Claims
- 1. An inking system for applying ink to an inking surface, comprising:a handle defining a handle axis and comprising first and second socket surfaces, where the first and second socket surfaces are spaced along the handle axis on opposite ends of the handle; a first intermediate member comprising a first mounting portion sized and dimensioned to frictionally engage the socket surfaces to detachably attach the first intermediate member to the handle, and a first hood portion defining first and second bearing slots, where first and second locking projections are arranged in the first and second bearing slots, respectively; a second intermediate member comprising a second mounting portion sized and dimensioned to frictionally engage the socket surfaces to detachably attach the second intermediate member to the handle, and a second hood portion defining third and fourth bearing slots, where third and fourth locking projections are arranged in the third and fourth bearing slots, respectively; a first inking assembly comprising a substantially planar first support member comprising first and second bearing portions, and a substantially planar first inking member secured to the first support member; and a second inking assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical second support member comprising third and fourth bearing portions and defining a mounting axis, and a substantially cylindrical second inking member, where the second support member extends through the second inking member; whereby the first mounting portion is received by the first socket surface to secure the first intermediate member to the handle; the second mounting portion is received by the second socket surface to secure the second intermediate member to the handle; the first and second bearing portions on the first support member are held within the first and second bearing slots by the first and second locking projections to secure the first inking assembly to the first intermediate member such that the first inking member maintains a predetermined relationship to the handle axis; the third and fourth bearing portions on the second support member are held within the third and fourth bearing slots by the third and fourth locking projections to secure the second inking assembly to the second intermediate member such that the second inking member rotates about the mounting axis relative to the intermediate member.
- 2. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which the first and second hood portions are adapted to enclose a portion of the first and second inking assemblies, respectively.
- 3. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which:the first intermediate member comprises first and second bearing walls defining the first and second bearing slots, respectively; and the first and second bearing portions are spaced from each other to be received by the respective first and second bearing slots and supported by the respective first and second bearing walls to detachably attach the first inking assembly to the first intermediate member.
- 4. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which the first inking member is a rubber stamp.
- 5. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which the first inking member is an ink-impregnated absorbent pad.
- 6. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which the first support member is a support plate adapted to be secured to the first inking member.
- 7. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which the second support member is an axle member adapted to extend through at least a portion of the second inking member to allow the second inking member to rotate about the mounting axis relative to the intermediate member.
- 8. An inking system as recited in claim 1, in which:the second intermediate member comprises third and fourth bearing walls defining the third and fourth bearing slots, respectively; and the third and fourth bearing portions are spaced from each other to be received by the respective third and fourth bearing slots and supported by the respective third and fourth bearing walls to detachably attach the second inking assembly to the second intermediate member.
- 9. A method of applying ink to an inking surface, comprising the steps of:providing a handle defining first and second socket surfaces; providing a first intermediate member defining a first hood portion and a first mounting portion; providing a second intermediate member defining a second hood portion and a second mounting portion; detachably attaching the first intermediate member to the handle by frictionally engaging the first mounting portion and the first socket surface; detachably attaching the second intermediate member to the handle by frictionally engaging the second mounting portion and the second socket surface; forming first and second bearing slots in the first hood portion; forming third and fourth bearing slots in the second hood portion; forming first and second locking projections in the first and second bearing slots, respectively; forming third and fourth locking projections in the third and fourth bearing slots, respectively; providing a substantially planar first support member defining first and second bearing portions; providing a substantially cylindrical second support member defining third and fourth bearing portions; forming a first inking assembly by securing a substantially planar first inking member to the first support member; forming a second inking assembly by securing a substantially cylindrical second inking member to the second support member; detachably attaching the first inking assembly to the first intermediate member such that the first inking member is in a fixed relationship to the handle by arranging the first and second bearing portions within the respective first and second bearing slots such that the first and second locking projections inhibit inadvertent removal of the first and second bearing portions from the respective first and second bearing slots; and detachably attaching the second inking assembly to the second intermediate member such that the second inking member rotates about a mounting axis relative to the handle by arranging the third and fourth bearing portions within the respective third and fourth bearing slots such that the third and fourth locking projections inhibit inadvertent removal of the third and fourth bearing portions from the respective third and fourth bearing slots.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/239,431 filed Sep. 10, 2000.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2084081 |
Apr 1982 |
GB |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/239431 |
Oct 2000 |
US |