US3860333A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microfiche reader
Assignee: Realist Inc
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Filing: 1972-03-20
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Granted: 1975-01-14
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Expires: 1992-03-20
Abstract
Abstract The base of the microfiche reader has a duct at the rear enclosing the fan which delivers cooling air from the forward facing duct at the right of the base. This latter duct receives an optical drawer in which the lamp, heat absorbing glass, condensing lens system, and a first mirror are mounted. The lamp is mounted in a carrier which is adjustable relative to the condensing lens and projection stage to allow the lamp position to be matched to the magnification power of the projection lens which drops in the lens board above the fiche carrier and adjacent the front of the reader for easy focusing access. The upwardly projected image then strikes a second mirror and is reflected back to third and fourth mirrors mounted at 90* to each other for movement fore and aft for varying the projection distance (and, hence, image size) to the screen. The screen can be horizontal or vertical. The third and fourth mirror assembly is moved only one half the effective distance change and this conserves depth of the reader. The fiche carrier supports the fiche between two glass plates in a plane parallel, above, and to one side of the reference grid plane and is provided with a downwardly inclined, pencil-like pointer which can be grasped by the operator for very ''''natural'''' selection of the desired grid reference causing corresponding movement of the fiche carrier to position the selected fiche in the projection position.
Inventors
- 👤 John N Graef
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:55
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B21/00; G03B21/10; G03B21/11; G03B21/115
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
A microfiche reader comprising a base including an optical system projecting light forwardly along one side of the base onto a first mirror which reflects the light upwardly, a fiche carrier mounted on an upper portion of the base for movement in a first direction normal to the reflected light and parallel to the plane of the base and in a second direction transverse thereto and positioned above said optical system, said carrier including upper and lower glass plates between which a fiche is sandwiched, a lens including a lens barrel fixed against rotation but free to rest on the upper glass plate and a lens assembly threadably mounted in the barrel for focusing movement, said lens being positioned above the first mirror to project an image upwardly, a second mirror reflecting the image rearwardly, a third mirror reflecting the image from the second mirror laterally, a fourth mirror reflecting the image from the third mirror forwardly, the third and fourth mirrors being fixed at 90* to each other, a rear projection screen having a surface upon which the image from the fourth mirror is focused, a reference grid surface positioned on a lower portion of the base below and laterally disposed relative to said optical system and substantially below and parallel to said carrier, and a pointer mounted on said carrier and depending therefrom to overlie said reference grid so that positioning said pointer over selected coordinates on said reference grid will position the corresponding portion of the fiche in said carrier, the length of said depending pointer being substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the carrier and grid, whereby the pointer can be grasped comfortably while the carrier is free to move into overlapping relationship relative to the grid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
A microfiche reader comprising a base including an optical system projecting light forwardly along one side of the base onto a first mirror which reflects the light upwardly, a fiche carrier mounted on an upper portion of the base for movement in a first direction normal to the reflected light and parallel to the plane of the base and in a second direction transverse thereto and positioned above said optical system, said carrier including upper and lower glass plates between which a fiche is sandwiched, a lens including a lens barrel fixed against rotation but free to rest on the upper glass plate and a lens assembly threadably mounted in the barrel for focusing movement, said lens being positioned above the first mirror to project an image upwardly, a second mirror reflecting the image rearwardly, a third mirror reflecting the image from the second mirror laterally, a fourth mirror reflecting the image from the third mirror forwardly, the third and fourth mirrors being fixed at 90* to each other, a rear projection screen having a surface upon which the image from the fourth mirror is focused, a reference grid surface positioned on a lower portion of the base below and laterally disposed relative to said optical system and substantially below and parallel to said carrier, and a pointer mounted on said carrier and depending therefrom to overlie said reference grid so that positioning said pointer over selected coordinates on said reference grid will position the corresponding portion of the fiche in said carrier, the length of said depending pointer being substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the carrier and grid, whereby the pointer can be grasped comfortably while the carrier is free to move into overlapping relationship relative to the grid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A microfiche reader according to claim 1 in which thE reference grid is offset to one side of the carrier when the carrier is in operative position, said pointer being inclined to one side and downwardly and rearwardly as the reader is viewed from the operator''s position to assume the attitude of a writing instrument.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
104 words
