Photographic-type composing apparatus

Claim 2

In photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means for sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, projection means for selectively projecting said characters onto a character image-receiving surface, said projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, means for holding said optical means against movement during composition of a line relative to said characterreceiving surface, and means for moving said character presentation means in steps along a path parallel to the base line of said line of composition to provide spacing between characters in a line of composition, the lengths of said steps being proportional to the relative widths of said characters, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said characterreceiving surface.

Claim 3

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 1 in which said character presentation means comprises a character carrier member rotatable to present characters at said projection position in a continuous sequence, and including aperture means defining said projection position and mounted to move with said character presentation means.

Claim 4

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 1 in which said projection means includes a flashlamp mounted to move with said character presentation means.

Claim 5

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 1 in which said projection means, includes a projection lens, a pair of reflectors positioned to successively reflect images received form said lens and onto said image-receiving surface, and means for mounting said lens and said reflector pair so as to be movable toward or away from said character projection position.

Claim 6

Photocompositon apparatus as in claim in which said magnification and focal length adjustment means includes a pair of arms for sliding said lens and said reflector pair on a slide member, and releasable detent means for holding said lens and reflector pair in position.

Claim 7

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 4 including means for supporting said image-receiving surface in a substantially horizontal position, and a third reflector intercepting the images from said reflector pair and reflecting said images onto said iamge-receiving surface.

Claim 8

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 1 including means to shift said character presentation means in a direction and in an amount such as to relocate the vertical edge of a character at the margin of the composition on the image-receiving surface after a change in character size has been made by means of said size changing means.

Claim 9

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 7 including sensing means responsive to the movement of said adjustment means for providing said shift.

Claim 10

In a photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means for sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, aperture means for defining said projection position, projection means for selectively projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, said projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, and means for moving said character presentation means and said means together with one another along a path parallel to the base line of said line of composition to provide spacing between characters in a line, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 11

In a photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means for sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, aperture means for defining said projection position, projection means for selectively projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, said projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, and means for moving said character presentation means and said means together with one another along a path parallel to the base line of said line of composition to provide spacing between characters in a line, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 12

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 9 in which said character presentation means is a movable support with spaced elongated arrays of characters on it, said support being movably mounted on a movable carriage driven by said moving means, said aperture means being shiftable in the direction of motion of said carriage to locate said projection position along a selected one of said arrays.

Claim 13

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 10 including a flashlamp mounted to flash light through said disc only at said aperture, the light beam emitted by said flashlamp covering an area including all of said arrays.

Claim 14

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 10 in which each of said arrays represents a different character style, and including means for shifting said aperture means in the direction of motion of said carriage for style shifting, and means for shifting said carriage by an amount equal to the shifting distance of said aperture means in a direction such that said projection position is returned to the relative position it had prior to the style shift.

Claim 15

In photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means fore sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, projection means for selectively projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, said projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, and means for moving said character presentation means in a first direction corresponding to the direction of composition of a line of characters on said character-receiving surface in order to space characters therein, said character presenTation means being positioned relative to said projection position so that said characters move past said projection position in a second direction transverse to said first direction, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 16

In photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means fore sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, projection means for selectively projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, said projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, and means for moving said character presentation means in a first direction corresponding to the direction of composition of a line of characters on said character-receiving surface in order to space characters therein, said character presenTation means being positioned relative to said projection position so that said characters move past said projection position in a second direction transverse to said first direction, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 17

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 13 in which said second direction is substantially normal to said first direction.

Claim 18

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 13 in which said character presentation means comprises a rotatable support with concentric arcuate arrays of characters thereon, and means shiftable in said first direction to locate said projection position along one of said arrays.

