 13 is prevented from leaking to
between the ink tray 13 and the ink fountain 12.
The step portion 21a of the ink key 15a to 15n is preferably
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formed into an arcuate curved face with the support shaft 16, which
is the turning center of movement of the ink key for regulating
the amount of ink, being the center, or is preferably formed into
a planar face approximate to the curved face. Since the distal
end portion 15' turns around the support shaft l6 at the proximal
end portion of the ink blade 15, a gap between the second seal
member 19 and the step portion 21a is kept constant by the shape
of the step portion 21a formed as described above in the height
difference direction, so that the sealing property between these
elements can be enhanced.
For the first and second seal members 18 , 18 , 19 , at least
portions that are in contact with the step portions 20a, 21a is
preferably formed of rubber or other elastic materials, for
example, silicone rubber or NBR. The contact material may be any
elastic material; besides the molded product, a blanket for
blanket cylinder or the like can be used.
The drive unit 17 is composed, as shown in FIG. 1, of an
arm plate 23, a corner portion 23a of which is engaged with the
lower face of the distal end portion 15' of the ink key 15a to
15n and which is swayed around a support pin 22 , a pusher 26 , which
engages with the lower end portion of the arm plate 23 and is
extended and contracted back and forth by the turning of a knob
24 or a motor 25, an encoder 27 for detecting the movement amount
of the pusher 26, and the like.
The motor 25 turns a gear 28 fixed to the pusher 26 by means
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of a gear 29 installed at the shaft end of the motor 25 to extend
and contract the pusher 25. The encoder 27 measures the number
of revolutions (angle) transmitted from the gear 28 fixed to the
pusher 26 via a gear 30 to detect the movement amount of the pusher
26.
By appropriately turning the knob 24 of the drive unit 17 ,
the pusher 26 is extended or contracted (moved back and forth) ,
by which the arm plate 23 is swayed. Accordingly, the distal end
portion 15' of the ink key 15a to 15n that is brought into contact
with the corner portion 23a of the arm plate 23 is moved vertically,
so that a gap between the distal end of the ink key 15a to 15n
and the outer peripheral surf ace of ink fountain roller 14 can
be set at a desired dimension. Thereby, the film thickness of
ink transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the ink
fountain roller 14 can be regulated easily, so that the ink film
thickness can be made uniform over the whole region in the axial
direction of the ink fountain roller 14. The detection signal
from the encoder 27 is fed back to the motor 25 via a controller
(not shown) to control the rotational angle of the motor 25,
whereby accurate remote control can be carried out.
At the upper end of the side portion 13a, 13a of the ink
tray 13, a bracket 31, 31 is fixed which is directed to the outside,
and a handle 32a is installed to the bracket 31 ( see FIGS . 2 and
3). On the upper face of the side plate 12a, 12a on each side
of the ink fountain 12 is fixed a bracket 33, 33, and a lever 35
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is rotatably installed to the bracket 33 via a pin 34.
The lever 35 can be turned horizontally around the pin 34 ,
and can be moved and set at a position parallel to the side plate
12a of the ink fountain 12 ( in the direction perpendicular to the
axial direction of the ink fountain roller 14) (hereinafter,
referred to as an operation position of the lever 35 ) and a position
swung to the outside of the side plate 12a (to the direction
parallel to the axial direction of the ink fountain roller 14)
(hereinafter, referred to as an open position of the lever 35).
At one end (on the side of the pin 34) of the lever 35, a
first plunger (positioning mechanism) 37 is disposed which is
provided with a steel ball 36 at the tip end and incorporates a
compression spring (not shown) therein. The steel ball 36 of the
first plunger 37 pushed out and urged by the compression spring
is fitted into a conical hole formed in the bracket 33, whereby
the lever 35 can be fixed temporally at the operation position
of the lever 35.
At the other end (on the side of the swing end of the lever
35) of the lever 35 is disposed a second plunger (suppressing
mechanism) 38. The second plunger 38 incorporates a spring 39.
When the ink tray 13 is mounted in the ink fountain 12 and the
lever 35 is set at the operation position thereof , a plunger pin
38a is engaged with an inclined face 32b of the handle 32a by the
urging force of the spring 39, so that the ink tray 13 is pressed
toward the ink fountain roller 14. By this pressing force of the
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plunger pin 38a, the first and second seal members 18, 18, 19 of
the ink tray 13 is pressed on the step portions 20a, 21a of the
ink fountain 12.
The right and left handles 32a each are provided with a
positioning bolt (positioning mechanism) 40 for the ink tray 13.
By causing the positioning bolt 40 to abut on the bracket 36, the
mounting position of the ink tray 13 can be regulated.
In the ink supply apparatus 11 of this embodiment , when ink
is changed for order change etc. , the apparatus 11 is first stopped,
and the ink remaining in the ink fountain 12 is recovered in an
ink recovery tray 41 with a spatula or the like . Subsequently,
the plunger pins 38a are raised to swing the levers 35 on both
sides to the open positions thereof. Next, the ink tray 13 is
removed from the ink fountain 12 by grasping the handles 32a, 32a,
and the removed ink tray 13 is cleaned by wiping off the ink.
The ink remaining at the bottom of the ink fountain 12 fixed
to the apparatus 11 is wiped off with a waste cloth or the like.
Subsequently, another ink tray 13 or the ink tray 13 having been
cleaned is mounted and fixed in the ink fountain 12 by reversing
the above procedure, and new ink is put in the ink fountain 12.
According to the ink supply apparatus 11 of this embodiment,
the configuration is such that the ink tray 13 fitted with the
first and second seal member 18, 18, 19 as described above is
detachably mounted in the fixed type ink fountain 12. Therefore,
most of the ink put in the ink fountain 12 is accommodated by the
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outer peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller 14, and both
of the side portions 13a, 13a and the bottom portion 13b forming
the ink tray 13 , so that some of the ink adheres to only the end
portions on the side of the ink fountain roller 14 of the side
plates 12a, 12a of the ink fountain 12 and the distal end portions
15' of the ink keys 15a to 15n.
As is apparent from the above description, the ink supply
apparatus 11 of this embodiment has the following advantages:
( 1 ) The region ( area ) of the ink keys 15a to 15n that is in contact
with the ink is significantly reduced as compared with the
conventional apparatus , and the amount of ink intruding into gaps
between the adjacent ink keys is very small.
( 2 ) Fewer portions on, for example, the ink keys 15a to 15n, the
side plates 12a, 12a, and the like, other than the ink tray 13,
are contaminated by the ink.
(3) Since the ink tray 13 can be cleaned on the outside of the
apparatus 11 by being removed from the ink fountain 12, the
cleaning work can be performed easily and rapidly.
By the above advantages (1) to (3), ink recovery and
cleaning are made easy when the ink is changed for order change
etc., so that labor saving and shortened operation time can be
achieved.
(4) Since region (length) where the ink intrudes into the gap
between the adjacent ink keys 15a to 15n is limited to the distal
end portions 15' of the ink keys 15a to 15n, there is no trouble
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such that the vertical swaying operation of the ink keys 15a to
15n becomes unsmooth.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the ink supply
apparatus for a printing press in accordance with the present
invention. For convenience of explanation, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the
same reference numerals are applied to the elements having the
same function as that of the elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and
the detailed description thereof is omitted.
For the ink supply apparatus 11 for a printing press of this
embodiment, the end portion 13c on the side of the ink fountain
roller 14 of the side portion 13a of the ink tray 13 detachably
mounted in the ink fountain 12 and the seal member 18 are curved
so as to correspond to the shape of the outer peripheral surface
of the ink fountain roller 14. Thereby, portions contaminated
by the ink in the ink fountain 12 are lessened, so that the ink
changing operation for order change etc. can be made far easier.
Other operation and effects are the same as in the above-described
first embodiment.
FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the ink supply apparatus
for a printing press in accordance with the present invention.
For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 7, the same reference
numerals are applied to the elements having the same function as
that of the elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the detailed
description thereof is omitted.
For the ink supply apparatus 11 for a printing press of this
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embodiment, a plate-shaped elastic member 42 having a curved shape
in cross section is provided on the lower face of the bottom portion
13b of the ink tray 13. A tip end portion 42a of the plate-shaped
elastic member 42 protrudes toward the ink fountain roller 14
beyond an end portion 13d of the bottom portion 13b of the ink
tray 13. Thereby, the bottom portion 13b of the ink tray 13 is
always brought into contact with the ink keys 15a to 15n via the
tip end portion 42a of the plate-shaped elastic member 42.
Therefore, even if a change in height ( change in relative vertical
position) of the ink tray 13 with respect to the ink fountain 12
occurs , the contact state between the bottom portion 13b of the
ink tray 13 and the ink blade 15 can always be kept .good by the
plate-shaped elastic member 42.
In this embodiment, since the plate-shaped elastic member
42 is added to the ink fountain 12 of the first embodiment described
above, and the plate-shaped elastic member 42 is provided at the
end portion 13d of the ink tray 13, almost all portions of the
distal end portions 15' of the ink keys 15a to 15n, which have
been exposed from the end portion 13d of the ink tray 13 in the
first embodiment, are covered by the plate-shaped elastic member
42. Therefore, contamination of the ink fountain 12 can be
reduced significantly as compared with the first embodiment.
