Supporting cover for an ink roll means

A supporting cover for a porous rubber ink roll used, for example, on a printing machine. The cover is formed of first and second sections or halves which are joined together by an integrally-formed hinge which enables the cover to be formed of a one-piece construction from polypropylene plastic. The cover incorporates locking features to prevent the cover from being readily opened when the ink roll is stored and shipped therein. Each of the halves of the cover has a portion which is removed therefrom to enable the ink roll to be exposed from the cover when the ink roll and cover are installed on a utilization device such as a printing machine. The cover has projections on a side thereof which coact with the printer to prevent the cover from being rotated while it is installed on the printer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a supporting cover for an ink roll means which 
may be used on a utilization device such as a printer. 
One of the problems with ink roll means especially of the porous ink roll 
type is that they are messy to handle and use. They are messy during 
shipment to a customer, during installation on a machine, and during use 
on that machine. 
The present invention obviates these problems in that it provides a low 
cost cover for shipping and handling a porous ink roll, and it also 
provides a support for the ink roll means when the ink roll means is 
installed on a utilization device such as a printer. The supporting cover 
of this invention is low in cost and is made of a single piece of 
polypropylene plastic. The supporting cover also provides a convenient 
package for shipping the porous ink roll therein. 
A prior art receptacle for shipping items therein is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,280,870; however, this receptacle is not designed to be used as both a 
shipping container and a dispensing container. Also, this receptacle is 
not designed to coact with a utilization device as is done with the 
supporting cover of this invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a supporting cover for an ink roll means. The 
supporting cover includes first and second halves and a hinge means which 
enables the first and second halves to be moved relative to each other to 
form a generally, cylindrically-shaped, hollow container when in assembled 
relationship to receive the ink roll means therein. The first and second 
halves have means therein for supporting the ink roll means in the 
supporting cover formed thereby. At least one of the first and second 
halves has a portion thereof which is removed therefrom to expose a 
portion of the ink roll means when the ink roll means is mounted in the 
supporting cover. The supporting cover also has means thereon for 
restraining the movement thereof when the supporting cover is installed on 
a cooperating utilization device such as a printer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The supporting cover 10 of this invention is shown in blank form in FIG. 1 
after it has been molded into the shape shown. The cover 10 may be made of 
moldable plastics such as polypropylene plastic, and it may be molded by 
conventional molding techniques, such as injection molding. 
The cover 10 includes the first half or section 12 and the second half or 
section 14 which are integrally joined to each other along the hinge means 
16. The first half 12 includes the first and second end walls 18 and 20, 
respectively, which are spaced apart in parallel relationship as shown. 
The curved wall 22 is integrally formed with the end walls 18 and 20 to 
form a half of a cylindrical section as shown. 
Similarly, the second half 14 includes the first and second end walls 24 
and 26, respectively, which are spaced apart in parallel relationship as 
shown. The curved wall 28 is integrally formed with the first and second 
end walls 24, 26 as shown to form a half of a cylindrical section. The 
curved walls 22 and 28 terminate in the hinge means 16, as is best shown 
in FIG. 2. The hinge means 16 includes a narrowed section at 30 which 
enables the first and second halves 12 and 14 to be moved relative to each 
other to form a generally, cylindrically-shaped, hollow container as is 
best shown in FIG. 4. Because the hinge means 16 may be conventional, it 
need not be described any further. 
The cover 10 is used to rotatably support therein the ink roll means 30 
shown in FIG. 4. In this regard, the first half 12 has aligned opposed 
areas therein wherein semicircular portions thereof are removed therefrom 
as at areas 34 and 36 in end walls 18 and 20, respectively, to receive the 
supporting rod 38 which rotatably supports the ink roll means 30 in the 
supporting cover 10 when the supporting cover 10 is assembled and mounted 
on the supporting rod 38 as shown in FIG. 4. The second half 14 has 
similar semicircular portions removed therefrom as at areas 40 and 42 for 
the purpose already described. When the first and second halves 12 and 14 
are moved into the assembled relationship shown in FIG. 4, the 
semicircular cut out portions as at areas 34 and 40 in FIG. 1 combine to 
form a complete circle or hole into which one end of the supporting rod 38 
is inserted. The same is true for the semicircular cut out portions at 
areas 36 and 42; these two areas provide a bearing surface for the 
opposite end of the supporting rod 38. 
The cover 10 also has means for locking the first and second halves 12 and 
14 in the assembled relationship shown in FIG. 4. This means includes the 
projections 44 and 46 which extend outwardly from the first and second end 
walls 18 and 20, respectively, of the first half 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 
and 3. The second half 14 has plates 48 and 50 integrally formed with the 
end walls 24 and 26, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The plates 
48 and 50 have complementary recesses 52 and 54 therein (FIG. 1) which 
receive the projections 44 and 46, respectively, when the first and second 
halves 12 and 14 are moved into the assembled relationship shown in FIG. 
