Inking arrangement

An inking arrangement has a structure in which a printing ink extracted from an inking source by an inking roller is transferred to an ink applying roller through an ink roller train including a plurality of inking rollers and the printing ink is then transferred to a scanning area of a plate cylinder from the ink applying roller. A doctor device is disposed above a top portion of an outer peripheral surface of the ink applying roller, the doctor device being circumscribed with the top portion at an acute angle on a roller rotating direction of the ink applying roller to scrape out an ink remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the ink applying roller as well as to clean the surface. A plurality of ink roller trains may be disposed so as to include, for example, a smoothing ink roller train and a finishing ink roller train, each including a doctor device circumscribing the outer peripheral surface of the ink applying roller contacting the plate cylinder. In this arrangement, the smoothing ink roller train may be composed as a unit rotatable around a spindle of one of the rollers so as to outwardly release the doctor device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an inking arrangement used for a printing machine 
and is particularly concerned with an inking arrangement for feeding a 
printing ink to a plate cylinder. 
In an inking arrangement used for a printing machine, a printing ink stored 
in an inkwell is transferred to ink applying rollers from an ink delivery 
roller through a train of inking rollers, and the printing ink is then 
scoured to a plate such as a plate cylinder or the like from the ink 
applying rollers. 
In a prior art inking arrangement, a printing ink stored in an inkwell is 
extracted on an ink delivery roller and then guided to an inking roller 
train including a plurality of inking rollers combined therefor. The 
inking roller train comprises, in combination, an ink transfer roller for 
transferring the extracted printing ink in a proper quantity, scouring 
rollers for securing a fluidity of the printing ink by minimizing a change 
in concentration thereof, reciprocating rollers reciprocating axially at a 
constant width to distribute the printing ink uniformly without causing 
inhomogeneous regions, and ink applying rollers for settling the printing 
onto a scanning area of a plate such as a plate cylinder. In consideration 
of scour and transferability of the printing ink, the inking roller train 
includes metallic rollers and rubber rollers disposed alternately, thus 
aiding in achieving keeping the printing ink constant in concentration. 
In a printing machine such as a sheet press, web press of the like, an 
inking arrangement in which a plate cylinder or the like is incorporated 
is set, a printing ink is scoured by the inking arrangement and applied to 
the plate cylinder, a printing paper is fed to the plate cylinder to which 
the ink is applied, and a pressure is applied to effect the paper to 
printing. 
In the prior art inking arrangement, a plurality of inking rollers are 
combined to form a system linking the ink transfer roller to the ink 
applying rollers, and a printing ink is scoured by the inking roller 
train, thereby keeping the printing ink applied to the plate cylinder 
constant in concentration. 
However, in the prior art inking arrangement, while the printing ink is 
transferred in succession to a lower stage side through the inking roller 
train, it is difficult to transfer the ink thoroughly to the inking 
rollers on the lower stage side, and thus there may be a case where the 
printing ink which could not be transferred to the inking roller on the 
lower stage side remains on a surface of the inking roller for applying 
the printing ink to the plate cylinder. The residual ink is introduced 
onto the plate cylinder, resulting in an unevenness in concentration of 
the printing ink, which may cause an non-homogeneous printing and an ink 
stain. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of this invention is to substantially eliminate the 
above-mentioned defects and drawbacks encountered in the prior art and to 
provide an inking arrangement capable of preventing insufficient printing 
ink concentration and ink strain from arising due to printing ink 
remaining on an ink applying roller and being suitable for providing a 
high grade artificial printing product. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an inking arrangement which 
includes a doctor device for smoothing the ink distribution and cleaning 
the roller surface and which is capable of providing easy handling of the 
doctor device. 
These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention 
by providing an inking arrangement in which a printing ink extracted from 
an inking source by an inking roller is transferred to an ink applying 
roller through an ink roller train including a plurality of inking 
rollers, and the printing ink is then transferred to a scanning area of a 
plate cylinder from the ink applying roller, the improvement being that a 
doctor device is disposed above a top portion of an outer peripheral 
surface of the ink applying roller, the doctor device being circumscribed 
with the top portion at an acute angle with the roller rotating direction 
of the ink applying roller to scrape out any ink remaining on the outer 
peripheral surface of the ink applying roller as well as to clean the 
surface. 
In a modified embodiment, there is provided an inking arrangement 
comprising 
an ink source in which a printing ink is stored; 
an inking roller contacting the printing ink in the ink source; 
an ink roller train contacting the inking roller, the ink roller train 
including an ink transfer roller contacting the inking roller for 
receiving the printing ink from the ink source, an ink scouring roller 
contacting the ink transfer roller for stabilizing the fluidity of the 
printing ink, a reciprocating roller contacting the scouring roller for 
smoothing the printing ink in a widthwise direction of the scouring 
roller, and an ink applying roller contacting the reciprocating roller and 
disposed in a final stage of the ink roller train; 
a plate cylinder contacting the ink applying roller; and 
a doctor device disposed above a top portion of an outer peripheral surface 
of the ink applying roller, the doctor device being circumscribed with the 
top portion at an acute angle with the roller rotating direction of the 
ink applying roller to scrape out any ink remaining on the outer 
peripheral surface of the ink applying roller as well as to clean the 
surface, the reciprocating roller being circumscribed with the outer 
peripheral surface of the ink applying roller at a location further 
downward from a portion of the doctor device contacting the surface of the 
ink applying roller in the roller rotating direction thereof. 
In another embodiment, there is provided an inking arrangement comprising: 
an ink source in which a printing ink is stored; 
an inking roller contacting the printing ink stored in the ink source; 
ink roller train means contacting the inking roller, the ink roller train 
means including an ink transfer roller contacting the inking roller for 
receiving the printing ink from the ink source, a smoothing ink roller 
train and a finishing ink roller train, the smoothing ink roller train 
comprising an ink scouring roller contacting the ink transfer roller for 
stabilizing fluidity of the printing ink, a reciprocating roller 
contacting the scouring roller for smoothing the printing ink in a 
widthwise direction of the scouring roller, and a smoothing ink applying 
roller contacting the reciprocating roller through another inking roller 
and disposed in a final stage of the smoothing ink roller train, the 
finishing ink roller train comprising an ink scouring roller contacting 
the ink transfer roller, a reciprocating roller contacting the ink 
scouring roller for smoothing the printing ink in a widthwise direction of 
the scouring, and a finishing ink applying roller contacting the 
reciprocating roller through another inking roller and disposed in a final 
stage of the finishing ink roller train; 
a plate cylinder contacting the smoothing ink applying roller and the 
finishing ink applying roller; and 
doctor devices disposed above outer peripheral surfaces of the smoothing 
and finishing ink applying rollers, the doctor devices being circumscribed 
with the outer peripheral surfaces of the smoothing and finishing ink 
applying rollers each at an acute angle with the roller rotating direction 
of the ink applying roller so as to scrape out ink remaining on the outer 
peripheral surface of the ink applying roller as well as to clean the 
surface. 
In a further aspect, there is provided an inking arrangement comprising: 
an ink source in which a printing ink is stored; 
an inking roller contacting the printing ink stored in the ink source; 
an ink roller train means contacting the inking roller, the ink roller 
train means including an ink transfer roller contacting the inking roller 
for receiving the printing ink from the ink source, a smoothing ink roller 
train and a finishing ink roller train, the smoothing ink roller train 
comprising an ink scouring roller contacting the ink transfer roller for 
keeping fluidity of the printing ink, a smoothing ink applying roller 
disposed in a final stage of the smoothing ink roller train and ink 
transfer belt means disposed between the scouring roller and the ink 
applying roller of the smoothing ink roller train, the belt means 
comprising a first roller contacting the ink scouring roller, a second 
roller contacting the smoothing ink applying roller, a belt stretched 
around outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second rollers to be 
rotatable so as to transfer the printing ink from the ink scouring roller 
to the smoothing ink applying roller through a rotation of the belt and a 
frame member connecting the first and second rollers, the finishing ink 
roller train comprising an ink scouring roller contacting the ink transfer 
roller, a reciprocating roller contacting the ink scouring roller for 
smoothing the printing ink in a widthwise direction of the scouring, and a 
finishing ink applying roller contacting the reciprocating roller through 
another inking roller and disposed in a final stage of the finishing ink 
roller train; 
a plate cylinder contacting the smoothing ink applying roller and the 
finishing ink applying roller; and 
doctor devices disposed above outer peripheral surfaces of the smoothing 
and finishing ink applying rollers, the doctor devices being circumscribed 
with the outer peripheral surfaces of the smoothing and finishing ink 
applying roller each at an acute angle with the rotating direction of the 
ink applying roller so as to scrape out any ink remaining on the outer 
peripheral surface of the ink applying roller as well as to clean the 
surface. 
