US2793442A

US2793442A - Procedure and apparatus for registering photographic sheets and the like

Info

Publication number: US2793442A
Application number: US493640A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ozga Franciszek
Original assignee: Intercompany Corp
Current assignee: Intercompany Corp
Priority date: 1955-03-11
Filing date: 1955-03-11
Publication date: 1957-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 1974-05-28

Description

May 28, 1957 F. QZGA- 2,793,442

PROCEDURE AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING PHOTOGRAPHIC SHEETS AND THE LIKE Filed larch 11, 1955 mail;

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United States Patent PROCEDURE AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTER- ING PHOTOGRAPHIC SHEETS AND THE LIKE Franciszek Ozga, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Intercom- The present invention relates to a procedure and apparatus for registering sheets and having particular application to the registration of photographic sheets or films as required in the art of color reproduction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved procedure and apparatus which is capable of producing more accurate registration of photographic sheets than has been possible heretofore and which is particularly applicable to films of acetate and the like which tend to change dimension when subjected to ordinary changes of temperature and humidity. It is a related object to provide a procedure and apparatus enabling accurate center registration even when using films or the like having such dimensional instability as to make registration by ordinary means difficult or impossible.

It is another object to provide a registration scheme which is easy to use, which eliminates the sticking and binding associated with the use of prior devices under certain conditions, which may be employed for simultaneous registration of a relatively large number of sheets, [and which substantially eliminates the human element and the need for skill.

It is a further object to provide a registration arrangement in which prepared sheets need not be used with a single specially prepared and dimensioned frame or support but which enables such sheets to be used interchangeably on a wide variety of frames, insuring that registration is universally maintained even when the same sheets are used or processed in different shops or laboratories.

Finally, it is an object to provide a registering arrangement which, in spite of its high accuracy, is inexpensive to set up and to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon studying the attached detailed designation and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a registration frame embodying the present invention with the position of a sheet thereon being indicated by dot-dash outline.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a sheet embodying the invention and engaging the pins or projections on the frame of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragment illustrating engagement of the sheet with a differently shaped pin.

Fig. 4 is a fragment showing the engagement which may occur in a typical prior art device under certain considenations.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention thereto but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions and uses which may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates, somewhat diagrammatically, a frame or support having a generally rectangular configuration and made up of four sides 11-14, inclusive, defining a central opening 15. Projecting upwardly from the frame are four pins or projections, arranged in

pairs

21, 22 and 23, 24 along center lines 25, 26, the latter being oriented at with respect to one another and defining 'a geometric center 27.

In carrying out the invention, the pins comprising a pair have lateral edges which are alined along the corresponding center line and face in opposite directions. Stated in other words, the pins lie on opposite sides of the centerline. Thus, referring to pins 21, 22, it will be noted in Figs. 1 and 2 that they lie on opposite sides of the centerline 25 and have lateral positioning surfaces 21a, 22a, respectively, which are alined with the centerline. Correspondingly,

pins

23, 24 lie on opposite sides of \the centerline 26 and have positioning surfaces 23a, 24a alined therewith.

For registering with the pins 21-24 a sheet 30 is provided which may, for example, be a sheet of acetate film provided with notches 3134 along its respective edges. The notches are arranged in pairs, as in the case of the pins, on opposite sides of the centenlines 25, 26, respective'ly, and with one lateral edge of each in alinement with the centerline. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the notches 31, 32 have alined edges 31a, 32a and the notches 33, 34 have alined edges 33a, 34a. Also, as shown, the rootto-root spacing between the notches is preferably somewhat less than the spacing between the pins, i. e., the pins do not bottom in the roots of the notches.

Prior to discussing the advantages of the arangement described above, mention may be made of a further aspect of the present invention, namely, that the adjacent notches and their corresponding pins are so arranged that their lateral positioning edges are in opposed relation thereby to prevent rotation of the sheet about its center in either direction. The meaning of opposed relation may be made clear by referring to the adjacent notches 31, 33 registering with pins 21, 23. It will be seen that the lateral edges 31a, 31a thereof face in opposite directions, the first clockwise, the second counterclockwise. Next, taking the notches 31, 34 as adjacent notches, the lateral edges face one another, but are nonetheless opposed since 31a faces clockwise and 34a faces counterclockwise.

Fig. 2 brings out clearly that the sheet is positively blocked against any movement in its own plane, the various types of movement being considered, for purposes of analysis, as +x, -x, +y, -y, cw. torsional, and cow. torsional. x and y indicate the usual rectangular coordinates. Thus:

+x movement blocked by lateral surface 21a x movement blocked by lateral surface 22a +y movement blocked by lateral surface 24a y movement blocked by lateral surface 23a cw. torsional movement blocked by lateral surfaces 21a,

ccw. torsional movement blocked by lateral surfaces 23a,

The most important feature of the arrangement is the fact that the blocking surfaces, i. e., the mating surfaces on the pins and notches remains in contact in spite of all dimensional changes which may occur in the sheet as a result of temperature and humidity. In short, the center of the sheet coincides with the geometric center 27 of the frame in spite of the most extreme expansion or contraction and the centers of all sheets which may be superimposed on the pins remain inprecise coincidence.