The plate-shaped elastic member 42 can be fixed by various
installation methods. For example, it is fixed with machine
screws 43 together with the second seal member 19, or it is fixed
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with an adhesive. Also, the plate-shaped elastic member 42 may
be installed so as to be detachable from the ink tray 13.
Other configurations such that the first and second seal
members 18 , 18 , 19 are disposed on the ink tray 13 , and these seal
members are pressed on the step portions 20a, 21a of the ink
fountain 12 are the same as in the case of the first embodiment.
FIGS. 8 to 10 show a fourth embodiment of the ink supply
apparatus for a printing press in accordance with the present
invention. For convenience of explanation, in FIGS. 8 to 10, the
same reference numerals are applied to the elements having the
same function as that of the elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and
the detailed description thereof is omitted.
For the ink supply apparatus 11 for a printing press of this
embodiment, the first and second seal members 18, 19 are formed
continuously by one same member, and the seal member formed
continuously is detachably installed to the ink tray 13.
Specifically, for the apparatus 11, as is apparent from the
figures, a holder 45 having a substantially U shape in cross
section is provided at the end portions 13c, 13c, 13d on the side
of the ink fountain roller 14 of the side portions 13a, 13a and
the bottom portion 13b, and the aforementioned continuous seal
member (first and second seal members 18, 18, 19) is fitted and
held in the holder 45. Thereby, when it is desired to clean the
ink tray, for example, for ink change, the ink tray 13 is removed
from the ink fountain 12 , and then the continuous seal member is
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pulled out of the holder 45. Since the ink tray 13 can be cleaned
in this state, a seal portion in the vicinity of the holder 45
of the ink tray 13 can be cleaned easily, so that the cleaning
operation for the ink tray 13 can be performed easily and rapidly.
Also, another embodiment of the present invention will be
described below with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 11 to 16 show an ink tray in accordance with a fifth
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view
showing a schematic construction of an ink supply apparatus
provided with this ink tray, FIGS. 12 to 14 are views showing a
construction of this ink tray, and FIGS . 15 and 16 are views showing
a construction of a surface cover put on this ink tray.
First, the schematic construction of the ink supply
apparatus provides with this ink tray will be explained. As shown
in FIG. 11, an ink supply apparatus 2 is, as in the case of the
first embodiment, provided with an ink fountain 123 formed by the
peripheral surface of an ink fountain roller 120, ink keys 121,
and side plates 122, so that ink is stored in the ink fountain
123 and is supplied to the ink fountain roller 120 during the
printing operation. The plurality of ink keys 121 are disposed
in parallel in the width direction of the apparatus so as to be
in close contact with each other, and the rear end portion of the
ink key 121 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 118 provided
on a support base 124. The side plates 122 are fixed to the support
base 124 so as to hold the ink keys 121 therebetween from both
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sides, and the front end of the side plate 122 is in slidable
contact with the peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller
120.
Also, a transverse beam 105 is provided under the ink
fountain 123 to support members constituting the ink fountain 123.
The transverse beam 105 is provided which an ink regulating device
125. The ink amount regulating device 125 is provided with an
arm plate 126 engaging with the lower face at the distal end of
each of the ink keys 121, and a pusher 127 the distal end of which
is in contact with the arm plate 126 and which is extended and
contracted in the longitudinal direction by the turning of a knob
128 or a motor 129. The pusher 127 is appropriately extended or
contracted to vertically sway the arrn plate I26 around a support
pin 126a; whereby the distal end of the ink key 121 is swayed so
that a gap between the ink key 121 and the ink fountain roller
120 is regulated to control the film thickness of the supplied
ink. Under the distal end portion of the ink keys 121, there are
provided a first ink catcher 6A for receiving ink dropping from
the ink keys 121, and guides 6C and 6D for guiding the ink in the
first ink catcher 6A to a second ink catcher 6B.
For the ink supply apparatus 2 , an ink tray 130 is detachably
mounted in the ink fountain 123. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the
ink tray 130 comprises side walls 131, 131 corresponding to the
right and left side plates 122, 122 of the ink fountain 123, and
a bottom plate 132 which is inclined downward toward the distal
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end thereof so as to correspond to the ink keys 121 forming the
bottom portion of the ink fountain 123.
The lower surface of the bottom plate 132 is reinforced by
a reinforcement plate 133. The rear end portion of the bottom
plate 132 is extended downward to the outside, and this extension
forms a cover 134 for preventing ink from adhering to the support
base 124 . At the upper end of the side wall 131, 131 of the ink
tray 130, a bracket 136 is fixed so as to be directed to the outside,
and a handle 137 is installed on the upper face of the bracket
136.
Most portions of the ink keys 121 and the side plates 122
are covered by the ink tray 130 ( these portions are referred to
as covered portions ) so as to be prevented from being in direct
contact with the ink in the ink fountain 123. The upper face of
the distal end portion of the ink key 121 which is in slidable
contact with the ink fountain roller 120 via the liquid film of
ink and the inside face of the distal end portion of the side plate
122 are not covered by the ink tray 130, and are exposed so as
to be in direct contact with the ink in the ink fountain 123 ( these
portions are referred to as exposed portions). That is to say,
the inner peripheral surface of the ink fountain 123 is formed
by the inside surface of the ink tray 130, the upper faces of the
exposed portions (distal end portions) 121A of the ink keys 121,
the exposed portions 122A of the side plates 122, and the outer
peripheral surface of the ink fountain rollers 120.
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Portions between the ink tray 130 and the distal end
portions ( exposed portions ) 121A of the ink keys 121 and portions
between the ink tray 130 and the exposed portions 122A of the side
plates 122 form joints of the ink fountain 123, so that these
portions must be sealed. Therefore, the outside faces of the
distal end portions of the side walls 131, 131 and the bottom plate
132 are formed with concave grooves (groove portions) 131c and
132c, and a packing (seal member) 138 having a continuous seal
face is fitted in the concave grooves 131c and 132c.
In a state in which the ink tray 130 is mounted in the ink
fountain 123, a part of the packing 138 fitted in the concave groove
131c on the outside face of the distal end portion of the side
wall 131 is pressed on a step portion 122a formed on the inside
surface the side plate 122 of the ink fountain 123, and a part
of the packing 138 fitted in the concave groove 132c on the outside
face of the distal end of the bottom plate 132 is pressed on a
step portion 121a ( see FIG. 11 ) formed on the upper face of the
distal end portion of the ink key 121.
By this packing 138, a seal is provided between the distal
end portion of the side wall 131, 131 of the ink tray 130 and the
side plate 122 of the ink fountain 123, and between the distal
end portion of the bottom plate 132 of the ink tray 130 and the
upper faces of the ink keys 121, so that the ink is prevented from
leaking from the ink fountain 123 through the joints between the
ink tray 130 and the ink keys 121 and between the ink tray 130
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and the side plates 122.
The ink tray 130 is fixed to the ink fountain 123 by a
pressing member 140 (see FIG. 11) provided on the support base
124. Specifically, by tightening a bolt 141 provided in the
pressing member 140 , a rear inclined face 136a ( see FIG. 13 ) of
the bracket 136 is pushed toward the distal end of the ink tray
130 ( toward the gap between the ink keys 121 and the ink fountain
roller 120 ) , and the seal member 138 of the ink tray 130 is pressed
on the step portions 122a and 121a of the ink fountain 123, whereby
the ink tray 130 is fixed.
Also, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, a positioning bolt 139
for the ink tray 130 is provided at a front end portion 136b of
each of the right and left brackets 136. By causing the
positioning bolts 139 to abut on convex portions 122b provided
on the upper faces of the side plates 122, the longitudinal
mounting position of the ink tray 130 is regulated. The
longitudinal position of the ink tray 130 is adjustable by
adjusting the tightening amounts of the positioning bolts 139,
and the vertical position thereof is adjustable by using height
adjusting screws 135 provided in the brackets 136.
Thus , the contact area between the ink and the ink keys 121
is reduced significantly by detachably mounting the ink tray 130
in the ink fountain 123. Therefore, the possibility of the ink
intruding into a gap between the ink keys 121, 121 is lessened,
25~ so that the operation of the ink key 121 becomes stable. Also,
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the time for cleaning the inside of ink fountain 123 can be
shortened, so that the rate of operation of the equipment is
increased, whereby the productivity can be enhanced.
As described above, by the use of the ink tray 130, the
cleaning work for the ink fountain 123 is made easy, and the
cleaning time is shortened. However, work for cleaning the
contaminated ink tray 130 is created newly. Since the ink tray
130 can be replaced with a new one, the contaminated ink tray 130
need not be cleaned at the time of ink change. After being
replaced with a new one and removed from the ink fountain 123,
the contaminated ink tray 130 can be cleaned regardless of the
operation of the equipment . In order to achieve labor saving for
the whole operation and to enhance the productivity, however, it
is also important to achieve the labor saving for the work for
cleaning the ink tray 130.
Accordingly, for the ink tray 130 of this embodiment, a
contamination preventive surface cover 110 is mounted on the
surface thereof as shown in FIG. 15. The surface cover 110 is
formed of paper or a resin film such as polyethylene and vinyl,
and is composed of a rectangular portion 110A corresponding to
the bottom plate 132 of the ink tray 130 and triangular portions
110B on both sides corresponding to the side walls 131 as shown
in FIG. 15(a).
When the surface cover 110 is mounted on the ink tray 130,
as shown in FIG. 15(b), the surface cover 110 is bent at the
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boundary lines between the rectangular portion 110A and the
triangular portion 1108 so as to match the shape of the inside
surface of the ink tray 130, and further distal end portions 110a
and 110b of the rectangular portion 110A and the triangular
portions 1108 are bent toward the outside. After the packing 138
mounted at the distal end portion of the ink tray 130 is once
removed from the concave grooves 131c and 132c, the surface cover
110 is mounted on the inside of the ink tray 130, and then the
packing 138 is again mounted in the concave grooves 131c and 132c
so as to hold the distal end portions 110a and 110b of the surface
cover 110 as shown in FIG. 16.
Thus , by holding the distal end portions 110a and 110b in
the concave grooves 131c and 132c by means of the packing 138,
the surface cover 110 is fixed on the inside of the ink tray 130,
so that the surface of the ink tray 130 is covered by the surface
cover 110. The ink tray 130 is installed in the ink fountain 123
with the surface cover 110 being mounted in this manner.
Since the ink tray in accordance with the fifth embodiment
of the present invention is configured as described above, even
when the ink tray 130 is mounted in the ink fountain 123 and ink
is put in the ink fountain 123, the ink does not adhere directly
to the ink tray 130 because the surface of the ink tray 130 is
covered by the surface cover 110.
Therefore, at the time of cleaning operation, it is
necessary only that the surface cover 110 and the packing 138,
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to which ink adheres , be removed from the ink tray 130 , and the
surface cover 110 and the packing 138 be replaced with new ones .
Also, since the surface cover 110 can be thrown away after use,
only the packing 138 has to be cleaned. When the surface cover
110 is mounted on the ink tray 130 , wrinkles are produced between
the distal end portion 110a of the rectangular portion 110A and
the distal end portion 110b of the triangular portion 110B.
However, this does not lead to the occurrence of ink leakage etc. ,
so that no problem occurs in practical use.
According to the ink tray of this embodiment, since the
surface of the ink tray 130 is covered by the surface cover 110,
even when ink is put in the ink fountain 123, the ink does not
adhere directly to the ink tray 130, and the surface cover 110
can be thrown away and need not be cleaned. Therefore, the
cleaning work is made easy at the time of ink change or at the
completion of printing operation, so that the operator's burden
is alleviated.
Moreover, the surface cover 110 is fixed to the ink tray
130 by being fitted in the concave grooves 131c and 132c for the
packing 138 so that the front end portion of the surface cover
110 is held between the packing 138 and the concave grooves 131c
and 132c (method for mounting a contamination preventive surface
cover to an ink tray in accordance with this embodiment).
Therefore, the work for mounting the surface cover 110 is easy,
and a new structure for fixing the surface cover 110 is unnecessary,
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which eliminates a complicated construction of the ink tray 130
and restrains an increase in cost.
The shape of the surface cover 110 is not limited to the
shape such that the ink tray 130 is developed as in the above
embodiment, and can be any shape at least having a size enough
to cover a portion to which ink adheres when it is put in the ink
fountain 123.
Also, although the surface cover 110 of the above embodiment
has a plane shape consisting of the rectangular portion 110A and
the triangular portions 110B on both sides , a surface cover 111
of a three-dimensional shape matching the inside shape of the ink
tray 130 may be used as shown in FIG. 17.
When the three-dimensionally shaped surface cover 111 is
used, unlike the case where the plane-shaped surface cover 110
is mounted on the ink tray 130, no wrinkle is produced between
the distal end portion 110a of the rectangular portion 110A and
the distal end portion 110b of the triangular portion 110B, so
that the surface cover 111 can be brought into closer contact with
the ink tray 130. Therefore, when the remaining ink is scraped
off with a spatula or the like while the ink tray 130 is mounted
in the ink fountain 123, the possibility of the surface cover 111
being broken is lessened.
Next, an ink tray in accordance with a sixth embodiment will
be described. FIG. 18 is an explanatory view for illustrating
this embodiment. The construction of an ink tray body of this
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embodiment is the same as that of an ink tray body described in
the above-described fifth embodiment.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the surface of the
ink tray 130 is coated with a film 112 capable of being peeled
off . A portion coated with this film 112 is a portion to which
ink adheres when it is put in the ink fountain 123, and specifically
is a portion including the surfaces of the bottom plate 132 and
the side walls 131, the inside of the concave grooves 132c and
131c in which the packing 138 is fitted, and the vicinities
thereof.
