Reverse angle doctor blade assembly with stationary end seal

Claim 2

A liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: reservoir means having ends and intermediate walls defining a reservoir cavity for holding liquid; transfer roll means having ends mounted for rotation about an axis and having a transfer surface intermediate said ends for rotating to retain a metered quantity of said liquid; means for engaging said transfer roll means within said reservoir cavity and rotating said transfer roll means about said axis so that said transfer surface retains liquid from said reservoir cavity; end seal support means mounted in stationary, slidable relation to the ends of said transfer roll means and having a sealing surface portion coplanar with an adjacent abutting portion of said transfer surface;; end seal means for sealing the ends of said reservoir means and having a sealing edge conforming to said sealing surface portion of said end seal support means for engaging said sealing surface portion to provide a stationary seal at the ends of said transfer roll means; at least one doctor blade means having an edge for removing excess liquid adhering to said transfer surface as said transfer roll means rotates; and means for supporting said doctor blade means adjacent to and extending along the length of the transfer roll means with the ends of the doctor blade means in sealing engagement with at least a portion of said end seal means and said edge of the doctor blade means extending over said transfer surface.

Claim 3

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 1, including at least one inlet means for supplying liquid to said reservoir means and at least one outlet means for removing liquid from said reservoir means to maintain a constant flow of liquid through said reservoir means.

Claim 4

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 2, including an outlet means disposed at opposite ends of said reservoir means, said inlet means located between the outlet means.

Claim 5

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 1, including inlet means for supplying liquid to said reservoir means, outlet means for removing liquid from the reservoir means, and means for selectively adjusting the vertical position of said outlet means with respect to said reservoir means to provide a desired level of liquid within said reservoir means.

Claim 6

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 4, wherein said reservoir means includes means for deflecting said excess liquid sheared from said transfer roll means for maintaining the level of liquid within said reservoir means to evenly wet said transfer roll means.

Claim 7

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 5, wherein said means for deflecting is a groove formed in said reservoir means.

Claim 8

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for supporting includes means for supporting said at least one doctor blade means with said edge opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll means to shear excess liquid from said transfer surface.

Claim 9

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 7, including a trapping blade spaced from said doctor blade means and adjacent said transfer surface for retaining liquid within said reservoir.

Claim 10

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 8, wherein said shearing blade and trapping blade are oriented at approximately 30° of the tangent of said transfer roll means.

Claim 11

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 8, including a first holder means for releasably supporting said doctor blade means and a second holder means for releasably supporting said trapping blade means, each holder means including a base holder for supporting a blade means, means for detachably affixing said base holder to said reservoir means, and a clamping means for detachably engaging said base holder and pressing the blade means against the base holder to hold the blade means in position.

Claim 12

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transfer roll means includes an anilox roll.

Claim 13

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transfer roll means includes an engraved printing cylinder.

Claim 14

A liquid transfer apparatus of a type wherein liquid in a reservoir wets the surface of a rotating transfer roll which then applies liquid to a moving web or intermediate roll, the improvement comprising: a reservoir chamber having one open face; means for circulating a liquid through said reservoir chamber; a transfer roll disposed for rotation adjacent to said open face for receiving liquid from said reservoir chamber; at least one reverse angle doctor blade means having an edge oriented in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of the transfer roll; a seal support disposed at each end of said transfer roll, each seal support having a sealing surface coplanar with an adjacent abutting portion of the surface of said transfer roll; means for holding each seal support in stationary, sliding relation to its end of the transfer roll; and a resilient seal disposed at each end of the reservoir chamber, each seal having an edge for sealingly engaging said sealing surface of its adjacent seal support and an adjacent end of said blade means to provide a liquid seal at the ends of said transfer roll and said reservoir chamber.

