Lithographic inking dampening system

Claim 1

A liquid ink lithographic printing system, comprising: a plate cylinder and means for printing from a plate on said cylinder; a form roll in surface rolling contact with said plate cylinder at a radial position not higher than the horizontal diameter line thereof; an ink supply roll of regular surface configuration free of inkretaining recesses in rolling contact with said form roll at a radial position not higher than the horizontal diameter line thereof; a fountain pan, means for providing and maintaining oleous liquid lithographic ink to a preselected level in said pan; means for positioning said pan to immerse a portion of said ink supply roll below said level; means for shearing ink in excess of a predetermined layer thickness from said ink supply roll as it emerges from said fountain pan level to thereby establish a desired ink supply quantity available to supPly said form roll; a moisture supply roll in rolling contact with said form roll below the center of the form roll between the ink supply roll and form roll; a moisture solution pan, means for providing and maintaining a lithographic moisture solution to a preselected level in said moisture solution pan; means for positioning said moisture solution pan to immerse a portion of said moisture supply roll below said level; means for shearing water from said roll as it emerges from said pan level to thereby establish a desired water supply quantity to said form roll; and means for driving said ink and moisture supply rollers and form roll in such direction that the form roll surface comes first against said ink supply roll and thereafter against said moisture supply roll.