Optical pattern generator or repeating projector or the like

Claim 2

A machine for photographically recording a pattern on a light sensitive emulsion plate comprising: a supporting base having a flat top surface, a supporting frame mounted over said base, an optical projector on said frame including a lens barrel positioned with its optical axis normal to said base surface, means supporting said barrel on said frame for axial movement toward and away from said base surface, and a light source above said barrel for directing a light beam through said barrel towards said base, a stage for holding said emulsion plate, gas bearing means for pneumatically floating said stage on said base surface for movement along said base surface across the underside of said lens barrel including gas bearing surfaces on said stage facing said base surface, means for generating gas bearing films between said base surface and first portions of said bearing surfaces, means for generating between said base surface and second portions of said bearing surfaces a control gas pressure related to the space between the bearing and base surfaces, means responsive to said control pressure for regulating the bearing gas pressure to said gas bearing means to maintain a fixed spacing between said bearing surfaces and said base surface such that said stage supports said emulsion plate in a plane parallel to said base surface, and means for reducing the gas pressure between said base surface and third portions of said stage bearing surfaces below the ambient atmospheric pressure to urge said stage toward said base, lens barrel positioning means including a gauging surface on the lower end of said lens barrel facing the upper surface of said emulsion plate, means for generating between said gauging surface and plate surface a control pressure related to the spacing between the latter surfaces, And a lens barrel positioning device for vertically adjusting said lens barrel in response to the latter control pressure to maintain a fixed spacing between said gauging surface and plate surface, means for selectively driving said stage in directions parallel to two mutually perpendicular coordinate axes to locate different addresses of said emulsion plate on the optical axis of said lens barrel, a laser interferometric sensing system for sensing the position of said emulsion plate along each coordinate axis, and a programmable control system operatively connected to said drive means and sensing system for actuating said drive means to drive said emulsion plate through a series of predetermined addresses in succession and flashing said light source at selected addresses.

Claim 3

The subject matter of claim 1 wherein: said base has a flat edge surface intersecting said top base surface and paralleling one of said coordinate axes, and said stage is provided with additional gas bearing means for pneumatically floating said stage on said base edge surface including additional gas bearing surfaces on said stage facing said edge surface, means for generating gas bearing films between said edge surface and first portions of said additional bearing surfaces, means for generating between said edge surface and second portions of said additional bearing surfaces control pressures related to the spacing between said edge surface and said additional bearing surfaces, and means responsive to the latter control pressures for regulating the bearing gas pressure to said additional gas bearing means to maintain a fixed spacing between said base edge surface and said additional bearing surfaces.

Claim 4

The subject matter of claim 2 wherein: said stage gas bearing means further comprise means for reducing the gas pressure between said base surfaces and third portions of said gas bearing surfaces below the ambient atmospheric pressure for holding said stage to said base.

Claim 5

The subject matter of claim 3 wherein: said stage gas bearing means and additional gas bearing means comprise a number of bearing pads on said stage each having a bearing surface facing the respective base surface and containing a plurality of alternating lands and grooves and a center recess, means for feeding a gas under pressure to one of said grooves, whereby said gas flows radially outwardly under an adjacent land to generate a gas bearing film, means for feeding a gas under pressure to said center recess, whereby the latter gas flows radially outwardly under an adjacent land into an adjacent second groove to produce in said second groove said control pressure related to the spacing between the pad bearing surface and the respective base surface, and means for partially evacuating a third groove to reduce the gas pressure within said third groove below the ambient atmospheric pressure.

Claim 6

The subject of claim 1 wherein: said stage gas bearing means comprises a number of bearing pads on said stage each having a bearing surface facing the respective base surface and containing a plurality of alternating lands and grooves, and a center recess, means for feeding a gas under pressure to one of said grooves, whereby said gas flows outwardly under an adjacent land to generate a gas bearing film, means for feeding a gas under pressure to said center recess, whereby the latter gas flows outwardly under an adjacent land into an adjacent second groove to produce in said second groove said control pressure related to the spacing between the paid bearing surface and the respective base surface, and means for partially evacuating a third groove to reduce the gas pressure within said third groove below the ambient atmospheric pressure.

Claim 7

The subject matter of claim 1 wherein: said lens barrel positioning device comprises a fluid actuator acting between said frame and lens barrel to effect axial movement of said barrel in one direction in response to increasing lens barrel cOntrol pressure and in the opposite direction in response to decreasing lens barrel control pressure.

Claim 8

The subject matter of claim 6 wherein: said lens barrel actuator comprises a pneumatic cylinder and piston, and fluid bearing means for generating a fluid bearing film between said piston and the wall of said cylinder.