A microfiche reader according to claim 2 including a drawer slidably mounted in the base from the front and containing said optical system and first mirror and in which the base includes an air delivery duct along the rear of the base leading to the rear portion of the drawer, the drawer being provided with louvers at the front to allow air to move from the front to the back of the drawer, said grid being located on generally the same plane as the bottom of the duct and the grid being located forwardly of the duct and to one side of the drawer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
A microfiche reader according to claim 1 including a housing mounted on the base and supporting said screen, said third and fourth mirros being mounted in a carrier which encloses the third and fourth mirrors and is mounted in said housing for telescopic movement in the housing towards and from the screen whereby the third and fourth mirrors move as a unit and increase the effective projection distance twice the distance the carrier is moved.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
A microfiche reader according to claim 1 in which the lens is freely accessible for manual focusing and may be removed simply by lifting it vertically for replacement by a lens of different magnification, the optical system in the base being fixed in a drawer which can be removed as a unit, said system including a lamp and lamp housing adjustably mounted in the drawer to permit adjustment of the lamp to proper position for maximum results with the projection lens in use, said base including fixed electrical contacts and said drawer including contacts positioned to engage the fixed contacts when the drawer is in position in the base, the contacts carried by the drawer being connected to the lamp.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
187 words
A microfiche reader including an optical system for projecting an image onto a rear projection screen, said optical system including a light source and a mirror at the bottom and one side of the reader to project light upwardly to a projection stage, a fiche carrier movable in a horizontal plane to position a portion thereof in the projection stage in accordance with coordinates, a reference grid of coordinates located in a plane parallel to the carrier and vertically spaced downwardly of the carrier to one side of said light source and mirror, the grid being at the bottom of the reader, a pointer depending from the carrier and having a length to overlie the grid so movement of the pointer to selected coordinates on the grid will properly position the fiche at the projection stage with the carrier free to overlie at least a portion of the grid, the length of said depending pointer being substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the carrier and grid, whereby the pointer can be comfortably grasped with the hand of a using lying below the plane of the carrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
187 words
A microfiche reader including an optical system for projecting an image onto a rear projection screen, said optical system including a light source and a mirror at the bottom and one side of the reader to project light upwardly to a projection stage, a fiche carrier movable in a horizontal plane to position a portion thereof in the projection stage in accordance with coordinates, a reference grid of coordinates located in a plane parallel to the carrier and vertically spaced downwardly of the carrier to one side of said light source and mirror, the grid being at the bottom of the reader, a pointer depending from the carrier and having a length to overlie the grid so movement of the pointer to selected coordinates on the grid will properly position the fiche at the projection stage with the carrier free to overlie at least a portion of the grid, the length of said depending pointer being substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the carrier and grid, whereby the pointer can be comfortably grasped with the hand of a using lying below the plane of the carrier.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
144 words
A microfiche reader comprising a cabinet having an optical system projecting light through a film plane into a projection lens, said cabinet including a front portion and a rear portion telescopically mounted on the rear of the front portion, said projection lens directing the light into a mirror system including two mirrors positioned at 90* to each other in the said rear portion of the cabinet, the reflected image from the second of the mirrors being projected in a path perpendicular to a rear projection screen in the front of said front portion, the telescopic mounting of said rear portion permitting movement of both mirrors as a unit in a precise path toward and from the screen whereby the effective light path from the film plane to the screen is decreased or increased twice the distance the mirrors are moved relative to said screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
144 words
A microfiche reader comprising a cabinet having an optical system projecting light through a film plane into a projection lens, said cabinet including a front portion and a rear portion telescopically mounted on the rear of the front portion, said projection lens directing the light into a mirror system including two mirrors positioned at 90* to each other in the said rear portion of the cabinet, the reflected image from the second of the mirrors being projected in a path perpendicular to a rear projection screen in the front of said front portion, the telescopic mounting of said rear portion permitting movement of both mirrors as a unit in a precise path toward and from the screen whereby the effective light path from the film plane to the screen is decreased or increased twice the distance the mirrors are moved relative to said screen.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-13 | 1978-07-15 | 1979-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-13 | 1982-07-15 | 1983-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-13 | 1986-07-15 | 1987-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |