US3427969A - Method and device for replenishing ink in an ink dispenser of a business machine - Google Patents

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLENISHING INK I DISPENSER OF A BUSINESS MACHINE Sheet N l N m 2 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLENISHING INK IN AN I Feb. 18, 1969 o. sTRoTl-IMANN l 3N,427,969

DISPENSER OF A BUSINESS MACHINE Filed March 3, 1965 Sheet 2 of 4 N k A w. j dlllffl f;

Feb. 18, 1969 o. sTRoTl-IMANN 3N,;l27,969

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLENISHING INK IN AN I DISPENSER OF A BUSINESS MACHINE Filed March 3, 1965 Sheet 3 of 4 Feb. 18, 1969 o. sTRo'rHMANN 3,427,969

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLENISHING INK IN AN INK ESS :MACHINE Sheet DISPENSER OF A BUSIN Filed March 5, 1965 United States Patent O A 45,408 U.S. Cl. 101-367 4 Claims Int. Cl. B41f 31/22 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Method of supplying ink to a printing mechanism of a business machine includes placing a mechanically destructible and tightly sealed container filled with ink into the interior space of a hollow dispenser formed as an inking roller, closing the dispenser, destroying the container from outside the dispenser to release the ink into the interior space for dispensation, inserting the dispenser and container as a unit into the business machine in proximity to the printing mechanism thereof for inking the latter, and replacing the dispenser and container unit, when depleted of ink, with a similar unit filled with ink. The inking device produced by the method includes a hollow inking roller having a peripheral absorptive covering and openings through which the interior communicates with the cover, a sealed container of mechanically destructible material filled with ink, the container being inserted in the hollow space of the roller when in operative condition, the roller having means for enclosing the container in the hollow space, and exteriorly actuable means for mechanically destroying the container in the hollow space to releasethe ink therefrom into the hollow space.

My invention relates to a method and device for replenishing the ink in ink dispensers for writing or printing business machines.

The ink dispensers used in cash registers, accounting machines and other business machines, usually in the form of inking rollers for dispensing coloring matter of black, red or other color, must be relled from time to time with the particular ink in accordance with the ink consumption. In the known devices, such replenishment is effected with the aid of an ink container in the form of a collapsible tube whose neck is stuck or screwed into an inlet opening of the dispensing device whereafter the tube is compressed and thereby discharged, thus forcing the ink from the tube into the hollow space of the dispenser. This filling method has the disadvantage that soiling of the adjacent machine parts and of the hands is virtually inevitable. In practice, therefore, the refilling of ink is often effected not by the owner or user of the business machine but rather by the personnel of the manufacturer` or servicing company. This also results in practice tofrequent occurrence of an illegible or unclean impression because the operator of the machine, as a rule, must continue using the machine with a depleted ink dispenser until the machine is again serviced.

The ,filling of the dispenser with coloring ink further requires a relatively long time, particularly with multicolor dispensers, so that the replenishing operation, in many cases, is unable to be performed during office hours; for example in the case of cash registers, refilling cannot be effected while customers are being serviced. Stopping the -machine because of a depleted ink dispenser is usually unsuitable for economic reasons.

It is accordingly an object of my invention t0 avoid these shortcomings and to provide a method and means 3,427,969 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 for more rapidly replenishing the ink in the dispenser of a business machine in a greatly simplified and more expeditious manner.

With this and other objects in view I provide a method according to the invention, whereby the ink, which can be liquid coloring matter of black, red or any other color, is poured into a readily destructible and completely tight, scalable container, outside of the ink dispenser. The completely closed ink container is inserted into a hollow space of the ink dispenser on the business machine. After closing this hollow space, the container in the interior of the dispenser is destroyed by action from the outside, so that the ink running out of the destroyed container then passes by suction or capillary action through conventional openings from the hollow space of the ink dispenser into the ink-retentive surface layer or jacket of the dispenser.

According to another feature of the invention, the ink dispenser for receiving the readily destructible ink container comprises a portion of elastic material which can be deformed by external application of pressure or impact with the result that the ink container in the interior space of the dispenser is sufficiently damaged to release the ink. The elasticity of the dispenser is such that after destruction of the inner ink container the dispenser springs back to its original shape. The dispenser is provided with an absorptive surface member which communicates by means of openings, channels, wicks or the like, with the interior hollow space for conveying the ink to the outside.

The invention will Ibe further described with reference to embodiments of ink dispensers according to the invention illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through an ink dispenser.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through a dispenser for two different inking colors.

FIG. 3 shows in longitudinal section an ink dispenser composed of a non-deformable roller with an impact-pin mount for destroying the interior ink container.

FIG. 4 is a lateral elevation of a printing and inking mechanism for a cash register or accounting machine equipped with an ink dispenser such as is shown in FIG. 1, for example; and

FIG. 5 is a partly sectional plan view of the printing and dispensing mechanism according to FIG. 4, equipped with a dispenser as shown in FIG. l.

