Direct inking platen

Claim 2

A DIRECT INKING PLATEN COMPRISING: A UNITARY NYLON BODY HAVING MIROPROUS INTERSTICES AND AN INTEGRAL FLEXIBLE-TOUGH MICROPOROUS OUTER SKIN PORTION, SAID BODY AND SKIN BEING FORMED FROM A COMPRESSION MOLDED PARTICULATE NYLON BLEND, SAID BLEND CONTAINING A MINORITY OF HIGH MESH NYLON PARTICLES WITH THE REMAINDER OF LOW MESH NYLON PARTICLES, SAID BLEND BEING COMPRESSED AT A TEMPERATURE FROM APPROXIMATELY 350* TO 420*F AND AT A PRESSURE FROM APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PSIA TO 15,000 PSIA FOR A DURATION OF AT LEAST TEN MINUTES AND LESS THAN 20 MINUTES, AND A RIBBON FORMED FROM A WEAVE OF NYLON FIBERS AND AFFIXED TO SAID BODY, THE RIBBON COVERING AND BEING CONTIGUOUS WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE-TOUGH OUTER SKIN.

Claim 3

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary nylon body and skin compression molded from a particulate nylon blend of disparate mesh nylon particles, said body having microporous interstices capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium throughout said body by capillary action, said body further having an integral flexible-tough outer skin portion, the micropores of which are randomly distributed; said body and skin being formed by compression molding of said blend of nylon particles at a temperature from approximately 350*F to approximately 420*F and at a pressure from approximately 10,000 psia to 15,000 psia for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon formed from a weave of nylon fibers affixed to said body, said ribbon having substantially uniformly spaced interstices, the ribbon covering and being contiguous with at least a portion of said flexible-tough outer skin.

Claim 4

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary nylon body and skin compression molded from a particulate nylon blend of disparate mesh nylon particles, said body having microporous interstices capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium throughout said body by capillary action, said body further having an integral flexible-tough outer skin portion, the micropores of which are randomly distributed; said body and skin being formed by compression molding of said blend of nylon particles at a temperature from approximately 350*F to approximately 420*F and at a pressure from approximately 10,000 psia to 15,000 psia for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon formed from a weave of nylon fibers affixed to said body, said ribbon having substantially uniformly spaced interstices, the ribbon covering and being contiguous with at least a portion of said flexible-tough outer skin.

Claim 5

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary microporous nylon body having a porosity of from approximately 5% to approximately 15% and an integral flexible-tough microporous outer skin portion having a thickness on the order of approximately 1/5000 inches, said microporous interstices of said body being randomly distributed and capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium throughout said body by capillary action; said body and skin being formed from a compression molded blend of nylon particles, said blend being of a minority of nominal 80 mesh and the remainder of nominal 20 mesh particles, and being compressed at a temperature in the range from approximately 350*F to approximately 420*F and at a pressure in the range from approximately 10,000 psia to 15,000 psia for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon affixed to said body formed from a nylon fiber weave of nominal warp count of 185 and nominal fill count of 115, and of a thickness from approximately 0.0030 inches to 0.0036 inches, said ribbon covering and being contiguous with at least a portion of said flexible-tough outer skin.

Claim 6

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary microporous nylon body having a porosity of from approximately 5% to approximately 15% and an integral flexible-tough microporous outer skin portion having a thickness on the order of approximately 1/5000 inches, said microporous interstices of said body being randomly distributed and capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium throughout said body by capillary action; said body and skin being formed from a compression molded blend of nylon particles, said blend being of a minority of nominal 80 mesh and the remainder of nominal 20 mesh particles, and being compressed at a temperature in the range from approximately 350*F to approximately 420*F and at a pressure in the range from approximately 10,000 psia to 15,000 psia for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon affixed to said body formed from a nylon fiber weave of nominal warp count of 185 and nominal fill count of 115, and of a thickness from approximately 0.0030 inches to 0.0036 inches, said ribbon covering and being contiguous with at least a portion of said flexible-tough outer skin.

Claim 7

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary microporous nylon body capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium therethrough by capillary action and further having an integral flexible-tough microporous outer skin portion, said body and skin being formed from a compression molded blend of nylon particles, said blend being composed of a minority of nominal eighty mesh particles and the remainder of nominal twenty mesh particles, and being compressed at a temperature in the range from approximately 350* to approximately 420*F, at a pressure in the range from approximately 10,000 psia to approximately 15,000 psia, and for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon formed from a weave of nylon fibers secured to said body by heat fusion and having interstices and a thickness sufficient to wick an oil based liquid medium from said microporous skin.

Claim 8

A direct inking platen comprising: a unitary microporous nylon body capable of transferring an oil based liquid medium therethrough by capillary action and further having an integral flexible-tough microporous outer skin portion, said body and skin being formed from a compression molded blend of nylon particles, said blend being composed of a minority of nominal eighty mesh particles and the remainder of nominal twenty mesh particles, and being compressed at a temperature in the range from approximately 350* to approximately 420*F, at a pressure in the range from approximately 10,000 psia to approximately 15,000 psia, and for a duration of at least ten minutes and less than twenty minutes; and a ribbon formed from a weave of nylon fibers secured to said body by heat fusion and having interstices and a thickness sufficient to wick an oil based liquid medium from said microporous skin.