GB2197964A

GB2197964A - Improved method and apparatus for mounting transparencies in laser scanning apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2197964A
Application number: GB08707723A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael J C Little; Graeme Frederick Rabone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-02
Filing date: 1987-04-01
Publication date: 1988-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2007-04-01
Also published as: GB8707723D0; GB2197964B

Abstract

A sheet of lint-free, static-free, paper mat 27 is provided with rows of apertures 33 for mounting individual phototransparencies on a clear drum 13. A sheet of clear plastic 19 has one end secured to the outer surface 15 of the drum 13. The paper mat 27 with the phototransparencies is sandwiched between drum 13 and the plastic sheet 19. Oil is placed over both surfaces of the phototransparencies. The plastic sheet 19 is pulled tightly over the paper mat 27 and excess oil is squeezed from all phototransparencies until all phototransparencies have been oiled. The trailing edge of the clear sheet 19 is then taped tightly to the drum 13 and the drum 13 is mounted on the scanning apparatus 11 for laser scanning operations. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING TRANSPARENCIES IN LASER SCANNING APPARATUS The present invention relates generally to an improved mounting apparatus for mounting phototransparencies to the outer surface of a clear acrylic drum used for laser scanning operations, and more particularly to an improved mountir.g apparatus wherein a paper mat which is lint-free and static-free is provided with a plurality of mounting apertures dimensioned t operatively mount phototransparencies therein such that the mounted phototransparencies within the mask apertures can be secured to the acrylic drum for scanning operations and the like.

The prior art optical or laser scanning systems are typified by U.S. Patent No. 4,525,749 which issued on June 25, 1985 to Kiyoshi Maeda et al for a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCANNING AN OBJECT BY USING THE LIGHT, said patent being specifically incorporated by reference herein. This patent teaches a method and apparatus for scanning an object such as a photo-sensitive material by using a light beam or beams for use in a picture reproducing machine such as a laser reproduction apparatus for plate making.An object mounted to a surface of an object holder having a cylinder-lie curvature is scanned by a lignt beam which is incident to a rotary mirror arranged on a rotating axis parallel with the holder central axis from a direccion perpendicular thereto, and is reflected by the rotary mirror onto the object in the direction of the holders curvature and the holders central axis by rotating the rotating mirror around the rotating axis and moving the light beam in the direction of the rotating axis of the rotating mirror by using a light beam head in relation to the holder.

The scanner described includes a ref lector having a lamp housing attached thereto and an internal assembly supported by an arm. A base which is an integral part of the scanner is supported on a carriage or other suitable chassis by fasteners.

The carriage provides or movement of the scanner in a direction parallel to the axis of a document drum while constantly positioning the scanner adjacent the document drum. The drum supports and rctates -n document while the information cn the document is being scanned The leading edge of the document is secred to the document drum by a retainer clip and as the drum carries successive portions of the document adjacent the scanner, a finger urges the docu::ent flat against the surface of the drum.

The information on = document is completely scanned by the scanner as the document drum rotates and the scanner is moved across the document parallel to the axis of the document drum.

The other elements of f.e facsimile transmitter illustrated in the present invention are well-known in the art.

Similar laser scanners or optical scanners can be used for scanning and reproducing an enlargement or a reduction of phototransparencies mounted on the outer surface of a clear acrylic drum, referred to in the patent application as the document drum or clear acrylic drum. Various types of retainer clips have been used in prior art systems. For example, when phototransparencies are mounted on the outer or exterior surface of the drum, they are generally taped directly to the surface of the drum which can result in damage to the drum due to excessive cleaning operations and the like.

In prior art laser scanning systems, some scanning systems employ the use of a powder over at least the front surface of the phototransparency being scanned. The use of powder results in reducing the problems due to Newton's Rings and, in fact, create an even greater problem in that the powder cannot be used on enlargements of the phototransparency being scanned at all! More modern systems of mounting phototransparencies on the clear acrylic drum of a scanning apparatus utilize an oilmounting technique which is much superior to the powder but which has its own inherent problems. Bubbles form in the oil, and the bubbles can cause interference, discrepancies and problems in the reproduced images. Furthermore, oil is very messy and extra cleaning time is recurred which can possibly lead to damage to the drum due to excessive cleaning.Further, such systems require a relatively Long mounting time.