In preferred embodiments of the inking arrangements according to the second 
and third embodiments mentioned above, each of the smoothing ink roller 
trains may be composed as a unit to be rotatable to outwardly release the 
doctor device so as to allow easy handling of the same. 
According to the characters or structures of the inking arrangement of the 
present invention described above, the inking arrangement is provided with 
an ink roller train, or a plurality of ink roller trains in some aspects, 
and the doctor device is provided on the ink applying roller for applying 
a printing ink to a plate cylinder. The doctor device can scrape out the 
remaining ink to smooth and clean the roller surface. Therefore, an 
unevenness of concentration of the printing ink being prevented from 
arising on the ink applying roller is prevented, and a negative influence 
due to the unevenness of the concentration of the residual ink is also 
prevented, thus ensuring a clean printing, free from non-homogeneous 
printing regions and stain. 
Further, the doctor device is provided with the doctor blade circumscribed 
acutely on the side where the roller rotates forward from a top portion of 
the ink applying roller and the doctor blade scrapes out to smooth the 
printing ink attached to the surface of the ink applying roller. 
Therefore, an unevenness of the ink concentration is prevented from 
arising on the side where the roller rotates forward. 
Still further, in the inking arrangement according to the present 
invention, the inking roller train provided with the doctor device 
surrounded by each ink roller train is supported rotatably by a spindle of 
the roller to keep the doctor device releasable. Therefore, when the ink 
is changed or washed, the ink roller train is turned to release the doctor 
device and the doctor device can thus easily be loosened or demounted. 
Hence, the work for changing the ink shade or washing the ink can be 
simplified and smoothed. Further, damage or failure of the ink applying 
roller surface can be effectively prevented at the time of such work.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Preferred embodiments of an inking arrangement relating to this invention 
will now be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying 
drawings. 
First, referring to FIG. 1 representing a first embodiment of this 
invention, an inking arrangement 10 is intended for use for printing 
machines such as sheet presses, web presses and the like, and in the 
inking arrangement 10, a printing ink stored in an inkwell 11 is scoured 
in order to transfer it to a plate cylinder 12. 
The printing ink stored in the inkwell 11 is extracted by an ink delivery 
roller 13 and guided to an inking roller train 14 combining a plurality of 
inking rollers to function as ink scouring, rollers. In consideration of a 
tack value, i.e., the tackiness, of the printing ink and further taking 
roller scour and transferability of the ink into consideration, the inking 
roller train 14 includes fundamentally rubber rollers and metallic 
rollers, respectively disposed alternately. 
The rubber roller is that in which an iron core is covered with synthetic 
rubber, natural rubber or the like, the synthetic rubber employing mainly 
neoprene, thiokol and nitrile rubber superior in oil resistance. 