If the surface of the ink tray 130 is coated with the film
112 , ink does not adhere to the surface of the ink tray 130 , but
adheres to the film 112 formed on the surface. Therefore, when
the ink tray 130 is cleaned, the film 112 has only to be peeled
off together with the adhering ink.
Thus , according to the ink tray of this embod~.ment , since
the surface of the ink tray 130 is coated with the film 112, even
when ink is put in the ink fountain 123, the ink does not adhere
directly to the ink. tray 130 , and the ink can be removed merely
by peeling off the film 112. Therefore, the cleaning work is made
easy at the time of ink change or at the completion of printing
operation, so that the operator's burden is alleviated.
Although the film 112 is formed at all portions to which
ink adheres when it is put in the ink fountain 123 in the
above-described embodiment, only the portions which are
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especially difficult to clean, for example, the insides of the
concave grooves 132c and 131c in which the packing 138 is fitted
and the vicinities thereof may be coated with the film 112. In
this case as well, the ink tray 130 can be cleaned only by cleaning
the surfaces of the bottom plate 132 and the side wall 131 from
which ink can be removed relatively easily. Therefore, the
cleaning work is made easy at the time of ink change or at the
completion of printing operation, so that the operator's burden
is alleviated.
The above is a description of two embodiments of the ink
tray in accordance with the present invention. The present
invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments , and
various modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, both of
the surface cover 110 and the film 112 can be used. Specifically,
the ink tray 130 coated with the film 112 can be mounted with the
surface cover 110.
Also, in the above-described embodiments, the cleaning work
for the ink tray 130 is made easy by preventing ink from adhering
to the body of the ink tray 130. However, even when ink adheres
to the body of the ink tray 130, the cleaning work can be made
easy if the adhering ink can be removed easily. Therefore, it
can be thought that the surface of the ink tray 130 is coated with
a film less likely to be contaminated with ink, i.e. , a film made
of an unsticky material with a low coefficient of friction.
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Specifically, the surface of the ink tray 130 may be coated with
a film made of an unsticky resin with a low coefficient of friction,
such asfluorine-contained resin and silicone resin. The coating
of fluorine-contained resin can be made by the dispersion method,
for example. With this method, powder of fluorine-contained
resin is suspended in a solvent to yield dispersion, and after
spray coating, the dispersion is evaporated and dried and then
the coating is heated in a heating oven. The portions coated with
the film of the ink tray 130 are portions to which ink adheres
when it is put in the ink fountain 123 . Specifically, the portions
are the surfaces of the bottom plate 132 and the side walls 131,
the insides of the concave grooves 132c and 131c in which the
packing 138 is fitted, and the vicinities thereof.
Thus, if the surface of the ink tray 130 is coated with the
film less likely to be contaminated with ink, even when ink adheres
to the body of the ink tray 130, the adhering ink can be removed
easily. Therefore, the cleaning work is made easy at the time
of ink change or at the completion of printing operation, so that
the operator' s burden is alleviated. Also, in this case as well,
only the portions which are especially difficult to clean, for
example, the insides of the concave grooves 132c and 131c in which
the packing 138 is fitted and the vicinities thereof may be coated.
Further, the surface cover 110 may be mounted on the ink tray 130
coated with the film less likely to be contaminated with ink, which
makes the cleaning work easier.
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Also, the shape of the ink tray 130 is not limited to the
above-described one if the ink tray 130 is detachable from the
ink fountain 123, and contamination on the inside surface of the
ink fountain 123 can be prevented.
Further, another embodiment of the present invention will
be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings .
FIG. 19 shows an ink supply apparatus in accordance with
a seventh embodiment of the present invention, showing a
construction of an ink tray for the ink supply apparatus. The
schematic construction of this ink supply apparatus and the
construction of the ink tray are the same as those of the
above-described fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, so that
only different constructions will be described.
The ink tray 130 is mounted in the ink fountain 123 by placing
the right and left brackets 136, 136 on the side plates 122, 122
of the ink fountain 123, and the ink tray 130 is locked and
positioned by locking portions formed in the ink fountain 123.
Here, as the locking portions, the step portion 122a (see FIG.
21) is formed on the inside surface of the side plate 122, and
the step portion 121a is formed on the upper face of the distal
end portion of the ink key 121 constituting the bottom portion
of the ink fountain 123.