Another disadvan.3gc of te prior art systems results from etching cropping marks, which is used for describing the percentage reduction or enlargement of the phototransparency, are etched directly on the surface of the transparency causing damage thereto which is not z good practice.

While still other techniques involving the use of gels for coating the phototransparencies have been recently tried, particularly in Eurcpe, they do seem superior to the powder techniques and to the mounting oil techniques, but many problems still exist.

The present invention solves substantially all of the problems of the prior art while avoiding substantially all of its shortcomings as hereinafter described.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for mounting phototransparencies on the document drum of a laser scanning system.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved phototransparency mounting system including a sheet of lint-free, static-free paper mat material having a plurality of rows of mask mounting apertures thereon for removably receiving and mounting the individual phototransparencies therein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method for mounting phototransparencies for optical scanning operations.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved phototrannarenc'; mounting system :hore:n Whe phototransparencies are mounted within apertures in a sheet of paper mat material and the top and bottom surfaces are covered by layers of mounting oil without the troublesome oil bubbles normally associated therewith.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved phototransparency-mounting system which substantially eliminates the problems due to Newtons Rings.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for mounting phototransparencies to the face of a rotatable clear acrylic drum with less mounting time being required, with less cleaning time being required, with less chance of damaging the drum, and while substantially eliminating the problems normally attributable to oil bubbling and to Newton s Rings.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sheet of masking material which includes a paper mat having a plurality of phototransparency-mounting apertures thereon, the surface of the paper mat being adapted to receive indicia indicative of crspping marks for signifying the amount or percentage of enlargement and reduction for the individual phototransparency mounted within a given aperture rather than engraving the cropping marks directly onto the phototransparencies themselves thereby damaging the phototransparencies and lessening the useful life cycle thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for mounting a far greater number of phototransparencies on the outer surface of an acrylic drum than heretofore possible by prior art mounting systems.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for mounting phototransparencies to the clear acrylic drum of a laser scanning or optical scanning apparatus which provides more reproductions faster than heretofore possible in prior art systems.

The present system discloses an improved apparatus or mounting a plurality of phototransparencies te a clear acrylic drum of an optical scanning apparatus for scanning cerat;cns.

The improved apparatus includes a sheet of mashing material wh:-h includes a plurality of mask apertures shaped and dimensionec -^ operatively mount individual ones of the phototransparencies therein. The masking means is provided for sinificanrl reducing mounting time, significantly reducing the drum cleaning time, and for substantially elimination the possibility of damage to the acrylic drum since the individual phototransparencies not directly attached to the drum.A means is provided which includes a flexible or sheet of acrylic material which is removably positioned over the masking means and the phototransparencies mounted within the mask apertures thereof so as to hold the phototransparency-mounted masking means flush against and tightly to te outer surface of clear acrylic drum for laser scanning purposes and the like.

In the preferred embodiment, the intermediate layer or masking means includes a lint-free, static-free, sheet of paper mat material whose outer surface can be written on or otherwise provided with indicia indicative of the cropping marks used to indicate the percent of reduction or percent of enlargement for a particular phototransparency. Since the cropping marks are contained on a portion of the face of the paper mat instead of being engraved directly on the phototransparencies t@emselves, the inherent damage to one phototransparencies is eliminated so as to greatly lengthen the useful life thereof.Furthermore, the use of the paper mat mask substantially eliminates oil bubbles when it is tightly sandwiched between the outer sheet of acrylic and the surface of the acrylic drum, and the problems resulting from Newton's Rings are substantially eliminated.

Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, a top and bottom layer of mounting oil such as paraffin oil is used to coat or ccver the outer and inner surfaces of the masking means and the outer and inner surfaces of the phototransparencies mounted within the mask apertures thereof.The excess ci can be squeezed out from the sandwiched configuration and retro:eo, all at once or preferably row by row wherein each successive row has the mounting oil applied to both surfaces of the masking means and then the excess oi: squeezed therefrom before the oil is applied to the next subsequent row of aperture-mounted phototransparencies and tre excess squeezed therefrom, etc.

