Pressurized ink applicator for intaglio printing press

A stiff bodied ink applicator for an intaglio security printing press having a printing surface having a plurality of engraved recesses defining an image, comprising:

• a nozzle for applying ink to the engraved recesses of the printing surface and for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, means for removably mounting the nozzle in contact with the printing surface, conduit means connecting the nozzle to a source of ink under pressure, said nozzle including at least two transversely extending blades and means biasing an edge of each said blade towards the printing surface whereby the nozzle sealingly contacts the printing surface, one of said blades defining the trailing edge of said nozzle for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, energy transfer means associated with said conduit means for imparting energy to the ink whereby the flow characteristics of the ink are improved before application of the ink to the printing surface, said conduit means including ink shearing means comprising multiple parallel restricted openings for ink flow, and a distributing manifold located immediately upstream from said openings, a cam moving with the printing surface, follower means cooperating with the cam, and a sliding valve slidably mounted within the applicator transverse to the ink flow path through said conduit means and controlled by the follower means and effective to impede the flow of ink through the conduit means in at least one position of the follower means.

A stiff bodied ink applicator for an intaglio security printing press having a printing surface having a plurality of engraved recesses defining an image, comprising:

• a nozzle for applying ink to the engraved recesses of the printing surface and for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, means for removably mounting the nozzle in contact with the printing surface, conduit means connecting the nozzle to a source of ink under pressure, said nozzle including at least two transversely extending blades and means biasing an edge of each said blade towards the printing surface whereby the nozzle sealingly contacts the printing surface, one of said blades defining the trailing edge of said nozzle for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, and energy transfer means associated with said conduit means for imparting energy to the ink whereby the flow characteristics of the ink are improved before application of the ink to the printing surface, said one blade being of thin comb-like construction and having its ink doctoring edge flexible to accommodate surface irregularities and surface variations of said printing surface, said one blade being mounted in the nozzle between a pair of transversely-extending blade support elements which support the blade to within a very short distance from the ink-doctoring edge thereof.

A stiff bodied ink applicator for an intaglio security printing press having a printing surface having a plurality of engraved recesses defining an image, comprising:

• a nozzle for applying ink to the engraved recesses of the printing surface and for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, means for removably mounting the nozzle in contact with the printing surface, conduit means connecting the nozzle to a source of ink under pressure, said nozzle including at least two transversely extending blades and means biasing an edge of each said blade towards the printing surface whereby the nozzle sealingly contacts the printing surface, one of said blades defining the trailing edge of said nozzle for doctoring applied ink from the non-engraved areas of the printing surface, and energy transfer means associated with said conduit means for imparting energy to the ink whereby the flow characteristics of the ink are improved before application of the ink to the printing surface, said biasing means including resilient pad means permitting the blades to deflect slightly to accommodate variations in the printing surface, said one blade being inclined inwardly away from its line of contact with the printing surface, at an acute angle to the hypothetical plane surface tangent to the printing surface at said line of contact, the resilient pad means for the trailing blade extending transversely parallel and adjacent to the trailing blade on the other side of that surface of the trailing blade which is in the vicinity of said line of contact.

A stiff-bodied ink applicator for an intaglio printing press having a printing surface having a plurality of engraved recesses defining an image, comprising:

• a nozzle for applying ink to the engraved recesses of the printing surface and for doctoring the applied ink from the printing surface, means for removably mounting the nozzle in contact with the printing surface, conduit means connecting the nozzle to a source of ink under pressure, said nozzle being provided with at least three transversely extending blades each having an edge adapted to contact the printing surface along the length of the nozzle, one of said blades defining the trailing edge of said nozzle, said blades dividing the end of the nozzle transversely relative to the printing surface into at least two ink-depositing regions receiving ink from separate conduits of said conduit means, each of the ink-depositing regions being defined by two of said blades, the blades being adapted to maintain a tight seal between the nozzle and the printing surface, and energy transfer means associated with said conduit means for imparting energy to the ink whereby the flow characteristics of the ink are improved before application of the ink to the printing surface, said energy transfer means being associated with each of said last-mentioned conduits, at least one of said blades located between the leading blade and the trailing blade being wedge-shaped and mounted in the nozzle for limited motion towards the printing surface, the wedge surfaces of the wedge-shaped blade converging inwardly into the interior of the nozzle, whereby the hydraulic load of ink against at least one of the wedge surfaces tends to force the wedge-shaped blade into contact with the printing surface.

Ink applicator apparatus for an intaglio security printing press having a printing surface with spaced, ink-receiving recesses in said surface, at least some of the recesses being elongated to print lines, comprising:

• a. a nozzle (3);
• b. means (15,18) supporting the nozzle in sealing engagement with the printing surface;
• c. means (35) for relatively moving the surface and the nozzle while maintaining said sealing engagement;
• d. a reservoir (59) of viscous ink;
• e. means (54) for feeding ink directly from the reservoir substantially only to the recesses, with minimal overflow and with minimal deposit of ink on the surface between the recesses, said ink feeding means comprising:
• 1. said nozzle (3), including:
• a. at least two blades (1) extending transversely of the direction of relative movement of the printing surface;
• b. end seal means (38) spanning the blades at the ends thereof;
• 2. means (111,115,117,119,123,125) for maintaining said reservoir under substantially constant pressure;
• and
• 3. conduit means (64,40,65,66,70,68,72,53,73) for conveying all the ink discharged from the reservior directly to the nozzle;
• and
• f. said supporting means including means (21,22,23,24) to adjust the position of the nozzle so that ink moves from the reservior directly to the nozzle and escapes from the nozzle substantially only by entering the recesses in the surface.

Ink applicator apparatus for an intaglio security printing press having a printing surface with spaced, ink-receiving recesses in said surface, at least some of the recesses being elongated to print lines, comprising:

• a. a nozzle (3);
• b. means (15,18) supporting the nozzle in sealing engagement with the printing surface;
• c. means (35) for relatively moving the surface and nozzle while maintaining said sealing engagement;
• d. a reservoir (59) of viscous ink;
• e. means (54) for feeding ink directly from the reservior substantially only to the recesses, with minimal overflow and with minimal deposit of ink on the surface between the recesses, said ink feeding means comprising:
• 1. said nozzle (3), including:
• a. at least two blades (1) extending transversely of the direction of relative movement of the printing surface;
• b. end seal means (38) spanning the blades at the ends thereof;
• c. an exit chamber (73) between the two blades and extending lengthwise of the nozzle, the only outlet from said exit chamber being provided by the passing recesses in the printing surface;
• and
• d. a multiplicity of short, parallel channels (53) supplying ink to said exit chamber;
• 2. means (111,115,117,119,123,125) for maintaining said reservoir under substantially constant pressure;
• and
• 3. conduit means (64,40,65,66,70,68,72,53,73) for conveying all the ink discharged from the reservoir directly to the nozzle;
• and
• f. said supporting means including means (2,21,22,23,24) to adjust the position of the nozzle so that ink moves from the reservoir directly to the nozzle and escapes from the nozzle substantially only by entering the recesses in the surface.