Radiation-sensitive optical scanning apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line and made up of parallel marks, comprising a rotor, a plurality of Lenses carried by said rotor and arranged in a circle about the rotor axis, a source of light placed to emit a single, straight line of light appearing to come from the rotor axis, said lenses being positioned to at least take part in forming an image of said line of light on the record bearing said characters, to achieve a linelike strongly lighted area thereon in approximate alignment with said marks, whereby said lighted area is moved along said line of characters upon rotation of said rotor, means for projecting said lighted area through lenses of said rotor towards the rotor axis to a point common to all area positions, and a photocell placed adjacent said point for actuation by the projected lighted area.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said projecting means are the same lenses that form the linelike lighted area, and a stationary plane mirror placed within said lens circle to direct light returning from the record to said photocell.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the record hugs a portion of a cylindrical surface coaxial with said rotor and is moved continuously past a circular arc scanning line centered on the rotor axis.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stationary lens is placed between the record and the rotor, and the record is moved past a straight scanning line that lies in a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stationary lens has its focus on the rotor axis.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of light is an incandescent lamp with a filament shaped to emit light from a linelike area extending along a single straight line.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said linelike area of light lies on and follows approximately the rotor axis.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of light is stationary.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of light is a stationary incandescent lamp whose filament is wound to emit light from a single straight and narrow linelike area, stationary lens means are provided to form a reduced-size image of said area for further projection to the record.

Claim 11

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line on a record, comprising a surface for positioning a record, a lens, means for effecting turning motion between said surface and said lens about an axis at a distance from said surface and lens, a source of light placed to emit light from a narrow area extending along a single straight line passing through said axis, said lens being positioned to form a linelike lighted area on the record which is an image of said narrow area, so that said image is moved along said line of characters through said turning motion, said image extending crosswise of the line of characters, lens means for projecting light reflected from said light image back towards said axis, and means placed to receive said projected light and for converting fluctuations of the projected light image into electrical impulses.

Claim 12

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line on a record, comprising a surface for positioning a record, a lens, means for effecting turning motion between said surface and said lens about an axis at a distance from said surface and lens, a source of light placed to emit light from a narrow area extending along a single straight line passing through said axis, said lens being positioned to form a linelike lighted area on the record which is an image of said narrow area, so that said image is moved along said line of characters through said turning motion, said image extending crosswise of the line of characters, lens means for projecting light reflected from said light image back towards said axis, and means placed to receive said projected light and for converting fluctuations of the projected light image into electrical impulses.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said projecting means includes the same lens that forms the linelike lighted area on the record, and a plane mirror disposed closer to said axis than said lens and placed in the path of said projection to direct light to said light-receiving means.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said mirror is a half-silvered mirror set in the path of light coming from the light source and returning from the record, and the silvered portion is positioned to reflect part of the returning light to said light-receiving means.

Claim 15

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line and made up of parallel marks, comprising means for supporting a record bearing the characters, a rotor, at least one lens carried by said rotor at a distance from the axis of said rotor, a source of light placed closer to the rotor axis than said lens and emitting light from a narrow area extending along a single straight line, said lens being positioned to take part in forming an image of said area on said record, to achieve a strongly lighted area thereon by concentrating and confining the light thereto, whereby said lighted area is moved along said line of characters upon rotation of said rotor, means for projecting said lighted area through a lens carried by said rotor towards the rotor axis to a point common to all positions of said lighted area along said line, and a photocell placed adjacent said point to receive the light coming to said point.

Claim 16

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line and made up of parallel marks, comprising means for supporting a record bearing the characters, a rotor, at least one lens carried by said rotor at a distance from the axis of said rotor, a source of light placed closer to the rotor axis than said lens and emitting light from a narrow area extending along a single straight line, said lens being positioned to take part in forming an image of said area on said record, to achieve a strongly lighted area thereon by concentrating and confining the light thereto, whereby said lighted area is moved along said line of characters upon rotation of said rotor, means for projecting said lighted area through a lens carried by said rotor towards the rotor axis to a point common to all positions of said lighted area along said line, and a photocell placed adjacent said point to receive the light coming to said point.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said rotor carries a plurality of lenses at a constant distance from its axis.

Claim 18

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in lines on a record, comprising a rotor containing at least one lens, means for supporting a record, means for effecting feed motion between said record and said rotor in a direction at an angle oblique to said character lines, means for projecting a straight linelike area of light through said lens to the record while confining the light received by said record thereto, whereby said projected linelike area moves along a line of the record upon rotation of the rotor, said linelike image extending crosswise of said line of characters, means at least partly on the rotor for forming an image of said projected lighted area adjacent a point common to all positions of said lighted area along said line and disposed closer to said axis than said lens, and means for converting light fluctuations at said image into electrical impulses, the means for forming an image of the projected lighted area including said one lens.

Claim 19

Apparatus for scanning characters arranged in lines on a record, comprising a rotor containing at least one lens, means for supporting a record, means for effecting feed motion between said record and said rotor in a direction at an angle oblique to said character lines, means for projecting a straight linelike area of light through said lens to the record while confining the light received by said record thereto, whereby said projected linelike area moves along a line of the record upon rotation of the rotor, said linelike image extending crosswise of said line of characters, means at least partly on the rotor for forming an image of said projected lighted area adjacent a point common to all positions of said lighted area along said line and disposed closer to said axis than said lens, and means for converting light fluctuations at said image into electrical impulses, the means for forming an image of the projected lighted area including said one lens.

Claim 20

In apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line record, a surface for positioning a record, a lens, a source of light for projecting light through said lens, means for effecting turning motion between said surface and said lens about an axis at a distance from said surface and lens and at an oblique angle to the direction of the line of characters, whereby the projected light moves along said line of characters, a photosensitive detector, and means for projecting the lighted record area line after line onto said detector, said lines extending crosswise of said line of characters, at least part of the last-named projecting means being said lens.

Claim 21

In apparatus for scanning characters arranged in a line record, a surface for positioning a record, a lens, a source of light for projecting light through said lens, means for effecting turning motion between said surface and said lens about an axis at a distance from said surface and lens and at an oblique angle to the direction of the line of characters, whereby the projected light moves along said line of characters, a photosensitive detector, and means for projecting the lighted record area line after line onto said detector, said lines extending crosswise of said line of characters, at least part of the last-named projecting means being said lens.