Method and apparatus for sequentially moving dampening rollers

Claim 2

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a form roller in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller positioning means to first move said form roller away from the surface of said plate cylinder while said form roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent the transfer of ink from said plate cylinder to said form roller and to thereafter move said form roller away from said intermediate roller while said intermediate roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent transfer of ink from said form roller to said intermediate roller, metering roller positioning means to move said metering roller away from said fountain roller, and connecting means for both of said positioning means to control the sequential movement of said rollers so that said form roller first moves away from said plate cylinder and thereafter moves away from said intermediate roller before said metering roller moves away from said fountain roller so that said metering roller moves away from said fountain roller while said metering roller and intermediate roller surfaces are wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent transfer of ink from said intermediate roller to said fountain roller.

Claim 3

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a form roller in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller positioning means operable to move said form roller away from the surfaces of said plate cylinder and said intermediate roller while said from roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent the transfer of ink from said plate cylinder to said rollers, said form roller positioning means including a form roller shaft support having an arcuate passageway, said form roller having a shaft positioned in said arcuate passageway, a form roller position adjusting member rotatably mounted on the intermediate roller shaft, said form roller adjusting member having a connecting portion extending radially relative to said intermediate roller shaft and secured to said form roller shaft, said form roller adjusting member having a cam follower arm extending therefrom radially relative to said intermediate roller shaft, cam roller means rotatably mounted on said cam follower arm, a cam member mounted on a camshaft spaced from said intermediate roller shaft, resilient means urging said cam roller against the cam surface of said cam member, and said cam surface having a configuration to move said cam roller means radially relative to said camshaft and rotate said form roller adjusting member about said intermediate roller shaft and move said form roller shaft in said shaft support arcuate passageway to thereby move said from roller toward and away from said plate cylinder surface.

Claim 4

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a form roller in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller positioning means operable to move said form roller away from the surfaces of said plate cylinder and said intermediate roller while said from roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent the transfer of ink from said plate cylinder to said rollers, said form roller positioning means including a form roller shaft support having an arcuate passageway, said form roller having a shaft positioned in said arcuate passageway, a form roller position adjusting member rotatably mounted on the intermediate roller shaft, said form roller adjusting member having a connecting portion extending radially relative to said intermediate roller shaft and secured to said form roller shaft, said form roller adjusting member having a cam follower arm extending therefrom radially relative to said intermediate roller shaft, cam roller means rotatably mounted on said cam follower arm, a cam member mounted on a camshaft spaced from said intermediate roller shaft, resilient means urging said cam roller against the cam surface of said cam member, and said cam surface having a configuration to move said cam roller means radially relative to said camshaft and rotate said form roller adjusting member about said intermediate roller shaft and move said form roller shaft in said shaft support arcuate passageway to thereby move said from roller toward and away from said plate cylinder surface.

Claim 5

A dampener for a printing press as set forth in claim 2 in which, said arcuate passageway in said form roller shaft supporting member has a first arcuate portion and a second arcuate portion, said cam member having cam surfaces operable to move said cam follower and said form roller adjusting member to position said form roller shaft successively in said first arcuate portion of said arcuate passageway and thereafter in said second arcuate portion of said arcuate passageway to thereby first move said form roller away from said plate cylinder around said intermediate roller and thereafter move said form roller away from said intermediate roller.

Claim 6

A dampener for a printing press as set forth in claim 2 in which, said form roller position adjusting member includes a cam follower portion rotatably mounted on said intermediate roller shaft and a separate annular portion rotatably mounted on said intermediate roller shaft, said cam follower portion having a protuberance extending radially relative to said intermediate roller shaft, said annular portion having an adjusting screw threadedly secured therein and abutting said protuberance, said resilient means urging said adjusting screw against said protuberance, said adjusting screw operable to adjust the position of said form roller relative to said plate cylinder surface.