Various positional relationships can be thought between the
step portions 122a and 121a and the ink tray 130. For the step
portion 121a formed on the ink key 121, considering that the
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remaining ink is scraped off with a spatula or the like when the
ink fountain 123 is cleaned, the distal end portion (exposed
portion) 121A of the ink key 121 should preferably be flush with
the bottom plate 132 of the ink tray 130 as shown in FIG. 19 . Also,
in order to prevent ink leakage through the gap between a distal
end 132a of the bottom plate 132 and the step portion 121a, it
is preferable that a holder 232c be provided at the lower part
of the distal end 132a to hold the packing 138 so that the packing
138 is brought into contact with the step portion 121a.
On the other hand, for the step portion 122a formed on the
side plate 122, it is thought that the exposed portion 122A of
the side plate 122 of the ink fountain 123 is made flush with the
side wall 131 of the ink tray 130 as shown in FIG. 20(a) . In this
case, however, the positioning in the transverse direction must
be performed visually by the operator, so that it is difficult
to perform positioning always accurately. Also, for the
transverse positioning, it can be thought that a holder 231c for
holding the packing 138 is caused to abut on the side plate 122
as shown in FIG. 20(b). In this case, however, the holder 231c
is installed to the ink tray 130 afterward, so that a larger
manufacturing error than the body of the ink tray 130 is produced,
and sometimes the holder 231c interferes with the side plate 122,
whereby the ink tray 130 cannot be mounted.
Further, as shown in FIGS . 20 ( a ) and 20 ( b ) , when the exposed
portion 122A of the side plate 122 is attempted to be made flush
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with the side wall 131, if a distal end 131a of the side wall 131
is inclined with respect to the bottom plate 132 , the packing 138
must be bent into a three-dimensional, unnatural shape as shown
in FIG. 20 ( c ) to seal the gap between the side wall 131 and the
side plate 122. Therefore, it becomes difficult to hold the
packing 138 at the connecting portion between the side wall 131
and the bottom plate 132.
Thereupon, in the ink supply apparatus 2 of this embodiment,
when the ink tray 130 in which the distal end 131a of the side
wall 131 is inclined with respect to the bottom plate 132, not
at right angles thereto, as shown in FIG. 13 is provided, the
positional relationship between the step portions 122a and 121a
and the ink tray 130 is set as described below. Specifically,
for the step portion 121a formed on the ink key 121, the packing
138 is held by the holder 232c provided on the lower surface of
the bottom plate 132, and the packing 138 is protruded so as to
be in contact with the step portion 121x, whereby the distal end
portion (exposed portion) 121A of the ink key 121 is made flush
with the bottom plate 132.
On the other hand, for the step portion 122a formed on the
side plate 122, as shown in FIG. 21(a) , the holder 231c is provided
at a position shifted slightly rearward from the distal end 131a
of the side wall 131, and the packing 138 held by the holder 232c
provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate 132 is bent to
be held by the holder 231c . By providing the holder 231c so as
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to be shifted rearward from the distal end 131a of the side wall
131 in this manner, the packing 138 is withdrawn slightly rearward
from the distal end 131a of the side wall 131. However, the
packing 138 can be set in a natural form.
As shown in FIG. 21(b) , an outside width W1 between the side
walls 131, 131 of the ink tray 130 is set to be slightly narrower
than an inside width W2 between the side plates 122, 122, and the
distal ends 131a, 131a of the side walls 131, 131 are inserted
between the side plates 122, 122, whereby the portion of the
packing 138 held between the holder 231c is brought into contact
with the step portion 122a. At this time, a lapping portion 131b
of the side wall 131, which laps on the exposed portion 122A, is
produced on the inside of the exposed portion 122A of the side
plate 122. When the ink tray 130 moves transversely, the lapping
portion 131b abuts on the exposed portion 122A of the side plate
122 to regulate the movement of the ink tray 130. That is to say,
the distal ends 131a, 131a of the side walls 131, 131 are inserted
between the side plates 122, 122 so that the packing 138 comes
into contact with the step portion 122a. Thereby, the positioning
of the ink tray 130 in the longitudinal direction and in the
transverse direction is performed at the same time.
If a length 0L of the lapping portion 131b is too long, the
side wall 131 may be stuck to the side plate 122 by the intruding
ink . Therefore , in the ink supply apparatus 2 of this embodiment ,
the length 0L of the lapping portion 131b is set to a degree such
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that transverse positioning can be performed ( for example, about
1.0 mm) . Also, a gap width 0W of the lapping portion 131b is set
to a degree such that there is no difficulty in mounting the ink
tray 130 caused by the interference of the distal end 131a of the
side wall 131 with the step portion 122a (for example, about 0.5
mm) .
