Microimage recorder

Claim 2

In a microimage recording apparatus of the type including exposure, master developing and duplication stations along a master film strip path and means for presenting duplicate film at the duplication station for the exposure of a microfiche array of images on the duplicate film from images on the master film, the improvement comprising: drive means for moving the master film strip along the master film strip path; an optics assembly at the exposure station for holding the master film strip stationary and for sequentially projecting numerous discrete light images in an array of rows and columns onto an image area of the master film; means at the master developer station for heating an image area of the master film strip to simultaneously develop the entire array of exposed images in the image area; and means at the duplication station for transferring onto the duplicate film as exposed images the entire array of exposed and developed images from a master film strip image area.

Claim 3

The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said optics assembly includes a lens through which discrete light images are focused, and positioning means for moving said lens in two directions for directing the discrete light images at predetermined locations in the rows and columns of the image area array.

Claim 4

The improvement claimed in claim 2, said positioning means including an X-Y drive supporting said lens for movement in the directions of rows and columns of the image area array.

Claim 5

The improvement claimed in claim 3, said optics assembly including a clamp member supported by said X-Y drive for movement with said lens, and clamp operating means connected to said clamp member for moving said clamp member in a third direction toward and away from said lens.

Claim 6

The improvement claimed in claim 1, said transferring means at said duplication station including a clamp structure for holding the master film strip and the duplicate film stationary and in contact with one another, and a duplicate film exposure lamp for directing light through the array of exposed and developed master film strip images onto a duplicate film image area.

Claim 7

The improvement claimed in claim 5 further comprising a shutter in the light path between said duplicate film exposure lamp and the master film strip image array.

Claim 8

The improvement claimed in claim 5, further comprising means for moving a strip of duplicate film along a duplicate film path through the duplication station.

Claim 9

The improvement claimed in claim 7 further comprising a duplicate film developer station adjacent said duplicate film path including means for heating an exposed image array on the duplicate film strip.

Claim 10

The improvement claimed in claim 7 further comprising a cutting station adjacent said duplicate film path including means for severing a microfiche containing an exposed image array from the duplicate film strip.

Claim 11

The improvement claimed in claim 7 further comprising a clearing station adjacent said duplicate film path including a source of film clearing radiation adjacent a developed image array disposed in said clearing path.

Claim 12

Microimage recording apparatus for recording computer generated images on microfilm, said apparatus comprising: a self-contained housing including a microfilm record output port; means for supporting and advancing strips of master film and duplicate film respectively along a master film processing path and a duplicate film processing path within said housing; an exposure station along said master film processing path for exposing said master film with the computer generated images and creating latent images on said master film; a master developing station along said master film processing path for developing said master film latent images; a duplication station; said master and duplicate film processing paths coinciding at said duplication station; said duplication station including means for creating latent images on said duplicate film from developed images on said master film; a duplicate developing station along said duplicate film processing path for developing latent images on the duplicate film; a cutting station along said duplicate film processing path for cutting individual microfilm records from the end of the duplicate film strip; and means for depositing developed and cut microfilm records at said exit port.

Claim 13

Microimage recording apparatus for recording computer generated images on microfilm, said apparatus comprising: a self-contained housing including a microfilm record output port; means for supporting and advancing strips of master film and duplicate film respectively along a master film processing path and a duplicate film processing path within said housing; an exposure station along said master film processing path for exposing said master film with the computer generated images and creating latent images on said master film; a master developing station along said master film processing path for developing said master film latent images; a duplication station; said master and duplicate film processing paths coinciding at said duplication station; said duplication station including means for creating latent images on said duplicate film from developed images on said master film; a duplicate developing station along said duplicate film processing path for developing latent images on the duplicate film; a cutting station along said duplicate film processing path for cutting individual microfilm records from the end of the duplicate film strip; and means for depositing developed and cut microfilm records at said exit port.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 further comprising carrying out the following additional steps: (d) developing a pattern of latent images on the duplicate film at a duplicate developer station; and (e) cutting a microfiche containing a pattern of duplicated images from the end of the duplicate film strip.

Claim 17

The method of claim 13, said method further comprising: moving the strip of duplicate film along the second path while the strip of master film is stopped; and stopping the strip of duplicate film and carrying out said steps (c), (d) and (e) without carrying out said steps (a) and (b) to form multiple copy arrays of a single pattern of developed master images.

Claim 18

Microimage recording apparatus comprising: a self-contained housing; means in said housing for supplying a master film and a duplicate film; a first path within said housing for travel of the master film and a second path within said housing for travel of the duplicate film; an exposure station on said first path including means for exposing the master film with light images; a master developer station on said first path including means for developing exposed images on the master film; a duplication station, said first and second paths merging at said duplication station and said duplication station including means for exposing the duplicate film from the developed images on the master film; and a duplicate developer station on said second path including means for heating the duplicate film to develop exposed images on the duplicate film.

