DE2048691A1 - Method for producing a record of computer output data - Google Patents

Description

Drive transport wheels are used to move the film from and to the stepwise driving transport wheel for Vorratsbzw. Transport take-up reel. The step drive is started and stopped with electromagnetic brakes, with the start and stop times of the transport wheel Removal of the electrical current from one of the brakes can be controlled.

Separate optics are used to map the data or forms on the film in order to adapt the data to to facilitate form.

The film transport is controlled in such a way that the film also transports several lines of data between individual stops of data lines can be used to speed up the response of the printer if none for some lines of the form Data are provided.

Preferably, the microfilm printer of the invention is used with the information output system used in the older Application P 20 26 372.3 of the applicant described and claimed is.

General s to the invention

Various devices and devices are available with which computer output data can be recorded for visual viewing. Most of these devices print the Data in a form with different types of impact printers. These impact printers are limited in their speed, and have all the other limitations of devices with many moving parts, for use in conjunction with However, computers have an additional disadvantage.

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These known printers deliver sheets of paper 2.Ώ. so large that handling and storage of the prints is a significant problem.

According to the invention, a computer output printer is made available, can be printed with the computer output data to microfilm eirer higher speed _v than can be recorded by conventional printers. In addition, the printer of the invention has relatively few moving parts so that a long operation without substantial maintenance, etc. is possible and generated by the printer microfilm records can be easily handled and stored as usual elcluiunger at Mikrofilmaul '^. the case is.

Several novel concepts are incorporated into the printer of the present invention to make it more economical to manufacture and use than other arrangements that could be used in microfilm printers. The most important of these novel concepts are (1) the projection of data and foiTular images from opposite sides onto the microfilm, and (2) control of the motion of the film to advance the film for every line of data characters formed on the film at- i will-

In the printer according to the invention, two independent optical systems are therefore used to transfer data and a form from image opposite sides on the microfilm so that the form generator and the data generator are independent can be arranged and displayed separately on the film. Significant benefits are added to this Way achieved during the manufacture and later adjustment of the printer, because the forms and data outputs are pre-fabri7.1 crt can be physically arranged and subsequently

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can be adjusted independently of each other. The projection of form and data images on opposite sides of the film according to the invention is very advantageous both when the film is advanced line by line according to the invention, and also when the film is only once per form image is advanced while the data is advanced along a stationary film while data is in each Form to be recorded. The projection of formulator and data images from opposite sides of the film can according to the invention either (1) with the line-by-line film transport described here and a single-line line generator according to the earlier application mentioned, or (2) with a form-based transport, in which the film is stopped once per form image and a multi-cell character generator, for example a cathode ray tube on which all lines of data for a form can be output without moving the film.

Line-by-line film transport according to the invention has important economic advantages in terms of reduction the cost of equipment used to microfilm data. The film transport according to the invention can can therefore be used with a character generator with which a single line of data is generated at a time, like the character generator according to the aforementioned filter application, or a simple line of NIXIE tubes. Such a single line Character generator, with its associated electronic data storage and control circuitry, is considerably less expensive expensive than usual character generators and corresponding control circuits such as a cathode ray tube output, with that can print a full page of many lines of data.

In addition to the basic advantages of a microfilm printer, which by image projection of both rare des

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Film and line-by-line film control are made available, Several specific improvements in microfilm printers are made available by the invention, overall allow a printer according to the invention to be used for recording computer output data economically at speeds up to 10,000 lines of 132 characters per minute and even higher can be used.

An exact position of the individual image lines on the film is achieved with a step-wise working drive wheel, which is integrally coupled to an open disk, i whereby the openings in the disk can be determined optically, and are separated by distances that are proportional to the line spacing of the Data is on the film. A very quick starting and stopping of the step-by-step transport part is achieved by means of two electromagnetic brakes that are matched to one another. One brake is connected so that it works as a clutch to drive the transport wheel, while the other is arranged as a brake to stop it. The response speed of the combination is improved by decreasing the current to the clutch to stop the drive wheel and decreasing the current to the brake to start the drive wheel.

The step-by-step work on the drive wheel with the disc provided with openings forms a minimum increment of the image according to the height of a line of data, and the drive wheel can be one or more integer multiples This step can be stopped to print data on each line of a form, or the movie quickly to advance over several lines if no data is recorded Need to become.

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Rapid operation of the incremental transport wheel is achieved while it is isolated from any noticeable inertia of the film supply and take-up system, by using clamping arms in conjunction with take-up and supply rollers. Both spools, namely the supply spool and the take-up reel, are directly controlled by movement of the tension arms that detect the amount of film in the vicinity of the incremental transport wheel.

The printer's optical system works with a separate one Optics for mapping every data line and every data form, and os is possible to enlarge or reduce the line and the form. When zooming in or out on the form and data images, three physical elements of the Printers with reference to each other controlled »namely (1) the film transport, which the microfilm Ia an exposure window holds, (2) the character generator, and (3) the "form flash", who outputs the form. Any of these three parts can remain stationary at all times if the other two are movable to allow enlargement and reduction of the two images. To the data output of the mentioned older To keep registration stationary »the film carrier and the form flash are preferably moved. Dme is preferably done by achieves a single adjustment mechanism that moves the form with respect to the movie window when that Form image is to be enlarged »and a single adjustment mechanism with which both the film window and the Form flash can be moved with respect to the character generator when the data line is to be enlarged.

These and other features and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a computer data film printer embodying the invention. Of course it is

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special printer shown and described here only an embodiment within the scope of the invention, even if the construction shown here is currently regarded as the best embodiment. In the drawing show:

1 shows a side view of a microfilm printer according to the invention?

Figure 2 is a side view of the central part of the device of Figure 1;

., Shows a section along the bifurcated designated in Fig 2 with 3-3 Level 3 |

FIG. 4 shows a section along the forked plane denoted by 4-4 in FIG. 2; FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a section along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2

showing the device specifically shown in FIG. 2 for determining the amount of film in the vicinity of the stepwise operating Transport wheel;

FIG. 6 shows a section along the line 6-6 in FIG. 4 through the middle of the gradual working Transport wheel j

7 shows a perspective layout of the perforated soctor wheel and the associated detector device in the step-by-step transport wheel near the right side la Fig. 6}

Fig. 8 graphically the electrical currents through the brakes « and coupling sub-units of the step-by-step transport wheel according to FIG. 6 during one Period of time in which the “working step by step Transport wheel started and then stopped;

9 is an exploded, schematic, perspective representation of the device according to FIG. 1 to show the most important optical components; 109815/1798

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Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of the dispensing end of the character generator shown in FIG. 9 according to the earlier application mentioned;

11 shows the circumference of the sector wheel in the character generator according to Fig. 9 »and

12 schematically shows the control circuit for the printer according to FIGS. 1 to 11.

The printer shown in the drawing has a main frame 14 which has a form flash 16, a character generator 18, and a microfilm transport 20 carries. The form flash know a light-tight box 22, its front panel carries a transparent image of a form 24 which can be illuminated with a xenon lamp 26 which is equipped with a Power source 26 can be made to flash at regular intervals. To enlarge or reduce To enable an image of the forms 24, the form flash with adjustable rails 30 is adjustable and displaceable mounted on the frame 14.

The character generator has a fiber optic matrix 32 (Fig.9) on, a rotating diaphragm 34 and a 45 ° mirror 36, as explained in more detail in the earlier application mentioned. Of the Character generator 32 and the form flash 24 are in optical Mounted on opposite sides of the film transport because of. As will be explained in more detail, the film transport 20 has a pair of guides 38 (Fig. 9) which carry a strip of microfilm 40 in a flat exposure window 42 where Images of the form 24 and the data from the character generator are focused on both sides of the microfilm. The focus becomes with two Nikor lenses 50 m f: 2 44 and 46 brought about. The film guides 38 are adjustably mounted to be directed to or from the character generator 32

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can be moved away so that the character line can be enlarged or reduced as explained above.

Filmtra nsgort

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport with which the microfilm 40 is transported past the exposure window 42 has a supply drive wheel 48, a stepwise transporting drive wheel 50, which is shown in greater detail in FIG Variety of roller guides 54 on. The microfilm 40 runs from a supply reel in egg {NEN supply reel magazine 56 to the film transport, and from there to a take-up reel in a take-up reel magazine 58th

The film spool in the take-up magazine 58 is wound by rotation a shaft 60 (Fig. 3), which in turn is driven with a belt 62 via a slip clutch 64, which in turn is driven by a motor 66. The motor 66 is mounted coaxially with the take-up drive gear 52 and drives the same α on; it is preferably the one under the trademark Motor No. SS50-1OO7 sold by Superior Electric Company "SLOSYN". A similar motor is coaxial mounted to the supply drive wheel 48 and drives it. f

On the frame 20, a holding arm 68 is provided which carries a tension roller 70 which is held under tension with a tension spring 72 and over which the film 40 is drawn along the path indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the spring 72 the Holds film under tension around the periphery of the take-up drive wheel 52 so that each rotation of the drive wheel 52 advances the film to the take-up or take-up magazine 58. The operation of the motor 66 is controlled by two limit switches 74 and 76 which are switched on in the motor control circuit such that the motor 66 is started when the switch 76 is closed and the motor 66 is stopped when the switch Ik is closed. The switches 74 and 76 are through

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System on two pins 78 and 80 closed on a dancer arm 82 which is pivotably mounted on the machine frame on axis EM and is urged to yield with a clock spring 86 (FIG. 5) onto the position 88 shown in phantom according to FIG. 2. The outer end of the clock spring 86 is attached to a vang arm 90 on the frame 20. The inner, free end of the dancer arm 82 carries a film guide roller 92 to determine the amount of film between the incremental drive wheel 50 and the take-up drive wheel 52 while maintaining tension on both drive wheels. It can be seen that the dancer arm 82 and the associated switches 74 and 76 operate in such a way that the amount of film between the stepper drive 50 and the take-up drive 52 is kept within predetermined limits. If the amount of film increases beyond the point at which the pin 80 closes the limit switch 76, the winding motor 66 is turned on, so that the winding transport wheel 52 is driven and film is simultaneously wound in the receiving magazine 58 until the pin 78 switches 74 closes and then the take-up drive wheel drive motor 66 is stopped.

A similar pair of limit switches 94 and 96 are set by the Movement of a dancer arm 98 is controlled which carries a film guide roller 100, with switches 94 and 96 on the motor Are turned on, which drives the supply drive wheel 48 to the amount of film between the supply drive wheel 48 and the To keep gradually working drive wheel 50 within predetermined limits.

A gear 102 is attached to the shaft of the motor on the supply drive gear 48 driven, and a microswitch 103 is mounted near the gear 102 in such a position that the switch 103 is on each tooth of the gear

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102 closes. The output of switch 103 can be switched to a suitable Length counter which monitors the total length of the film passing through the printer can be.

The supply and take-up film magazines 56 and 58 are suitable Holder arms 104 and 106 mounted on the frame 20, and the optics 44 and 46, which are used to hold the data and to enlarge or reduce form images are mounted on arms 108 and 110.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the film guide 54 and the surfaces of the supply and take-up drive wheels 48 and 52 are provided with circumferential ribs 111, as is indicated on the roller 54 shown furthest to the left in FIG full-surface contact between the rollers and the microfilm is avoided. Am drive motor 112 is on the Rear side of the frame 14 is mounted on a holding arm 114 and drives a drive belt 116 through a transmission gear 118. The belt 116 is used for this step-by-step operation to drive the drive wheel 50, as will be explained in more detail.

Step by step work on the drive wheel

As best seen in FIG. 6, the drive mechanism for the step-wise working drive wheel 60 on a shaft 120, which with the help of a bearing 122 in a fixed housing 124, which is fastened with screws 126 to the frame 14, is rotatably mounted. The other end of the line 21 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 128 which is supported within a sleeve 130 which is fixedly seated on the frame 14. The sleeve 130 forms part of a gland unit 132 made by the Power Equipment Division of Lear-Siegler-Industries under the trademark "FASTEP" magnetic particle clutch model 97015-012 is delivered.

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This brake 132 has a housing 134 which is fixedly attached to the sleeve 130, and a central sleeve 136, the is rotatably attached to the housing 134 with bearings 128 and 138. Between the housing 134 and the sleeve 136 is a chamber 140 is provided, and a cylindrical blade 142, which is fixedly attached to the sleeve 136, protrudes into the center of this chamber near the sleeve 130 of the housing 134. The rest of the Chamber 140 is filled with ferromagnetic particles which can be moved like a liquid in the absence of a magnetic field. An electromagnetic coil 144 surrounds the chamber 140 and when electrical current is applied to the coil 144, solidify the ferromagnetic particles in the chamber 140, and connect the sleeve 130 with the sleeve 136 firmly. the Sleeve 136 is keyed with adjusting screws in opening 146 on shaft 120 so that electrical current is in coil 144 for a brake between the shaft 120 and the frame 14 provides.

A second, identical "FASTBP * coupling 148 is with hers The central sleeve is keyed onto the solid 120 with an adjusting screw in the opening 150, and the outer sleeve 130a of the coupling 146 carries a pulley 152 over which the belt 116 carries leads. When electrical current is fed into the coil of the clutch 14ö, there is a firm connection between drive belt 116 and shaft 120 so that stepper drive wheel 50 is driven by motor 112.

In FIG. 8, the current through the coil of the brake 132 is shown with the curve 132a, and the current through the coil of the clutch 146 with the curve 148a, namely in the period of time from the start of the stepper drive wheel 50 until it is stopped again to move the film by a distance equal to one line spacing for a line of data recorded on the film

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should be transported. It can be seen that the current 132a is initially high so that the brake 132 effectively stops the drive wheel 50. At this time, the current in the clutch 142 is non-zero so that a time delay is avoided when the magnetic particles in the clutch are to be aligned. The initial current in clutch 148 is maintained sufficiently high that the magnetic particles in the clutch are substantially aligned, however, the clutch exerts a driving force on shaft 120 that is less than the λ braking force from brake 132. At the time , at which the movement of the drive wheel 50 is to begin, the current to the coil of the brake 132 is switched off so that the coil current can decrease along a very steep, essentially linear curve, and as soon as the current in the brake coil has the curve for the current in crosses the clutch spool, the clutch exerts a greater driving force on the shaft 120 than the braking force from the brake, so that the shaft 120 begins to rotate zv and thereby drive the film. The drive wheel 150 continues to travel, and in this period of time the current to the coil of the brake 132 becomes the original. The value increases, but the clutch continues to overcome the braking effect and drives the shaft 120, since the current in the clutch 148 | exceeds the current in brake 132. However, during the period in which the braking current is increasing, a partial realignment of the magnetic material in the brake is brought about so that the brake is ready to take over its braking function again as soon as the current to the clutch is reduced. When the drive wheel 50 is then to be stopped, the current to the coil of the clutch 148 is interrupted so that the current in this coil falls along a steep, essentially linear curve, and as soon as the current in the clutch coil falls below the current in the brake coil , takes over the brake 132 and stops the drive wheel.

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A light-tight housing cap 154 is on the rear Bath of housing 124 mounts and encloses an apertured disc 195 that is firmly attached to the end a shaft 120 is mounted with a mounting cap 158. On a holding arm 162 within the cap 154 in the Proximity of the apertured periphery of the disk 156 A light detector 160 is mounted, and a hollow body 164 is on the opposite side from the light detector 160 of the disc 156 is mounted in the cap 154. A light source 166 is mounted in the body 164, and a small one with openings The provided disc 168 is mounted on the end of the body 164 near the disc 156. As shown in FIG contains the apertured disc 156 five hundred and twelve slots or openings 170 equally spaced around the circumference, and the disc 168 carries a single slot 172 so that the photodetector 160 is five hundred and twelve Pulses per revolution of the shaft 120 receives. The output of the photodetector 160, which is a cell counter for the Forming film transport is connected to the printer control circuit to display the position of the film along the transport and allowing the control circuit to stop the film by decreasing the clutch current when there is a line of data at a certain data line position along the length of the film should be recorded.

Data output

Referring to Figures 9-11, the data output comprises an array of optical fibers 174 with each fiber at one end in a character output line 176 is arranged, which is more detailed in 10, and the other end is each connected to a bank of light emitting diodes 178, as before described in the earlier application mentioned several times.

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The data line unit 176 has one hundred and thirty-two fiber groups each of which is made up of thirty-five fibers in a 5x7 matrix such that any number chosen or other characters from each fiber group can be output in the light emitting diodes for a chosen one Combination of the thirty-five fibers in this group are made to glow.

The one hundred and thirty fiber groups are arranged in thirty-three kit of four groups with corresponding fibers of each set having the same lichtemittieren- * is connected to the diode in the same bank of light emitting diodes "176, so that at any time each quarter of characters in the character line 176 is the same. The apertured peripheral diaphragm 34 has openings 180 on the circumference that sweep over the drawing line 176, each opening having a width corresponding to the width of three of the thirty-five fiber groups. In this way, the number of light-emitting diodes used to illuminate the fibers is considerably reduced , and the diodes illuminating a fiber group can be switched from the operating state for outputting one character to an operating state for outputting a second character in the time span in which the remaining thirty-three fiber optic groups, which are connected in parallel,

be covered with the peripheral screen 34. {

Vie has been explained in more detail in the earlier application, can the rotary diaphragm 34 can be provided with a recorded track 182 which is read with a suitable transducer 184 can be used to provide an input for the printer control circuit, which the special characters in the Indicates lines of characters 176 which are exposed at any moment. The orifice 34 is powered by a suitable motor and drive belt

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136 and 188 according to FIG. 1 driven.

Referring to Fig. 12, the control circuits used to operate the printer include an interface 190 which Receives data from a computer 192 indicating data to be printed out. The ones recorded by the computer Data is transferred to a single line buffer 194, which stores the information which characters are output in the one hundred thirty-two positions of the character line should, the sector disk 184 forms a device with which generates a signal on line 196 to start buffer 194 so that the stored data is released by adding the appropriate light emitting Diodes in the diode matrix 178 light up synchronously with signals on line 197 from converter 184, depending on the situation the exposed optical fiber groups of the data output! ^! e 176 is specified.

The transducer 184 provides outputs not only to indicate the location of a slot in the aperture along the data line 176, but also a signal which indicates the end of the printing operation for a data line, that is, when one of the slots 180 in the rotating aperture has passed through the data line 176, and a second slot 180 in the dual aperture is there, begin the pass over data line 176. The signal indicating that a line is finished is on line 198 transmitted to the interface, and through a suitable gate passed in the interface to the number fortechaltaaechanisrnua 132 to 148, inter alia to advance the microfilm one line before a new data line is output in the data matrix 176 will. As already mentioned above, the interlace, when so controlled by the computer, can provide the cell advancing mechanism 152 to 148 allow, including a gaxr & Zahllga number

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of line spacing of the microfilm before switching to data to be used in selected but not all lines of the form; in this case the film stop signal is on Line 200, with which the coupling current for coupling 148 will decrease after the movie start signal on line 202 delayed, with which the current to the brake coil 132 downward sets will.

The interface 190 receives the signals from the film line counter to register the relevant line on the \ form with which the image of character line 176 is aligned as there are a large number of lines of data per Forms, and if the line register in the interface 190 indicates that the full area of the form in the fen ster 42 of the hikrofilm transport has arrived »delivers the Interface a signal on line 204 to the form flash 2 28 so that the xenon lamp 26 flashes to display an image of the Form 24 to generate on the microfilm. The specific point in the line counter register where the forms flash is operated by the physical alignment of the optical system for the. Form flash and the data from ~ would be established, and the form flash can be operated after the beginning or end of the period in which the data be filled in the form, however, the form flash is preferably actuated when the data output prints roughly in the middle of the form.

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Claims (1)

Method for producing a recording of computer output data, characterized in that a strip of microfilm is moved along a path and is periodically stopped »each time after the film is stopped, an image of a line of computer output data is projected onto the microfilm in the path, and after the projection of each data line, the film is advanced, when the film is stopped, an image of a form on the microfilm is periodically projected in the path, with intervals between form projections being less frequent than the intervals between data projections, and finally the microfilm develops 1. VrerrfaTiren according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection of a data line image takes place on the same area of the path as the image projection of the form, but from the other side of the path. 1 09815/1796 ßAD OPvGiNAL