Abstract A copier providing selectively variable magnification copying of documents while the documents are moved uninterruptedly through a document imaging station on a document transport belt, and full-frame exposed by a flash illumination system, where one edge of each document is registered on the document transport, and the position within the document exposure station at which a document is copied is shifted in proportion to the selected magnification of the optical system by proportionally changing the initiation time of the illumination system. The optical system consists of a fixed mirror, a fixed focus movable lens, and a movable mirror all along a common optical axis, and the movable mirror and lens move in the same direction to change the magnification, shift the imaging position, and control the illumination system operation to compensate for the shift in imaging position.
Inventors
👤 Denis J. Stemmle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-27 18:53
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/04; G03G15/041
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
298 words
In a copier wherein documents are copied by optical imaging means providing selectively variable magnification copying of the documents onto a position on an imaging surface while said documents are moving along a path through a document imaging station transported by document transport means, where the documents have leading and trailing edges relative to said document transport means, and wherein said documents are illuminated for said optical imaging means by illumination means comprising a substantially instantaneous flash illumination system, and wherein the entire area of a document to be copied by said optical imaging means is simultaneously illuminated by said flash illumination system while the document is moving through said document imaging station, the improvement comprising: document registration means outside of said document imaging station for registering one said edge of a document on said document transport means as a registration edge, imaging position shifting means for automatically shifting the copying position within said document exposure station at which the moving registered document is copied in proportion to the selected magnification of said optical imaging means, including shifting the copying positions of both said leading and trailing edges of the document, wherein said image position shifting means includes time delay means connecting between said document registration means and said flash illumination system and controlled by the selected magnification of said optical imaging means for varying the time of initiation of said flash illumination system relative to said moving registered document position in said document imaging station in response to the selected magnification of said optical imaging means and to said document registration means, and wherein said image position shifting means includes means for maintaining stationary the position of the imaging surface onto which the document is copied when said copying position within said document exposure station is shifted.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
298 words
In a copier wherein documents are copied by optical imaging means providing selectively variable magnification copying of the documents onto a position on an imaging surface while said documents are moving along a path through a document imaging station transported by document transport means, where the documents have leading and trailing edges relative to said document transport means, and wherein said documents are illuminated for said optical imaging means by illumination means comprising a substantially instantaneous flash illumination system, and wherein the entire area of a document to be copied by said optical imaging means is simultaneously illuminated by said flash illumination system while the document is moving through said document imaging station, the improvement comprising: document registration means outside of said document imaging station for registering one said edge of a document on said document transport means as a registration edge, imaging position shifting means for automatically shifting the copying position within said document exposure station at which the moving registered document is copied in proportion to the selected magnification of said optical imaging means, including shifting the copying positions of both said leading and trailing edges of the document, wherein said image position shifting means includes time delay means connecting between said document registration means and said flash illumination system and controlled by the selected magnification of said optical imaging means for varying the time of initiation of said flash illumination system relative to said moving registered document position in said document imaging station in response to the selected magnification of said optical imaging means and to said document registration means, and wherein said image position shifting means includes means for maintaining stationary the position of the imaging surface onto which the document is copied when said copying position within said document exposure station is shifted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The copier of claim 1, wherein said means for maintaining stationary the position on the imaging surface onto which the document is copied comprises image reflective surface means in said optical imaging means movable parallel to said movement path of said documents through said document imaging station in response to the selected variable magnification of said optical imaging means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
The copier of claim 1, wherein said optical imaging means comprises a fixed mirror and a fixed focus movable lens and a movable mirror all along a common optical axis; and wherein said movable mirror and said lens are movable in the same direction parallel said movement path of said documents in said document imaging station to provide said variable magnification, and wherein said movable mirror and said lens are connected to control by their movement said time delay means for varying the time of initiation of said flash illumination system.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The copier of claim 1, wherein said document transport means operates continuously at a constant speed during said copying.