US4023902A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Indicia encoding system
Assignee: WEST POINT IND
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Filing: 1976-04-12
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Granted: 1977-05-17
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Expires: 1996-04-12
Abstract
Abstract An indicia encoding system including an lenticular lens is provided for the pictorial encoding of indicia so that once encoded such indicia can be readily decoded using a viewer provided with a similar lenticular lens. The indicia encoding system comprises a carriage that is pivotally mounted on a base and has a rotation mode between an initial tilting position and a final tilting position. A photosensitive film holder with the lenticular lens affixed thereto is mounted onto the carriage and is slidably positionable, by a cam activated linkage, parallel to the pivotal axis of the carriage for exposing to light transmitted through an objective lens only selected portions of the photosensitive film during each carriage rotation mode. The objective lens is suppoted by a lens holder such that the lens is positioned inside a bellows that extends from the film holder to the lens holder. The additional length of the bellows extending past the lens to the lens holder increases the degree of the deformability of the bellows and thus allows the film holder to move more freely relative to the lens holder. Further the indicia encoding system comprises a holder for the indicia that is pivotally mounted and has a rotation mode synchronized to the rotation mode of the carriage. A picture of the indicia taken through the lenticular lens during the synchronized rotational modes of the film holder and the indicia holder causes the indicia as photographed to be illegible until viewed through a viewer having a lenticular lens.
Inventors
- 👤 Warren J. Ungerman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:40
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/32; G03B27/323
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
An indicia encoding system comprising, in combination: a base; a carriage pivotally mounted on said base and having a rotation mode between an initial tilting position and a final tilting position; an objective lens and a lens holder fixedly mounted onto said base; a photosensitive film holder slidably mounted onto a shaft fixedly attached to said carriage and slidably positionable on said shaft in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of said carriage for exposing to light transmitted through said lens only selected portions of the photosensitive film during each carriage rotation mode so that seriatim, one of a plurality of indicia can individually be encoded on a portion of the film during each rotation mode; a camera bellows with a first end fixedly attached to said film holder and a second end fixedly attached to said lens holder, said bellows deformable as said film holder moves relative to said lens holder; a holder for the indicia to be encoded pivotally mounted on said base and having a rotation mode synchronized to the rotation mode of said carriage; and a graticule mounted onto the bellows side of said film holder for encoding the data transmitted by the light from the indicia that passes through said graticule onto the film when said carriage and said indicia holder are in synchronized rotational modes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
An indicia encoding system comprising, in combination: a base; a carriage pivotally mounted on said base and having a rotation mode between an initial tilting position and a final tilting position; an objective lens and a lens holder fixedly mounted onto said base; a photosensitive film holder slidably mounted onto a shaft fixedly attached to said carriage and slidably positionable on said shaft in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of said carriage for exposing to light transmitted through said lens only selected portions of the photosensitive film during each carriage rotation mode so that seriatim, one of a plurality of indicia can individually be encoded on a portion of the film during each rotation mode; a camera bellows with a first end fixedly attached to said film holder and a second end fixedly attached to said lens holder, said bellows deformable as said film holder moves relative to said lens holder; a holder for the indicia to be encoded pivotally mounted on said base and having a rotation mode synchronized to the rotation mode of said carriage; and a graticule mounted onto the bellows side of said film holder for encoding the data transmitted by the light from the indicia that passes through said graticule onto the film when said carriage and said indicia holder are in synchronized rotational modes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said carriage has a slot therein orientated parallel to said shaft, and wherein said film holder includes a sleeve coaxially and slidably mounted onto said shaft and a pin projecting into said slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said slot has parallel planar faces and wherein said pin has a rectangular member slidably mounted thereon, said faces of said slot being slidingly engaged by said rectangular member for isolating said pin from sliding and wearing engagement with said slot faces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 further including: a cam rotatably mounted to said carriage; a first link pivotably mounted at one end thereof to said carriage and a portion of said link in contact with said cam; a second link mounted at one end thereof to said film holder and at the other end thereof to said first link, the rotation of said cam changeably positioning said links so as to slide said film holder in a direction parallel to the pivot axis of said carriage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said cam includes a generally disc-shaped base and a plurality of spaced pins mounted to one face of said disc-shaped base and spaced along a line that spirals outwardly from the center of the disc, said first link in rolling engagement with at least one of said pins.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said pins have roller bearings mounted thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said disc-shaped base has a cam surface along the peripheral edge of said disc-shaped base and including means for sensing said cam for stopping the rotation of said cam so that said film holder is positioned relative to said carriage along said shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lens holder includes a frame mounted to said base and to which said bellows is fixedly attached and a member extending from said frame into said bellows with said lens mounted onto said member, said extending member for allowing a shortened distance between said lens and said film holder while maintaining the deformability of said bellows said film holder moves relative to said lens holder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
115 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said carriage and said indicia holder have a vertically stationary mode and further including a lens shutter having a plurality of aperture groupings, each grouping including at least one aperature, and each grouping for allowing light from only a portion of the indicia being photographed to enter said lens, said shutter indexable among said aperature groupings, at least one of said groupings for allowing light to strike said film holder when said carriage and said indicia holder are in the rotation mode and at least one of said groupings for allowing light to strike said film holder when said carriage is in the stationary mode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
88 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said graticule includes a planar area smaller than the planar area of the film held in said film holder and wherein one grouping of aperatures of said shutter only allows light to strike said graticule during the rotation mode of said carriage for encoding part of the indicia and wherein one grouping of aperatures only allows light to strike a portion of the film without said graticule adjacent thereto for reproducing unencoded indicia during the vertically stationary mode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the distance between said objective lens and said indicia holder is about twice the distance between said lens and said film holder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 11 wherein the indicia to be encoded is held about five-eights inches away from the pivot point of said indicia holder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the distance between said lens and said object holder is about twice the distance between said lens and said film holder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said graticule comprises a lenticular lens having substantially unidirectional continuously cylindrical lenticles on one side thereof facing said lens holder.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
An indicia encoding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said graticule comprises a lenticular lens having a plurality of sets of lenticles wherein at least one set has a different orientation with respect to the other sets and wherein at least one set has lenticles with spacing therebetween different from the other sets.
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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) | 1980-05-16 | 1980-11-15 | 1981-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-16 | 1984-11-15 | 1985-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-16 | 1988-11-15 | 1989-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |