Improvements in Inking Devices.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb. 1890
Improvements in Inking Devices.
I, JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY of 20 Richmond Gardens, Shepherd's Bush, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
This invention relates to the supplying of ink to inking rollers more especially to
inking devices for pocket or portable printing devices, and will be best understood by
reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1 is a longitudinal section
and fig. 2 a transverse section on the line a-b of fig. 1 of one form of the said inking
apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a longitudinal section and a transverse
section on the line cd of figure 3 of an alternative form of the device both these
devices being shown about twice the usual pocket size.
A is a cylindrical ink-reservoir which is closed-in at its ends by the screwed
caps A and A² the former being that which is removed when it is desired to fill the
reservoir with ink. B is a screwed rod which passes through the cap A² outside
which it is provided with the milled head B¹. At the inner side of the cap A² the
screwed rod B has fixed upon it a collar B2 by means of which and the head B' the
rod B is prevented from moving longitudinally in the cap A although it may be
rotated therein. The head B¹ and collar 132 work sufficiently close against the cap A²
to prevent any escape of the ink between the working faces but if desired india-rubber
or equivalent washers or other packing may be provided to ensure a tight working
joint and for making tight joints between the caps A¹ and A' and the ends of the
reservoir A.
C is a piston on the rod B which may be composed of two metal discs c and a
central india-rubber portion c¹, the discs c being screw threaded to fit the rod B.
D is a pipe suitably secured to the reservoir into which one of its ends opens as shown
in figure 1; the other end has fitted over it a preferably india-rubber perforated
discharging nozzle or cap D' which automatically closes except when forced open by
the ink as it passes. This cap or nozzle D' if made of in lia-rubber may be perforited
with one or more holes by a needle or similar sharp instrument; these holes remain
closed against the passage of the ink except when the latter is forced through them.
Instead of india-rubber perforated this cap or nozzle may be made of any porous
material which, while capable of resisting the chemical action of the ink and of
preventing its passage normally will nevertheless allow it to pass when sufficient
pressure is applied. These conditions being fulfilled it is immaterial whether the cap
or nozzle be made of metal or of animal, vegetable, or mineral substance.
E is the inking roller which is free to rotate on a spindle E' supported in bracket
bearings E2 which may be secured to the reservoir A in any convenient manner.
The roller E may be formed with a central cylindrical metal core E around which is
the absorbing material E³ which may be of felt with an external cover of calico, or of
any other suitable material. The roller, E is so situated that its inking surface rotates
in close proximity to or in contact with the before mentioned cap D¹ on the pipe 1);
it is also in peripheral contact with the type on which it is adapted to distribute ink
and which type or type wheel it is not necessary to illustrate here.
When it is desired to fill the reservoir A with ink the piston C is screwed back
against the collar B2 by means of the screwed rod B which may be turned by means
of the head B1 that is to say the piston is moved from the position in which it is.
shown in figure 1 towards the right. The cap A¹ is then removed and the ink poured
into the reservoir through the then-open end after which the cap A¹ is replaced.
When it is desired to supply ink from the reservoir A to the roller E it is only
necessary by means of the head B¹ to turn the screwed rod B so as to move the

page_text: piston C towards the cap A¹ which action will force some of the ink through the
pipe D on to the roller E, the quantity so discharged depending on the extent to
which the piston C is moved.
Where this apparatus is applied on a larger scale to a long inking roller the
delivery pipe D may be fitted with branches which will conduct the ink to various
parts of the roller or it may be fitted with a long nozzle which will distribute the ink
over the length of the roller, and if desired the screwed rod B may be turned by a
crank handle or hand wheel or equivalent means.
It will be observed that if the piston C were to turn with the screwed rod B no
discharge of ink would result for the reason that the piston would not be advanced
in the cylinder or reservoir A and consequently no pressure would be put upon the
ink. The prevention of C from turning may be effected in various ways as for
example by a groove in the piston and a feather in the cylinder-or vice versa-
(suitable means being employed to prevent the ink from passing) but I find that by using
a packing of india-rubber c between the discs c the desired result is fully attained as
the friction of the rubber against the discs prevents their turning without taking the
rubber with them, and the friction of the rubber against the wall of the cylinder is
greater than the friction of the discs upon the screw B, so that the piston advances
instead of turning round. In the piston above described one or both of the discs c
may be screwed up so as to squeeze out the packing c to make a tight fit in the
cylinder and against the screw B.
Other material which has the same holding effect to prevent turning and the same
expansible qualities so as to allow of its being squeezed out between the discs and
thus making the piston a tight fit in the cylinder and upon the screwed rod may be
employed; or a solid piston which cannot revolve in the cylinder. Other parts
may also be modified without departing from the spirit of this invention and as an
example I have in figures 3 and 4 represented an arrangement in which the delivery
pipe D is replaced by a chamber D2 which is soldered or otherwise suitably secured
to the reservoir A which has a small aperture A³ for allowing the ink to pass to the
chamber. Inside this chamber is placed a preferably india-rubber piece D' represented
in figures 3 and 4 by a comparatively thick line and above this is placed a metal
liner D³ so as to squeeze the said rubber between it and the wall D². D1 D2 and D³
are coincidently perforated at D4 just above the inking roller E; the perforation in
the rubber I) by its elasticity remains normally closed but will open as soon as
sufficient pressure is applied to the ink by moving the piston C.
It will be observed in this last described arrangement as distinguished from that
shown in figs. 1 and 2 that the turning head B₁ of the screw B is at the reverse end
of the barrel and that to render the head B₁ readily distinguishable from the cap A¹
the said cap A¹ may be made in the form of a plug with a groove or the equivalent
in its head so that it can only be removed by a screw driver, key or other instrument
and not by hand.
Instead of the before described india-rubber valves there may be provided any
other arrangement which will normally remain closed and prevent the ink from
escaping from the reservoir but will open as soon as sufficient pressure is applied to
the ink to force it through the valve which will again close as soon as the pressure
ceases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In an inking device the combination with an ink reservoir having an outlet pipe
such as D and cap D¹ for delivering ink to the inking roller of a piston such as C
capable of being moved within such reservoir for the purpose of forcing out the ink
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an inking device the employment of a perforated cap or piece such as D¹ the
opening or openings in which remain closed except when the ink is forced through
them substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In an inking device the employment of a cap nozzle or piece of material
sufficiently porous to allow of the ink being forced through it but impervious to the
passage of the ink without pressure substantially as described.
4. In an inking device a piston composed of two screw-threaded plates or discs
such as c and an interposed rubber or equivalent packing such as c¹ adapted to be
compressed between said discs so as to fit tightly against the wall of the cylinder or
reservoir and to prevent the said discs from turning substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In an inking device a piston adapted to work upon a screwed rod and having the
packing so arranged as to press and inake a tight joint upon the said screwed rod
substantially as described.
6. In an inking device the combination with the reservoir and piston working
therein of a discharge valve adapted to prevent the passage of ink except when inten-
tionally forced through it substantially as herein described.
7. In an inking device the combination with a reservoir and piston of a chamber.
such as D2 containing a valve such as D' substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the complete device for
supplying ink to an inking roller substantially as described and illustrated in figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the complete device for
supplying ink to an inking roller substantially as described and illustrated in figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th daw of JennASY 1200
Dated this 15th d
h day
January
1800
JAMES S. FOLEY.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
JAMES S. FOLEY.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.