Next, the fixation of the positioned ink tray 130 to the
ink fountain 123 will be described. The ink tray 130 is fixed
by the pressing member 140 ( see FIG . 11 ) provided on the support
base 124. Specifically, by tightening the bolt 141 provided in
the pressing member 140, the rear inclined face 136a of the bracket
136 is pushed toward the distal end of the ink tray 130. Thereby,
the seal member 138 held by the holders 231c and 232c is pressed
on the step portions 122a and 121a of the ink fountain 123, whereby
the ink tray 130 is fixed.
Also, the positioning bolt 139 for the ink tray 130 is
provided at the front end portion 136b of each of the right and
left brackets 136. By causing the positioning bolts 139 to abut
on the convex portions 122b provided on the upper faces of the
side plates 122, the longitudinal mounting position of the ink
tray 130 is regulated. The longitudinal position of the ink tray
130 is adjustable by adjusting the tightening amounts of the
positioning bolts 139, and the vertical position thereof is
adjustable by using the height adjusting screws 135 provided in
the brackets 136.
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Since the ink supply apparatus in accordance with the
seventh embodiment of the present invention is configured as
described above, when ink is changed for order change etc. , the
apparatus is first stopped, and the ink remaining in the ink
fountain 123 is recovered with a spatula or the like. Then, the
fixation of the ink tray 130 by the pressing member 140 is released,
and the ink tray 130 is removed from the ink fountain 123 by
grasping the handles 137.
After the ink tray 130 is removed, the remaining ink
adhering to the distal end portions of the ink keys 121 and the
side plates 122 is wiped off with a waste cloth or the like or
washed off with a cleaning fluid. The removed ink tray 130 is
cleaned on the outside of the ink change process . After the inside
of the ink fountain 123 has been cleaned, a new ink tray 130 is
brought and mounted in the ink fountain 123.
The ink tray 130 is mounted into the ink fountain 123 by
the following procedure. First, the right and left brackets 136,
136 of the ink tray 130 are placed on the right and left side plates
122 of the ink fountain 123, by which the ink tray 130 is
temporarily mounted in the ink fountain 123 . Next, while checking
the positional relationship between the step portions 122a of the
right and left side plates 122 and the side walls 131, the distal
ends 131a, 131a of the right and left side walls 131, 131 are
inserted between the step portions 122a, 122a. Then, the ink tray.
130 is pushed forward until the packing 138 comes into contact
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with the step portions 121a and 122a.
When the longitudinal positioning has been completed, the
bolts 141 in the pressing members 140 are tightened to press the
packing 138 on the step portions 121a and 122a. Thereby, the ink
tray 130 is fixed to the ink fountain 123 while providing a seal
between the ink tray 130 and the ink fountain 123. At this time,
the tightening amounts of the positioning bolts 139 and the height
adjusting screws 135 are adjusted to control the position of the
ink tray 130, if necessary.
Thus, according to the ink supply apparatus of this
embodiment, by mounting the ink tray 130 in the ink fountain 123,
the contact area of the ink keys 121 with ink can be reduced
significantly. Therefore, the possibility of ink intruding into
the gap between the ink keys 121, 121 is lessened, so that the
operation of the ink keys 121 is stabilized. Also, the cleaning
work in the ink fountain 123 is made easy.
Also, the contaminated ink tray 130 need not be cleaned at
the time of ink change, but is replaced with a new one, having
only to be cleaned on the outside of the ink change process after
being removed. Therefore, the cleaning time at the time of ink
change can be shortened, so that the rate of operation of the
equipment is increased, whereby the productivity can be enhanced.
Further, according to the ink supply apparatus of this
embodiment, the positioning of the ink tray 130 in the ink fountain
123 is accomplished merely by inserting the distal ends 131a, 131a
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of the right and left side walls 13'1, 131 between the step portions
122a, 122a and by pushing the ink tray 130 forward until the packing
138 comes into contact with the step portions 121a and 122a, so
that the ink tray 130 can be mounted in the ink fountain 123 easily
. and accurately. Therefore, the possibility of ink leakage though
the gap between the ink tray 130 and the ink fountain 123 is
lessened, and also the time taken for the mounting of the ink tray
130 is shortened, whereby the productivity can further be
enhanced.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment ,
and various modifications can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention. Fo-r example, in the
above embodiment, the case where the distal end 131a of the side
wall 131 is inclined with respect to the bottom plate 132 has been
described as an exemplary shape of the ink tray 130 in the above
embodiment . However, the present invention can be applied to the
case where the distal end l3la of the side wall 131 is at right
angles to the bottom plate 132 or at a.ny angle thereto. In this.
case as well, by providing the lapping portion between the side
wall 131 and the bottom plate 132, the transverse position can
be determined mechanically.
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