US 7,111,553 B2 · Method of kneading ink of a printing press and printing press

Abstract

In a printing press, ink fountain keys are disposed to be movable toward and away from an ink fountain roller of an ink fountain to allow them to have a predetermined gap therebetween and hence the amount of ink to be fed to a downstream roller to be determined. The ink fountain roller is rotated while ink is prevented from being fed to the downstream roller. At least one of the ink fountain keys is moved so as to allow the at least one of the fountain keys to change a position thereof relative to the ink fountain roller of the ink fountain with time. With this arrangement, it is possible to improve an ink kneading effect produced by the rotation of the ink fountain roller without the necessity to manually knead ink in the ink fountain by the operator and the necessity to provide any ink kneading device or unit independently of the printing press.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A method of kneading ink stored in an ink fountain of a printing press, in which an ink fountain roller rotates so as to make ink adhere to a circumference thereof and feed ink therefrom to a downstream roller, at least one ink fountain key that is aligned in a first direction parallel to the axis of the ink fountain roller and disposed so as to be moved back and forth in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, thereby allowing each of said at least one ink fountain key and the ink fountain roller to have a predetermined gap therebetween and hence the amount of ink to be fed to the downstream roller to be determined, comprising:

rotating the ink fountain roller while preventing ink from being fed to the downstream roller;
and
moving at least one of the at least one ink fountain key in the second direction during the rotation of the ink fountain roller so as to allow the at least one of the at least one ink fountain key to change a position thereof relative to the ink fountain roller of the ink fountain with time.

A printing press comprising:

an ink fountain for storing ink;
an ink fountain roller that rotates so as to make ink adhere to a circumference thereof and feed ink therefrom to a downstream roller;
a roller positioning unit that moves at least one of the ink fountain roller and the downstream roller so as to allow the both rollers to be selectively held close to each other and away from each other;
a roller driving unit that rotates the ink fountain roller;
at least one ink fountain key that is aligned in a first direction parallel to the axis of the ink fountain roller and disposed to be movable in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
an ink-fountain-key moving unit that moves each of said at least one ink fountain key in the second direction, thereby determining the amount of ink to be fed to the downstream roller;
and
a control part that controls the roller positioning unit, the roller driving unit and the ink-fountain-key moving unit so as to rotate the ink fountain roller while preventing ink from being fed to the downstream roller, moving at least one of said at least one ink fountain key in the second direction during the rotation of the ink fountain roller, thereby allowing said at least one of the at least one ink fountain key to change a position thereof relative to the ink fountain roller of the ink fountain with time.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of kneading ink of a printing press and printing press

Life of this patent

Method of kneading ink of a printing press and printing press

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims4