IMPROVEMENTS IN INKING APPARATUS FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INKING APPARATUS FOR ROTARY
PRINTING PRESSES."-A communication from abroad by Andrew
Campbell, of the City of Brooklyn, State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th October 1875.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INKING APPARATUS
FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements which are applicable
to rotary printing presses of various descriptions, and it consists in a
novel combination of an ink well fountain, a fountain roller, a roller

page_text: which is termed a disintegrator, and a distributor, whereby the liability
to choking of the mouth of the ink fountain is obviated or diminished,
the ink is supplied in a constant and uniform manner, a more perfect
distribution is obtained, and the desired amount of ink applied to the
form is more exactly regulated, and its uniform application to all parts
of the form more certainly insured.
The well fountain, which is of the usual or any suitable construction,
and has its bottom open or slotted and of a form nearly corresponding
with the surface of the fountain roller, is provided with a flexible curtain
made of felt, cloth, or other suitable fabric, the upper edge of which is
attached to the inner surface of the rear side of the fountain, and the
lower portion extends downward and forward in a direction corre-
sponding with that in which the fountain roller revolves and bears upon
the upper side of the fountain roller at whatever distance from the
roller the fountain may be adjusted, and thus prevents any flow of ink
in a backward direction.
The fountain roller which is placed under the fountain is rotated
with a very slow but continuous motion, and below this roller, and
slightly forward of a vertical line drawn through its centre, is a metal
roller which is termed a disintegrator. This roller revolves with a
continuous motion nearly in contact with the fountain roller at a much
greater speed. Below the fountain roller, and somewhat lower than the
disintegrator, is a distributing roller which revolves with a continuous
motion nearly in contact with both the fountain roller aud the disinte-
grator. By this means a triangular space is formed between the con-
tiguous portions of the surfaces of the fountain roller, disintegrator, and
distributor. As the rollers revolve, the disintegrator moving with much
greater surface velocity than the fountain roller, takes the ink from the
fountain roller with a continuous wiping motion, and carries it to the
triangular space, where it is submitted to a disintegrating action, and
is spread upon the surface of the distributor, upon which surface it is
thoroughly distributed by a composition-faced distributing roller, with
which it comes in contact immediately after passing the disintegrator.
The distributor may receive a longitudinal motion on its axis in
addition to and combined with the rotary motion, and this will add to
the effect of the disintegrating action to which the ink is submitted
in the triangular space. The distributor finally revolves in contact with
inking rollers which supply the ink to the form cylinder. After passing

page_text: the inking rollers the surface of the distributor does not come in contact
with any substance until it again reaches the triangular space, as the
distance between it and the fountain roller is sufficient to allow it
to pass without touching the same, in consequence of which arrangement
any lint which may adhere to the surface of the distributor is carried
beyond the fountain roller, and is thus prevented from being carried up
by said roller so as to choke the mouth of the fountain.
By the use of the disintegrator an oscillating "lifter" is dispensed
with, and by the action of the fountain roller, the disintegrator, and the
distributor the supply of ink is rendered continuous and uniform, the
quantity is more exactly regulated, and its uniform application to all
parts of the form is more certainly ensured.
As a modification of the above the disintegrator may be dispensed
with, and the distributing roller may be arranged nearly in the place.
of the disintegrator so as to form the triangular space, but at such
a distance from the fountain roller as to prevent actual contact
therewith.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INKING APPARATUS FOR
ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES," being a communication to me from abroad
by Andrew Campbell, of the City of Brooklyn, State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is
to say) :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements which are applicable to
rotary printing presses of various descriptions, and it consists in a novel
combination of an ink well fountain, a fountain roller, a roller which is
termed a disintegrator, and a distributor, whereby the liability to choking
of the mouth of the ink fountain is obviated or diminished, the ink is
supplied in a constant and uniform manner, a more perfect distribution
is obtained, and the desired amount of ink applied to the form is more
exactly regulated, and its uniform application to all parts of the form
morc certainly insured.
The accompanying Drawing represents in Fig. 1 a transverse sectional
view of my improved inking apparatus, together with a form cylinder
and impression cylinder of a rotary printing press, and in Fig. 2 a
modification hercin-after referred to.
A represents the well fountain, which is of the usual or any suitable
construction, and has its bottom open or slotted and of a form nearly
corresponding with the surface of the fountain roller. The ends of the
fountain are supported on the framing of the printing press, and
adjustable up and down thereon by means of screws B.
The fountain roller D, which may be of metal, is arranged under the
fountain A in the usual or any suitable manner in fixed bearings pro-