Referring now to the drawings, the coloring matter, for example black printing ink such as is ordinarily used for business machines, is filled in an ampule-shaped glass container 1 whose inlet nipple 1a is thereafter fused off (FIGS. l, 3) although it may also be air-tightly closed by means of a stopper. The sealed ampule 1 is placed into the hollow space 2 of the ink dispenser. After inserting the ampule, the hollow space 2 is tightly closed. When the roller-shaped, cylindrical body 3 (FIG. l) of the ink dispenser consists of synthetic plastic, the closing is effected by welding a closure 4 to the body 3 or by placing a selfsealing cap upon the open end of the tubular structure. In this condition the dispenser 3 is shipped to the customer for use in the business machine. When the ink dispenser 3 is to be inserted into the printing or inking mechanism of a business machine, pressure or impact is applied to the external jacket 5 of the dispenser 3, thus smashing the glass ampule in the interior. The printing ink then runs into the hollow space 2 of the dispenser. Thereafter the dispenser 3 is immediately inserted into the printing or inking mechanism of the business machine before the ink penetrates from the hollow space 2 to the surface 5a of the dispenser. Any soiling of machine parts or hands is thus prevented.

The tubular body 3 of the ink dispenser shown in FIG. 1 consists of elastic material. The tubular body or inking roller 3 is covered with an absorptive layer 5 consisting, for example, of absorptive paper, felt, woven fabric or the like. The absorptive material 5 communicates through openings 6 in the inking roller 3 with the hollow space 2 therein. To provide uniform impregnation of the covering 5 with ink, ring-shaped or helical channels 7 extend from the openings 6 over the outer peripheral surface of the roller 3. To make certain that the ink will only issue slowly from the surface 5a of the covering 5, the covering is preferably formed of several layers superimposed upon each other. As aforementioned, the roller body 3 is closed at one end at which it carries a stub shaft 8. The opposite, open end of the roller body 3 is capped by a stopper 4 which is sealed by welding or cementing thereof to the roller 3. Near the stopper side of the roller 3, a peripheral shoulder 9 is formed on the roller 3. A cylindrical surface portion 10 adjacent the shoulder 9 forms a bearing surface to be journalled in the printing or inking mechanism. Thus the bearing surface 10 and the shaft 8 jointly determine the rotary axis of the inking roller 3.

As mentioned hereinabove, before the ink dispenser is inserted into the printing or inking mechanism of a business machine, pressure or impact is applied to the covering 5 of the roller 3 in order to destroy the internal container 1. The ink then flowing freely into the hollow space 2 is thus slowly distributed through the openings 6 and the channels 7 into the absorptive covering 5. The irnpregnation of the covering 5 and particularly the moistening of the surface 5a proceeds so slowly that a suiciently long time is available for inserting the inking roller into the mechanism before any ink can penetrate to the outside and can effect soiling of machine parts or of the hands.

The ink dispenser shown in FIG. 2 is equipped with two ink containers 1 and 1'. The container 1 corresponds to the container described with reference to FIG. 1. The container 1 also consists of a thin-walled cylindrical glass container which, however, is closed and sealed by means of a stopper plate la.

The ink containers 1, 1 are inserted into separate hollow spaces 2 and 2 of the inking roller 3. The absorptive coloring of the roller is composed of two portions 5 and 5 which are separated from each other by a labyrinth seal 11 to prevent inks of different colors from owing together. The remaining structural features identified by the reference numerals 3 to 10 correspond to the similarly designated features respectively of the inking roller shown in FIG. l.

The inking roller embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from those of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the roller 3 consists of non-elastic material such as rigid synthetic plastic or metal. The distruction of the ink container 1 in the interior space 2 of the roller is effected by means of an irnpact pin 12 fastened to a sealing diaphragm 13 between the body of the roller 3 and its closure 4 which is here shown as a screw cap. The diaphragm 13 forms a seal which, after destruction of the container 1, retains the ink within the hollow space 2. The ink container 1 is destroyed either by subjecting the inking roller at the pin 12 to upsetting pressure prior to inserting the roller into the inking and dispensing mechanism of the business machine, or by first inserting the inking roller into the mechanism and then striking the pin 12. The resilient mounting of the pin 12 in the diaphragm 13 reliably provides for a tight sealing of the hollow space 2 while also providing for a sufliciently large and elastic stroke of the impact pin 12.

The embodiment of a complete inking mechanism shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is essentially in accordance with a known printing and inking mechanism for an accounting machine of the cash-register type, except that it is equipped with an inking roller according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1.

The illustrated printing mechanism 21 constitutes an independent sub-assembly of a business machine. The

mechanism comprises printing type wheels 22 to 24 which are positionally controlled by data setting -members 25 to 27 through a system of telescopic tubes 30 journalled in the side wall plates 28 and 29 and carrying respective spur gears 31 meshing with the type wheels. The telescopic tubes are rotated corresponding angular amounts under control of the keyboard of the machine or the computing mechanisms of the machine, as is well known in the art and not illustrated or further described herein because it is irrelevant to the present invention. The mechanism further comprises a type plate carrier 32 for producing a given, invariable imprint, and an inking-tape feed roller 33 as well as a displaceably mounted tensioning roller 34, and an inking roller 3. The side plates 2S and 29 of the printing mechanism are secured to each other by means of spacer sleeves 37 seated on connecting bolts. The inking roller 3 is journalled in the side plates 28 and 29 and corresponds to the roller illustrated in FIG. l.

