The invention described herein concerns disposable liners designed to cover and provide temporary protection for all printing press components such as fountain blades and wash-up blades which equip the cleaning devices of inking units, printing blankets and pressure cylinders. These disposable liners eliminate both cleaning and wear of these components by avoiding direct contact with and pressure against the moving mechanical parts with which they operate in combination. At present, every time there is a change in the colour of ink used or when the inks become partially siccativated and polluted by various fibrous residues, offset, typographical and other printing presses are in permanent need of meticulous cleaning of their fountains, inking units, blankets and impression cylinders. In order that the purpose of the invention may be fully understood, there follows a schematic description by the aid of Figure 1 of the mechanisms and operation of a fountain and the cleaning system of an inking unit. Figure 1 represents a section of a printing press 1 showing the fountain 2 and the cleaning system of the inking unit 3. The fountain 2 consists of a fountain body 4 upon which is fixed the fountain blade 5, two fixed lateral walls 6 and an adjustment screw assembly 7. The fountain body 4 pivots about the ink duct roller 8. The ink 9, contained between the fountain blade 5 and the ink duct roller 8, is imprisoned at the two ends between the fixed lateral walls 6. Adjustment of the rate of flow of the ink 9 is effected by applying increased or decreased pressure of the fountain blade 5 against the ink duct roller 8 by means of the adjustment screws 7. Cleaning of the fountain 2 involves first of all using a spatula to scrape off the greater part of the ink residues adhering to the fountain blade 5, then tilting the fountain body 4 by loosening the retaining screws 10 and, with the aid of another spatula and a suitable thinner, removing the thick, greasy ink 9 remaining on the fountain blade 5 and the fixed lateral walls 6 as well as that on the ink duct roller 8. After this all these different components must be meticulously cleaned with the aid of rags and thinners. This operation is particularly tedious and takes from fifteen to twenty minutes, according to the size of the fountains to be cleaned. The cleaning system of the inking unit 3 consists of a trough 11 upon which are fixed a

wash-up blade 12 and two screws 13. Cleaning of the inking unit is effected simply by successive dispersal, by transfer from roller to roller, of the residual greasy inks which are diluted and removed by the wash-up blade 12 pressing against one of the ink distributor rollers 14 of the inking unit. These liquefied residues run along the wash-up blade and accumulate inside the trough 11. The pressure exerted by the wash-up blade 12 on the ink distributor roller 14 is exerted by the screws 13 supported by the two pins 15 firmly attached to the body of the printing press 1. The cleaning system is then removed from the printing press and carried away to be emptied of the viscous and liquid residues that it contains before being re-used. During transport there are continual risks of splashing, and the cleaning of fountains and cleaning systems, as carried out at present, constitutes a real chore for the operator, and has little in common with the other functions of the press. These cleaning operations are performed, on average, six to eight times a day. The purpose of the invention is to remedy these inadequacies, making it possible to eliminate simultaneously the tedium and considerable waste of time involved in these indispensable operations, and wear and tear on the parts which are covered with the various disposable liners. The choice of kind, shape, mode of manufacture and method of attachment of these liners on the different components needing to be temporarily covered and protected will be extremely variable while nevertheless constituting part of the invention being described. The criteria taken into account to determine the choice will be primarily economic, but will be biased in favour of materials which are biodegradable and have a low pollutant effect on the environment while at the same time possessing sufficient mechanical strength, particularly in the case of liners for fountain blades, which are subjected to considerable mechanical forces by the rollers.

Biodegradable plastic film material is under development in many countries and will probably be put on the market in the next few years. At present, the plastic film used for the manufacture of the invention can be chosen from among polyester films, such as Mylar, nylon or similar. Their thickness will vary between five hundredths and two tenths of a millimetre according to the size of fountain blades or wash-up blades to be lined. In the case of liners for small sizes of wash-up blades, intended for the cleaning of small format

printing presses, it is advantageous to make the liners out of heavyweight wax paper. This material offers the advantage of being impermeable to water and thinners, inexpensive and biodegradable.

By way of illustration of the invention, two types of methods will be described by which the liner may be fixed to the component requiring covering and protection. The first method consists in sticking the film forming the liner on to the supporting component by means of a conventional double-sided adhesive strip. However, in order to facilitate handling when positioning the liner and when unsticking it from the protected component after use, it will be preferable to use a strip having different types of adhesive on its two faces. The adhesive covering the side of the strip destined to adhere to the liner will be a contact adhesive demanding very low pressure for high adhesion, while the adhesive covering the other side will be of the re-positionable type since, in order to adhere, it will require very much higher pressure, although its adhesion will be weaker while nevertheless remaining strong enough to retain the liner during use.

The other method of attachment consists in retaining the liner in position on the fountain by mechanical means. These liners can be used equally well on fountains equipped with one-piece blades and on those having a blade divided into zones or composed of an assembly of parts to allow inking to be separately controlled in independent sections. Figure 2 View A represents a schematic overhead view of the printing press 1 and the fountain 2 with the fountain body 4 in raised, operating position. The fountain blade 5 is pressed against the ink duct roller 8. Figure 2 View B represents the same printing press 1 with the fountain body 4 tilted in cleaning position. Figure 3 View A represents the upper surface of a disposable fountain liner 16A cut out of a sheet of polyester film for example, and greater in depth than the fountain blade 5 by about ten to fifteen millimetres so that when in operating position a strip of the liner ten to fifteen millimetres wide extends past the edge of the fountain blade 5 and is caught between it and the ink duct roller 8. Two double-sided adhesive strips 17 have previously been fixed on to the disposable fountain liner 16A to enable it, after being positioned on the blade, to be held in place during use. Figure 3 View B shows the same disposable fountain liner 16A extending beyond the edge of

the fountain blade 5 and retained by the double-sided adhesive strips 17 before the fountain body 4 is raised and locked in operating position on the ink duct roller 8. The complete set of devices permitting cleaning of the fountain according to the invention is defined as follows : - disposable fountain blade liner 16A

- two removable lateral walls 18 Figure 4 View A preventing soiling of the original fixed lateral walls 6 of the fountain Figure 4 View B.

- a removable basic wash-up blade 23 Figure 8 covered with a disposable liner 16B for cleaning the ink duct roller 8. Figure 4 shows, in View A, a removable lateral wall 18 made from a material such as polyamide, polyethylene or other plastic possessing the characteristic of being slightly deformable, enabling it to take up the exact shape of the ink duct roller with which it operates in partnership. By this procedure it is possible to achieve precise adjustment of the removable lateral wall 18 between the fountain blade 5 View B and the ink duct roller 8 by eliminating the small differences which are found between individual presses of the same type. The two removable lateral walls 18 View A each possess a transverse slot 19 of a certain depth permitting their shape to be modified and espouse the exact shape of the ink duct roller 8 when acted upon by the screw 19B which is supported by the anterior part of the removable lateral wall 18. This modification of the shape of the removable lateral walls 18 is performed the first time they are brought into use. The slot 19A serves as a guide for the fixing screws of the removable lateral walls 18. Figure 4 View B shows the fixed lateral wall 6 of the fountain held in place on the fountain body 4 by the two screws 6A and 6B. The walls and their attachments act as anchor points for the support 20 making it possible for the removable lateral walls 18 View A to be retained in operating position by means of the fixing screws 6C. To equip the fountains intended to be protected and cleaned according to the invention, the supports 20 for the removable lateral walls 18 Figure 5 View B are installed permanently. To avoid disturbing the adjustment of the fixed lateral walls 6, only the screw 6A Figure 4 View B is removed on each wall, allowing them to be kept in place during the operation. The supports 20 are positioned inside the fixed lateral walls 6 and the screws 6A re-tightened on the fountain body 4. The screws 6B on each fixed lateral wall 6 are then

removed and replaced with longer screws which pass through the clamping flanges 20A that retain and fix the backs of the removable lateral walls 18 Figure 5 View B in operating position.

Figure 5 View A shows the support 20 of the removable lateral walls 18 View B permanently installed inside the fixed lateral walls 6.

Figure 5 View B shows one of the two removable lateral walls 18 held in operating position by means of the screws 6C engaged in the slot 19A. The two removable lateral walls 18 are placed on the fountain blade 5 previously covered with a disposable fountain liner 16A retained in position by the double-sided adhesive strips 17. The removable lateral wall 18 is protected with a disposable liner 18A , pre-cut and coated with a permanent adhesive. The liner 18A is easily pulled off after use by means of the tab 18B. Figure 6 shows an example of a disposable fountain liner 16A made from a sheet of plastic film A and a sheet of wax paper or waterproofed kraft paper B. These two materials are held together by the adhesive strip 17 placed so as to overlap them both.

Figure 7 represents a method of fixing the disposable fountain liner 16A to the fountain blade 5. In this arrangement, the rear edge of the liner 16A is inserted between the rear surface of the support 5A of the fountain blade 5 and a clamping roller 21 which is eccentric on its fixed spindle 21 A. By rotating the eccentric roller 21 on its spindle 21 A by means of the handle 22, the disposable fountain liner 16A is either firmly clamped or released, according to the direction of rotation. To complete the rapid cleaning of the fountain, Figure 8 View A shows a removable cleaning unit 3A, possessing a trough 11 A on which is fixed a wash-up blade 23 covered with a disposable wash-up blade liner 16B. The trough 11 A is fixed by means of a clamp 23B which also serves as a handle, mounted on a removable spindle 23A. Cleaning of the ink residues is effected by rotating the spindle 23A in the bearings 23C until light pressure is exerted by the extremity of the wash-up blade 23, covered with its disposable wash-up blade liner 16B, against the ink-covered ink duct roller 8, which is first wetted with thinner. One of the two end pieces 23D of the removable spindle 23A can be displaced in order to allow the removable cleaning unit 3A to be withdrawn in a single movement.

Figure 8 View B is a diagram of the operation of the movable end piece 23D which is captive in the spindle 23A and kept under gentle pressure by the spring 23E. The spring is compressed by pushing the lever 23F fixed to the end piece 23D in order to withdraw the cleaning unit. Figure 9 View A shows the construction of a disposable liner 16 designed to cover a wash-up blade 12 Figure 1. In this example the disposable liner 16 is cut from a sheet or from plastic film and pre-folded. Bands of double-sided adhesive strip 17 are positioned on the external surface of the disposable liner 16 to enable it to be fixed lightly to the wash-up blade 12 Figure 1. Figure 9 View B shows the same disposable liner 16 completed by the gluing or stapling of its different parts. A length of cotton wadding 16C or similar absorbent material, laid inside the disposable wash-up blade liner 16B serves to absorb the liquefied residues of ink and thinner and avoid splashes. Figure 10 View A shows the same type of disposable wash-up blade liner 16B placed over the wash-up blade 12 fitted to the cleaning unit 3.

Figure 10 View B shows the cleaning unit 3 fitted with its disposable wash-up blade liner 16B and ready to be positioned for use on the press. Figure 11 shows the cleaning unit 3 in operating position. The trough 11 supports the wash-up blade 12 covered with its disposable liner 16 pressed against the ink distributor roller 14 by the action of the screws.13 threaded into the pins 15 firmly attached to the press. The absorbent cotton wadding 16C contains the ink residues.

By reason of the advantages that they offer in eliminating cleaning of components which are ceaselessly soiled and protecting them from wear, the use of these disposable liners could well be widely extended, whatever may be the parts of the printing press to be protected.