Claim 9

The subject matter of claim 1 wherein: said stage position sensing system comprises means for sensing the stage position along each coordinate axis including a reflecting mirror on said stage normal to the respective coordinate axis, a fixed reference mirror on said base, a source of a polarized laser beam, means for splitting said beam and reflecting the beam portions from said stage mirror and reference mirror, respectively, and then recombining the reflected beam portions into a single reflected beam, and a light fringe detector mounted on said base for receiving said combined reflected beam.

Claim 10

The subject matter of claim 8 wherein: the two stage position sensing means for sensing stage position along said coordinate axes, respectively, comprise a single common laser beam source, and means for splitting the laser beam from said laser beam source and directing the split beam portions to said two stage position sensing means, respectively.

Claim 11

The subject matter of claim 1 wherein: said lens barrel supporting means comprise a pair of concentric outer and inner collars surrounding each end of said barrel, means securing the inner collar to said barrel, means securing the outer collars to said frame, a set of resilient members circumferentially spaced about and extending tangentially of said inner collar and means securing the ends of said resilient members to said collars.

Claim 12

A machine for photographically recording a pattern on a light sensitive emulsion plate comprising: a supporting base having a flat top surface, a supporting frame mounted over said base, an optical projector on said frame including a lens barrel positioned with its optical axis normal to said base surface, means supporting said barrel on said frame for axial movement toward and away from said base surface, adjustable shutter means defining an aperture of variable configuration and angular orientation on said optical axis, and a light source above said barrel for directing a light beam through said barrel towards said base, a stage for holding said emulsion plate, gas bearing means for pneumatically floating said stage on said base surface for movement along said base surface across the underside of said lens barrel including gas bearing surfaces on said stage facing said base surface, means for generating gas bearing films between said base surface and first portions of said bearing surfaces, means for generating between said base surface and second portions of said bearing surfaces a control gas pressure related to the space between the bearing and base surfaces, and means responsive to said control pressure for regulating the bearing gas pressure to said gas bearing means to maintain a fixed spacing between said bearing surfaces and said base surface such that said stage supports said emulsion plate in a plane parallel to said base surface, lens barrel positioning means including a gauging surface on the lower end of said lens barrel facing the upper surface of said emulsion plate, means for generating between said gauging surface and plate surface a control pressure related to the spacing between the latter surfaces, and a lens barrel positioning device for vertically adjusting said lens barrel in response to the latter control pressure to maintain a fixed spacing between said gauging surface and plate surface, means for selectively driving said stage in directions parallel to two mutually perpendicular coordinate axes to locate different addresses of said emulsion plate on the optical axis of said lens barrel, a laser interferometric sensing system for sensing the position of said eMulsion plate along each coordinate axis, and a programmable control system operatively connected to said drive means and sensing system including means for actuating said drive means to traverse said stage parallel to one coordinate axis and step said stage parallel to the other coordinate axis in a manner such that the optical axis of said lens barrel traces out on said emulsion plate a number of parallel address rows each comprising a plurality of addresses, information storage means containing information representing selected addresses along said address rows, and selected aperture configurations and angles for said addresses, means for adjusting said shutter means to each such aperture configuration and angle, and means for flashing said light source at said selected addresses.

Claim 13

A machine for photographically recording a pattern on a light sensitive emulsion plate comprising: a supporting base having a flat top surface, a supporting frame mounted over said base, an optical projector on said frame including a lens barrel positioned with its optical axis normal to said base surface, means supporting said barrel on said frame for axial movement toward and away from said base surface, adjustable shutter means defining an aperture of variable configuration and angular orientation on said optical axis, and a light source above said barrel for directing a light beam through said barrel towards said base, a stage for holding said emulsion plate, gas bearing means for pneumatically floating said stage on said base surface for movement along said base surface across the underside of said lens barrel including gas bearing surfaces on said stage facing said base surface, means for generating gas bearing films between said base surface and first portions of said bearing surfaces, means for generating between said base surface and second portions of said bearing surfaces a control gas pressure related to the space between the bearing and base surfaces, and means responsive to said control pressure for regulating the bearing gas pressure to said gas bearing means to maintain a fixed spacing between said bearing surfaces and said base surface such that said stage supports said emulsion plate in a plane parallel to said base surface, lens barrel positioning means including a gauging surface on the lower end of said lens barrel facing the upper surface of said emulsion plate, means for generating between said gauging surface and plate surface a control pressure related to the spacing between the latter surfaces, and a lens barrel positioning device for vertically adjusting said lens barrel in response to the latter control pressure to maintain a fixed spacing between said gauging surface and plate surface, means for selectively driving said stage in directions parallel to two mutually perpendicular coordinate axes to locate different addresses of said emulsion plate on the optical axis of said lens barrel, a laser interferometric sensing system for sensing the position of said eMulsion plate along each coordinate axis, and a programmable control system operatively connected to said drive means and sensing system including means for actuating said drive means to traverse said stage parallel to one coordinate axis and step said stage parallel to the other coordinate axis in a manner such that the optical axis of said lens barrel traces out on said emulsion plate a number of parallel address rows each comprising a plurality of addresses, information storage means containing information representing selected addresses along said address rows, and selected aperture configurations and angles for said addresses, means for adjusting said shutter means to each such aperture configuration and angle, and means for flashing said light source at said selected addresses.