These and other - -ects and advantages of the present invention will be more : liy understood by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, the claims, and the drawings which are brief described hereinoelow.

FIG. 1 is a perstective view of a scanning apparatus employing a clear acrylic drum and the improved phototransparency-mounting apparatus of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing the drum mounting means, acrylic drum, sheet of masking material, and sheet of outer acrylic material utilized in the preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view taken from the circled portion designated by reference numeral 3 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the sandwiched configuration of the outer acrylic layer, the masking layer, and the acrylic drum with the mounting oil layers on both sides of the masking means; FIG. 4 is an exploded end portion of the means for securing the upper acrylic sheet and masking sheet to the surface of the drum; and FIG. 5 is an exploded end portion showing an alternate securing means to that of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating an improved method of preparing and mounting the phototransparencies prior to laser scanning operations for the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows an optical or laser scanning apparatus 11 which is, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a system or apparatus for optically scanning or laser scanning phototransparencies for producing enlargements, reductions or copies thereof. The device or apparatus 11 actually shown is from a laser scanner facsimile machine such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,525,749 which issued on June 25, 1985 to Kiyoshi Maeda et al for a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCANNING AN OBJECT BY USING LIGHT. This patent is specifically incorporated by reference herein to illustrate the type of scanning apparatus with-which in the present invention may be used.

The optical scanning apparatus or laser scanning apparatus is designated by reference numeral 11 and includes a document drum or a clear acrylic drum 13 having an inner surface 17 and an outer surface 15. The invention includes an outer sheet of relatively flexible clear acrylic plastic material 19 having an outer surface 23 and an inner surface 21. Lastly, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means for mounting the phototransparencies includes a sheet of masking material 25 which includes, in the preferred embodiment, a lint- free, static-free, paper mat having a plurality of rows of framing windows or mounting apertures 33 disposed thereon whereas each of the apertures 33 is shaped and dimensioned or sized to receivably mount individual ones of the phototransparencies therein.The masking sheet 25 includes the paper mat 27 and has an outer surface 29 and an inner surface 31.

The scanning apparatus 11 is depicted as showing a source light or laser source 35 which directs a columated beam of light against one surface of a prism 37 which directs the light at 9Q where it passes through the optical device 39 and then off of surface of the reflective device 41 onto the surface of a rotating mirror 43 such that the laser beam or light beam impinges on the interior surface 17 of the clear acrylic drum or scanning phototransparencies or other documents disposed on the outer surface 15 of the drum 13.

FIG. 2 shows the sandwich-like construction including the interior drum mounting means 24, the clear acrylic drum 13, the masking layer 25 including the window apertures or mounting apertures 33 and the outer sheet of clear acrylic plastic 19 used to cover the masking layer 25 and secure it tightly against the outer peripheral surface of the face 15 of the clear acrylic drum 13. Furthermore, it will be seen that one end portion of the masking sheet 25 can be sandwiched between and secured between the outer end portion of the outer layer of acrylic plastic 19 and the inner surface of the acrylic drum 13 via a fasteninG means such as a strip of tape 30.One end of the strip of tape 30 is designated by reference 32 and is adhered or secured to an outer surface portion of the acrylic drum 13 while the intermediate portion 34 extends generally upward therefrom until the opposite end portion 36 of the tape 30 designated is adhered or otherwise secured to the end portion of the outer acrylic sheet 19 so that the end portions of the outer acrylic sheet 19 and the masking sheet 25 are secured to the outer surface of the acrylic drum 13. Furthermore, a pinch roller 28 is seen as being pressed against the sandwiched combination of the outer sheet 19, the masking sheet 25 and the acrylic drum 13 which is squeezed or pressed between the pinch roller 28 and the outer peripheral surface 26 of the drum mounting means 24.The purpose of the pinch roller 28 pressing inwardly toward the outer surface 26 of the mounting means 24 is to squeeze the excess oil out of the sandwiched combination as hereinafter described.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of that portion of FIG. 2 within the circle designated by reference numeral 3. In FIG. 3, a clear acrylic drum 13 Is shown as having an interior surface 17 and an exterior or outer surface 15. Similarly, the outer sheet of clear acrylic plastic 19 is shown as having an inner surface 21 and an outer or exterior surface 23. Lastl:, the sheet of masking material or oarer mat mask 25 is shown as having an interior or inner surface 31 and an exterior or outer surface 29.

FIG. 3 also shows a first layer of mounting oil 51 operably disposed between the top surface 29 of the masking layer 25 including the top surface 28 of the phototransparency within the mounting aperture 33. The apertures 33 is shown as having side portions 47 for defining the interior thereof and the mounting apertures are dimensioned and shaped or sized so as to operatively and mountably receive individual phototransparencies therein. Additionally, FIG. 3 shows a-second layer of mounting oil 49 operably disposed over the lower or interior surface 31 of the paper mat mask 27 and over the lower or interior surface 26 of the phototransparency mounted within the mounting aperture or window 33. The second layer is bounded on the opposite side by the upper surface 15 of the acrylic drum 13.

Referring to FIGs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that when the pinch roller 28 bears down upon the outer surface 23 of the outer acrylic sheet 19 and presses the sandwiched combination comprising the outer sheet of acrylic material 19, tie paper mat masking sheet 25 and the acrylic drum 13 together with the first and second layers of mounting oil 51 and 49, respectively.

As this pinching or squeezing occurs, the excess oil from the layers 49 and 51 are removed from the sandwiched combination to ready the mounted phototransparencies to enable the drum 13 to be operatively mounted on the apparatus 11 for scanning purposes.

It should be noted that while the outer sheet of acrylic material 19 can be lifted and folded back over the end of the tape 36 so that the oil can be applied to the undersurface 31 and exterior surface 29 of the paper mat layer 25, then the outer layer 19 folded back again and placed over the oil covered paper mat layer 25 prior to squeezing out the excess oil by using the pinch roller 28 or the like.Alternatively, one or more rows of apertures 33 each having phototransparencies mounted therein can have the top surfaces 28 and lower surfaces 26 provided with the oil layers 49 and 51 and the adjacent outer surface portions 29 and inner surface 31 of the paper mat mask 25 with the excess oil being squeezed out or removed from said one or more rows of window mounted transparencies prior to the next row or set of rows being oiled and the excess oil removed therefrom until the nth or last row or set of rows of apertures 33 with the phototransparencies mounted therein has its upper and lower surfaces coated with the oil and the excess oil squeezed therefrom to ready the drum 13 to be mounted on the apparatus 11 for scanning purposes.

FIG. 4 shows another mode for securing the sandwiched layers together on one portion of the exterior surface 15 of the clear acrylic drum 13. A first piece of tape 30 has one end portion 32 secured directly to the outer surface 15 of the drum 13 while the opposite end portion 36 of the tape 30 is secured to the outer or exterior surface 23 of the flexible sheet of acrylic plastic 19.

The flexible sheet of acrylic plastic 19 can be folded back over the end 36 of the tape 30 so that the corresponding end portion of the paper mat mask 25 can be secured thereunder and proximate the end of the sheet 19 by a second tape 65 having one nd portion secured to the outer peripheral surface 15 of the drum 13 and its other end portion 69 adhesively secured to the exterior surface 29 of the paper mat mask 25. The outer sheet of plas.tic material 19 can then be folded back over the mask 25 and the layers of oil 49 and 51 applied and the excess removed as previously described.

FIG. 5 illustrates the improved method of . mounting phototransparencies to the clear acrylic drum of an optical scanner or laser scanner. The method includes the block 61 represents the step of providing a sheet of lint-free, staticfree paper mat to use as a mask material. The next step is represented by reference numeral 62 illustrates the step of precutting a plurality of mounting apertures to form rows of said apertures in the paper mat mask. Step 63 then represents prior mounting the individual phototransparencies or slides into corresponding ones of the window apertures or mounting apertures of the paper mat mask. Step 64 represents the step of placing the drum on a mounting stand while step 65 represents taping re outer sheet of clear acrylic material to the top surface of the drum.Step 66 contemplates folding back the outer sheet of clear acrylic material while step 67 represents taping the paper mat mask with the phototransparencies mounted within the apertures thereof directly below the tape holding the outer sheet of acrylic material to the drum surface.

Step 69 represents placing the clear mounting oil above and below each transparency at least in a given row while step 69 represents folding back the outer clear sheet of acrylic plastic in positioning same above the oiled top surface of the paper mat mask and phototransparencies mounted within the apertures thereof. Step 70 represents installing the pinch rollers on the mounting stand and step 71 represents squeezing the excess oil from at least the first row of phototransparencies. Step 72 represents leaving the pinch rollers in place while step 73 shows placing the clear mounting oil under the next row of slides.

Step 74 then represents squeezing the excess from the second row of slides while step 75 represents contiiuing te place oil and squeezing the excess oil from the successive rows of phototransparencies until the last row of mounted phototransparencies proximate the end of the sheet of masking material has been oiled and the excess oil removed therefrom.

Step 76 then represents taping the trailing edge of the outer sheet of clear acrylic material to the outer surface of the clear acrylic drum while step 77 represents mounting the drum with the aperture mounted phototransparencies thereon onto the scanner assembly and the last step 78 represents operating the laser or optical scanner for reproducing, enlarging or reducing the image represented by the phototransparency.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described herein, it will be recognited by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications, substitutions, variations, and changes in the specific structure and materials of the apparatus and method described herein con be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An improved apparatus for mounting a plurality of phototransparencies to a clear acrylic drum for laser scanning operations, comprising: masking means including a plurality of mask apertures shaped and dimensioned to operatively mount individual ones of said phototransparencies therein, said masking means for significantly reducing mounting time, for significantly reducing drum cleaning time, and for substantially eliminating the possibility of damage to the acrylic drum since the individual phototransparencies are not directly taped to the drum; and means for removably positioning said masking means and the phototransparencies mounted within the mask apertures thereof flush against the outer surface of said clear acrylic drum for laser scanning operations.

2. The improved apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said masking means includes a paper mat means.

3. The improved apparatus of Claim 2 wherein said paper mat means includes an outer surface adapted to receive indicia thereon, said indicia means being indicative of cropping marks for the percentage of enlargement and reduction, thereby eliminating the need for placing said indicia directly on the phototransparencies and damaging same.

4. The improved apparatus of Claim 2 wherein said paper mat means includes a lint-free, static-free, paper.

5. The improved apparatus of Claim 4 wherein said paper mat means is pre-cut with a plurality of rows of mask as,ertures.

6. The improved apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said removable positioning means includes an outer sheet means for wrapping tightly over said mask means for positioning same tightly against the outer surface of said clear acrylic drum thereby substantially eliminating any problems from Newton s Rings.

7. The improved apparatus of Claim 6 wherein said clear acrylic drum includes an inner surface and outer surface, wherein said masking means includes an inner surface and outer surface, wherein said outer sheet means includes an inner surface and an outer surface, said apparatus further including a layer of mo'rtIng oil operatively disposed between the outer surface of said clear acrylic drum and the inner surface of said masking means for further preventing Newton s Rings and the like.

8. The improved apparatus of Claim 7 wherein said apparatus further includes a second layer of mounting oil operatively disposed between the outer surface of said masking means and the inner surface of said outer sheet means for still further reducing the problem of Newton s Rings.

The improved apparatus of Claim 8 wherein said outer sheet means includes a generally flexible sheet of plastic material.

10. The improved apparatus of Claim 9 wherein said generally flexible sheet of plastic material includes acrylic plastic.

11. The improved apparatus of Claim 6 further including moans For clilel,7bly securing one end portion of said mounting means between one end portion of said outer sheet means and a portion of the outer surface of said clear acrylic drum.

12. The improved apparatus of Claim 11 wherein the end portion of masking means sandwiched between an end portion of said outer surface means and the outer surface of a portion of the clear acrylic drum, said end portion of said masking means being removably secured therebetween by tape means operably securing the end portion of said outer sheet means to said outer surface of said clear acrylic drum.

13. The improved apparatus of Claim 2 wherein said pauper mat means substantially eliminates oil bubbles which could otherwise cause problems in the laser scanning operation.