page_text: vided in the frame of the printing press, and is rotated with a very slow
but continuous motion. The fountain A is provided with a flexible
curtain C made of felt, cloth, or other suitable fabric, the upper edge of
which is attached to the inner surface of the rear side of the fountain,
and the lower portion extends downward and forward in a direction
corresponding with that in which the fountain roller revolves and bears
upon the upper side of the fountain roller. When the fountain is
elevated, the distance between its mouth and the surface of the fountain
roller is increased so as to allow a larger quantity of ink to flow to the
roller, and when the fountain is lowered this distance is decreased so as to
diminish the flow of ink. At whatever distance from the roller the
fountain is adjusted the flexible curtain C presses upon the surface of
the upper side of the roller, as shewn, and thus prevents any flow of ink
in a backward direction.
Below the fountain roller D, and slightly forward of a vertical line
drawn through its centre, is a metal roller E which is termed a dis-
integrator. This roller revolves with a continuous motion nearly in
contact with the fountain roller at a much greater speed. The ink
from the fountain is deposited upon the surface of the fountain roller
in a layer, as represented by the heavy black line 1; the disintegrator E,
arranged as described, and revolving at a greater speed than the
fountain roller, takes the ink continuously from the edge of the layer 7.
Below the fountain roller and somewhat lower than the disintegrator is
a distributing roller F, which may be of metal, and revolves with a con-
tinuous motion nearly in contact with both the fountain roller and the
disintegrator in the same direction as the former, but an opposite
direction from the latter, so that the contiguous portions of the faces
of the distributor F and fountain roller D move in opposite directions,
as indicated by the arrows 3, 4, while the contiguous portions of the
faces of the distributor F and disintegrator E move in the same direction
as indicated by the arrows 5, 6. Below the disintegrator is a com-
position-faced distributing roller G revolving in contact with the dis-
tributor F, and driven by the friction thereof. Opposite the disintegrator
E and roller G are two composition-faced inking rollers H, H, which
receive the ink from the distributor F and apply it to the form, the
said rollers being driven by friction and contact with the distributor.
The rollers E, F, G, H, H, which all work in bearings supported on
or in the sides of the printing press frames, are arranged so as to travel

page_text: say, the surfaces of the first-named rollers may travel about forty inches
while the surface of the fountain roller is travelling one-tenth of an
inch.
The distributor F may, in addition to its rotary motion, have a
longitudinal motion on its axis, which motion may be imparted by any
suitable means.
The various parts being arranged in the positions shewn in the
Drawing a triangular space i is formed between the contiguous portions
of the surfaces of the fountain roller D, disintegrator E, and distributor F,
As the rollers revolve in the directions indicated by the various arrows
the disintegrator E moving with much greater surface velocity than the
fountain roller, takes the ink from the edge of the layer with a con-
tinuous wiping motion, and carries it to the triangular space i, where
it is submitted to a disintegrating action, and is spread upon the surface
of the distributor F, upon which surface it is thoroughly distributed
by the composition-faced distributing roller G with which it comes in
contact immediately after passing the disintegrator. When the dis-
tributor F has a longitudinal motion on its axis such motion, combined
with the rotary motion, adds to the effect of the disintegrating action
to which the ink is submitted in the triangular space i. After passing
the distributing roller G the roller F revolves in contact with the inking
rollers II, II, which it supplics with ink for the form cylinder. After
passing the inking rollers the surface of the distributor does not come
in contact with any substance until it again reaches the triangular
space i, as the distance between it and the fountain roller is sufficient
to allow it to pass without touching the same, in consequence of which
arrangement any lint which may adhere to the surface of the distributor
is carried beyond the fountain roller, and is thus prevented from
being carried up by said roller so as to choke the mouth of the
fountain.
By adjusting the well fountain A as above described the quantity
of ink flowing through the opening a is regulated at pleasure, while

page_text: "
By the use of the disintegrator an oscillating "lifter is dispensed
with, and by the action of the fountain roller the disintegrator and the
distributor F the supply of ink is rendered continuous and uniform, the
quantity is more exactly regulated, and its uniform application to all
parts of the form is more certainly ensured.
In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the metallic roller or disin-
tegrator E is dispensed with, and the composition-faced distributing
roller G, or a similar one of smaller size, is arranged nearly in the place
of the disintegrator so as to form the triangular space i, but at such a
distance from the fountain roller as to prevent actual contact of its face
with the layer l. In this case the distributor F also becomes the
disintegrator, and takes the ink from the fountain roller instead of the
roller E taking it from the edge of the layer in the same manner and
moving in the opposite direction; but as the surface velocity is so much
greater than that of the fountain roller the ink is disintegrated and
thoroughly distributed, as before described.
The apparatus is here represented as applied to a web printing press,
I being the form cylinder, and J the impression cylinder, but the
Invention is applicable to rotary printing presses of various descriptions.
Having now described the nature of this Invention for " Improve-
ments in Inking Apparatus for Rotary Printing Presses," and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of a
disintegrator, a distributing roller or rollers, and inking rollers, in com-
bination with a fountain roller, as and for the purpose herein described
and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-