Ink divider for ink fountain rollers

Claim 1

An ink dividing assembly for use in dividing an ink fountain roller of a rinse-type ink fountain having an ink reservoir whose front is sealed by the ink fountain roller in a rotary printing machine into a plurality of different color ink conveying areas, said ink dividing assembly comprising: at least one inking bar positioned adjacent to, and extending longitudinally parallel to an axis of rotation of the ink fountain roller; a guide plate secured to each end of said at least one inking bar, each of said guide plates having a guide depression cooperating with said end of said at least one inking bar to form a guide slot; a thin ink dividing plate slideably carried in each of said guide slots, each of said ink dividing plates having a curved front surface having a thickness of between 0.03 mm and 0.3 mm and being adapted to engage the peripheral surface of the ink fountain roller, each said thin ink dividing plate being generally planar and being disposed in said guide slot generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the ink fountain roller, each said ink dividing plate further having a rear surface extending beyond rear surfaces of said inking bar and said guide plate; and at least first and second leaf springs attached at first ends to said rear surface of said inking bar generally adjacent each said guide slot and having second, free ends contacting said rear surface of each said thin ink dividing plate to bias each said thin ink dividing plate against the ink fountain roller, each said ink dividing plate dividing the ink fountain roller into a plurality of ink conveying areas.