Continuous inkjet printer with actuatable valves for controlling the direction of delivered ink

Apparatus for controlling ink in a continuous inkjet printer in which a continuous stream of ink is emitted from a nozzle bore;

• the apparatus comprising:
• a reservoir containing pressurized ink;
• a nozzle element defining an ink staging chamber and having a nozzle bore in communication with the ink staging chamber arranged so as to establish a continuous flow of ink in a ink stream;
• ink delivery means intermediate the reservoir and the ink staging chamber for communicating ink between the reservoir and defining first and second spaced ink delivery channels;
• a first actuable flow delivery valve positioned in operative relationship with the first ink delivery channel and a second actuable flow delivery valve positioned in operative relationship with the second ink delivery channel;
• and
• means for selectively actuating the first and second actuable flow delivery valves so that when both first and second actuable flow delivery valves are unactuated ink is delivered through the nozzle along a first path and when the first actuable flow delivery valve is actuated and the second actuable flow delivery valve is unactuated, ink is delivered through the nozzle along a second path and when the second actuable flow delivery valve is actuated and the first actuable flow delivery valve is unactuated, ink is delivered through the nozzle along a third path wherein the first, second and third paths are spaced from each other.