Patent ID: 6619206
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: B41F,Y10T

Abstract:
A rotary printing press comprising:an ink fountain including a fountain roller and blade for holding a small supply of viscous, offset printing ink, the ink fountain adapted to cooperate with an ink train for delivering a film of ink to a printing plate; a sensor for sensing the level of ink in the ink fountain, wherein said sensor measures the distance between the sensor and the surface of ink in the ink fountain without contacting the ink; an ink dispenser for selectively dispensing ink through an outlet of said ink dispenser and into said ink fountain; a structure for moving the sensor and said ink dispenser outlet together in tandem along a support mounted above the ink fountain; and a controller in communication with said ink dispenser, wherein said controller receives samples of the ink level in said ink fountain from the ink level sensor, wherein said samples are taken at discrete intervals along the ink fountain, and wherein said controller determines whether ink from the ink dispenser should be dispensed into the ink fountain based at least in part on said received samples.