US1131265A - Method of and apparatus for the matching of colors. - Google Patents

Description

M. R. PEVEAR. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MATCHING 0F COLORS.-

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 16 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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MUNRGE R. IPEVE, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MATCHING: 0F COLORS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed July 16, 19M. Serial No. 851,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Monroe R. PnvnAn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suflolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and Improved Method of and Apparatus for Matching of Colors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention has reference to an improved method of matching colors and in the apparatus whereby said method is carried into efl'ect.

, Une object of the invention is to supply a beam of light of standard color value and to provide for the reflection of said light in graded degrees whereby the color under inspection can be compared with various grades of reflection.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for carrying this invention into practice.

The invention consists in providing a beam of light of standard color and in so refleeting said light in the presence of the color under inspection to determine the percentage flected color appearance equivalent to the color under inspection and noting the percentage of reflection required to produce said color appearance.

The invention also consists in providing means graded between absolute black and absolute white adapted to reflect relatively to their grades the light of a standard color.

The invention also consists in such other novel features in the method for matching colors and in the apparatus for carrying out such method as shall hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1, represents a series or group of electric lamps having bulbs each of one of the'primary colors which lamps are adapted for use in carrying this invention into practice. Fig. 2, represents a group of charts or devices graded as to their capacity for refleeting light from pure white to a pure or absolute black which latter defines the minus limit or zero of reflection or, as a matter of fact,-the complete absorption of light received thereby. Fig. 3, represents a moditied construction of a device for supplying color light beams.

of reflection necessary to produce from said light beam of standard color a retransmit color rays of one of the primary colors. ll prefer that said light sources should be a series of electric incandescent lamps having bulbs of suitable color. When but three of the light sources are used their bulbs are colored respectively red, green and blue as by a combination of these colors under illumination any color appearance or shade of color appearance may be produced. When it make use of more than three light sources ll prefer to use six of the primary colors.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing the electric incandescent lamps A, B, G, D, E, and 15 have bulbs or globes respectively of the colors red, green, blue, yellow, purple and orange andelectric current is supplied to said lamps from the generator G or other source of electric energy through the leads w, 31 and branch circuits connecting said leads or, y with the respective lamps and having respectively the switches or circuit closers'w, b, c, d, e and f. With such series of color light sources I am enabled to provide color light beams of a known standard of color on to an object or article to be tested or matched. I

Having thus provided for a series of color light beams or color appearance of known standard ll now provide a series of charts, cards or other devices of any suitable number but preferably ten or multiples of ten graded progressively from pure white as representing the most perfect light reflection to pure black as representing the most complete light absorption or minus reflection. The gradings of these reflection screens, charts or devices 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

9, and 10 are by shadings of pure black and white to avoid variation of the color appearance, reflected thereby from the color of the light beam while also providing for the reflection of only such proportionate degree of said color appearance of the light beam as is not absorbed by the particular chart in use. ()bviously by increasing the number of charts shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing the grades of light absorption or reflection may be increased accordingly and for convenience said charts-may be graded according H0 to their percentage of light absorption or conversely of their several capacities to reflectlight, If now the beam of light from lamp A is thrown on the color to be matched or inspected for any color comparison and chart 5 is placed beside said color under inspection the color appearance reflected by said chart 5 will contain fifty per cent. of the color standard of the light beam thrown by saidlamp A. If, by comparison of the color sample with the color appearance thus refiected from chart'5, it is found that said colors of said sample and reflected color appearance match, it is apparent that said sample contains fifty per cent. of red, the color, of lamp A and said information may be noted for future use. Similarly the same sample may be compared with the light beams from any other of said lamps A to F inclusive with the ultimate result that all the colors contained in said sample and the proportionate of said colors are known.

In Fig. 3 is shown diagrammatically a room or chamber having a partition H furnished with openings having the .colored light screens red, blue and green which are illuminated by comparatively white lights L,L of any kind placed back of said partition H. With this device the sample to be matched or inspected is placed in the inspection compartmentI which preferably is large enough to permit the entrance therein of the person mah'ng the comparison.

It is of course obvious that all of the charts shown in Fig. 2 or any similar charts may be associated in a single chart having areas shaded progressively from pure white to pure black. And it is apparent that by the use of a sufiicient number of said graduations of shadings from pure white to pure black and by the comparison of the color appearance reflected by certain of said graduated shadings with the color of the sample the exact proportion of the particular-color contained in said sample may be ascertained.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The method of matching colors which consists in projecting a color light beam of known color standard on to the sample under inspection, and comparing the color appearance thereofwith a series of standard graded light absorption devices to determine the amount of said color appearance necessary to be eliminated to reduce said color appearance to the equivalent of said sample.

2. Apparatus for matching colors comprising means for producing a light beam of known color standard and a series of devices graded as to their capacity to absorb color from said 1i ht beam.

HENRY J. MILLER, Es'rHnR C. MURPHY.

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