Improved Means and Appliances connected with Feeding Ink or Colour to Pens or Points of Ruling Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec.. 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
Improved Means and Appliances connected with Feeding Ink or
Colour to Pens or Points of Ruling Machines.
I, FREDERICK KIRBY, of 17 Bouverie Street, Fleet Street, City of London,
Printer, Machine Ruler and Account Book Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to the well known means of feeding pens or points of ruling machines
with ink or colour, a strip of flannel or its equivalent is first dipped in the ink or
colour and then wrung sufficiently to remove what may be termed the superfluous
quantity, there being sufficient left in the flannel to supply the pens when laid
across them, the colour being afterwards supplied with a brush by the atten lant
with the result that oftentimes the line marking is of an irregular character.
For the purpose of my invention, I dispense with the dipping and the wringing,
and feed my flannel while on the shoulders of the pens or points from a reservoir
above in which is a gauge to indicate the quantity of colour it contains, and by
means of a flexible tube and a cylinder in which are a series of holes capable of
being closed by sliding or other shutters to determine the parts of the flannel which
have to be supplied with ink or colour.
The cylinder or intermediate receiver contains a flannel from which the colour
percolates and passing out of the holes onto the feed flannel at regular intervals,
the quantity so flowing being regulated by a cock by which means a constant and
regular supply of colour is supplied to the pens independently of the attention of
the attendant.
The cylinder or receiver may be in compartments for more than one colour,
or different cylinders can be arranged for taking their supply from other
reservoirs.
The discharge from the reservoir can be regulated by automatically opening a
vent írom some moving part of the machine.
Improved Means and Appliances connected with Feeding Ink or
Colour to Pens or Points of Ruling Machines.
I, FREDERICK KIRBY, of 17 Bouverie Street, Fleet Street, City of London,
Printer, Machine Ruler, and Account Book Manufacturer, 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 :-
According to the well known means of feeding pens or points of ruling machines

page_text: with ink or colour, a strip of flannel or its equivalent is first dipped in the ink or
colour and then wrung sufficiently to remove what may be termed the superfluous
quantity, there being sufficient left in the flannel to supply the pens when laid
across them, the colour being afterwards supplied with a brush by the attendant
with the result that oftentimes the line marking is of an irregular character.
My invention will be thoroughly understood upon reference to the accompanying
two sheets of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a pait sectional elevation of my improved self inking apparatus
as applied to my improved double ruling machine as described in Patent No. 4160
of 1896.
Figure 2 is a front view of the container on a larger scale, said container being
divided to hold two colours of ink.
Figure 3 is a cross section on line a, a, of Figure 2.
Figure 3 is a part perspective view showing sliding shutter.
Figure 4 is a side elevation similar to that of Figure 1 but showing a different
arrangement for regulating the flow of liquid colour.
Figure 5 is an enlarged end section of the ruling pen holder and liquid colour
container, particularly showing the construction of container and manner of
supplying the ink to the ruling pens.
Figure 6 is a front view of the container shown in Figure ; while
Figure 7 is a sectional plan of a container divided into four compartments to
feed four different colours of ink if desired, or they may be so connected up by the
rubber tubing to one reservoir as to feed one colour only.
By the hereinafter described system of self inking, I dispense with the dipping
and the wringing, and feed my flannel while on the shoulders of the pens or points
from a reservoir A above, in which is a gauge B to indicate the quantity of colour
it contains, and by means of a flexible tube or tubes C and a cylinder D in which
are a series of holes E capable of being closed by a sliding or rotary, or other
shutter F to determine the parts of the flannel which have to be supplied with ink
or colour.
The cylinder or intermediate receiver D may contain a flannel G, as at
Figure 3 from which the colour percolates and passes out of the holes E into the
feed flannel G at regular intervals, the quantity so flowing being regulated by
a cock H, by which means a constant and regular supply of colour is supplied
to the pens I independently of the attention of the attendant.
The cylinder or receiver D may have any number of compartments for more
than one colour, or different cylinders can, if desired, be arranged for taking their
supply from other reservoirs.
The discharge from the reservoir A can be regulated by automatically opening
a vent J by means of a cam K and lever L, which when the machine is in operation,
opens the reservoir A for the supply at every revolution, and by this means keeps
the flow of liquid colour in check.
The rotary shutter F, shown in Figure 3, has its edges set at an angle to the
centre line of the cylinder or container D, so that by turning the knob F in the
slot E any number of the holes E either to the right or to the left may be stopped
out, or sliding shutters, as illustrated in Figure 34, may be used, in which case
they may be of varying lengths and can be used to stop out any intermediate holes,
as desired.
I may also make up the container, as shown in Figure 5, that is to say, the
holes E are dispensed with, the cylinder D being formed with a longitudinal
opening and having flanges M, M, projecting therefrom fitted with screws N and
wing nuts P, the screws N passing through the flanges M, M, and also through
strips of rubber flannel, or other suitable compressible material Q, Q, inserted
between said flanges, and between these again are inserted strips of flannel R,
which conduct the ink from the cylinder or container D to the flannel G' on the
pens with which it is intermittently brought into contact by the cam K and lever L
preferably at every revolution of the canvas roller.

page_text: The flow of ink from the cylinder D is regulated by the degree of compression.
put upon the flannel R by the wing nuts P, and the supply to the flannel G of
the pens is intermittent under the action of the cam K and lever L, which
during its oscillation lifts it from contact with the flannel G¹, as indicated at T,
Figure 4.
The reservoir A may, if necessary, be divided into any number of compartments
to supply different coloured inks to the several compartments in the container, or
as many single reservoirs may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described improved means and appliances for feeding ink or
colour to ruling pens or points of ruling machines.
2. For feeding ink or colour to ruling pens or points of ruling machines, the
combination of an open or closed reservoir fitted with regulating tap, and if closed
with a vent, with a single or divided perforated cylinder or container, and
connecting said container with the reservoir by means of flexible tubes, all being
arranged and fitted in relation to the inking flannel of the ruling pens, and operated
in the manner substantially as described and shown with reference to Figures 1, 2,.
3, and 34 of the annexed drawings.
3. For feeding ink or colour to ruling pens or points of ruling machines, con--
structing the cylinder or container in the manner described with reference to
Figure 5 of the annexed drawings, and the combination of the same with a single
or partitioned reservoir, or with a number of said reservoirs, and causing said
container to intermittently supply ink or colour to the ruling pens under the action.
of a cam and levers, all being arranged and operated in the manner substantially
as described and shown in references to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the annexed.
drawings.
2000
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,.
Agent for the said Frederick Kirby.