The journal pin 8 on the bottom side of the inking roller 3 is journalled in a bore 35 (FIG. 5) of side plate 29. A holder 43 (FIG. 4), fastened by a screw 44 to the other side plate 28, rests against the peripheral shoulder 9 of the roller 3 and thus prevents the roller from shifting in the axial direction. After loosening the holder 43, the inking roller 3 can be pulled to the left hand side as shown in FIG. 5 out of its seat and can be exchanged for a new roller. The amount of time required for such exchange is considerably smaller than heretofore required for replenishing the inking rollers on business machines.

After insertion of a new inking roller, the pin 12 (FIG. 5) is struck with any suitable hard object, thus destroying the ampule whose fragments 1b remain in the interior of the roller.

The ink issuing from the openings 6 is uniformly distributed through the grooves 7 over the periphery of the roller and thus soaks the absorbent covering 5. By virtue of the distributing grooves, only few openings 6 are required and these may be given a relatively large size so that they cannot become clogged even when the ink has thickened. The channels or openings 6 are continuously rinsed by the inking liquid issuing from the hollow space 2 to the grooves 7, without dispensing more liquid than is required by the absorptive effect of the covering 5.

A short tube 38 (FIG. 5) is fastened to the side plate 29 in coaxial relation to the bore 35, and serves for guiding a helical pressure spring 39 having one end resting against the side plate 29 and the other against the bottom 40 of an axially displaceable and rotatable diaphragm 41 which separates the inking roller 3 from the inking ribbon 42 in known manner when the inking ribbon 42 is saturated.

It will be understood from the foregoing that an inking rolleraccording to the invention can readily be inserted without soiling anything and a much shorter time than heretofore needed for replenishment, and also without requiring any particular skill. This is not only due to the structural features described in the foregoing but also to the fact that some time will elapse until the ink issuing from the hollow space 2 lwill emerge at the surface 5a of the covering. Furthermore, when using an inking roller according to FIG. 3 with an impact pin 12, the internal ink container 1 may be destroyed at any desired time after inserting the inking roller into the printing and dispensing mechanism. This has the advantage that no drying of the ink can occur during shipping and storing of the business machine or of the inking rollers.

To those skilled in the art, it will be obvious upon a study of this disclosure that my invention permits of various modifications and may be given embodiments other than Iparticularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. An inking device for business machines, comprising a hollow inking roller formed at least partly of elastically deformable material, said roller having a peripheral ab sorptive covering and having openings through which the interior communicates with said covering, a sealed container of mechanically destructible material lled with ink, said container being a lunit separate from said roller and being inserted in the hollow space of said roller when in operative condition, said roller having means for enclosing said container in said hollow space, and said roller being elastically deformable for thereby destroying said container in said hollow space to release the ink therefrom.

2. An inking device for business machines, comprising a hollow inking roller having a peripheral absorptive covering and opening through which the interior communicates with said covering, a sealed container of mechanically destructible material lled with ink, said container being inserted in the hollow space of said roller when in operating condition, said roller having means for enclosing said container in said hollow space, and exteriorly actuable means for mechanically `destroying said container in said hollow space to release the ink therefrom into said hollow space, said inking roller being interchangeably insertable in a business machine in place of another of said inking rollers containing a diferent colored ink and in place of another of said inking rollers having a depleted ink supply therein, said inking roller having a tubular Ibody of rigid material, and said means for destroying said container comprising impact member displacea'bly mounted on said roller body and expending to the outside thereof.

3. An inking device for ybusiness machines, comprising an inking roller having a tubular, cylindrical body closed at one end and open at the other end for insertion of a destructible ink container, a cover member on said open end for enclosing said container in said body, as elastic sealing diaphragm between said cover member and said container, and destroying means for destroying said ink container comprising an impact pin mounted on said diaphragm and extending through said cover member to the outside of said roller.

4. Method of supplying ink to a printing mechanism of a -business machine which comprises placing a mechanically destructible and tightly sealed container iilled with ink into the interior space of a hollow dispenser at least partly of elastic material formed as an inking roller, closing the dispenser deforming the elastic material of the dispenser so as to destroy the container from outside the dispenser to release the ink into the interior space for dispensation, inserting the dispenser and container as a `unit into the business machine in proximity to the printing mechanism thereof for inking the latter, and selectively replacing the dispenser and container unit with a similar unit containing ink of -a different color and, when depleted of ink, with a similar unit lled `with ink of the same color.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,516,454 11/1924 Norton 12S-269 2,918,514 12/1959 Everett 136-90 3,326,180 6/ 1967 Lofgren 118-264 916,357 3/1909 McCarty 10k-367 2,726,638 12/ 1955 Huckmyer 12W-45.4 2,919,677 1/1960 Mansheim 120-45.4 2,970,538 2/1961 Heil 101-367 3,072,053 1/1963 Becker et al lOl-367 X WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. FRED A. WINANS, Assistant Examiner.

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