Ink fountain in printing presses

Claim 1

In an ink fountain, the combination comprising a frame, a fountain roller mounted in the frame and extending parallel to it, the frame including a vertically extending wall portion providing an upwardly facing supporting surface as well as a base portion, a fountain blade secured to the supporting surface and having a projecting portion terminating in a tip extending into operative engagement with the under surface of the roller to define an ink film thereon said blade having on its bottom side a cam follower portion spaced inwardly of said tip, the base portion projecting laterally from the wall in the same direction as the blade, the projecting portion of the blade and base portion of the frame vertically opposed thereto being of approximately equal dimension and together defining a longitudinal chamber under the blade, a body of ink above the blade, means for rotating the roller so that its surface rotates downwardly through the body of ink, adjusting mechanism in the chamber engaging the underside of the blade and including a series of adjusting screws which penetrate the wall portion and which are sealed with respect to it, the screws having individual cams engaging the blade along said cam follower portion so that as the screws are operated the tip of the blade undergoes localized adjusting movement toward and away from the surface of the fountain roller, a closure plate which extends generally vertically so as to make an obtuse angle with the blade as well as extending longitudinally of the frame to enclose the chamber, said closure plate having an upper edge extending to within a short distance of the underside of the blade adjacent said tip and having a lower edge which is stationarily secured to the laterally extending base portion of the frame for making a leakage tight joint with the latter, and a resilient strip extending continuously along the upper edge of the closure plate to seal the joint between the closure plate and the underside of the fountain blade so that the chamber is substantially sealed against paper dust and ink either in liquid form or in the form of airborne ink mist, the strip being formed of elastomeric material continuously joined to the upper edge of the closure plate and continuously joined to the underside of the blade at the tip thereof so as to enclose within the chamber, the screws, cams, and cam follower region, the strip being sufficiently resilient so that localized adjusting movements of the blade are accommodated by elastic deformation of the resilient strip while preserving the integrity of the seal.