Claim 15

A liquid transfer apparatus of a type wherein liquid in a reservoir wets the surface of a rotating transfer roll which then applies liquid to a moving web or intermediate roll, the improvement comprising: a reservoir chamber having one open face; means for circulating a liquid through said reservoir chamber; a transfer roll disposed for rotation adjacent to said open face for receiving liquid from said reservoir chamber; at least one reverse angle doctor blade means having an edge oriented in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of the transfer roll; a seal support disposed at each end of said transfer roll, each seal support having a sealing surface coplanar with an adjacent abutting portion of the surface of said transfer roll; means for holding each seal support in stationary, sliding relation to its end of the transfer roll; and a resilient seal disposed at each end of the reservoir chamber, each seal having an edge for sealingly engaging said sealing surface of its adjacent seal support and an adjacent end of said blade means to provide a liquid seal at the ends of said transfer roll and said reservoir chamber.

Claim 16

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, including two reverse angle doctor blade means, one of said reverse angle doctor blade means disposed adjacent a top portion of said reservoir chamber for shearing excess liquid from said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in one direction and the other of said reverse angle doctor blade means disposed adjacent a bottom portion of said reservoir chamber for shearing excess liquid from said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in a direction opposite said one direction.

Claim 17

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, wherein said reservoir chamber includes means for deflecting a cascade of liquid sheared by said at least one reverse angle doctor blade means away from the back of said reservoir chamber to maintain a relatively constant level of liquid within the reservoir chamber.

Claim 18

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 15, wherein said means for deflecting is a longitudinal groove formed in a back wall of said reservoir chamber and adjacent to the bottom of the chamber.

Claim 19

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, including means for detachably affixing said reverse angle doctor blade means to said reservoir chamber.

Claim 20

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of said seal supports includes a ring means for slidingly engaging an end of said transfer roll, holding pins for engaging said ring means to hold the ring means in stationary relation to said transfer roll, and springs for pressing the ring means against the end of the transfer roll.

Claim 21

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 18, wherein said ring means includes two C-shaped portions and means for detachably coupling said portions to form a ring.

Claim 22

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for circulating includes an inlet for supplying liquid to said reservoir chamber and two vertically adjustable outlets for removing liquid from the reservoir chamber and adjusting the level of liquid within the chamber, said outlets positioned at opposite ends of the reservoir chamber and said inlet positioned between the outlets.

Claim 23

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, wherein said transfer roll is an anilox roll.

Claim 24

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 13, wherein said transfer roll is an engraved printing cylinder.

Claim 25

A high speed liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a transfer roll and means for rotating said transfer roll; a reservoir chamber for retaining liquid, said reservoir chamber having means for engaging in fluid communication with the surface of the transfer roll; reverse doctor blade means for metering liquid from said reservoir onto the surface of said transfer roll, said reverse doctor blade means having an edge extending along the length of said transfer roll and oriented opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of the transfer roll; seal support means mounted in stationary relation to said transfer roll; resilient seal means for engaging said seal support means and said reverse doctor blade means to provide a seal against said liquid at the ends of said reservoir chamber and transfer roll; and liquid deflecting means disposed in the liquid of said reservoir chamber for deflecting a cascade of sheared liquid from said reverse doctor blade means away from the back of said reservoir chamber to maintain the level of liquid within the reservoir chamber.

Claim 26

A high speed liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a transfer roll and means for rotating said transfer roll; a reservoir chamber for retaining liquid, said reservoir chamber having means for engaging in fluid communication with the surface of the transfer roll; reverse doctor blade means for metering liquid from said reservoir onto the surface of said transfer roll, said reverse doctor blade means having an edge extending along the length of said transfer roll and oriented opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of the transfer roll; seal support means mounted in stationary relation to said transfer roll; resilient seal means for engaging said seal support means and said reverse doctor blade means to provide a seal against said liquid at the ends of said reservoir chamber and transfer roll; and liquid deflecting means disposed in the liquid of said reservoir chamber for deflecting a cascade of sheared liquid from said reverse doctor blade means away from the back of said reservoir chamber to maintain the level of liquid within the reservoir chamber.

Claim 27

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 23, wherein said liquid deflecting means is a groove disposed in a back wall of said reservoir chamber.

Claim 28

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 23, wherein said seal support means includes a support ring disposed at each end of said transfer roll in stationary sliding relation to its end of the transfer roll, each support ring having a sealing surface coplanar with the adjacent abutting surface of said transfer roll, said resilient seal means including a resilient seal disposed at each end of said reservoir chamber, each seal having an edge conforming to said sealing surface of a support ring for sealingly engaging said sealing surface and said reverse doctor blade means to provide a liquid seal at the ends of said transfer roll and said reservoir chamber.

Claim 29

A liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a transfer roll and means for rotating said transfer roll; a reservoir chamber for retaining liquid, said reservoir chamber having means for engaging in liquid communication with the surface of the transfer roll; reverse doctor blade means oriented opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll; sealing means for providing a liquid seal at the ends of said reservoir chamber and said transfer roll; and a groove formed in a back wall of said reservoir chamber for deflecting a cascade of sheared liquid from said reverse doctor blade means away from the back wall of said reservoir chamber to control the turbulence of liquid within the reservoir chamber and thereby maintain a relatively constant level of liquid within the reservoir chamber.

Claim 30

A liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a transfer roll and means for rotating said transfer roll; a reservoir chamber for retaining liquid, said reservoir chamber having means for engaging in liquid communication with the surface of the transfer roll; reverse doctor blade means oriented opposite the direction of rotation of said transfer roll for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll; sealing means for providing a liquid seal at the ends of said reservoir chamber and said transfer roll; and a groove formed in a back wall of said reservoir chamber for deflecting a cascade of sheared liquid from said reverse doctor blade means away from the back wall of said reservoir chamber to control the turbulence of liquid within the reservoir chamber and thereby maintain a relatively constant level of liquid within the reservoir chamber.

Claim 31

A liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a reservoir chamber for retaining a liquid; a transfer roll disposed for rotation with at least a portion of its surface in liquid communication within the reservoir chamber to receive liquid from the reservoir chamber; means for circulating said liquid through said reservoir chamber; a first blade means for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in one direction and for retaining liquid in said reservoir chamber when the transfer roll rotates in an opposite direction; a second blade means for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in said opposite direction and for retaining liquid in said reservoir chamber when the transfer roll rotates in said one direction; two seal supports, the seal supports disposed at opposite ends of said transfer roll; means for holding each seal support in stationary sliding relation to its end of the transfer roll; a resilient seal disposed at each end of the reservoir chamber, each seal sealingly engaging an adjacent stationary seal support to provide a liquid seal at the ends of said transfer roll and said reservoir chamber; and deflector means disposed within said reservoir chamber for deflecting liquid sheared from at least one of said blade means away from a back wall of said reservoir chamber to control the turbulence of liquid within the reservoir chamber and thereby maintain a relatively constant level of liquid within the chamber.

Claim 32

A liquid transfer apparatus, comprising: a reservoir chamber for retaining a liquid; a transfer roll disposed for rotation with at least a portion of its surface in liquid communication within the reservoir chamber to receive liquid from the reservoir chamber; means for circulating said liquid through said reservoir chamber; a first blade means for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in one direction and for retaining liquid in said reservoir chamber when the transfer roll rotates in an opposite direction; a second blade means for shearing excess liquid from the surface of said transfer roll when the transfer roll rotates in said opposite direction and for retaining liquid in said reservoir chamber when the transfer roll rotates in said one direction; two seal supports, the seal supports disposed at opposite ends of said transfer roll; means for holding each seal support in stationary sliding relation to its end of the transfer roll; a resilient seal disposed at each end of the reservoir chamber, each seal sealingly engaging an adjacent stationary seal support to provide a liquid seal at the ends of said transfer roll and said reservoir chamber; and deflector means disposed within said reservoir chamber for deflecting liquid sheared from at least one of said blade means away from a back wall of said reservoir chamber to control the turbulence of liquid within the reservoir chamber and thereby maintain a relatively constant level of liquid within the chamber.

Claim 33

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 27, wherein said deflector means includes a groove formed in the back wall of said reservoir chamber.

Claim 34

The liquid transfer apparatus of claim 27, wherein said means for circulating includes an inlet for supplying liquid to said reservoir chamber and two vertically adjustable outlets for removing liquid from the reservoir chamber and adjusting the level of liquid within the chamber, said outlets positioned at opposite ends of the reservoir chamber and said inlet positioned between the outlets.