Claim 19

In photocomposing apparatus, character support means for supporting a plurality of characters to be projected, means for moving said character support means so as to move said characters past a projection position, projection means for projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, means for moving said support means in the direction of a line of characters in increments the lengths of which correspond to the relative widths of the characters to be projected, in order to space character images on said character-receiving surface, said projection means including point-size magnification means having a single lens structure permanently positioned to receive and magnify each character to be projected, and means for adjusting the magnification of said lens structure to adjust the point size of the characters projected onto said character-receiving surface, said point-size magnification means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 20

In photocomposing apparatus, character support means for supporting a plurality of characters to be projected, means for moving said character support means so as to move said characters past a projection position, projection means for projecting said characters onto a character-receiving surface, means for moving said support means in the direction of a line of characters in increments the lengths of which correspond to the relative widths of the characters to be projected, in order to space character images on said character-receiving surface, said projection means including point-size magnification means having a single lens structure permanently positioned to receive and magnify each character to be projected, and means for adjusting the magnification of said lens structure to adjust the point size of the characters projected onto said character-receiving surface, said point-size magnification means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 21

In photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means for sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, projection means for selectively projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, selective illumination means for illuminating characters on said character presentation means to send images thereof to said optical means, means for rotating said character presentation means relative to said illumination means, and means for moving said character presentation means together with said illumination means so as to cause character images to be projected onto said character-receiving surface in a spaced-apart array with suitable spacing between characters, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 22

In photocomposition apparatus, character presentation means for sequentially presenting characters at a projection position, projection means for selectively projection means including optical means for focusing said characters on said character-receiving surface and means for changing the point size of said characters, selective illumination means for illuminating characters on said character presentation means to send images thereof to said optical means, means for rotating said character presentation means relative to said illumination means, and means for moving said character presentation means together with said illumination means so as to cause character images to be projected onto said character-receiving surface in a spaced-apart array with suitable spacing between characters, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character spacing means and said character-receiving surface.

Claim 23

Photocomposition apparatus as in claim 17 in which said character presentation means has a plurality of arrays of characters, said illumination means producing light beams each of which would pass through at least one character in each array simultaneously but for the presence of a shutter, and a shutter positioned between said illumination means and said character presentation means to limit the passage of said light beam through characters in only one of said arrays.

Claim 24

In photocomposition apparatus, a slideable carriage, an opaque disc with a plurality of concentric rows of transparent characters on said disc, said disc being rotatably mounted on said carriage, a shutter member adjacent said disc and having an aperture, said shutter member being mounted on said carriage to swing said aperture into alignment with any selected one of said rows of characters, an illumination device mounted on said carriage with said shutter between its light outlet and said disc, means on said carriage for swinging said shutter to align said aperture with one of said rows, a stepping motor for driving said carriage in a direction parallel to the direction of a line of characters being composed, the movement of said carriage being in steps having lengths equal to the relative width of characters to be projected, a Lens for magnifying images projected from said disc, first, second and third mirrors in the optical path between said lens and said film, the first two mirrors reversing the initial direction of travel of light from said lens, the third mirror changing said direction of travel by reflecting the light onto said film, said film being aligned in a approximately horizontal plane at the point at which the character images impinge, means for slideably mounting said lens and said first and second mirrors so as to be movable independently towards and away from said disc.

Claim 25

In photocomposition apparatus, a slideable carriage, an opaque disc with a plurality of concentric rows of transparent characters on said disc, said disc being rotatably mounted on said carriage, a shutter member adjacent said disc and having an aperture, said shutter member being mounted on said carriage to swing said aperture into alignment with any selected one of said rows of characters, an illumination device mounted on said carriage with said shutter between its light outlet and said disc, means on said carriage for swinging said shutter to align said aperture with one of said rows, a stepping motor for driving said carriage in a direction parallel to the direction of a line of characters being composed, the movement of said carriage being in steps having lengths equal to the relative width of characters to be projected, a Lens for magnifying images projected from said disc, first, second and third mirrors in the optical path between said lens and said film, the first two mirrors reversing the initial direction of travel of light from said lens, the third mirror changing said direction of travel by reflecting the light onto said film, said film being aligned in a approximately horizontal plane at the point at which the character images impinge, means for slideably mounting said lens and said first and second mirrors so as to be movable independently towards and away from said disc.

