| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 629 505 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
31.05.1995 Bulletin 1995/22 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
21.12.1994 Bulletin 1994/51 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 14.06.1994 |
|
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
CH DE FR GB IT LI SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
15.06.1993 US 76877
|
| (71) |
Applicant: PITNEY BOWES INC. |
|
Stamford
Connecticut 06926-0700 (US) |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
|
- Sarada, Thyagaraj
Norwalk,
Connecticut 06851 (US)
- Bernard, Richard A.
Norwalk,
Connecticut 06850 (US)
- Bonaccorso, William H., Jr.
Emmaus,
Pennsylvania 18049 (US)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Cook, Anthony John et al |
|
D. YOUNG & CO.
21 New Fetter Lane
London EC4A 1DA
London EC4A 1DA (GB) |
|
| |
|
| (54) |
Dual density foam inking member and method of making the same |
(57) This invention relates to an inking member made from a single, foraminous material.
The foraminous material, such as polyurethane, is placed into a press. The top platen
of the press is raised to a temperature of 380 to 450° F and the material is subjected
to a pressure of 8,618kg/force on a 165mm ram load for a period approximately of 3.5
minutes. What results is an inking member having small pores in the area adjacent
to the heated platen and larger pores in those portions of the pad that are distant
from the heated platen. This yields a foraminous, member that has utility as an inking
member with the small pore portion acting as an ink metering layer and the large pore
portion acting as an ink reservoir layer.