Casing for inking rollers

Claim 1

An inking roller device comprising a central roller core having conical end surfaces coaxial with said core, an ink roller mounted on said core, and a casing having a pair of flexible, spaced apart side walls and an open top to which said side walls extend, said roller and said core fitting into said casing through said open top, each of said flexible side walls having an aperture extending from the edge thereof adjacent said open top to terminate in a centrally located apex in the respective side wall, wherein the apertures of the two side walls are defined by aperture edges aligned with each other, a reinforced bearing shell around the apex of each aperture, each bearing shell having a conical surface directed inwardly into said casing and merging into the respective aperture edges, said conical surfaces of the bearing shells being shaped and spaced to releasably receive the conical end surfaces of said core which is fitted between said conical surfaces of said bearing shells so that the conical end surfaces of said core engage the conical surfaces of said bearing shells with a snap fit due to said flexible side walls, the conical end surfaces of said core providing the only supporting surfaces of said core, whereby the conical surfaces on said bearing shells support said core within said casing in such a position that contact between said ink roller and the walls of said casing is prevented.