The inking roller train 14 includes a rubber ink transfer roller 15 for 
transferring a printing ink extracted from the ink delivery roller 13 in a 
proper quantity, scouring rollers 16 and 17 for scouring the printing ink 
from the ink transfer roller 15 to keep a desired fluidity of the ink, a 
reciprocating roller 18 for reciprocating and smoothing the printing ink 
on the outer peripheral surface axially of the roller by a necessary width 
and a rubber ink applying roller 19 for shifting the printing ink to the 
plate cylinder 12. The scouring rollers 16 and 17 are composed of a 
metallic roller 16 and an intermediate rubber roller 17, respectively. A 
hardness of the rubber roller is 30 to 40 degrees in the case where, for 
example, the scouring roller 17 is operating as a tumbling roller and 25 
to 30 degrees in the case where the ink applying roller 19 is operating as 
a driving rubber roller. 
The reciprocating roller 18 is a driving metallic roller for scouring the 
printing ink axially of the roller and the metallic roller is reciprocated 
axially at a constant stroke. 
It is possible, when desired, to locate a roller 21 for the ink applying 
roller 19 for smoothing the roller surface after the ink transfer or 
before the transfer for preventing unevenness of the concentration and 
drying of the roller surface. The roller 21 may be composed of a 
reciprocating roller for smoothing the ink. 
A scraper device 22 may be disposed as occasion demands for the final stage 
side ink roller of the ink roller train 14, for example, the final stage 
reciprocating roller 18. The scraper device 22 includes a pair of scraper 
rollers 23, 23 made of rubber, plastic, ceramic or metallic material, and 
these scraper rollers 23, 23 are circumscribed with the reciprocating 
roller 18 at the downstream side of the ink applying roller 19 to scrape 
out the ink remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the reciprocating 
roller 18 to make it clean. 
The ink scraped out by the scraper rollers 23, 23 of the scraper device 22 
is transferred to a follower roller 24 to recover the ink, which is 
reused. The scraper rollers 23, 23 are rotated with rotating speeds 
different from that of the reciprocating roller 18 or with a relative 
speed difference in the same rotating direction for improving the ink 
scraping efficiency. 
A doctor device 25 is further disposed on the roller top side of the ink 
applying 19 for scraping the print ink adhering to the roller 19 surface 
to make smooth the ink distribution along the width direction of the 
roller 19. The doctor device 25 is provided with a doctor blade 26 having 
a free end circumscribed with the top portion of the ink applying roller 
19 on the roller rotating side having an acute angle. The doctor blade 26 
scrapes out the print ink remaining on the plate cylinder 12 after the 
transfer thereon to make smooth the ink distribution in the width 
direction thereof. The doctor blade 26 is a cantilever type, made of 
rubber, plastic, ceramic or metallic material, having a blade front end 
which is press contacted to the roller surface of the ink applying roller 
19 to scrape out the ink applied to the roller surface. The ink applying 
roller 19 is composed of a driving type rubber roller for the smooth 
driving thereof even when the doctor blade 26 contacts it. 
The ink scraped out by the doctor blade 26 of the doctor device 25 is 
stored in an ink reservoir 28 disposed between the doctor blade 26 and an 
ink counterflow check blade 27, for example, on the top portion, as 
viewed, of the outer peripheral surface of the ink applying roller 19 
opposite to the doctor blade 26 across a predetermined minute gap from the 
roller surface on the ;side where the roller rotates in the counter 
direction. Residual ink stored in the ink reservoir 28 is recovered into a 
recovery tank, not indicated, or the inkwell 11 to reuse the same. 
Next, an operation of the inking arrangement 10 according to this 
embodiment will be described hereunder. 
A printing ink stored in the inkwell 11 is extracted by the metallic ink 
delivery roller 13 and guided to the rollers of the inking roller train 14 
one by one from the ink transfer roller 15. In the inking roller train 14, 
the printing ink is scoured by cooperative action of the scouring rollers 
16 and 17 and the reciprocating roller 18 and is smoothed to have the ink 
concentration unified. 
The printing ink is guided along the inking roller train 14 downward one by 
one, transferred to the ink applying roller 19 from the reciprocating 
roller 18 and is then scoured and applied to the plate cylinder 12 by the 
ink applying roller 19. The printing ink applied to the plate cylinder 12 
is scoured uniformly by the inking roller train 14 and attached in a state 
which is free from ink unevenness. 
The printing ink attached to the plate cylinder 12 is transferred onto a 
printing paper by applying a pressure to the printing paper fed to a plate 
surface of the plate cylinder 12, thus performing the printing operation. 
Further, the inking arrangement 10 has the doctor device 25 provided on the 
top surface of the ink applying roller 19, and the ink remaining on the 
surface of the ink applying roller 19 is scraped out by the doctor blade 
26 of the doctor device 25 after being transferred to the plate cylinder 
and then smoothed in the roller cross direction, thus preventing 
nonhomogeneous regions in concentration from arising due to the residual 
ink. 
In the next process, a printing paper is applied to the plate surface of 
the plate cylinder 12 and a printing pressure is applied to the paper, 
thus performing the printing operation. 
In this process, the inking arrangement 10 comprises the scraper device 22 
being provided to the final stage side inking roller of the ink roller 
train 14, for example, the reciprocating roller 18. The printing ink 
remaining on the reciprocating roller surface is scraped out to make the 
surface clean, whereby a negative influence caused by the remaining ink 
can be obviated and clean printing with no ink contamination or stain can 
be realized. 
The inking arrangement 10 is also provided with the doctor device 25 on the 
top portion of the ink applying roller 19 and the ink remaining on the 
roller surface of the ink applying roller 19 can be scraped out after the 
ink transfer onto the plate cylinder 12 by the doctor blade 26 of the 
doctor device 25 and the ink distribution thereon can be made smooth along 
the widthwise direction of the roller, thus preventing non-homogeneous 
concentrations regions from arising due to the residual ink. 
The ink scraped out by the doctor blade 26 is stored in the ink reservoir 
28 between the doctor blade 26 and the ink counterflow check blade 27, and 
the remaining ink is recovered in a recovery tank for a reutilization. On 
the other hand, the ink stored in the ink reservoir 28 is rescoured 
according to rotations of the ink applying roller 19, smoothed by the 
doctor blade 26 and unified in the roller cross direction. Thus, the 
roller surface in a state free from uneven ink concentration and drying 
can be formed. The ink scoured and unified by the inking roller train 14 
is transferred to the surface of the ink applying roller 19 from the final 
stage side inking roller 18 of the inking roller train 14, thereby 
allowing the surface of the ink applying roller 19 before the transfer to 
the plate cylinder 12, to be smoothed with the ink free from an unevenness 
in concentration. Thus, a fine printing free from ink unevenness and stain 
may be applied to the printing paper to be printed by a plate surface of 
the plate cylinder 12. It is therefore pertinent to a high-level printing 
such as art printing or the like. 
A second embodiment of an inking arrangement according to this invention 
will now be described hereunder with reference to FIG. 2. 
Referring to FIG. 2, in an inking arrangement 110, a printing ink stored in 
an inkwell 111 is scoured for transfer to a plate cylinder 112. The 
printing ink stored in the inkwell 111 is extracted by an ink delivery 
roller 113 and guided to an inking roller train 114 combining a plurality 
of inking rollers to function as ink scouring rollers and generally 
comprising inking trains 132 and 133 mentioned hereinlater. In 
consideration of a tack value, i.e. tackiness, of the printing ink and 
further taking roller scour and transferability of the ink into 
consideration, the inking roller train 114 includes fundamentally rubber 
rollers respectively and metallic rollers disposed alternately. 
The rubber roller is that for which an iron core is covered with synthetic 
rubber, natural rubber or the like, the synthetic rubber employing mainly 
neoprene, thiokol and nitrile rubber superior in oil resistance. 
The inking roller train 114 includes rubber ink transfer rollers 115 for 
transferring a printing ink extracted from the ink delivery roller 113 in 
a proper quantity, scouring rollers 116 and 117 for scouring the printing 
ink from the ink transfer rollers 115 to keep constant or stabilize the 
fluidity of the ink, a reciprocating roller 118 for reciprocating and 
smoothing the printing ink on the outer peripheral surface axially of the 
roller by a necessary width, and rubber ink applying rollers 135 and 137 
for shifting the printing ink to the plate cylinder 112. The scouring 
rollers 116 and 117 are composed of a metallic roller 116 and an 
intermediate rubber roller 117, respectively. The hardness of the rubber 
roller is 30 to 40 degrees in the case where, for example, the scouring 
roller 117 is operating as a tumbling roller and 25 to 30 degrees in the 
case where the ink applying rollers 135 and 137 are operating as driving 
rubber rollers. 
The reciprocating roller 118 is a driving metallic roller for scouring the 
printing ink axially of the roller and the metallic roller is reciprocated 
axially at a constant stroke. 
The inking roller train 114 of the inking arrangement 110 is separated 
halfway into two or more systems, for example, traveling in the inking 
roller train 132 on a scouring side and the inking roller train 133 on a 
finishing side. The inking roller train 132 on the scouring side includes 
the rubber roller which is an inking roller 134 on a final stage side 
circumscribed with the scouring ink applying roller 135 and the inking 
roller train 133 includes the rubber roller which is an inking roller 136 
on the final stage side circumscribed with the finishing ink applying 
roller 137. The ink scoured by the inking roller trains 132 and 133 is 
transferred to the plate cylinder 112 from smoothing ink applying roller 
135 and the finishing ink applying roller 137. 
The finishing ink applying roller 137 and the smoothing ink applying roller 
135 are both formed of a driving rubber roller, thereby ensuring a smooth 
rotation of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137. These two rollers are 
circumscribed with the plate cylinder 112 as being spaced apart in the 
rotating direction thereof. 
Further, for smoothing the roller surface before or after the ink is 
transferred and also for preventing an unevenness of concentration and 
drying of the roller surface, it is preferable that a roller 121 is 
provided on the ink applying rollers 135 and 137. The roller 121 may be a 
reciprocating roller for smoothing the ink. 
In this embodiment, too, the smoothing ink applying roller 135 and the 
finishing ink applying roller 137 are provided with doctor devices 125, 
respectively. Each of the doctor devices 125 is provided so as to scrape 
out printing ink attaching on the outer peripheral surfaces of the ink 
applying rollers 135 and 137 and to smooth it in the roller 
cross-direction. 
The doctor device 125 has a doctor blade 126 with its free end side 
circumscribed acutely at an angle .theta. on a side where the roller 
rotates forward from the top of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137 and 
scrapes out the printing ink remaining after being transferred to the 
plate sylinder 112 on the doctor blade 126, thereby smoothing it in the 
cross direction. The doctor blade 126 is made of rubber, plastic, ceramic 
or metal and is depressed against the nose portion of a cantilever blade 
so as to come in contact with the surface of the ink applying rollers 135 
and 137. The ink applying rollers 135 and 137 are constructed of driving 
rubber rollers so as to be driven smoothly even when being depressed from 
contact by the doctor blade 126. 
The ink scraped out by the doctor blade 126 of the doctor device 125 is 
stored in an ink reservoir 128 between the doctor blade 126 and an ink 
counterflow check blade 127. The ink counterflow check blade 127 is 
provided, for example, on top, as viewed, of the outer peripheral surfaces 
of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137 opposite to the doctor blade 126 
across a predetermined minute gap from the roller surface on the side 
where the rollers rotate in counter directions. Residual ink stored in the 
ink reservoir 128 is scoured fine by rotations of the ink applying rollers 
135 and 137, and then recovered into a recovery tank, not indicated, or 
the inkwell 111 for reutilization. 
Meanwhile, when the printing ink is scraped out by the doctor blade 126 of 
the doctor device 125, the ink is capable of drooping due to exothermic 
action caused by friction. To prevent the ink from drooping, the ink 
applying rollers 135 and 137 have their surfaces cooled down by a 
water-cooled or oil-cooled cooling device, not indicated, to thereby keep 
a constant temperature. The cooling device circulates cooling oil or 
cooling water within the ink applying rollers 135 and 137. 
