Leak-free ink supply apparatus for keyless printing

A leak-free, constant-rate ink supply apparatus for keyless printing, comprising:

• (a) a fountain roller;
• (b) an ink fountain having one side closed by a surface of the fountain roller;
• (c) blade means forming at least part of a bottom of the ink fountain and movable toward and away from the surface of the fountain roller for closing and opening an ink outlet defined by and between the fountain roller and the blade means;
• (d) at least two blade pushers coupled to the blade means in spaced positions along an axis of the fountain roller and constrained to linear travel with the blade means toward and away from the fountain roller relative to the ink fountain;
• (e) at least two linear actuators mounted to the ink fountain in the adjacencies of the respective blade pushers and each having an output member reciprocably movable relative to the ink fountain in a direction parallel to the axis of the fountain roller;
• (f) cam means for translating the reciprocating motion of the output member of each linear actuator parallel to the fountain roller axis into the reciprocating motion of one of the blade pushers at right angles with the fountain roller axis;
• and
• (g) a link rigidly linking the output members of the linear actuators to each other for synchronizing the operations thereof and of the blade pushers and hence for assuring leak-free contact of the blade means with the fountain roller.

A leak-free, constant-rate ink supply apparatus for keyless printing, comprising:

• (a) a fountain roller;
• (b) an ink fountain having a bottom and having one side closed by a surface of the fountain roller;
• (c) blade means disposed alongside the bottom of the ink fountain and defining in combination with the fountain roller an ink outlet which is to be closed and opened as the blade means travels toward and away from the surface of the fountain roller;
• (d) resilient means acting between the ink fountain and the blade means for urging the blade means away from the fountain roller in order to open the ink outlet;
• (e) at least two blade pushers mounted to the bottom of the ink fountain and coupled to the blade means in spaced positions along an axis of the fountain roller, the blade pushers being constrained to linear travel with the blade means toward and away from the fountain roller relative to the ink fountain;
• (f) at least two linear actuators mounted to the bottom of the ink fountain and each having an output member reciprocably movable relative to the ink fountain in a direction parallel to the axis of the fountain roller;
• (g) cam means for transmitting the motion of the output member of each linear actuator to one of the blade pushers in order to cause the blade means to travel toward the fountain roller against the force of the resilient means and away from the fountain roller under the force of the resilient means;
• and
• (h) a link rigidly interconnecting the output members of the linear actuators in order to cause the blade means to travel into leak-free contact with the surface of the fountain roller.