Spray dampening system having alternate application control

Claim 2

In a spray dampening system for delivering a dampening fluid through a bank of solenoid-operated spray nozzles to a moving surface of a printing operation, the dampening system having a control system for operating the solenoids which is responsive to the speed of the printing operation, the control system including individual driver means for operating each solenoid, the improvement comprising means for operating the individual driver means in pairs such that only one driver means of each pair is activated at a time, said operating means including means responsive to a representation of the speed of the printing operation and connected to the driver means for alternating operating one driver means of each pair of driver means such that adjacent spray nozzles are not activated simultaneously.

Claim 3

A spray dampening system according to claim 1 in which said operating means includes a gate connected to each driver means, and including a gate operator having a first and a second output, said gate operator including means for activating only one of said outputs at a time, said first output being connected to one gate of each pair of driver means and said second output being connected to the other gate of each of driver means.

Claim 4

A spray dampening system according to claim 2 in which said gate operator comprises a bistable multivibrator.

Claim 5

A spray dampening system according to claim 1 including a controller connected to each pair of driver means for providing operating signals thereto, and in which said operating means includes a multivibrator having one output connected to one driver means of each said pair and a second ouput connected to the other driver means of each said pair.

Claim 6

A spray dampening system according to claim 4 including means for remotely operating said controller.

Claim 7

A spray dampening system according to claim 5 in which said means for remotely operating includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver connected to said container.

Claim 8

A spray dampening system according to claim 4 including a program storage device connected to said controller for operating said controller.

Claim 9

In a spray dampening system for delivering a dampening fluid through a bank of solenoid-operated spray nozzles to a moving surface of a printing operation, the dampening system having a control system for operating the solenoids, which control system includes means responsive to the speed of the printing operation for producing a voltage representation of the speed and individual driver means for operating each solenoid, the improvement comprising means for operating the individual driver means in pairs, said operating means including means responsive to the voltage representation and connected to the driver means for alternatingly operating one driver means of each pair of driving means such that adjacent spray nozzles are not activated simultaneously, said means responsive including a gate connected to each driver means and a gate operator means connected to each pair at a time.

Claim 10

In a spray dampening system for delivering a dampening fluid through a bank of solenoid-operated spray nozzles to a moving surface of a printing operation, the dampening system having a control system for operating the solenoids, which control system includes means responsive to the speed of the printing operation for producing a voltage representation of the speed and individual driver means for operating each solenoid, the improvement comprising means for operating the individual driver means in pairs, said operating means including means responsive to the voltage representation and connected to the driver means for alternatingly operating one driver means of each pair of driving means such that adjacent spray nozzles are not activated simultaneously, said means responsive including a gate connected to each driver means and a gate operator means connected to each pair at a time.

Claim 11

A spray dampening system according to claim 8 in which said gate operator means comprises a bistable multivibrator having first and second outputs, one of said outputs being connected to one gate of each pair of driver means and the other of said outputs being connected to the other gate of each pair of driver means.

Claim 12

A spray dampening system according to claim 9 in which said means for producing a voltage representation comprises a pulse generator and the pulses therefrom are connected to said multivibrator.

Claim 13

In a spray dampening system for delivering a dampening fluid through a bank of solenoid-operated spray nozzles to a moving surface of a printing operation, the dampening system having a control system for operating the solenoids which is responsive to the speed of the printing operation, the control system including means responsive to the speed of the printing operation for producing a voltage representation of the speed and an individual driver means for operating each solenoid, the improvement comprising a. means for operating the individual driver means in pairs, b. a controller for providing operating signals for controlling activation of the solenoids, c. means connecting the controller to each pair of driver means, and d. said operating means having means responsive to the voltage representation and connected to the driver means for alternatingly operating one driver means of each pair of driving means such that adjacent spray nozzles are not activated simultaneously.

Claim 14

In a spray dampening system for delivering a dampening fluid through a bank of solenoid-operated spray nozzles to a moving surface of a printing operation, the dampening system having a control system for operating the solenoids which is responsive to the speed of the printing operation, the control system including means responsive to the speed of the printing operation for producing a voltage representation of the speed and an individual driver means for operating each solenoid, the improvement comprising a. means for operating the individual driver means in pairs, b. a controller for providing operating signals for controlling activation of the solenoids, c. means connecting the controller to each pair of driver means, and d. said operating means having means responsive to the voltage representation and connected to the driver means for alternatingly operating one driver means of each pair of driving means such that adjacent spray nozzles are not activated simultaneously.

Claim 15

A spray dampening system according to claim 11 in which said operating means includes a gate connected to each driver means for controlling each driver means, said connecting means being connected to each gate of each pair of driving means.

Claim 16

A spray dampening system according to claim 12 in which said means responsive to the voltage representation comprises a multivibrator having two outputs, one output being connected to one gate of each pair of driving means and the other output being connected to the other gate of each pair of driving means.

Claim 17

A spray dampening system according to claim 11 including means for remotely operating said controller.

Claim 18

A spray dampening system according to claim 14 in which said means for remotely operating includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver connected to said controller.

Claim 19

A spray dampening system according to claim 11 including a program storage device connected to said controller for operating said controller.