On the other hand, a recovery inking roller 141 of a recovery inking roller 
train 140 is circumscribed rotatably with the finishing ink applying 
roller 137 on a side where the roller of the doctor device 125 rotates 
forward. The recovery inking roller 141 is formed of a reciprocating 
metallic roller, and the ink recovered by the recovery inking roller 141 
is recovered in the ink transfer roller 115 of the inking roller train on 
the feed side by way of the recovery inking roller train 140 or in the 
inking rubber roller at a halfway point of the inking roller train 140. 
The recovery inking roller train 140 comprises, in combination, the 
recovery inking roller 141 and recovery scouring rollers 116 and 117. The 
scouring roller 116 is a driving metallic roller, while the scouring 
roller 117 is a tumbling rubber roller. The ink recovered by the recovery 
inking roller 141 is recovered by way of the recovery inking roller train 
140 and refed to the inking roller 114 on the feed side. 
In a preferred modification of this embodiment, the inking roller train 132 
arranged on the smoothing side is supported on a frame 144 as one unit to 
be rotatable, for example, around a spindle S of the scouring roller 117 
or a spindle Sa of the ink applying roller 135. The doctor device 125 is 
arranged so as to be released by turning the inking roller train 132 on 
the smoothing side by a hand of an operator or any other mechanical means. 
Furthermore, the rollers 17, 18 and 34 may be supported by a frame 144a as 
one unit to be rotatable around the spindle S of the scouring roller 117, 
for example. 
The inking arrangement 110 entails the work for changing an ink shade and 
also for washing the ink, and therefore, in such case, the working 
personnel must insert their hands into the doctor device 125 to proceed 
with wiping out the ink in a cleaning agent such as gasoline, petroleum or 
the like. 
In the case of the smoothing side inking roller train 132, since the doctor 
device 125 is positioned in a limited space surrounded by the inking 
roller trains 132 and 133, a handling work of the doctor device 125 
involves some difficulty, but the doctor device 125 is released and its 
handling is facilitated by arranging the smoothing side inking roller 
train 132 rotatable integrally by the frame 144 or 144a. 
The doctor device 125 on a side of the finishing side inking roller train 
133 is not positioned within a space surrounded by the inking roller 
trains, and therefore it need not be turned, and hence it is fixed on a 
frame. 
Further, an auxiliary feeder 146 may be provided on the ink applying 
rollers 135 and 137 as indicated by a chain line in FIG. 2. 
Next, an operation of the inking arrangement 110 according to this 
embodiment will be described. 
A printing ink stored in the inkwell 111 is extracted by the metallic ink 
delivery roller 113 and guided to the inking roller train 114 one by one 
from the ink transfer roller 115. In the inking roller train 114 the 
printing ink is scoured by a cooperative action of the scouring rollers 
116 and 117 and the reciprocating roller 118 and is smoothed to have a 
unified ink concentration. 
The printing ink is guided to the rollers of the inking roller train 114 
downward one by one, transferred to the ink applying rollers 135 and 137 
from the reciprocating roller 118 and is then scoured and applied to the 
plate cylinder 112 by the ink applying rollers 135 and 137. The printing 
ink applied to the plate cylinder 112 is scoured uniformly by the inking 
roller train 114 (132, 133) to a fine ink grain and attached in a state 
free from ink unevenness. 
The printing ink attached to the plate cylinder 112 is transferred onto a 
printing paper by applying a pressure to the printing paper fed to a plate 
surface of the plate cylinder 112 on a pressure plate cylinder not 
indicated, thus performing the printing operation. 
Further, the inking arrangement 110 has the doctor devices 125 provided on 
top surfaces of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137, and the ink 
remaining on the surfaces of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137 is 
scraped out by the doctor blades 126 of the doctor devices 125 after being 
transferred to the plate cylinder 112 and then smoothed in the roller 
cross direction, thus preventing inhomogeneous regions in concentration 
from arising due to the residual ink. 
