US3926115A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Spray dampening apparatus
Assignee: 2019 S&H Ltd
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Filing: 1974-01-25
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Granted: 1975-12-16
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Expires: 1994-01-25
Abstract
Abstract For a dampening apparatus for a printing machine as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,175 there is provided the additional element of means adapted to cause temporary variation in the output of spray from the apparatus by temporary and controlled partial or complete interruption of the spray output from the rotor. These means may be mechanical (e.g. a solid obstructor driven into or out of the spray path) or may be a variable air blast to deflect the spray or may be electrostatic.
Inventors
- 👤 Arthur Graham Alsop
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:13
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F33/00; B41F33/04; B41F33/10; B41F7/00; B41F7/20; B41F7/24; B41F7/30; D; D21; D21G; D21G7/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
540 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, a cover for said rotor, said cover having a vertical front wall, the improvement consisting of a quickresponse means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught, wherein the said actuable means is a shutter, means positioning the shutter above the base of the drain trough whereby it is movable in planar movement into and out of the spray path to catch liquid of the spray, so that the said liquid when caught can fall to the base of the drain trough, said shutter being between the front wall of the cover and the rotor, said shutter having a planar portion extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, said positioning means being located on the cover, obliquely extending slots in the planar portion of the shutter engaged by the positioning means whereby the planar movements of the shutter have a vertical component into and out of the path of the spray and a lateral component parallel to the axis of the rotor, and a drive element for the shutter arranged to drive the shutter in directions generally parallel to the axis of the rotor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
540 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, a cover for said rotor, said cover having a vertical front wall, the improvement consisting of a quickresponse means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught, wherein the said actuable means is a shutter, means positioning the shutter above the base of the drain trough whereby it is movable in planar movement into and out of the spray path to catch liquid of the spray, so that the said liquid when caught can fall to the base of the drain trough, said shutter being between the front wall of the cover and the rotor, said shutter having a planar portion extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, said positioning means being located on the cover, obliquely extending slots in the planar portion of the shutter engaged by the positioning means whereby the planar movements of the shutter have a vertical component into and out of the path of the spray and a lateral component parallel to the axis of the rotor, and a drive element for the shutter arranged to drive the shutter in directions generally parallel to the axis of the rotor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The improvement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive element is a fluid-pressure piston and cylinder arrangement and the control elements include a solenoid operated valve for switching pressure medium to and from the piston and cylinder and a control for an electrical power supply to the solenoid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
432 words
In a daMpening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught wherein the said actuable means is a web on a shaft, the shaft positioned parallel to the axis of the rotor and above the base of the drain trough, and being rotatable to bring the web into and out of the spray path to catch liquid of the spray, so that said liquid when caught can fall to the base of the drain trough.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
432 words
In a daMpening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught wherein the said actuable means is a web on a shaft, the shaft positioned parallel to the axis of the rotor and above the base of the drain trough, and being rotatable to bring the web into and out of the spray path to catch liquid of the spray, so that said liquid when caught can fall to the base of the drain trough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
413 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defIning the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught by a said lip of the orifice wherein the said actuable means comprise air blast means which in operable condition act to deflect the spray path onto a lip of the said orifice so that the spray is at least partly caught by the lip.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
413 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defIning the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught by a said lip of the orifice wherein the said actuable means comprise air blast means which in operable condition act to deflect the spray path onto a lip of the said orifice so that the spray is at least partly caught by the lip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
403 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught by a said lip or the orifice wherein the control elements include a detection unit in the printing machine effective to actuate the actuable means only when a fault condition is detected in the machine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
403 words
In a dampening apparatus for a printing machine, the dampening apparatus having a supply trough, the trough having upstanding walls, one of said walls having a horizontal upper edge lower than upper edges of other walls thereby providing a weir edge, means for feeding liquid in the trough so that the liquid can be maintained at a given level in the trough higher than the level of the weir edge and spill continuously over the weir edge, a tangentially rigid rotor with an axis of rotation parallel to the weir edge and approximately vertically above it, thin projections on the rotor and axially spaced from one another along said axis of rotation, the said projections extending radially from and being spaced from the weir edge and extending to above the level of the weir edge and below the level of the liquid in the trough, means for rotating said rotor for causing the projections to cut into the thickness of the liquid over the weir edge to emerge where it spills from the weir edge to project directionally a spray of liquid and means positioning the dampening apparatus and a roll of a dampening train of the printing machine such that the said roll receives liquid directionally sprayed by the rotor, a drain trough below a path of the spray projected from the weir, a front wall of the drain trough being parallel to and spaced from the said one of the walls of the supply trough providing the weir edge, and a base of the drain trough extending from the said front wall to the said one wall, an output orifice for the spray being above an upper edge of the front wall of the drain trough, lips defining the outlet orifice, the improvement consisting of a quick-response means for adjustment of spray output from the dampening apparatus to the dampening train comprising means in the dampening apparatus actuable for preventing at least partially egress of spray from the apparatus and control elements for actuating the said actuable means, the said actuable means actuable between a condition in which the spray passes out through the orifice and a condition in which it is at least partially caught by a said lip or the orifice wherein the control elements include a detection unit in the printing machine effective to actuate the actuable means only when a fault condition is detected in the machine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The improvement as claimed in claim 5 wherein the control elements include also a manually operable element effective to actuate the actuable means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-15 | 1979-06-16 | 1979-12-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-15 | 1983-06-16 | 1983-12-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-15 | 1987-06-16 | 1987-12-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |