Patent Publication Number: US-6659007-B1

Title: Continuous ink stamping systems and methods

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/239,429 filed Oct. 10, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods for forming ink impressions on paper and, more specifically, to such systems and methods that employ a stamping wheel that is rolled along a stamping surface to form a continuous ink impression. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates ink stamping systems and methods in which an ink impression is formed on an impression carrying member that forms a stamping surface. The ink is applied to a stamp member on which a design is formed in bas relief. The stamp member with ink thereon is brought into contact with the carrying member such that ink is transferred to the stamping surface of the carrying member to form an ink impression in a configuration corresponding to the design on the stamp member. 
     The present invention is of particular importance in the formation of artistic rather than commercial ink impressions. Art stamping uses the same basic ink stamping process as commercial ink stamping but has evolved to allow much finer control over the details and quality of the resulting ink impression. The principles of the present invention also have application to commercial ink stamping, however. 
     Ink stamping systems for use by art stampers are designed and constructed primarily to obtain a high quality ink impression, with flexibility of use also being of importance. Considerations such as repeatability of the ink impression, ease of use, and durability of the stamping devices are of lesser importance than in the commercial ink stamping environment. 
     Ink pad or inking assemblies that form a continuous, repeated ink image are well-known. Such inking assemblies comprise a stamping wheel comprising a stamp member defining a cylindrical stamping surface. The design formed in bas relief on the stamp member is formed on the outer surface of the stamp member. The stamp member is mounted on a handle or housing assembly such that the handle can be grasped to roll the stamp member along an ink pad and then along an inking surface to form the desired ink impression on the inking surface. In some continuous inking assemblies, the ink pad is also mounted to the handle such that ink is continuously applied to the outer member of the stamp member as the stamp member rolls along the inking surface. 
     One such a continuous inking assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,526 for a Rolling Contact Printer With Retractable Inking Wheel. The &#39;526 patent discloses a printing device comprising a print or stamping wheel and an inking assembly. The inking assembly comprises an ink housing and an inking roller that is moveable between a forward position where the inking roller is in contact with the print wheel and a retracted position where the inking roller is spaced from the print wheel. A separate spring is mounted in the housing. The spring urges the inking roller toward the first forward position. A releasable retaining structure is positioned on the ink housing to hold the inking assembly in the retracted position. 
     The structure disclosed in the &#39;526 patent is relatively complex and expensive to manufacture, and the need exists for systems and methods that create continuously repeating ink impressions that are less expensive to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention may be embodied as a system for forming ink impressions. The system comprises a housing, a stamping wheel, and an inking assembly comprising an inking member and a support member. The housing defines a handle portion and first and bracing portions. The stamping wheel is rotatably supported by the wheel retaining portion of the housing. The inking member is supported by the support member and the support member is in turn supported by the bracing portion of the housing such that the support member deforms to force the inking member against the stamping wheel. The inking member applies ink to the stamping wheel. When the stamping wheel is brought into contact with the stamping surface and the housing is displaced relative to the sheet of material, ink is deposited on the stamping surface to form the ink impression. The support member may comprise a base portion and an engaging portion, where the engaging portion engages and supports the inking member against the stamping wheel. The support member may further comprise at least one arm portion arranged between the base portion and the engaging portion. 
     The present invention may also be embodied as a method of forming ink impressions on a stamping surface of a sheet of material. A stamping wheel is supported on a housing. An inking assembly is formed by mounting an inking member on a support member. The inking assembly is mounted on the housing. The support member is compressed to force the inking member against the stamping wheel such that the inking member applies ink to the stamping wheel. The stamping wheel is brought into contact with the stamping surface. The housing is displaced relative to the sheet of material to roll the stamping wheel along, and thereby deposit ink onto, the stamping surface to form the ink impression. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is perspective view depicting an inking assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the inking assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the inking assembly of FIG. 1 with half of a housing assembly removed; 
     FIG. 4 is a section view of the inking assembly of FIG. 1 taken along lines  4 — 4  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a section view of the inking assembly of FIG. 1 taken along lines  5 — 5  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 and 7 are top plan and side elevation views of a support member employed by the inking assembly of FIG. 1; and 
     FIGS. 8A-I are top plan views of alternate support members that may be used in place of the support member depicted in FIGS.  6  and  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, depicted at  20  therein is an stamping system constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, the stamping system  20  comprises a housing  22 , a stamp wheel  24 , and an inking assembly  26 . The inking assembly  26  comprises an inking member  30  and a support member  32 . 
     The stamp wheel  24  is rotatably supported by the housing  22 . The inking member  30  is impregnated with ink, and the inking assembly  26  mounted within the housing  22  such that the support member  32  forces the inking member  30  against the stamp wheel  24 . In the exemplary system  20 , the inking member  30  is a cylindrical ink-impregnated member defining an inking surface  34  and axle cavities  36 . The present invention may be embodied using other shapes and configurations of inking members. 
     Referring back now to FIG. 1, as the housing  22  is moved in the direction of arrow A along a printing surface  40  formed by an image carrying member  42 , the inking member  30  applies ink to the stamp wheel  24 , which in turn transfers the ink to the printing surface  40  to form an ink impression  44 . 
     The exemplary housing  22  comprises a handle portion  50 , a stamp wheel mounting portion  52 , a bracing portion  54 , and a guide portion  56 . The exemplary housing  22  comprises first and second housing members  58   a  and  58   b  that are joined together, either permanently or with a temporary snap fit. The handle portion  50  of the housing  22  allows a user of the system  20  to grasp and manipulate the stamping system  20 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the relationship between the housing  22  and stamp wheel  24  will be described. FIGS. 2 and 4 show that the stamp wheel mounting portion  52  of the housing  22  comprises first and second bearing surfaces  60  formed in side walls  62  of the housing  22 . The bearing surfaces  60  define slots  64  having narrowed throat portions  66 . The parallel slots  62  define slot paths B. 
     FIGS. 2-4 show that the stamp wheel  24  is an assembly comprising a hub member  70  and a stamp member  72 . Axle projections  74  extend from the hub member  70 . The stamp member  72  is generally conventional and comprises a stamp surface  76 . The exemplary hub member  70  and stamp member  72  are cylindrical; the stamp surface  76  is thus also cylindrical and has image projections  78  formed thereon that define a desired image in bas relief. 
     The axle projections  70  engage the bearing surfaces  60  to form a printing wheel attachment system that detachably attaches the stamp wheel  24  to the housing  24 . In particular, the axle projections  70  are received within the slots  64  such that the stamp wheel  24  may rotate about a printing wheel axis C (FIG.  4 ). However, the axle projections  70  snap into the slots  64  along the slot paths B past the throat portions  66 ; the throat portions  66  thus prevent inadvertent removal of the stamp wheel  24  from the slots  64 . The user can, however, overcome the snap fit formed by the throat portions  66  with deliberate application of manual force out of the slots  64  along the slot paths B to allow removal and replacement of the stamp wheel  24 . 
     When ink is applied to the image projections  78  and the stamp surface  76  is rolled across the printing surface  40 , the desired image is represented by the ink impression  44 . If a different ink impression is required, the stamp wheel  24  is simply removed and a new stamp wheel with a different arrangement of image projections is mounted on the housing  22 . 
     The stamp wheel  24  and system for mounting this wheel  24  on the housing  22  are or may be conventional, and the present invention may be embodied in stamping systems employing a stamp wheel and wheel retaining system different from the ones just described. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3-7, the interoperation of the housing  22 , stamp wheel  24 , and inking assembly  26  will be now be described in further detail. The bracing portion  54  of the housing  22  defines a bracing surface  80 . The exemplary support member  32  is a generally U-shaped member having a base portion  82 , first and second engaging portions  84 , and first and second arm portions  86  that connect the engaging portions  84  to the base portion  82 . Rail portions  88  are formed on each of the arm portions. 
     When the inking assembly  26  is mounted on the housing  22 , the bracing surface  80  engages the base portion  82  to fix the location of the base portion  82  relative to the housing  22 . The support member  32  is resiliently deformable such that the engaging portions  84  can move towards and away from the base portion  82 . 
     In particular, as best shown in FIG. 6, the arm portions  86  are elongate members having several bends  90  formed therein. The exemplary support member  32  is made of plastic, and the combination of the bends  90  and the plastic material allow the arm portions  86  to provide resiliency to the support member  32  as described above. The deformation of the support member  32  can be seen by comparing FIGS. 6A and 6B. 
     The rail portions  88  are formed by thickened portions of the arm portions  86 . The guide portion  56  of the housing  22  comprises two pairs of upper and lower guide surfaces  92  arranged on either side of the housing  22  to engage the rail portions  88 . When the inking assembly  26  is mounted on the housing  22 , the guide surfaces  92  engage the rail portions  88  to guide the inking member  30  for limited movement along a guide path D. The exemplary support member  32  further comprises a locating projection  94  that engages a locating depression  96  in the bracing surface  80  to ensure that the rail portions  88  are properly aligned with the guide surfaces  92 . 
     The engaging portions  84  each comprise inwardly extending axle members  98 . The axle members  98  define an inking member axis E that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the inking member  30 . The axle members  98  extend into the axle cavities  36  formed in the inking member  30 . The axle cavities  36  are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the inking member  30  such that the inking member  30  symmetrically rotates about the inking member axis E. 
     During use, the inking surface  34  of the inking member  30  engages the stamp surface  76  of the stamp member  72  to transfer ink to the image projections  78 . As the ink is transferred to the stamp member  72 , the inking member rotates about the inking member axis E such that ink is uniformly applied from the inking member  30 . 
     The engaging portion of the support member  32  may be adapted to engage an inking member of a different shape. For example, the inking member can be in the shape of a solid rectangle, and the engaging portion may be a housing adapted to contain the rectangular inking member and hold this inking member against the stamp wheel  24 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8A-I, depicted therein are a number of different support members  32 ; each of these support members has at least one base portion  82 , at least one engaging portions  84 , and at least one arm portion  86  that connects the engaging portion(s)  84  to the base portion(s)  82 . FIGS. 8A-I illustrate that the principles of the present invention can be implemented with support members of many different configurations. 
     The stamping system  20  is used in the following manner. The first time the system  20  is used, the housing  22  is assembled and no stamp wheel  24  or inking assembly  26  are mounted thereon. An inking member  30  having ink of a desired color or combination of colors is selected. The selected inking member  30  is then attached to the support member  32  using the engaging portions  84  to form a selected inking assembly  26 . 
     The selected inking assembly  26  is then inserted into the housing  22  such that the base portion  82  of the support member  32  engages the bracing surface  80 . The optional locating projection  94  will engage the locating depression  96 . In addition, the guide surfaces  92  will engage the rail portions  88  to guide movement of the inking member  30 . 
     The stamp wheel  24  is then placed at least partly into the housing  22  such that the slots  64  in the housing side walls  62  received the axle projections  74  extending from the hub member  70 . By firmly pressing the stamp wheel  24 , the axle projections  74  will pass through the throat portions  66  and the stamp wheel  24  will be locked onto the housing  22 . 
     At the same time, the stamp surface  76  will engage the inking surface  34  on the inking member  30  and force the inking member  30  towards the bracing surface  80 . The engaging portions  84  of the support member  32  will thus move towards the base portion  82 , thereby deforming the arm portions  86  and compressing the support member  32 . The support member  32  thus biases or forces the inking member  30  against the stamp wheel  24 . Ink is thus transferred from the inking member  30  to the stamp surface  76  of the stamp member  72  as the stamp member  72  rotates about the stamp member axis C. In addition, the stamp member  72  frictionally engages and rotates the inking member  30  about the inking member axis E, causing ink to be transferred from the entire inking surface  34 . 
     If a new image is desired, the stamp wheel  24  is removed against the forces of the throat portions  66  and replaced with a new stamp wheel  24 . If a new ink color is desired, the stamp wheel  24  is first removed, the inking assembly  26  with the inking member  30  with the old color is then removed, and a new inking assembly  26  comprising an inking member  30  impregnated with a new color is inserted into the housing  22  as described above. The desired stamp wheel  24  is then attached to the housing  22  as described above. 
     The stamping system  20  of the present invention is easily and inexpensively manufactured of injected molded parts. In particular, aside from the stamp wheel  24  and inking member  30 , only three such injection-molded parts are used by the stamping system of the present invention. The stamp wheel  24  and inking member  30  are also simple, but, depending upon the use of the system  20 , a number of stamp wheels and inking members may be employed to obtain a desired variety of ink impressions and colors. 
     From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention may be embodied in many different combinations and sub-combinations of the elements and steps described above. The scope of the present invention should thus be determined by the following claims and not the foregoing detailed description.