Ink agitator

In an ink agitating apparatus for ink fountains of printing machines, the combination comprising:

• an elongated ink fountain having an inclined blade defining a bottom wall of the ink fountain and an ink roller mounted tangential to the bottom portion of the blade for rotation on a longitudinal axis of said ink fountain;
• a replaceable ink agitator device adapted to be removably mounted above said ink fountain;
• means providing a support for said replaceable ink agitator device adjacent the top portion of said blade;
• said ink agitator device including a self-driven mobile assembly including an ink agitator in the form of a tapered elongated element rotatable about its longitudinal axis and operable to agitate ink in said ink fountain when located adjacent said inclined blade with its tapered tip projecting into a crevice formed between said roller and said bottom wall of the ink fountain;
• said ink agitator device further including a beam, means for removably fastening said beam on said support means with said beam extending parallel to said longitudinal axis of said ink fountain, said beam including means providing a guide track for supporting said mobile assembly for linear displacement along said ink fountain with said ink agitator element projecting into said ink fountain and located adjacent said inclined blade, said beam having a U-shaped cross section with a pair of parallel arms, said arms extending substantially parallel to said inclined blade and the open side of said beam between said arms facing said ink fountain, said beam having a rack extending lengthwise of said beam on the inside of one of said arms;
• said mobile assembly including a reversible motor, drive means connecting said motor to rotate said agitator element including an agitator shaft supporting said agitator element and extending parallel to said arms through said open side and between said arms into the hollow of said beam, means in rolling engagement with both said arms for supporting said mobile assembly for linear displacement along said beam, said assembly supporting means including a pair of spaced rollers carried by said agitator shaft in rolling engagement with one of said arms and a pair of casters carried one on each side of said agitator shaft in a fore-and-aft direction in rolling engagement with the other of said arms, said casters having an axis of rotation parallel to said agitator shaft which is adjustable in a direction normal to said arms, adjustment of the axis of rotation of said casters providing means for adjusting said casters and rollers into smooth rolling contact with both said arms, a pinion fixed for rotation with said agitator shaft meshing with said rack on said guide track, and drive means connecting said motor to rotate said pinion for both rotating said agitator and linearly displacing said assembly along said track.