GB2287546A - Apparatus for microfilming books or similar original material - Google Patents

Description

2287546 1 Aipparatus for microfilming books or similar original material

The invention relates to an apparatus for microfilming books or similar original material, with a camera which is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved vertically, relatively to a supporting surface for the original material.

Apparatus of the above-mentioned type is known, and one example produced by the applicant is known as the AO universal microfilm camera system. A camera table is seated on a base box, on which it is fixed in a manner such that it can be interchanged with other camera tables. A plate associated with the camera table can be made of a is transparent material. A microfilm camera can be moved vertically, above the table plate, on a supporting column, and a camera bracket associated with the camera can be adjusted by means of a motor-driven mechanism. Fluorescent lamps are fixed laterally in relation to the camera table, and are provided with means of effecting infinitely variable adjustment of the intensity of the light that they emit.

An aim of the present invention is to simplify, and to mechanize, the operation of harmonizing the position of the original material with the setting of the camera.

According to the present invention, apparatus for microfilming books or similar original material comprises a camera which is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved vertically in relation to a supporting surface for the original material, wherein the supporting surface is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved through a limited distance substantially at right-angles to the direction of the vertical movements of the camera.

Preferably, said supporting surface is to rest on at least one linear conveying device with an upper surface that can be reversed, and, moreover, a linear conveying device is to be assigned to each of two side walls which 2 form the lateral boundaries of said supporting surf ace, and both of said linear conveying devices are preferably to be driven by a common drive.

The automation is improved as a result of connecting a drive that is assigned to a linear conveying device to a drive for the camera, and, in particular, this measure can also involve employing a microprocessor-controlled harmonizing arrangement for aligning a front edge of the original material.

The supporting surface can be configured as a so-called book holder, and beneath it, provided in a manner known per se, there can be an underframe which, according to a f eature of the invention, is to be connected to a linear conveying device by means permitting detachment.

It has proved to be advantageous to provide an endless propelling chain on the linear conveying device, this chain running around chain starwheels and its upper, carrying run being connectable to the underf rame by means permitting detachment, e.g. by driving dogs that project downwards from said underframe.

The propelling chain advantageously has parallel rollers between and transverse to flat side-links that extend in the conveying direction, adjacent flat side-links being connected by articulated flat links that are parallel with them. This form of chain is stable, and presents a surface that has good supporting properties.

Preferably, the upper, carrying run of the propelling chain runs on a profile section which serves as a glideway, and is fixed on a hollow profile section, whereas its lower run is situated inside this hollow profile sectio n..

The scope of the invention includes the assignment of a drive to a first of the linear conveying devices,. and its connection to a second of the linear conveying devices via an additional drive shaft which connects axially aligned starwheel shafts of two propelling- chain starwheels, and which is to be connected to said drive via a drive line.

a il f? 3 According to a f eature of the invention, rear and side walls of an underframe are covered by casing parts, and supporting bars for lamps, which are known per se, are pivotably attached to the casing, since said lamps must be capable of being adjusted, on said supporting bars, to an inclination that can be chosen, and each of the lamps is rotatable about its axis, on its respective supporting bar, and is fixable thereon.

The apparatus according to the invention offers a camera head for 35 mm and 16 mm roll film, for all applications, said camera head being rotatable, removable and equipped with a high- resolution lens and automatic focusing and exposure control facilities for assuring optimum-quality photographs. The projection of the image field that will actually be photographed ensures that perfect photographs will be produced, while fatigue-free filming and high productivity are assured by the f ront-edge alignment of the originals by means of the automatic, motor-driven arrangement for moving the various camera tables as described, by the cold-light illumination that is provided by fluorescent lamps, and by an ergonomic form of construction. The microprocessorcontrolled camera system, of modular design, is suitable for a wide diversity of applications.

The electronic automatic exposure control facility can be switched over to manual setting.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be gathered from the following description of a preferred illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus with a microfilm camera above a casing with a supporting surface for an original that is to be filmed; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the casing depicted in Figure 1, the casing containing linear conveying devices that are installed at the sides; 4 Figure 3 is a plan view of an enlarged portion of a linear conveying device; Figure 4 is a plan view of a drive end of a linear conveying device; Figure 5 is a side view relating to Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a cross-section through a linear conveying device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a so-called book holder 12, serving as a means of holding a book 10 which has been opened preparatory to being microfilmed, said book having a front edge 11, and said book holder having parallel supporting surf aces 13, 14 which are vertically offset, one relative to the other, by a distance a, and which are for supporting the book halves is 10a, 10b. Figure 1 also shows that said book holder 12 is f ixedly mounted on an under-cabinet 16, in a manner such that it can be interchanged with other book holders, said under-cabinet having the shape of a right parallelepiped and a length n in the region of, e.g., 1200 mm.

The under-cabinet 16 is flanked by side walls 18 which terminate at a distance b above the f loor surface B on which the apparatus is set up. A rear-located, free standing vertical post 20 projects upwards from each of the side walls 18, as a means of mounting a horizontal axle 22 with which a glass cover 24 is associated and about which said cover can be rotated through a limited angle. In addition to these components, a mounting rod 26 for carrying a keyboard 28 is provided on the right-hand side wall 18, said mounting rod projecting laterally from said side wall and enabling said keyboard to be swivelled thereon.

The under-cabinet 16 is equipped with bottom castors 17, and a casing 30 is assigned to it, consisting of a rear wall 32 and flanking walls 34 which are fixed thereto. In the middle of the rear wall, a vertical supporting column 36 projects upwards for carrying a camera bracket 38 which can be moved up and down on said column, in direction h, Q and on which a microfilm camera 40 is fixedly mounted. This camera is preferably equipped with a camera head which is both rotatable and removable, and which will accept 35 mm and 16 mm roll films.

Figure 1 shows that the under-cabinet 16 rests on two linear conveying devices 42 which are installed on the inside surfaces of the side walls 34 of the casing 30, so that its castors 17 - and its bottom surf ace - run at a small distance, e, above the floor surface B. The two linear conveying devices 42 are connected, at the rear wall 32 of the casing, by a drive shaf t 44 which, via one of the linear conveying devices 42, is coupled to a drive unit 46.

As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the linear conveying device 42 is equipped with an endless propelling chain 50.

is The chain 50 runs around chain starwheels 48, its upper, carrying run Soh being guided on a smooth profile section 52 which, being composed of a plastic, serves as a glideway, and its lower run 50t runs on the inside surface of the bottom wall 54 of a hollow profile section 56. The latter forms a linear mounting housing for the double-run propelling chain 50, its associated chain starwheels 48 being mounted in the side walls 55 of said hollow profile section 56, below the plane of its top wall surface 57, by means of starwheel shafts 49.

Figure 3 shows that the propelling chain 50 consists of parallel rollers 59, between flat side-links 60 which connect them in pairs. Adjacent flat side-links 60 are guided, one with another, by outer, articulated flat links 61 which are pivotably mounted on the axes A of the rollers 59.

The above-mentioned common drive shaft 44 which is associated with the two linear conveying devices 42 is axially coupled to the starwheel shafts 49 which carry the rear-located chain starwheels 48, with the interposition at one end - of a shaft section 64 which fixedly carries a drive starwheel 65, and a driving chain 66 connects this drive starwheel 65 to a driving starwheel 68 on the shaft 6 69 of a motor 70. This motor is mounted on an extension plate 72 which is associated with the hollow profile section 56.

The under-cabinet 16 is placed on the upper, carrying runs 50h, and a driving-dog pin, indicate%i at 74 in Figure 3, engages into each of them, and by virtue of these driving-dog pins the under-cabinet 16 is also propelled when the propelling chains 50 move, and can be moved in the direction x, away from the rear wall 32 of the casing. As a result of this propulsion arrangement, the book holder 12, or, more specifically, the book 10 that is resting thereon, can be adjusted to match the field which the camera 40 will photograph, and which can be set as desired, the prime requirement being to bring the front edge 11 of the book into a position harmonizing with that photograph field. This alignment of the front edge of the book originals, by the automated relocation of the book holder 12 as explained above, is controlled in subordination to the camera position, by microprocessors. The control elements are housed in a casing box 31 where they are easily accessible, and they can be activated by foot switches 76, should this be appropriate.

Supporting bars 80 project upwards from the casing 30, one at each side, from the locations 78 where they are pivotably attached for carrying strip-type lamps 82, each being rotatable on its supporting bar about its axis Q. The angle t, at which a lamp is set relative to the horizontal H, and the angle w, at which a supporting bar 80 is inclined, are accurately adjustable by virtue of assigning a graduated scale to each of the paths over which these adjusting movements take place.

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Claims (18)

1. Apparatus for microfilming books or similar original material, comprising a camera which is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved vertically in relation to a supporting surface for the original material, wherein the supporting surface is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved through a limited distance substantially at right-angles to the direction of the vertical movements of the camera.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the supporting surface rests on at least one linear conveying device with an upper surface that can be reversed.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a is linear conveying device is assigned to each of two side walls which form the lateral boundaries of the supporting surface, and both of the linear conveying devices are driven by a common drive.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which 20 a drive which is assigned to a linear conveying device is connected to a drive for the camera.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the original material, especially its front edge, can, with the supporting surface, be automatically adjusted in relation to the camera, through the agency of a control arrangement employing a microprocessor.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the supporting surface has an underframe which is connected to a linear conveying device by means permitting detachment.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the linear conveying device has an endless propelling chain which runs around chain starwheels, its upper, carrying run being connectable to the underframe by means permitting detachment.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the propelling chain has parallel rollers between flat 8 is side-links which extend in the conveying direction, adjacent flat side- links being connected by parallel, articulated flat links.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which at least one driving dog projects downwards from the underframe and engages into the propelling chain.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the upper, carrying run of the propelling chain runs on a profile section which serves as a glideway.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, in which the profile section which serves as a glideway is fixed on a hollow profile section, inside which the lower run of the propelling chain is installed.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which a drive is assigned to a first of the linear conveying devices, and this drive is connected to a second of the linear conveying devices via an additional drive shaft.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, in which the drive shaft connects axially aligned starwheel shafts of two chain starwheels for a propelling chain.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 13, in which the drive shaft or, more specifically, one starwheel shaft is connected to the drive via a drive line.

15. Apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, in 25 which the drive is fixedly mounted on at least one extension plate which is associated with the hollow prof ile section.

16. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which rear and side walls of an underframe are covered by casing parts, and supporting bars for lamps are pivotably attached to the casing and are adjustable to an inclination that can be chosen.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which each of the lamps is rotatable about its axis on its supporting bar, and is fixable thereon.

18. Apparatus substantially as hereinbef ore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.