US4065210A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vacuum contact printer
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-07-12
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Granted: 1977-12-27
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Expires: 1996-07-12
Abstract
Abstract A vacuum contact printer for printing indicia formed on a translucent drawing sheet onto a sensitized sheet material. The contact printer includes a vacuum chamber defining an enclosure having a planar upper wall with vertically directed through perforations. Secured to the upper wall of the vacuum chamber is a screen element which is pulled taut and located in fixed relation to an upper surface of the upper wall of the vacuum chamber. A cloth member is positioned over the screen member and secured to the frame of the vacuum chamber. In order to provide an image, the drawing sheet and sensitized sheet material are inserted over the cloth member and sandwiched between a transparent polyester film and the cloth. A light fixture is linearly driven across the upper surface of the vacuum chamber and the various sheet mounting mechanisms in close proximity thereof to permit light to pass through the translucent drawing sheet onto the sensitized sheet material. Absorption of the light by the indicia provides for an image to be transferred to the sensitized paper or other sensitized material. The light fixture is driven in substantially linear and reversible manner to provide for even distribution of the light across the drawing sheet and the sensitized sheet material. The driving mechanism is provided by a motor which drives a pair of endless belts linearly displaceable on opposing transverse sides of the contact printer.
Inventors
- 👤 Ralph N. Milburn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 20:16
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/02; G03B27/10; G03B27/14; G03B27/18; G03B27/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
A contact printer for printing indicia formed on a translucent drawing sheet on a photo-sensitized sheet, comprising: a. light means for passing light consecutively through said drawing sheet to said photo-sensitized sheet; b. light drive means for linearly displacing said light means in a plane parallel to said drawing and photo-sensitized sheets; c. vacuum chamber having a vacuum pump for maintaining a pressure drop from an external to an internal environment of said vacuum chamber, said sheets being mounted adjacent an upper wall of said vacuum chamber, said wall having a first plurality of openings passing therethrough; and, d. sheet mounting means for securing said sheets to said upper wall in fixed planar relation, said sheet mounting means being secured to said upper wall of said vacuum chamber for distributing pressure drop load forces acting on said sheets over an extended surface area of said sheets, said sheet mounting means including load distribution means secured to said upper wall of said vacuum chamber, said load distribution means having a second plurality of through openings passing therethrough, said sheet mounting means further including sheet contact means adjacently positioned to an upper surface of said load distribution means, said sheet contact means being porous.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
202 words
A contact printer for printing indicia formed on a translucent drawing sheet on a photo-sensitized sheet, comprising: a. light means for passing light consecutively through said drawing sheet to said photo-sensitized sheet; b. light drive means for linearly displacing said light means in a plane parallel to said drawing and photo-sensitized sheets; c. vacuum chamber having a vacuum pump for maintaining a pressure drop from an external to an internal environment of said vacuum chamber, said sheets being mounted adjacent an upper wall of said vacuum chamber, said wall having a first plurality of openings passing therethrough; and, d. sheet mounting means for securing said sheets to said upper wall in fixed planar relation, said sheet mounting means being secured to said upper wall of said vacuum chamber for distributing pressure drop load forces acting on said sheets over an extended surface area of said sheets, said sheet mounting means including load distribution means secured to said upper wall of said vacuum chamber, said load distribution means having a second plurality of through openings passing therethrough, said sheet mounting means further including sheet contact means adjacently positioned to an upper surface of said load distribution means, said sheet contact means being porous.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where said vacuum chamber upper wall is planar in contour.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 2 where said vacuum chamber upper wall is porous for providing said pressure drop from said external to said internal enviornment of said vacuum chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 3 where said vacuum chamber upper wall is formed of pegboard.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 4 where said load distribution means is positionally located adjacent and contiguous an upper surface of said upper wall of said vacuum chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 5 where said vacuum chamber upper wall is porous having a first plurality of through openings passing therethrough, said first plurality of openings being positionally formed a predetermined distance each from the other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where said second plurality of through openings are displaced each from the other a distance less than a displacement distance of said first through openings.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where each of said second plurality of through openings includes a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area of said first plurality of through openings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where said load distribution means includes a screen mesh member secured to said vacuum chamber in contiguous planar relation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where said sheet contact means is substantially continuous.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 10 where said sheet contact means is a cloth material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 11 where said drawing and photo-sensitized sheets are mounted to an upper surface of said sheet contact means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 12 where said sheet mounting means includes a substantially transparent film element, said drawing and photo-sensitized sheets being sandwiched between said film element and said sheet contact means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 13 where said film element is a clear polyester film element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 1 where said light means includes a light fixture linearly displaceable with respect to said vacuum chamber in a longitudinal direction adjacent an upper surface of said sheet mounting means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 15 where said light means is a fluorescent fixture extending in a transverse direction with respect to said displacement direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 15 where said light drive means includes: a. motor means; and, b. at least one endless belt passing in said longitudinal direction, said endless belt secured to said light fixture and connected to said motor means for linearly moving said belt.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 17 including a pair of track members on opposing transverse sides of said vacuum chamber, said track members extending in said longitudinal direction, said light fixture contacting said tracks on opposing transverse sides of said vacuum chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The contact printer as recited in claim 18 including roller elements rotatably secured to opposing transverse ends of said light fixture for contacting said track members.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-12-26 | 1981-06-27 | 1981-12-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-12-26 | 1985-06-27 | 1985-12-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-12-26 | 1989-06-27 | 1989-12-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |