Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering ink in a large offset printing press from the so-called page pack to the distribution head assembly. From the distribution head, the ink is transferred to a fountain roller, and from there to a series of conventional rollers in a newspaper printing application or other offset printing application. 
   According to the invention, there is a positive one-dimensional hinged connection between the page pack and other parts including the pivot block support base and the pivotable swing frame and related parts. In addition, the page pack preferably includes a manifold assembly which is readily detachable from its mating part, the stem assembly. The ink then preferably passes from page packs to the stem assembly, and then through various passages in the feed plate, the transfer plate and the pivot block support plates, then passes through a series of hollow hinge pins located by bearings and seals, and then finally to a series of interconnect hoses leading to the distribution head. 
   Because the swing frame mounting blocks pivot with respect to the pivot block support base, the ink passes through what is essentially a large multi-part hinge, allowing the distribution head and related parts to be swung toward and away from the fountain roller. Among the novel features are the structure of the parts and the manner in which the hinge and its associated parts function. 
   Prior art ink feed arrangement were quite different, with a plurality of hoses connecting the page pack(s) to the distribution head. Accordingly, this left a large array of free hoses, which were required to have a certain amount of flexibility because of their great length. Such hoses commonly began and continued to gather ink dust or other dust and impeded the ability to operate the swing frame in a clean manner. The hoses accordingly led directly from the page packs to the distribution head with a major part of the mechanism being not only subject to accumulation of dust and dirt, but this also kept the page packs surrounded by hoses and unable to be easily removed for maintenance. 
   Usually, there were 32 hoses in a four-page array, and these in turn were fed from a large manifold containing the printing ink. Accordingly, the ink was first passed into a plurality of page packs and then, from there, over the entire array and directly into the distribution head. 
   It would be desirable if a better arrangement of hoses and page packs or the like could be incorporated into a printing press. 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for delivering ink in a large offset printing press. 
   Another object is to insure that, with the swing frame mounting blocks pivoting with respect to the pivot block support base, the ink could be routed along what is essentially a multi-part hinge from the page pack to the distribution head. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which the hinge was, in effect, pivotable about the pivot block support base, and the ink would travel axially along a hinge pin and then at right angles to the hinge pin in the swing frame mounting block and ultimately toward the interconnect hose. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide a hinge system with a plurality of hinge pins, each pin having its end in an ink filled pocket, and in which the pivot block support bases would incorporate vertical ink passages and the swing frame mounting blocks would allow radial ink flow to the interconnect hoses. 
   Another object is to incorporate an axial hinge pin into the two ends of the swing frame mounting block for movement allowed by a series of bearings incorporated into the pivot block support base. 
   A further object is to incorporate ink seals which would ride on the hinge pins on their inside diameter and on the swing frame mounting block on their outside diameter. 
   Another object of the invention is to incorporate short interconnect hoses for ink between the swing frame mounting block and the distribution head assembly. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a readily removable series of page packs, whereby the page packs could be removed and cleaned without tools and without difficulty. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide a page pack with a series of ink passages terminating in stem receiving structures which register with but are removable from stem assemblies. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a stem assembly which can accommodate a stem receiving structure in the page pack, and in which the stem receiving structures drops freely over the stem assembly. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide a stem assembly which registers with the stem receiving structure in the page pack and allows the stem receiver and the stem to be treated as a unit in use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, there is typically a long, multi-part hinge, substantially the same width as the length of the distribution head, with the hinges serving as a conduit for the ink, which is fed from the page pack(s), preferably separable from the stems, through the fixed parts of the hinge, to the movable parts thereof and finally to the interconnect hoses and to the distribution head. 
   These and other objects in the manner of their attainment will become more clear when considered in connection with the following detailed description of the invention and shown in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the interconnect hoses that extend between fixed parts of the distribution head and the swing frame, and the pivoting action which enables the swing frame to move toward and away from the fountain roller;  FIG. 1  also shows a cut-away view of the page pack and the direction of the ink flow as it goes through various passages from the page pack to the stem assembly and beyond. 
       FIG. 2  is a vertical sectional view showing the assembled page pack, the stem assembly, and shows the pivoting action of the swing frame, and shows related parts moved away from the fountain roller. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded vertical sectional view, on a greatly an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the page pack including the receiver, and the manner of its removable attachment to the stem assembly. 
       FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view showing details of one hollow hinge pin through which the ink is fed, and showing the relative movement of the swing frame mounting block supported by bearings and a seal relative to the pivot block support base, and related parts. 
       FIG. 5  is a vertical sectional view showing two end parts of one hinge pin and a part of another hinge pin and all their associated parts, and schematically showing the path of the ink as it flows through the various passages, including the feed plate, the transfer plate and the pivot block, and ultimately, through the passages and toward the interconnect hoses. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The invention is typically embodied in a large offset press, which normally would have two to six page packs and a continuous series of rollers extending the width of the press. In such presses, it is always necessary to have a movable distribution head swing through an arc to go from an operating position, wherein it is adjacent to the fountain roller, and in another position, wherein the distribution head assembly and related parts are spaced apart from the fountain roller. A description will now be made of a typical offset press, and the portions thereof with which the invention is concerned. 
   Accordingly, and referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a fountain roller  20  with the distribution head assembly generally designated  22  including an ink passage  24 , and the reduced thickness passage  26 , and this passage may narrow further toward the end of the tapered face  28  on the lower margin of the distribution head assembly. 
