GB2069171A

GB2069171A - Improvements in and relating to microfilm reading apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2069171A
Application number: GB8039980A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
Current assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
Priority date: 1979-12-20
Filing date: 1980-12-12
Publication date: 1981-08-19
Also published as: DE2951368A1; GB2069171B; DE2951368C2; FR2472204A1; FR2472204B1; IT8050404A0; IT1145321B

Abstract

A support plate 4 is movable in a direction A, and a microfiche holder 7 received on the support is movable on a sliding guide in a perpendicular direction B. The holder 7 is inserted on the support in direction A until a stop 9a on the holder engages a rail 5 on the support. The holder aligns itself and the guide rail 5a enters a recess 9 in the holder to form the sliding guide. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to microfilm reading apparatus The invention relates to a device for holding and guiding a microfiche in a microfilm reading apparatus having a support unit which is so mounted on the apparatus housing as to be movable in a first direction and which has guide means that in use so guide a microfiche holder that it is movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Devices of this type are disclosed in, for example, German Gebrauchsmuster No.

77 27 582 and German Gebrauchsmuster No.

76 35 429. In the case of the first mentioned Gebrauchsmuster, the microfiche holder is removably attached by means of magnetic strips to the guide means which are mounted on the support unit, and in the case of the second Gebrauchsmuster, the guide means, which are fastened to the microfiche holder, are releasably attached to the support unit. In both cases locking pins are additionally provided for fixing the microfiche holder into position. Both arrangements permit microfiche holders to be exchanged relatively quickly and easily.

It is an object of the invention to provide a holding and guiding device with which the insertion, removal and exchange of the microfiche holder can be performed even more simply and quickly so that the user of the apparatus need pay relatively little attention to this operation.

The invention provides a device for holding and guiding a microfiche in a microfiche reading apparatus for moving a microfiche relative to a projection lens in two perpendicular co-ordinate directions having a support unit which is so mounted on the apparatus housing as to be movable with respect to the housing in a first direction and which has guide means that in operation so guide a microfiche holder that it is movable with respect to the support unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the guide means between the support unit and the microfiche holder is constructed as a sliding guide wherein at least one raised element is guided in a recess and between the support unit and the microfiche holder there is constructed a stop running in the second direction the arrangement being such that in use the microfiche holder is inserted into its operational position substantially in the first direction and aligns itself against the stop, and in this aligned position of the microfiche holder the at least one raised element of the guide means enters the recess. The design of the guide means between the support unit and the microfiche holder as a simple sliding guide, for example, in the form of a guide rail that is guided in a guide groove, enables the position of the microfiche holder to be continuously varied on the support unit within the range of the sliding guide.That is not possible with previously proposed arrangements in which locking pins have to be inserted in discrete locking bores, and for that purpose a specific alignment of the microfiche holder relative to the support unit is always necessary. The stop that is also provided enables the microfiche holder to be inserted into the apparatus even in a somewhat skewed orientation and still automatically assume the operational position, since the microfiche holder, as it is inserted, aligns itself against the stop and after this the guiding action is easily accomplished.

Advantageously, the stop is provided by arranging that one lateral face of the guide groove is higher than the opposite lateral face of the guide groove. A separate stop is then unnecessary, the stop being produced merely by giving parts that are in any case present special dimensions.

One form of holding and guiding device constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the holding and guiding device on a microfiche reading apparatus; Fig. 2 shows a schematic section through the holding and guiding device with a microfiche holder partially inserted into the operational position; Fig. 3 shows a similar section with the microfiche holder in the operating position; and Fig. 4 shows a detail as indicated at D in Fig. 3, to a larger scale than Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, on the lower part 1 of a microfilm reading apparatus there are attached two parallel guide rails 2 and 3 carrying a support plate 4 which can be moved relative to the lower part of the apparatus in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1. On the front side, facing the user of the apparatus, of the support plate 4 there is a rail 5, on which a guide rail 5a and stop pins 5b are arranged. The rear portion of the support plate 4 carries a support element 6 of which the face 6a facing the operator is sloped back and forms an acute angle with the support plate 4. A locking spring 1 7 is arranged near the track 2 and in the foward stop position of the support plate 4 snaps in to a stop recess 18 formed in the rail 5.

