Non-impact, curie point printer

Claim 2

A non-impact magnetic printer comprising: a first rotatable cylinder coated with thermomagnetic material; light source means producing a light beam for locally heating portions of said material; magnetic means adjacent said cylinder for producing a local magnetic field in said heated portions; mirror means for deflecting the light beam to selected portions of said material; mask wheel means, interposed in the beam path between said light source means and said mirror means, for shaping the pattern of the beam incident upon said material; and inking means for transferring magnetic ink to the surface of said thermomagnetic material.

Claim 3

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mirror means comprises: a second rotatable cylinder having a single turn, helical mirror wound thereon, the axes of said first and second rotatable cylinders being approximately parallel.

Claim 4

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mask wheel means contains a first track, containing a plurality of patterns to be projected onto said material, and a second track, containing a coded designation for each of said patterns.

Claim 5

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising: detecting means for detecting the code designation in said second track and producing an output signal indicative thereof; comparator means for comparing input information indicative of a particular pattern with the output signal from said detecting means and producing a control output signal; gate means, interposed in said beam path between said light sourcE means and said mask wheel means, for permitting the light beam to pass therethrough in response to said control signal.

Claim 6

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second track comprises a plurality of translucent areas on said mask wheel for providing said coded designation and said detecting means comprises: beam splitting means for deflecting a portion of said light beam through said second track; and photocell means on the opposite side of said mask wheel means for sensing the passage of said portion of the light beam through said translucent areas.

Claim 7

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 5 wherein said patterns comprise alphanumerical characters.

Claim 8

A non-impact printer as set forth in claim 5 wherein said patterns comprise a plurality of holes of differing diameters.

Claim 9

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means comprises: a pair of parallel, spaced magnetic elements defining a slit therebetween through which said light beam passes.

Claim 10

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 8 wherein said magnetic elements comprise permanent magnets.

Claim 11

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 8 wherein said magnetic elements comprise electromagnets.

Claim 12

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 3 wherein said patterns comprise alpha-numerical characters.

Claim 13

A non-impact magnetic printer as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pattern comprises holes of varying size for varying the diameter of said beam incident upon said material.

Claim 14

A facsimile printer comprising: a first rotatable cylinder coated with thermomagnetic material; light source means producing a light beam for locally heating portions of said material; magnetic means adjacent said cylinder for producing a local magnetic field in said heated portions; mirror means for deflecting the light beam to selected portions of said material; optical gate means interposed in the beam path between said light source means and said mirror means; decoder means receiving a coded input signal indicative of the reflectance of a spot being scanned, said decoder means producing a time control output signal for controlling the length of time said gate means transmits said light beam; inking means for coating the magnetized portions of said material with a magnetic ink; and paper press means for guiding paper against said cylinder to transfer the magnetically stored image to said paper.

Claim 15

A facsimile printer comprising: a first rotatable cylinder coated with thermomagnetic material; light source means producing a light beam for locally heating portions of said material; magnetic means adjacent said cylinder for producing a local magnetic field in said heated portions; mirror means for deflecting the light beam to selected portions of said material; optical gate means interposed in the beam path between said light source means and said mirror means; decoder means receiving a coded input signal indicative of the reflectance of a spot being scanned, said decoder means producing a time control output signal for controlling the length of time said gate means transmits said light beam; inking means for coating the magnetized portions of said material with a magnetic ink; and paper press means for guiding paper against said cylinder to transfer the magnetically stored image to said paper.