Claim 26

A transcription unit for a photographic-type composing machine, comprising a support for a light-sensitive sheet on which a line of text is to be composed; a matrix bearing a ring of master characters and continuously rotatable; a projection zone through which the master characters travel during rotation of the matrix; a light source for illuminating a selected master character while traveling through the projection zone; an optical system for projecting an image of an illuminated master character to a character-image position in a line of text under composition, said optical system including means for changing the point size of said character images as they are projected from said matrix to said light-senstitive sheet, and a matrix displacement mechanism operated during composition of the line to move the focal area of the projection zone, by optical leverage, lengthwise of the line of text under composition in order to space character images along said line on said light-sensitive sheet, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character-image spacing means and said light-sensitive sheet.

Claim 27

A transcription unit for a photographic-type composing machine, comprising a support for a light-sensitive sheet on which a line of text is to be composed; a matrix bearing a ring of master characters and continuously rotatable; a projection zone through which the master characters travel during rotation of the matrix; a light source for illuminating a selected master character while traveling through the projection zone; an optical system for projecting an image of an illuminated master character to a character-image position in a line of text under composition, said optical system including means for changing the point size of said character images as they are projected from said matrix to said light-senstitive sheet, and a matrix displacement mechanism operated during composition of the line to move the focal area of the projection zone, by optical leverage, lengthwise of the line of text under composition in order to space character images along said line on said light-sensitive sheet, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character-image spacing means and said light-sensitive sheet.

Claim 28

A transcription unit as in claim 20 including a displaceable carriage on which said matrix is mounted and a matrix drive motor mounted on said displaceable carriage effective to rotatably drive said matrix.

Claim 29

A transcription unit as in claim 20 including a plurality of coaxially arranged rings of master characters on said matrix and a ring selector associated with the projection zone operable to select the master character ring from which the next character image is to be projected.

Claim 30

A transcription unit as claimed in claim 22 in which the ring selector includes a mask spanning the projection zone, a window in said mask, and means to move said mask radially of the rings to bring said window into registration with the positions in the projection zone of different master character rings.

Claim 31

A transcription unit for a photographic composing machine, including a revolving matrix character carrier, projection means for projecting the images of selected matrix master characters to an image plane, a photosensitive surface located in the image plane, said projection means including means for changing the point size of said character images, and means for producing relative movement between the matrix character carrier and the image plane whereby characters are spaced from each other to form a line of composition on the photosensitive surface, said means being arranged to move the revolving matrix the relative width of each projected character along a path parallel to the base line of said line of composition, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character-spacing means and said photosensitive surface.

Claim 32

A transcription unit for a photographic composing machine, including a revolving matrix character carrier, projection means for projecting the images of selected matrix master characters to an image plane, a photosensitive surface located in the image plane, said projection means including means for changing the point size of said character images, and means for producing relative movement between the matrix character carrier and the image plane whereby characters are spaced from each other to form a line of composition on the photosensitive surface, said means being arranged to move the revolving matrix the relative width of each projected character along a path parallel to the base line of said line of composition, said point-size changing means being positioned in the optical path between said character-spacing means and said photosensitive surface.

Claim 33

A transcription unit as in claim 24 wherein the revolving matrix carrier is a disc having lihgt-transmitting master characters arranged in concentric arcs and each depicted on an opaque background.

Claim 34

A transcription unit as in claim 24 including means for varying the magnification ratio of said projection lens, a film feed mechanism effective to move said photosensitive surface in a direction normal to a line of composition, said film feed mechanism being ordinarily actuated following the composition of each line to provide line spacing and also being adapted to be actuated during composition of a line whenever the magnificaTion ratio of the projection lens is changed to move the photosensitive surface a distance sufficient such that all the characters in a line of composition are projected to align on the same base line.