Photographic type-composing machine

Claim 2

A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a rotatable character-carrier having a curved surface bearing master characters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said master characters such that lines of composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, an arcuate projection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least two master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, an optical projection system for projecting an image of the arcuate projection zone to said image-receiving surface, said optical projection system including optical means adapted to project the arcuate projection zone as if it were flat, so that an undistorted image of said zone may be produced on the imagereceiving surface, means for illuminating any one of the master characters while said character is in the projection zone, and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through said projection zone, in order that the projected images of said characters comprising a line of composition may be spaced from one another according to their respective widths.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 in which said illuminating means includes a high-intensity light patch dimensioned to illuminate one master character at a time, said light patch being movable to different positions within said projection zone by the energization of beam-deflection circuits controlled by said control means.

Claim 4

The machine of claim 2, in which the illuminating means comprises a laser having associated beam-deflecting crystals controlled by said control means.

Claim 5

The machine of claim 2 in which said illuminating means comprises a CRT having a screen of high actinic value.

Claim 6

The machine of claim 4 in which the CRT has more than one electron gun.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 4 in which an optical fiber screen over the front of the cathode-ray tube screen transmits light from the cathode-ray tube screen to the projection zone.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 6 in which the optical fibers are positioned relative to one another such that their ends which are remote from the cathode-ray tube screen terminate at locations which are equidistant from said arcuate projection zone.

Claim 9

The machine of claim 4 in which a collimating lens is disposed adjacent to the cathode-ray tube screen, and a second lens is adapted to focus light emerging from said collimating lens to a focal point of the optical projection system.

Claim 10

The machine of claim 1 in which said illuminating means have associated therewith means for directing light emanating from said illuminating means to a plurality of discrete positions within said arcuate projection zone.

Claim 11

The machine of claim 9 in which: said light-directing means comprise a plurality of light channels, each of said light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminating means for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in close association with the arcuate projection zone for directing light emerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position within said zone.

Claim 12

The machine of claim 10 in which said plurality of light channels are positioned relative to one another in such a manner that said second ends terminate at locations which are equidistant from said arcuate projection zone.

Claim 13

The machine of claim 9 in which said light-directing means is movabLe.

Claim 14

The machine of claim 12 in which: said light-directing means comprise a plurality of light channels, each of said light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminating means for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in close association with the arcuate projection zone for directing light emerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position within said zone.

Claim 15

The machine of claim 13 in which each of said light channels is flexible.

Claim 16

The machine of claim 13 in which said light channels are movable to a plurality of discrete positions relative to said projection zone.

Claim 17

The machine of claim 15 in which said light channels are movable in unison.

Claim 18

The machine of claim 16 in which said light channels are movable in unison between at least two discrete positions relative to said arcuate projection zone.

Claim 19

The machine of claim 16 in which said light channels are movable in unison among three discrete positions relative to said arcuate projection zone.

Claim 20

The machine of claim 16 wherein said light channels are mounted on a movable support means.

Claim 21

The machine of claim 9 in which said illuminating means comprise a multiplicity of flashlamps.

Claim 22

The machine of claim 10 in which said light channels are fixed with respect to said arcuate projection zone, and said illuminating means is adapted to transmit light simultaneously through two adjacent light channels in order to properly illuminate a selected character when said character overlaps said discrete positions within the arcuate projection zone, the discrete positions being formed by light emanating from said two adjacent light channels at the time of projection of the selected character.

Claim 23

The machine of claim 1 in which: said optical projection system includes a point size changing mechanism, and said control means include circuit means for centering the line to be composed on the axis of said optical projection system by delaying the projection of the first character of the line to be composed by a time interval which is dependent upon the selected point size of said point size changing mechanism.

Claim 24

The machine of claim 1 in which: said character-carrier includes a plurality of character type styles, said control means includes means to shift from one of said type styles to another, and means are adapted to variably displace said image-receiving surface in conjunction with a style shift in order to compensate for relative displacement which occurs between said image-receiving surface and characters which are being projected when a shift in style occurs, so that the characters of a given line to be composed are projected along a common baseline of said image-receiving surface.

Claim 25

The machine of claim 1 in which: said character-carrier includes a plurality of character type styles, said control means includes means to shift from one of said type styles to another, said optical projection system includes means for changing the point size of said characters, and means are adapted to variably displace said image-receiving surface in conjunction with a style shift or point size change, in order to compensate for any relative displacement which may occur between said image-receiving surface and characters which are being projected when a shift in style occurs, when the point size is changed, or when a style shift and point size change occur simultaneously, so that the characters of a given line to be composed are projected along a common baseline of said image-receiving surface.

Claim 26

The machine of claim 24 in which: said character-carrier has coaxially arranged rings of character type styles which pass simultaneously through said projection zone, and said variable displacement means includes a leading mechanism for moving said image-receiving surface, said leading mechanism comprising separate fine and coarse stepping motors for driving a differential system, the Output drive of said differential system being adapted to move said image-receiving surface by relatively small increments.

Claim 27

The machine of claim 1 in which: said illuminating means is positioned externally of said character-carrier, said arcuate projection zone is formed by a portion of the curved surface of said character-carrier, and master character images are projected radially inwardly of the projection zone onto means for reflecting the images along a common baseline of said image-receiving surface.

Claim 28

The machine of claim 26 in which said rotating character-carrier comprises a cylindrical drum, said image-receiving surface is a film, and said optical means for projecting said arcuate zone comprises a field-flattening lens.

Claim 29

A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a rotatable character-carrier having a curved surface bearing master characters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said master characters such that lines of composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, a projection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least any one of said master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, an optical projection system for projecting an image of the projection zone to said image-receiving surface, means for illuminating any one of said master characters while said character is in the projection zone, and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through said projection zone, said control means including: means for storing a complete line of characters to be composed, prior to projecting the first character of said line, and means for sorting each of the characters of said stored line in accordance with its respective location on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined reference point, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in the line to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in a sequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line.

Claim 30

A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a rotatable character-carrier having a curved surface bearing master characters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said master characters such that lines of composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, a projection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least any one of said master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, an optical projection system for projecting an image of the projection zone to said image-receiving surface, means for illuminating any one of said master characters while said character is in the projection zone, and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through said projection zone, said control means including: means for storing a complete line of characters to be composed, prior to projecting the first character of said line, and means for sorting each of the characters of said stored line in accordance with its respective location on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined reference point, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in the line to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in a sequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line.

Claim 31

The machine of claim 28 in which said projection zone is arcuate, and the control means operates such that a full line may be composed during each revolution of said character-carrier.

Claim 32

The machine of claim 29 in which: said arcuate projection zone is of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least two master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, and said optical projection means includes optical means adapted to project the arcuate projection zone as if it were flat, so that an undistorted image of said zone may be produced on the image-receiving surface.

Claim 33

The machine of claim 30 wherein said rotating character-carrier consists of a cylindrical drum, said image-receiving surface is a film, and said optical means for projecting said arcuate zone comprises a field-flattening lens.

Claim 34

A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a continuously moving character-carrier bearing master characters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said master characters such that lines of composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, a projection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least any one of said master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, an optical projection system for projecting an image of the projection zone to said image-receiving surface, means for illuminating any one of said master characters while said character is in the projection zone, said illuminating means having associated therewith means for directing light emanating from said illumination means to a plurality of discrete positions within said projection zone, said light-directing means comprising a pluralitY of light channels, each of said light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminating means for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in close association with said projection zone for directing light emerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position within said zone, and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through said projection zone, said control means including: means for storing a complete line of characters to be composed, prior to projecting the first character of said line, and means for sorting each of the characters of said stored line in accordance with its respective location on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined reference point, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in the line to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in a sequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line.

Claim 35

A photographic type-composing machine comprising: a continuously moving character-carrier bearing master characters to be projected, a surface for receiving projected images of said master characters such that lines of composition may be composed on said image-receiving surface, a projection zone of sufficiently large dimensions to include at least any one of said master characters at any given time as said characters pass through said projection zone, an optical projection system for projecting an image of the projection zone to said image-receiving surface, means for illuminating any one of said master characters while said character is in the projection zone, said illuminating means having associated therewith means for directing light emanating from said illumination means to a plurality of discrete positions within said projection zone, said light-directing means comprising a pluralitY of light channels, each of said light channels having a first end adjacent to said illuminating means for receiving light emanating therefrom, and a second end in close association with said projection zone for directing light emerging from each of said light channels to a discrete position within said zone, and control means to vary the time at which said illuminating means is energized such that a selected character may be illuminated at any given time as it passes through said projection zone, said control means including: means for storing a complete line of characters to be composed, prior to projecting the first character of said line, and means for sorting each of the characters of said stored line in accordance with its respective location on said character-carrier relative to a predetermined reference point, and the accumulated widths of the preceding characters in the line to be composed, such that said characters may be illuminated in a sequence which is dissimilar to their position in the composed line.