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US 4,792,292 AGranted
Ink pump system
AssigneeTampo-Tool, Inc.
InventorReinhard Gaenzle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink pump system includes an ink reservoir and an ink solvent reservoir from which solvent is controllably transferred into the ink in the reservoir so as to maintain the desired ink viscosity. The ink reservoir has an ink outlet for discharging ink to a point of consumption and an inlet into which excess ink may be recirculated to the ink reservoir. A seal-less gear pump is submerged in the ink reservoir. The pump includes a housing with an inlet communicating with the interior of the ink reservoir so as to receive ink from the ink contents in the reservoir. The pump housing also has a discharge outlet communicating with the ink outlet of the reservoir. The power source for drawing the recirculating gear pump can also be used to drive a paddle which stirs the ink in the reservoir.
Claims10
In an ink pump system for pump ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having an outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink from said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into said chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted within said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear, and power input means for driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- and
- wherein said ink reservoir has a sump and said gear pump housing is removably disposed in said sump.
7 more elements
In an ink pump system for pumping ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having an outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink from said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into said chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted within said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear, and power input means for driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- and
- wherein said gear pump housing is closed and includes a cover with said inlet in said fluid pumping chamber located in a depression in the top surface of said cover and a filter screen is disposed in said depression and over said inlet.
7 more elements
In an ink pump system for pumping ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having an outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink from said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into said chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted within said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear, and power input means for driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- and
- wherein said power input means includes an electric motor mounted on said frame having a vertically extending drive shaft with a first pulley mounted thereon, a driven shaft projecting upwardly from one of said first and second gears, a second pulley mounted on said driven shaft, and a drive belt operatively interconnecting said pulleys.
7 more elements
In an ink pump system for pumping ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having an outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink from said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into said chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted with said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear, and power input means driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- wherein said power input means includes an electric motor mounted on said frame having a vertically extending drive shaft with a first pulley mounted thereon, a driven shaft projecting upwardly from on of said first and second gears, a second pulley mounted on said driven shaft, and a drive belt operatively interconnecting said pulleys;
- and
- wherein an ink agitator paddle having a vertical drive shaft is mounted for rotation on its vertical axis in said reservoir, a third drive pulley is mounted on said motor drive shaft, a fourth drive pulley is mounted on said ink agitator paddle drive shaft, and a second drive belt operatively interconnects said third and fourth drive pulleys.
8 more elements
In an ink pump system for pumping ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having an outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink form said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into said chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted within said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear ,and power input means for driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- and
- wherein said gear pump housing is closed and includes a cover in which there is a second ink discharging outlet and said second outlet communicates between the interior of said chamber and the interior of said reservoir, and adjustable means for regulating the effective size of second outlet whereby a desired portion of the ink discharging from said chamber is diverted through said second outlet while the remainder discharges through said first-mentioned outlet from said chamber.
7 more elements
In an ink pump system for pumping ink comprising:
- a frame;
- an
- an ink reservoir mounted on said frame having outlet in said ink reservoir for discharging ink from said reservoir and an inlet for the return of recirculated ink;
- an ink solvent reservoir mounted on said frame;
- means for transferring solvent from said solvent reservoir to said ink reservoir;
- and
- means for controlling the transfer of said solvent to said ink reservoir in order to maintain the ink contained in said ink reservoir at a substantially constant predetermined viscosity;
- the improvement comprising:
- a seal-less gear pump housing located within said ink reservoir so as to be submerged in the ink contained therein, said pump housing having a fluid pumping chamber therein, an inlet in said chamber communicating with said ink reservoir for admitting ink from said reservoir into aid chamber, an outlet from said chamber for discharging ink from said chamber to said outlet in said ink reservoir, a first gear rotatably mounted within said chamber, a second gear rotatably mounted within said chamber in meshing engagement with said first gear, and power input means for driving one of said first and second gears whereby said gears rotate in opposite directions to pump ink through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening;
- and
- wherein each of said first and second gears has shaft projections on the top and bottom thereof, said housing has a pair of journal sockets in its bottom wall for journaling said bottom projections, said housing has a cover plate with a pair of journal openings therein for journaling said top projections, the bottom of said housing has a first channel therein communicating between said journal sockets, and said cover plate has a second channel therein communicating between said journal openings, said first and second channels allowing ink to be forced against both the undersides and top sides of said gears so as to self-lubricate the same during pumping.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.