Then, the ink scraped out by the doctor blade 126 is stored in the ink 
reservoir 128 between the doctor blade 126 and the ink counterflow check 
blade 127, and the remaining ink is recovered in a recovery tank for 
reutilization. 
On the other hand, the ink stored in the ink reservoir 128 is rescoured 
according to rotations of the ink applying rollers 135 and 137, smoothed 
by the doctor blade 126 and unified in the roller cross direction. Thus, 
the roller surface in a state dry and free from uneven ink concentration 
can be formed. The ink scoured and unified by the inking roller train 114 
is transferred at a degree of 30%, for example, to the surface of the ink 
applying rollers 135 and 137 from the final stage side inking roller 118 
of the inking roller train 114, thereby allowing the surface of the ink 
applying rollers 135 and 137 before transfer to the plate cylinder 112 to 
be smoothed with the ink free from an unevenness in concentration and also 
being made uniform in concentration attached thereto. Thus a fine printing 
free from ink unevenness and stain may be applied to the printing paper to 
be printed by a plate surface of the plate cylinder 112. It is therefore 
pertinent to a high-level printing such as art printing or the like. The 
printing rate is, for example, 40 m/min. or 60 m/min. 
Further, in the inking arrangement 110, after the ink is transferred to the 
plate cylinder 112, the ink remaining on the surface of the smoothing ink 
applying roller 135 is scraped out, smoothed and thus unified by the 
doctor device 125, the ink scoured by the smoothing inking roller train 
132 is transferred smoothly to the unified surface of the smoothing ink 
applying roller 135 from the final stage side inking rubber roller 134, 
and the transferred ink is then transferred to the plate cylinder 112. 
The inking arrangement 110 is provided with the finishing ink applying 
roller 137 on a side where the plate cylinder 112 rotates forward from the 
smoothing ink applying roller 135. While the finishing ink applying roller 
137 transfers the ink to the plate cylinder 112, the ink remaining on the 
finishing ink applying roller 137 is scraped out by the doctor device 125, 
smoothed, thus unified further, and is then recovered by the recovery 
inking roller 141. 
As described above, the surface of the finishing ink applying roller 137 is 
cleaned by the doctor device 125 and the recovery inking roller 141, thus 
preventing an unevenness of ink concentration. The ink scoured by the 
finishing inking roller train 133 is transferred uniformly to the surface 
of the finishing ink applying roller 137 free from the unevenness of 
concentration from the final stage side inking roller 136, and therefore 
the surface of the finishing ink applying roller 137 is cleaned to be free 
from ink unevenness and stain. As a result, the ink transferred to the 
plate cylinder 112 is unified to be free from an unevenness of ink 
concentration. 
FIG. 3 represents a third embodiment of the inking arrangement relating to 
this invention. 
An inking arrangement 110A according to this embodiment is similar to 
reference numeral 110 of FIG. 2 representing the second embodiment, except 
for that a smoothing side inking roller train 132A of the inking roller 
train 114 is different from that of FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, like reference 
numerals are added to elements or members corresponding to those of FIG. 2 
and a further description will be omitted here. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the inking arrangement 110A is provided with a 
flexible ink transfer belt 150 such as rubber or the like on the smoothing 
side inking roller train 132A, the ink transfer belt 150 being laid 
between both rollers 151 and 152. The rollers 151 and 152 are supported 
rotatably round a roller spindle A or B on a frame 154, and the doctor 
device 125 is released by turning the frame 154, thus smoothing the work 
for ink shade change or ink washing. 
Further, the number of inking rollers can be minimized by employing the ink 
transfer belt 150 on the smoothing side inking roller train 132A, and 
despite decreasing the number of inking rollers. The merit is such that 
ink can be transferred to a distance. The similar effects to that of the 
foregoing second embodiment will also be realized in other respects. 
In describing the embodiments of this invention, the inking roller train 
has been exemplified in FIG. 2 by a case where a double inking roller 
train is provided; however, the invention is not necessarily limited to 
the double inking roller train, and a combination of various types of 
inking rollers will be conceivable.