Claim 14

A fluid bearing comprising: a bearing member having a bearing surface in confronting relation to a supporting surface, means for feeding a fluid under pressure to a first region of said bearing surface to generate a fluid bearing film between said surface region and said supporting surface for floating said bearing member on said supporting surface, means for feeding a fluid under pressure to a second region of said bearing surface to generate gauging fluid pressure related to the space between said surfaces, and means for monitoring said gauging pressure, means for regulating the pressure of said fluid bearing film in response to said gauging pressure to control the spacing between said surfaces, and means for partially evacuating the space between a third region of said bearing surface and said supporting surface to reduce the pressure in said space below the ambient atmospheric pressure and thereby urging said bearing member toward said supporting surface.

Claim 15

A fluid bearing comprising: a bearing member having a bearing surface in confronting relation to a supporting surface, means for feeding a fluid under pressure to a first region of said bearing surface to generate a fluid bearing film between said surface region and said supporting surface for floating said bearing member on said supporting surface, means for feeding a fluid under pressure to a second region of said bearing surface to generate gauging fluid pressure related to the space between said surfaces, and means for monitoring said gauging pressure, means for regulating the pressure of said fluid bearing film in response to said gauging pressure to control the spacing between said surfaces, and means for partially evacuating the space between a third region of said bearing surface and said supporting surface to reduce the pressure in said space below the ambient atmospheric pressure and thereby urging said bearing member toward said supporting surface.

Claim 16

The subject matter of claim 12 wherein: said first surface region comprises a bearing line adjacent the outer perimeter of said bearing surface, and said means for feeding fluid to said first region comprises first fluid distribution grooves bounding said line and passage means communicating with said grooves for feeding fluid under pressure to said grooves, said second surface region comprises a gauging groove in said bearing surface, said gauging pressure generating means comprises a second fluid distribution groove adjacent said gauging groove, a gauging line between said second fluid distribution and gauging grooves, and passage means communicating with said second distribution groove for feeding fluid under pressure thereto, whereby the fluid flows across said gauging line into said gauging groove, and said monitoring means comprises passage means communicating with said gauging groove.

Claim 17

The subject matter of claim 13 including: an additional groove in said bearing surface, and passage means communicating with said additional groove through which said groove may be partially evacuated to hold said bearing member to said supporting surface.

Claim 18

The subject matter of claim 14 including: means for regulating the bearing fluid pressure to said first distribution grooves in response to said gauging pressure to maintain a constant spacing between said surfaces.

Claim 19

A pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder, a reciprocating piston in said cylinder having a cylindrical surface conforming to and spaced from the cylindrical wall surface of said cylinder and defining a chamber within said cylinder, grooves in the cylindrical surface of said piston defining a pair of circumferential end lands surrounding the ends of said piston and a pair of circumferential center lands surrounding the central region of said piston, said grooves including a first set of grooves surrounding and defining a plurality of bearing areas on the surface of the piston spaced about said piston between the end land adjacent said chamber and its adjacent center land, a circumferential groove between said center lands, a second set of grooves surrounding and defining a plurality of bearing areas on the surface of the piston spaced about said piston between the other end land and its adjacent center land, first axial grooves communicating between said chamber and said first set of grooves, and second axial grooves communicating between said center groove and the second set of grooves, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said chamber.

Claim 20

A pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder, a reciprocating piston in said cylinder having a cylindrical surface conforming to and spaced from the cylindrical wall surface of said cylinder and defining a chamber within said cylinder, grooves in the cylindrical surface of said piston defining a pair of circumferential end lands surrounding the ends of said piston and a pair of circumferential center lands surrounding the central region of said piston, said grooves including a first set of grooves surrounding and defining a plurality of bearing areas on the surface of the piston spaced about said piston between the end land adjacent said chamber and its adjacent center land, a circumferential groove between said center lands, a second set of grooves surrounding and defining a plurality of bearing areas on the surface of the piston spaced about said piston between the other end land and its adjacent center land, first axial grooves communicating between said chamber and said first set of grooves, and second axial grooves communicating between said center groove and the second set of grooves, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said chamber.

Claim 21

The subject matter of claim 16 wherein: the width of said grooves increases along said piston with their distance from said chamber.