4. The plates 48 and 50 are slightly offset from their related end walls 
24 and 26, respectively, so as to enable the end walls 18 and 24 to be 
aligned with each other and the end walls 20 and 26 to be aligned with 
each other when the first and second halves 12 and 14 are moved into the 
assembled relationship shown in FIG. 4. The first and second halves 12 and 
14 are somewhat flexible so as to enable the first and second end walls 18 
and 20 of the first half 12 to be moved towards each other so as to enable 
the projections 44 and 46 to be moved into their complementary recesses 52 
and 56 as previously explained to lock the first and second halves 12 and 
14 together. 
The cover 12 has portions which are removed therefrom so as to enable a 
portion of the ink roll means 30 to be exposed therefrom when an ink roll 
means 30 is installed in the cover 10 as shown in FIG. 4. In this regard, 
a portion of the first half 12 is removed at area 56 in FIG. 1, and 
similarly a portion of the second half 14 is removed at area 58. When 
these two halves 12 and 14 are in the assembled relationship shown in FIG. 
4, a sector portion of the cover 12 is formed thereby to enable the ink 
roll means 30 to be exposed. Naturally, for certain applications, a sector 
portion may be removed from only one of the first and second halves 12, 14 
if found necessary or desirable. 
The cover 10 also has means thereon for restraining the rotation of the 
cover 10 when it is installed on a utilization device such as a portion of 
a printer shown in FIG. 4. For this embodiment, the restraining means 
takes the form of projections 60 and 62 which extend outwardly from the 
end walls 18 and 24, respectively. When the cover 12 is in the assembled 
relationship shown in FIG. 4, the projections 60 and 62 lie along a 
diametral line which passes through the longitudinal axis 64 of the cover 
12. The supporting rod 38 for the ink roll means 30 also has a 
longitudinal axis which is coincident with the longitudinal axis 64 of the 
cover 12, when the cover 12 with the ink roll means therein is mounted on 
the supporting rod 38. 
The cover 12 with the ink roll means 30 therein may be encapsulated in a 
layer of plastic 66, only a portion of which is shown in FIG. 4. The 
package formed by the cover 12, the ink roll means 30 and the layer of 
encapsulating plastic 66 provide a neat package for shipping and handling. 
When the ink roll means 30 is to be installed on a utilization device such 
as the portion of the printer shown in FIG. 4, the encapsulating layer of 
plastic 66 is simply removed and the cover 12 with the ink roll means 30 
therein is simply pushed onto the supporting rod 38. The supporting rod 38 
has one end thereof which is fixed to the lever 68 in cantilever fashion. 
The lever 68 has one end thereof pivotally secured to the frame member 70 
by the mounting pin 72. The lever 68 has sides 74 and 76 which are angled 
as shown so as to contact the projections 60 and 62 extending from the 
cover 12 when the cover 12 and ink roll means 30 are mounted on the 
supporting rod 38. These projections 60 and 62 coact with the lever 68 to 
prevent the cover 12 from rotating while it is positioned on the 
supporting rod 38. In order to facilitate the insertion of the ink roll 
means 30 with its cover 12 on the supporting rod 38, the lever 78 (which 
is pivotally mounted on the pin 80 which is secured to the side frame 70) 
may be rotated in a counterclockwise direction so as to pivot the lever 68 
on its pin 72 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 4) so as 
to move the lever 68 to the dashed position shown at 68.sup.1. When the 
lever 68 is in this position, the ink roll means 30 is separated from the 
inking roller 82 which is part of the printer. This enables an old ink 
roller means 30 with supporting cover 12 to be removed from the supporting 
rod 38 and facilitates the mounting of a new unit thereon. The diameter of 
the ink roll means 30 is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of 
the cover 12 when viewed from the assembled relationship shown in FIG. 4 
so as to facilitate the mounting of the ink roll means 30 and cover 12 on 
the supporting rod 38. When the ink roll means 30 is to be brought into 
cooperative relationship with the ink roller 82, the lever 78 is simply 
rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, and the tension 
spring 84 resiliently biases the ink roll means 30 into engagement with 
the inking roller 82. This inking roller 82 is fixed to a shaft 85 which 
is rotatably mounted in the supporting frame 70 and which is also 
rotatably driven by a drive mechanism not shown. As the inking roller 82 
is rotated, it will also rotate the ink roll means 30 so as to present a 
fresh supply of ink to the endless ribbon 86 which is sandwiched between 
the ink roll means 30 and the inking roller 82. The endless ribbon 86 is 
also supported on the idler rollers 88 and 90. As the ink roller 82 is 
rotated, the endless ribbon 86 is constantly moved and replenished by a 
fresh supply of ink when the ribbon comes in contact with the ink roll 
means 30. Printing on the record medium 92, which is positioned below the 
inking ribbon 86, is effected by a conventional print head or print member 
shown as block 94 and a platen 96. Because the portion of the printer 
shown in FIG. 4 may be conventional, it need not be described in any 
detail. The ink roll means 30 may be of the type which is a conventional 
porous ink roll which contains the ink in the pores of the ink roll 
itself.