Claim 7

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a form roller in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller positioning means operable to move said form roller away from the surfaces of said plate cylinder and said intermediate roller while said form roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent the transfer of ink from said plate cylinder to said rollers, metering roller positioning means to move said metering roller away from said fountain roller, said metering roller positioning means including a crank arm secured to an actuator shaft, a lever rotatably connected at one end to said crank arm and having an elongated slotted portion adjacent the other end, an actuator lever having a first end portion and a second end portion, said actuator lever pivotally mounted intermediate said end portions, said actuator lever having a pin member adjacent said first end portion positioned in said slotted portion and a saddle portion adjacent said second end portion, said metering roller having a shaft positioned in said saddle portion, said crank arm operable upon rotation to first move said pin in said slotted portion and thereafter rotate said pivotally mounted actuating lever to move said metering roller shaft upwardly in said saddle portion and thereby move said metering roller away from said fountain roller.

Claim 8

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a form roller in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller positioning means operable to move said form roller away from the surfaces of said plate cylinder and said intermediate roller while said form roller surface is wetted with said dampening fluid to thereby prevent the transfer of ink from said plate cylinder to said rollers, metering roller positioning means to move said metering roller away from said fountain roller, said metering roller positioning means including a crank arm secured to an actuator shaft, a lever rotatably connected at one end to said crank arm and having an elongated slotted portion adjacent the other end, an actuator lever having a first end portion and a second end portion, said actuator lever pivotally mounted intermediate said end portions, said actuator lever having a pin member adjacent said first end portion positioned in said slotted portion and a saddle portion adjacent said second end portion, said metering roller having a shaft positioned in said saddle portion, said crank arm operable upon rotation to first move said pin in said slotted portion and thereafter rotate said pivotally mounted actuating lever to move said metering roller shaft upwardly in said saddle portion and thereby move said metering roller away from said fountain roller.

Claim 9

A dampener for a printing press as set forth in claim 5 in which, a cam member for moving said form roller positioning means is secured to and rotatable with said actuator shaft so that said from roller is moved away from said plate cylinder and said intermediate roller and thereafter said metering roller is moved away from said fountain roller.

Claim 10

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a pair of form rollers in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form rollers operAble to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller shaft supporting elements having elongated arcuate passageways therein positioned adjacent to said plate cylinder, said form rollers having shafts positioned in said elongated arcuate passageways, a pair of form rollers position adjusting members rotatably mounted on the intermediate roller shaft, said form roller adjusting members each having a connecting portion extending radially therefrom relative to said intermediate roller shaft secured to said respective form roller shafts, each of said form roller adjusting members having a cam follower arm extending therefrom relative to said intermediate roller shaft, cam roller means rotatably mounted on both of said am follower arms, a cam member mounted on a shaft spaced from said intermediate roller shaft, resilient means urging both of said cam rollers against cam surfaces on opposite sides of said cam member, and means to rotate said cam member so that said cam member rotates both of said form roller adjusting members about said intermediate roller shaft to move said form roller shaft in said respective shaft supporting elongated arcuate passageways and first move said from rollers away from said plate cylinder surface and thereafter move said form rollers away from said intermediate roller.

Claim 11

A dampener for a printing press for supplying dampening fluid to the surface of a plate cylinder comprising, a fountain roller serving as a source of dampening fluid, a metering roller in surface contact with said fountain roller and an intermediate roller, said metering roller operable to transfer dampening fluid from said fountain roller to said intermediate roller, a pair of form rollers in surface contact with said intermediate roller and said plate cylinder, said form rollers operAble to transfer dampening fluid from said intermediate roller to the surface of said plate cylinder, form roller shaft supporting elements having elongated arcuate passageways therein positioned adjacent to said plate cylinder, said form rollers having shafts positioned in said elongated arcuate passageways, a pair of form rollers position adjusting members rotatably mounted on the intermediate roller shaft, said form roller adjusting members each having a connecting portion extending radially therefrom relative to said intermediate roller shaft secured to said respective form roller shafts, each of said form roller adjusting members having a cam follower arm extending therefrom relative to said intermediate roller shaft, cam roller means rotatably mounted on both of said am follower arms, a cam member mounted on a shaft spaced from said intermediate roller shaft, resilient means urging both of said cam rollers against cam surfaces on opposite sides of said cam member, and means to rotate said cam member so that said cam member rotates both of said form roller adjusting members about said intermediate roller shaft to move said form roller shaft in said respective shaft supporting elongated arcuate passageways and first move said from rollers away from said plate cylinder surface and thereafter move said form rollers away from said intermediate roller.