Graphic symbol line position control means for high speed printing

Claim 1

In a graphic symbol line position control means, a laser source of light; font plate means for providing an array of graphic symbols and means for exposing symbols of said array, selectively, to light from said laser source for providing any one of a plurality of individual graphic symbol shaped sources of light; a light responsive record medium; said array of graphic symbols and said record medium positioned, respectively, at first and second ends of graphic symbol shaped light beam optical paths of said line position control means; optical means positioned along an optical axis of said line position control means intermediate said array of graphic symbols and said record medium for projecting an image of a graphic symbol selectively exposed to light from said laser source toward said record medium; acousto-optic light reflector means, including acoustic wave generator means and an interaction medium, positioned intermediate said array of graphic symbols and said optical means positioned along said optical axis; a source of ultrasonic frequency voltages and means for connecting voltages from said source to said light reflector means for an establishing of any of a number of different acoustic wave light reflecting conditions within said light reflector means; wherein the improvement comprises: (a) means for exposing a predetermined one of said graphic symbols of the array to light from said laser source and establishing, simultaneously, a predetermined one of said light reflecting conditions within said light reflector means, said established light reflecting condition controlling a directing of light from said predetermined one of said symbols to said record medium and an exposing of said medium to a light image of said symbol so as to effect a coinciding of said image with a point of reference display position at said record medium; (b) means for exposing another predetermined one of said graphic symbols of the array to light from said laser source and establishing, simultaneously, another predetermined one of said light reflecting conditions within said light reflector means, said other established light reflecting condition controlling a directing of light from said other predetermined one of said symbols to said record medium and an exposing of said medium to a light image of said other symbol so as to effect a coinciding of said image with any one of a plurality of secondary display positions in relation to said point of reference display position at said record medium.