Arc suppressor system for ink mist control

Claim 1

IN A PRINTING PRESS, IN COMBINATION; A ROLLER COUPLER FOR TRANSFERRING PRINTING INK FROM ONE ROLER OF THE COUPLE TO THE OTHER, SAID COUPLE WHEN IN OPERATION CAUSING AN INK MIST TO BE PRODUCED IN THE ATMOSPHERE ADJACENT THE EXIT SIDE OF THE NIP OF SAID COUPLE; MEANS FOR SUPPRESSING SAID MIST COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID ROLLERS AND IN RELATIVELY SHORT SPACED RELATION TO THE EXIT SIDE OF SAID NIP, POWER SUPPLY MEANS FOR APPLYING A HIGH ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR AND AT LEAST ONE ROLLER OF SAID COUPLE TO ESTABLISH A CORONA DISCHARGE ABOUT SAID CONDUCTOR AND TO ESTABISH AN ELECTRICAL FIELD BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR AND SAID ROLLER OF SAID COUPLE, SAID CORONA DISCHARGE EFFECTING ELECTRICAL CHARGING OF THE PARTICLES OF SAID MIST AND SAID ELECTRICAL FIELD ACTING UPON SAID CHARGED PARTICLES TO REPEL THE LATTER BACK ONTO SAID ROLLERS; AND MEANS FOR SUPPRESSING ELECTRICAL ARCING BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR AND SAID ROLLER COMPRISING MEANS FOR DETECTING THE SURGE OF CURRENT FLOWING TO SAID CONDUCTOR RESULTING FROM THE OCCURRENCE OF EACH ARE BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR AND SAID ROLLER, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID DETECTING MEANS FOR DEENERGIZING SAID POWER SUPPLY MEANS TO INTERRUPT EACH ARC, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REENERGIZING SAID POWER SUPPLY MEANS FOLLOWING EACH OF A FIXED NUMBER OF ARCS AFTER AN INTERVAL OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW EACH ARC TO BE EXTINGUISHED, AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING AUTOMATIC REENERGIZATION OF SAID POWER SUPPLY MEANS FOLLOWING THE OCCURRENCE OF ONE MORE THAN SAID FIXED NUMBER OF ARCS.