The latter quality is especially valuable in carrying out the various photographic steps in preparing color separation plates. The steps commonly include masking and may include the making of several camera exposures of the same subject but with different filters to obtain socalled RGB negatives. Registration in the first instance is taken care of by providing the above registering pins on the printing frame, and in the second by providing corresponding pins in the camera itself. As a general rule I propose to use my registering arrangement at each step in the process, in other words, Wherever a photographic film or plate mustbe supported, thereby providing automatic accuracy in the final result. While the various steps in making a color reproduction involves technical skill, it will be appreciated that my scheme for registration does not per se require any skill and the technician is therefore free to devote his attention-to the other phases of the work.

The advantage of the present arrangement may be appreciated by comparison with prior art arrangements using pins registering in close fitting apertures in the sheet. When the sheet expands, the conditions illustrated in Fig. 4 obtains, with lateral play between the pin 37 and aperture 38 and consequent loss, or probability of loss, of register. In the case of a. film having a useful area of five by seven inches, a misregistration at the center of less than one-hundredth of an inch may be objectionable. On the other hand, when shrinkage occurs, the lateral dimension of the aperture becomes insufiicient to clear the pin, with resultant sticking of the films on the pins which not only results in nuisance and relay but encourages tearing of the registered films as they are removed.

Using the present arrangement, furthermore, permits greater interchangeability of sheets or films, since the pin size and. shape is not critical and is not a factor in the registration process. That is to say, successful registration of sheet 30 (Fig. 2) may be obtained even though the pins are shaped somewhat differently from pins 21-24, provided that the lateral surfaces 21a, 22a, and 23a, 24a are in alinement. For example the pins may be made D-shaped in section as at 41 in Fig. 3 for reception in rectangular notches, the surface 41a corresponding to the surface 21a referred to above. The main advantage of the latter arrangement is that circular pins may be used ground to a precise fiat in alinement with the corresponding center line. The arrangement basically permits the same sheets or films to be processed or used in different laboratories and with different sets of registering pins while enabling uniformly high standards of registration throughout.

The notching may be accomplished by a suitable punching jig either just prior to use or at the factory before packaging. In either event, the process is one involving negligible expense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A rectangular sheet adapted to be registered relative to a registering support having four pins located substantially 90 apart relative to the center of said support with opposite ones of said pins each having a lateral engaging edge in alincment with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such, centerline, said sheet being provided with openings along its respective edges for registering with said pins, opposite ones of said openings each having a lateral edge in alinement with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline, adjacent openings having their said respective lateral edges in opposed relation so that both rotary and translatory movement of the sheet on said pins is prevented.

2. A rectangular sheet adapted to be registered relative to a registering support having four pins located substantially apart relative to the center of said support with opposite ones of said pins each having a lateral engaging edge in alinement with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline, said sheet being provided with openings along its respective edges for registering with said pins, opposite ones of saidopenings each having a lateral edge in alinernent with a centerline and flying on opposite sides of such centerline, the openings each having a lateral dimension which is greater than the lateral dimension of the registering pins, adjacent openings having their said respective lateral edges in opposed relation so that both rotary and transl-atory movement of the sheet on said pins is prevented.

3. A device for registering rectangular sheets, each sheet having four openings along its respective edges with opposite onesof said openings each. having a lateral edge in alinement with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline, comprising a support having four projections so disposed as to register with said openings when said sheets are placed on said support, said projections having a smaller lateral dimension than said openings, opposite ones of said projections each having a lateral engaging edge in alinement with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline for preventing translatory movement of the sheet along said centerline in either direction.

4. A device for registering rectangular sheets, each sheet having four openings along its respective edges with opposite ones of said openings each having a lateral edge in alinement with acenterline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline, comprising a support having four projections so disposed as to register with said openings when said sheets are placed on said support, said projections having a smaller lateral dimension than said openings, opposite ones of said projections each having a lateral engaging edge in alinement with a centerline and lying on opposite sides of such centerline for preventing translatory movement of the sheets along said centerlines, and adjacent projections having their said lateral engaging edges in opposed relation to prevent rotary movement of the sheets in either direction about their center relative tothe device.

5. A. sheet adapted to be registered relative to a registering support having two pairs of projecting pins, the pins of each pair having a sheet engaging edge alined with, and on the opposite sides of, a straight line passing through the centersof the support, said sheet having four openings at its edges for registering engagement with said pins,.opposite ones of said openings each having a lateral edgealined with, and on the opposite side of, a line passing through the center of the sheet and adjacent openings havingtheir said respective lateral edges in opposed relatlOILSQthfllt'iJOth rotary and translatory movement of the sheet on said pins is prevented.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS