Abstract: An ink fountain for supplying ink to the ink carrying surface of a printing press form roll has an ink receptacle which may be removed from and reinstalled into the press separate from the adjustable support assembly which maintains it in an operative position with respect to the form roll. The adjustable support assembly enables a doctor blade on the ink receptacle to be placed in an optimum position with respect to the ink carrying surface of the form roll. Dam members which seal front portions of the ink receptacle to the form roll are, in a preferred embodiment, formed as part of the ink receptacle assembly and are removed and reinstalled together with the ink receptacle. The dam members may be formed of a relatively inexpensive, resilient plastic material whereby it is more economic to dispose of them and replace them with new dam members rather than clean them.

Abstract: A letterpress printing press is provided using an anilox form roller, to directly receive by gravity thereon, a viscous ink from an ink supply in ink fountain means that are positioned immediately above the form roller. The ink is of the type to be substantially immediately dried by being exposed to ultraviolet light. So as to control the amount of ink delivered from the anilox form roller to a printing plate, there is provided a doctor blade means located within the ink fountain means. The doctor blade means includes both a vertically slidable plate, whose vertical position is selectively controllable by means operatively associated with the plate and fountain, and a doctor blade that is cantilevered from the vertically slidable plate so as to have its relatively unsupported, and relatively flexible, free edge engage the surface of the anilox form roller to scrape excess ink from the form roller and restoring the removed ink to the ink supply in the ink fountain means.