Apparatus for inking ribbons

Claim 1

A SEALED INK CARTRIDGE FOR APPLICATION TO A PRINTING MACHINE TO SUPPLY FLUID INK TO AN INK-CARRYING RIBBON OF THE MACHINE, COMPRISING A HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A QUANTITY OF FLUID INK, A FIRST TUBE SECURED TO THE BODY IN SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH AND OPENING WITHIN THE SAME AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM, A WICK DISPOSED WITHIN THE FIRST TUBE AND EXTENDING WITHIN THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY, THE CONTAINER BODY BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED WITH THE TUBE OPENING INTO THE SAME ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE FLUID INK WITH THE WICK DEPENDING INTO THE HOLLOW OF THE BODY, A SECOND TUBE DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY AND SNUGLY ENCLOSING A MAJOR PORTION OF THAT PART OF THE WICK WHICH IS WITHIN THE BODY, A PORTION OF THAT PART OF THE WICK WHICH IS WITHIN THE BODY ADJACENT THE FIRST TUBE BEING EXPOSED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY, MEANS FORMING A VENT OPENING FOR THE BODY ADJACENT THE PORTION TO WHICH THE FIRST TUBE IS SECURED, AND MEANS FOR SEALING THE VENT OPENING AND FOR SEALING THE FREE END OF THE FIRST TUBE AND BEING REMOVABLE TO OPEN THE VENT OPENING AND EXPOSE THE END OF THE WICK FOR USE OF THE CARTRIDGE, SAID END OF THE WICK HAVING INKFEEDING PORPERTIES BUT RELATIVELY LESS CAPILLARITY THAN THE PORTION OF THE WICK WITHIN THE FIRST TUBE, WHEREBY RELATIVELY ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF INK THROUGH THE WICK IS RESTRICTED AT SAID END OF THE WICK TO MINIMIZE VARIATIONS IN INK DELIVERY.