A microfiche holder 7 comprises a transparent rectangular plate 8, on the underside of which, parallel to the front edge, facing the user, is a groove 9, in which the guide rail 5a engages when the microfiche holder is in the operating position shown in Fig. 1, 50 that the microfiche holder, indicated generally by the reference numeral 7, can be moved relative to the support plate 4 in the direction of arrow B. As may be seen from Fig. 4, the lateral face 9a of the groove nearer to the user is higher than the opposite lateral face 9b. At its rear side, remote from the user, the microfiche holder 7 rests on the upper face 6b of the support element 6.

A transparent plastics sheet 10 is fastened, for example, by glueing, by its edge 1 Oa to the upper face of the transparent plate 10. A microfiche 11 is inserted between this sheet 10 and the transparent plate 8. The correct position of the microfiche 11 on the transparent plate 8 is indicated by corner markings 12. The transparent cover sheet 10, which is made of, for example polyethylene or polyester, sticks to the microfiche and to the transparent plate 8 as a result of adhesive forces, perhaps assisted by an adhesive coating, so that the microfiche is held securely in the correct position within the corner markings 12.

Figs. 2 and 3 show schematically the projection lens 13 which is mounted on a flat spring 1 5 attached to the housing 14 of the apparatus and, as is shown in Fig. 3, rests resiliently on the microfiche holder 7. When there is no microfiche holder 7 in the guiding arrangement of the reading apparatus, the lens 13 dips a little below the position shown in Fig. 3, but there is still sufficient space between the underside of the lens and the support plate 4 for the microfiche holder to be pushed between them.

The microfiche holder is used as follows: The user normally has several microfiche holders 7 which he keeps ready to hand in or near the reading apparatus. There is a microfiche 11 in each of the microfiche holders 7. The number of microfiche holders 7 should be at least equal to the number of microfiches 11 that are frequently used. When a microfiche holder 7 is to be inserted into the reading apparatus, the user first of all pulls the support plate 4 towards him in the direction of the arrow A until the locking spring 17 snaps into the locking recess 18. The support plate 4 is now in its outermost stop position, which is the most convenient position for changing the microfiche holder 7.

The user then takes the required microfiche holder 7 and inserts it, as shown in Fig. 2, into the apparatus the rear edge of the microfiche holder sliding along the upper face of the support plate 4.

when the microfiche holder 7 is raised by sliding up the sloped face 6a, the lens 13 is also raised and rests resiliently on the microfiche holder. If the microfiche holder 7 is not aligned exactly in the co-ordinate directions A and B as it is inserted into the apparatus, as will generally be the case, then first of all the lower part of the left or right end of the lateral face 9a of the groove 9 strikes against the guide rail 5a. If the microfiche holder is inserted further in the direction A the microfiche holder automatically aligns itself against the guide rail until the guide rail 5a and the guide groove 9 run parallel and the groove 9 lies above the guide rail. In that position the groove and the guide rail engage. The microfiche holder 7 is then in the operating position. By moving the microfiche holder in the plane defined by the directions of the arrows A and B, any desired one of the microimages on the microfiche 11 can be positioned in the path of the projection beam 1 9.

To remove the microfiche holder 7 from the apparatus it is only necessary to lift the microfiche holder slightly and pull it out of the apparatus. As is clear from the above description, it is possible to operate the arrangement described using only one hand. The microfiche holder can be exchanged extremely quickly and easily. When inserting the microfiche holder into the apparatus it is unnecessary to ensure that it is inserted in a particular position, because the guide rail 5a and the guide groove 9 will engage at any point along their lengths, and no special attention need be paid to the exact alignment of the microfiche holder as it is inserted either.

Claims

1. A device for holding and guiding a microfiche in a microfiche reading apparatus for moving a microfiche relative to a projection lens in two perpendicular co-ordinate directions having a support unit which is so mounted on the apparatus housing as to be movable with respect to the housing in a first direction and which has guide means that in operation so guide a microfiche holder that it is movable with respect to the support unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the guide means between the suppdrt unit and the microfiche holder is constructed as a sliding guide wherein at least one raised element is guided in a recess and between the support unit and the microfiche holder there is constructed a stop running in the second direction the arrangement being such that in use the microfiche holder is inserted into its operational position substantially in the first direction and aligns itself against the stop, and in this aligned position of the microfiche holder the at least one raised element of the guide means enters the recess.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop is so constructed on the recess that one side face of the recess is higher than the opposite side face of the recess.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the recess is constructed on the microfiche holder.

4. A microfiche reading apparatus wherein in use a microfiche being read is held and guided byi a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the recess is a guide groove.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the raised element is a guide rail.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein there are a plurality of raised elements which are guide pins.