   The transfer blade  30  lies just below the narrow end of the ink passage  32 . An adapter plate  34  comes next, and this is secured to a spacer block  36 , which in turn is attached to the swing frame  38 . The swing frame in turn is attached to the swing frame mounting block  40 . These parts, together with the interconnect hose  42  and its individual fittings  44 ,  46  constitute the moveable parts of the distribution head assembly. These portions are adapted to swing counterclockwise as shown in the drawings, to leave a substantial space between the distribution head assembly and the fountain roller. 
   Portions of the press unit which are fixed include a pivot block support base  48 , a transfer plate  50 , and a feed plate  52 . Each of the feed plate and the transfer plate are drilled, milled, or otherwise machined to provide passages  54 ,  56 , for ink to flow therethrough. Accordingly, the ink flows through the vertical passage  58  into a stationary pocket  59  in the pivot block support base  48 . The remainder of these components and their functions will be described presently. 
   Referring now in particular to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is shown a page pack generally designated  60 , and shown to include an ink reservoir generally designated  62 , and an L-shaped and rectangular support structure  63 ,  65 . The page pack has a plurality, usually 8, of individual passages, one of which will now be described. Each one of these passages includes a horizontal passage  64 , a vertical passage  66 , and a topmost horizontal passage  68  in this embodiment of the invention. 
   The ink from here flows down through another horizontal passage  70  in the stem receiver, and into the stem housing  72  which connects removably with a stem generally designated  74 . The stem  74  is shown to include a circular sidewall portion  76 , plural O rings  78 ,  80 ,  82 , and a center passage  84 . The ink then passes from the center passage  84  through the short vertical passage  86  and then horizontally through the passage  88 , where it meets with the passage  90  ( FIG. 2 ) in the feed plate  52 . From here, the ink passes through the ink passages  56 ,  54  and  58 , and ends up in a pocket designated  59 . 
   The function of the page pack is to feed separate streams of ink as desired by the layout of the paper and yet to be readily removable from the press for purposes of maintenance, changing the type or color of ink, etc. This can be done readily as the assembly  62 , including all of the various passages is removable as a unit. 
   At this point, assuming that the ink has flowed through the various passages from the reservoir of the page pack  62 , it will flow as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The pocket area  59  in the pivot block support base is served by the passage  58 , which brings the ink into an area concentric with the hinge pin  100  having two cavities  102 ,  104 . This hinge pin  100  is double-ended ( FIG. 5 ) so as to have a passage  102  that preferably has a depth of just less than half of the extent of the hinge pin  100 . The other end  104  has a similar depth. 
   The hollow hinge pin  100  is centered in the swing frame mounting block  40 , and the pivot block support base  48  remains immobile at all times. The swing frame mounting block  40  pivots through an arc of perhaps 45 degrees. The small chamber or pocket  59  is filled with ink at up to 100 p.r.i. The seal  106  keeps the ink from leaking into the bearing assembly. The radial load is taken by a bearing assembly generally designated  108 . This assembly  108  includes a center series of balls  110 , a cage  112  and pair of shims on either of its sides  114 ,  116 . The passage  102  in the hollow hinge pin  100  communicates with a radial passage  118  which in turn communicates with the fitting  46  at one end of interconnect hose  42 . 
   From the foregoing example, one may appreciate that there will be a number of different manners in which the fountain roller and the distribution head may be separated from each other and return to their initial position from time to time. Accordingly, while the preferred apparatus for performing this function includes a distribution head and spacers, adapters, and swing frames, etc. as well as interconnect hoses for each column to be printed, this construction is only exemplary. The main concept is that a plurality of hinged pieces are located by hinge pins which have a hollow bore in their middle, and each of which serves to transfer the direction of the ink flowing therein from radial to axial to radial again, and then to the printing apparatus. 
   Likewise, the construction of the hinge mechanism is only exemplary. The preferred method includes a seal  106  closely surrounding the diameter of the hinge pin, and this seal includes a garter spring  120  for creating a radial load on the hinge pin  100 , a radially outwardly acting spring  122  for maintaining a radial load on the housing  48  in which the seal  106  is located. In this way, the seal  120  is secure and it keeps the ink in the pocket, and also keeps the grease out of the pocket and in the bearing area where it is desired to be kept. 
   The construction has been shown using ball bearings, however, other methods might be used including roller or tapered roller bearings, or merely bushings, which would allow the bearings to be eliminated. The object here is to allow the hinge pins to be positively located with respect to the movable parts of the structure. 
   An example has been shown wherein the pivot frame mounting block uses a couple of fittings for the interconnect hoses. This is the best use of the application; however, it is not necessary that these flexible hoses be used, or the fittings be used with them, since another method of making this connection will occur to those skilled in the art. Likewise, the hoses have been shown to exit the fitting in pairs, but it is not strictly necessary that this be done. The most effective presently preferred way has been that which is described. 
   Regarding the page pack, the preferred method of providing the page pack so as to make it readily removable is the present concept. For example, the O-rings make an easily manufactured seal allowing the stem and the receiver to interfit is the preferred method, but another form of seal could be used, or the seal could be located elsewhere in the system. Likewise, the provision of the various holes or passages through the feed plate and the transfer plate is made so as to be most convenient and effective in the present application. However, every angle and turn is not necessary. 
   The page pack support is provided to limit the downward travel of the page pack, but other constructions could be used. 
   It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a construction having a number of advantages and characteristics including those pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention. Variations and changes to the described structure will occur to those skilled in the art, and such variations and changes may be made without departing from the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: b