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US 4,399,751 AGranted
Ink roller assembly with capillary ink supply
AssigneeMonarch Marking Systems, Inc.
InventorJohn R. Kessler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeMonarch Marking Systems, Inc.
InventorJohn R. Kessler
Estimating the term…
An ink applying sleeve of resilient micro-porous ink retaining material is confined between a pair of circular flanges mounted on a connecting support hub. A cylindrical ink retaining unit is also mounted on the center hub and is confined between the flanges to support the sleeve. The unit includes a stack of thin plastic discs which define concentric annular ink retaining capillary passages or chambers for receiving a supply of ink. The concentric chambers are interconnected by a series of radially extending passages which control the outward radial flow of ink from the concentric chambers into the micro-porous sleeve. In one form, the thin plastic discs are heat-formed from thin sheet plastics material and have a center hole for receiving the support hub.
An ink roller assembly adapted to provide a uniform application of ink over an extended period of use, comprising a cylindrical sleeve of flexible and porous ink retaining material, a generally cylindrical ink retaining unit disposed within said sleeve, said ink retaining unit including a plurality of discs arranged in a stack, each of said discs defining a series of radially spaced and generally circumferentially extending capillary ink retaining chambers adapted to receive a supply of ink, means defining a plurality of peripherially spaced and outwardly extending capillary passages connecting said ink retaining chambers for directing a controlled flow of ink outwardly from said chambers into said sleeve, and a set of axially spaced flange members confining said stack of discs therebetween.
An assembly adapted to provide a uniform application of a liquid such as ink over an extended period of use, comprising a microporous liquid application member, a liquid retaining unit disposed adjacent said application member, said retaining unit including a plurality of generally flat capillary elements arranged in a stack, each of said elements defining a series of radially spaced liquid retaining chambers adapted to receive a supply of liquid, the spacing between adjacent said liquid retaining chambers within each said element being generally uniform, means defining a plurality of spaced capillary passages extending across said liquid retaining chambers and connecting said liquid retaining chambers to said application member, and means enclosing said stack of capillary elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.