14. The improved apparatus of Claim 8 wherein each of said first and second layers mounting oil include paraffin oil.

15. An improved method for mounting phototransparencies to the clear acrylic drum of an optical scanning apparatus comprising the steps of: (1) providing a sheet of lint-free, static-free paper mat for use as a mask; (2) pre-cutting a plurality of rows of apertures in the sheet of paper mat with each of the apertures being dimensioned to receivably mount a phototransparency therein; (3) pre-mounting individual ones of a plurality of phototransparencies within individual ones of the apertures of said paper mat mask; (4) taping a clear sheet of acrylic plastic to the top of the clear acrylic drum of the optical scanning apparatus; (5) folding back the clear sheet of acrylic plastic to expose a surface of the clear acrylic drum therebeneath;; (6) securing one end of the paper mat mask mounting the phototransparencies within the apertures thereof directly beneath the clear sheet of acrylic to the outer surface of the clear acrylic drum proximate the point of attachment of the clear sheet of acrylic plastic to the outer surface of the clear acrylic drum; (7) placing clear mounting oil under and over both sides of the paper mat mask; (8) folding the clear acrylic plastic sheet back into place over the paper mat mask; (9) squeezing the excess oil from at least the layers of the first row of mounted phototransparencies; (10) placing clear oil under at least the next row of phototransparencies; (11) squeezing the excess oil from the first and second layers of the next row of phototransparencies;; (12) squeezing the excess oil from the nth row of phototransparencies, where "n" is a positive whole number, where n 2 and where the nth row is that row adjacent the end of1 the paper mat mask secured to the drum; (13) taping the trailing edge of the clear acrylic plastic sheet tightly to the outer surface of the clear acrylic drum; and (14) mounting the drum the optical scanning apparatus.

16. The improved method of Claim 15 further comprising the steps of: (1) providing a mounting stand; (2) placing the clear acrylic drum on the mounting stand; (3) providing a pinch roller means; (4) installing the pinch roller means on the mounting stand for squeezing the excess oil from between the layers thereof; and (5) leaving the pinch rollers in place during the successive applications of mounting oil to adjacent rows of the mounted phototransparencies.

17. An improved system for mounting phototransparencies to the clear acrylic drum of a laser scanning apparatus comprising, in combination: a sheet of relatively flat masking material including a plurality of rows of mask apertures adapted to mountably receive individual phototransparencies therein; a plurality of phototransparencies removably mountable within said mask apertures; an outer sheet of relatively flexible material having one end portion thereof secured to the outer surface of said drum; means for removably securing one end portion of said sheet of masking material to a portion of said drum near where said one end portion of said outer sheet is secured; ; first and second layers of mounting oil operably spread over both surfaces of said sheet of masking material and the phototransparencies mounted within the apertures thereof and extending over at least one horizcntal row of the mounted phototransparencies; means for squeezing out the excess oil from between the drum, the sheet of masking material, and the outer sheet of flexible material; and means for operably mounting the drum on the laser scanning apparatus for laser scanning operations.

18. The combination of Claim 17 wherein said sheet of mounting material includes a lint-free, static-free, paper mat for substantially eliminating oil bubbles and preventing Newton's Rings and the problems inherent therein.

19. The combination of Claim 17 wherein said outer sheet of relatively flexible material includes clear acrylic plastic.

20. The combination of Claim 17 wherein said mounting oil is applied to both sides of each successive row of said sheet of masking material and the excess squeezed therefrom prior to placing the layers of oil on both sides of the sheet of masking material over the next successive row of mounted phototransparencies and squeezing the excess oil therefrom.

21. An improved method of mounting phototransparencies on the surface scanning system, said improved method comprising: placing a paper mat having at least one mask aperture therein dimensioned to receive said at least one phototransparency therein; positioning the paper mat over the drum; i-nserting said at least one phototransparency into the mask aperture; coating both sides of the mask aperture-mounted phototransparency with oil means; sandwiching the paper mat between the drum and an outer layer; squeezing excess oil therefrom to ready the drummounted phototransparency for scanning.

22. An improved apparatus for mounting a plurality of phototransparencies to a clear acrylic drum for laser scanning operations substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.