Claim 19

Microimage recording apparatus comprising: a self-contained housing; means in said housing for supplying a master film and a duplicate film; a first path within said housing for travel of the master film and a second path within said housing for travel of the duplicate film; an exposure station on said first path including means for exposing the master film with light images; a master developer station on said first path including means for developing exposed images on the master film; a duplication station, said first and second paths merging at said duplication station and said duplication station including means for exposing the duplicate film from the developed images on the master film; and a duplicate developer station on said second path including means for heating the duplicate film to develop exposed images on the duplicate film.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for supplying master film includes means at the start of said first path for supplying master film to said first path in strip form, and strip take up means for receiving the master film strip from said first path.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for supplying duplicate film includes means for supplying duplicate film to said second path in strip form.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 17 further including a cutting station on said second path for severing discrete microimage segments from the end of the duplicate film strip.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said cutting station is disposed between said duplication station and said duplicate developer station.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising an output port accessible from outside said housing for receiving developed and severed duplicate film microimage segments from said second path.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a clearing station adjacent said exit port for applying film clearing radiation to the duplicate film microimage segments.

Claim 26

In a microimage recording system wherein a strip of master film travels a film path through exposure, developer and duplication stations, the combination comprising: a pair of film clamps along the film path on opposite sides of the developer station; said clamps being movable between open and closed positions alternatively to release and clamp the film strip; a movable film guide means between said film clamps; a releasable latch engageable with said film guide means and movable between latched and released positions for alternatively permitting and preventing movement of the film guide means; biasing means coupled to said film guide means for urging said film guide means against the master film strip in said film path to increase the tension of the strip when said film clamps are closed and said latch is released; and a developer member at the developer station movable against the film strip when the strip tension is increased.

Claim 27

In a microimage recording system wherein a strip of master film travels a film path through exposure, developer and duplication stations, the combination comprising: a pair of film clamps along the film path on opposite sides of the developer station; said clamps being movable between open and closed positions alternatively to release and clamp the film strip; a movable film guide means between said film clamps; a releasable latch engageable with said film guide means and movable between latched and released positions for alternatively permitting and preventing movement of the film guide means; biasing means coupled to said film guide means for urging said film guide means against the master film strip in said film path to increase the tension of the strip when said film clamps are closed and said latch is released; and a developer member at the developer station movable against the film strip when the strip tension is increased.

Claim 28

The combination of claim 22 wherein one said film clamp is located between said exposure and developer stations for isolating the exposure station from increases in film tension.

Claim 29

The combination of claim 23 including a third film clamp on the opposite side of said exposure station from said one film clamp.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 22 wherein said developer member displaces the film strip transversely of the film path.

Claim 33

The method of claim 26 further comprising applying a further tensioning bias to a segment of the film strip between the first location and the take up roller.

Claim 34

The method of claim 27 further comprising developing part of said segment at the developer station during the time that the further tensioning bias is applied.

Claim 35

A microimage recording method comprising: exposing an array of discrete images in rows and columns onto an image area segment of a strip of master film; developing the entire master film array on the image area in a single developer operation; duplicating the entire array at a duplication station by exposing the developed images onto an image area segment of a duplicate film strip; moving the duplicate film strip in a forward direction to move the exposed segment from the duplication station to a null position; holding the exposed segment of the duplicate film strip in the null position for a predetermined time; developing the exposed segment of the duplicate film strip; and cutting said segment from the duplicate film strip.

Claim 36

A microimage recording method comprising: exposing an array of discrete images in rows and columns onto an image area segment of a strip of master film; developing the entire master film array on the image area in a single developer operation; duplicating the entire array at a duplication station by exposing the developed images onto an image area segment of a duplicate film strip; moving the duplicate film strip in a forward direction to move the exposed segment from the duplication station to a null position; holding the exposed segment of the duplicate film strip in the null position for a predetermined time; developing the exposed segment of the duplicate film strip; and cutting said segment from the duplicate film strip.

Claim 37

The method of claim 29 further comprising: advancing the duplicate film strip to move the exposed image away from the null position after said predetermined time; and retracting said duplicate film strip after said cutting step to move an unexposed segment of the duplicate film strip into the duplication station.

Claim 38

The method of claim 30, including skipping said advancing and retracting steps when the duplicating step is repeated with a single developed image array of the master film strip.

Claim 39

The method of claim 29 wherein said array of discrete images is exposed onto said image area while said master film is held stationary.