US2946272A - Combination photo-copy and printing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1960 EISNER ErAL 2,946,272

COMBINATION PHOTO-COPY AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 11 "217K E1 2 ZQ-EPE .Burto'n D. Ez'aner Donald ERater'man July 26, 1960 B. D. EISNER ET L 2,946,272

COMBINATION PHOTO-COPY AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,Burton D. Eisner LII Donald E. Raterman July 26, 1960 B. 0. EISNER ETAL 2,946,272

' COMBINATION PHOTO-COPY AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig. 19 5g.

July 26, 1960 B. D. EISNER L 2,946,272

comammon mo'rmcopy AND PRINTING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1955 v & 25.25.27 2:25

.Burton D. Eisner Donald E. Rat

erma 72 July 26, 1960 B. D. EISNER L 2,946,272

COMBINATION PHOTO-COPY AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 -11 min i m 2 m {g i 1 5 110 1 1 2H 1 i 1 w l I H v j 16 1.772517 227:5 .Burton D. Eisner Donald E. Rater'man ire States lash COMBINATION PHGTO-COPY AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1955, Ser. No. 523,705

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 95-715 The invention relates to improvements in a combination exposure and processing apparatus and is more particularly concerned with an apparatus constructed to have fed therethrough, simultaneously, a sheet containing material to be copied and an unexposed negative sheet so as to cause the unexposed negative sheet to be exposed so that it bears a latent image of the material to be copied. The exposed negative sheet then is placed in face-to-face contact with a coated receiving sheet, with their emulsion sides facing each other, and reintroduced into the apparatus in a manner to be carried through a body of developing and fixing solution and between wringer feed rollcm which pull the sheets through the solution and squeeze substantially all of the solution therefrom, whereupon the sheets are discharged from the apparatus in substantially dry condition and then peeled apart and left to dry out completely.

The apparatus is contained within a single casing provided with an inlet slot through which the original and unexposed negative sheets are inserted. These sheets are carried part way around a transparent cylinder having a source of illumination therein, the quantity of which may be controlled accurately manually, so as to properly expose the negative sheet. The original copy and the exposed negative sheet then are discharged from the apparatus through a discharge slot, the original copy removed and the exposed undeveloped negative sheet is matched with a coated receiving sheet and both of said sheets are reinserted into a third slot and urged manually downwardly into and through a body of developing and fixing solution to a position which allows their leading edges to be engaged by the rollers, excess solution wrung out and the semi-dry sheets discharged through a discharge opening and separated. Means is provided within the solution container for holding the sheets spaced apart until just after their leading edges have entered the solution so as to prevent premature contact of the opposed emulsion faces of the sheets. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a single apparatus for photocopying an original, sheet and for developing, printing and fixing the photocopy.

The apparatus also includes novel means to permit replacement of the source of illumination without dismantling the machine and further embodies a structure that will permit quick removal and replacement of the transparent cylinder for purposes of cleaning the same and it is therefore another object of the invention to provide such a structure in a photocopy-printer apparatus.

Because it frequently occurs that color originals in addition to black and white originals of various blackness are to be reproduced it is necessary to vary the amount of effective light required for properly exposing the negative sheet. The machine includes a novel shutter-control dial or drum that carries suitable setting indicia that is visible at all times and which may be manipulated readily to obtain the desired setting. Another object therefore resides in the provision of such light regulating means.

atent O ice Another object resides in the provision of a novel readily removable tank or container for a developing and fixing solution and novel guide means therein for maintaining the sheets spaced apart during their immersion in the solution within the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a solution container with novel means to facilitate filling of said container with solution and draining of the same when fluid replacement is required.

Another object is to provide a novel assembly and common drive means for a combination photo copy and developing apparatus.

Another object is to provide novel means for easily and securely locking the casing of the combination photocopy and developing apparatus onto a common base.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is not expensive to manufacture, is easy to assemble and disassemble, and is highly efiicient in use and can be used by persons unskilled in photocopy and development processes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of our invention, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, our invention, its mode of construction, assembly. and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exposure and processing apparatus embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plane view of the apparatus, with the casing removed.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus, with the casing removed and a portion of a cover plate on the exposure apparatus broken away.

Pig. 4 is an elevational view of the left hand of the apparatus showing the cover removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse line 66 of Figure 2.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional on line 77 of Figure 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially along line 88 of Figure 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lamp tube having a shield and filters mounted thereon.

Fig. 10 is a vertical axial sectional view taken substantially on line 1010 of Figure 2, showing the shaft in elevation.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the dial control drum viewed substantially along line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 12-12 of Figure 10.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line 1313 of Figure 10.

sectional view taken on view taken substantially Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the Fig. 17 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevational view I of the exposure mechanism. a 1 it Fig. 18 is a view of the blank bearing thecolor indicia and forming a part of the control drum.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a portion of the casing and one end of the solution container. V

Referring to the accompanying drawings and particu-. larly to Figure 1, the exposure and developing apparatus embodying the features of the invention is substantially rectangular in shape and it includes a housing or casing 11 having an opening in the form of a longitudinal slot 12 in its front wall 13 to provide means for inserting sheets of paper 'of the character to be described presently. These sheets are processed by exposure mechanism enclosed within the housing 11 and are discharged through a slotted opening 14 adjacent the bottom edge of the casing front wall. The casing 11 also includes in its top wall 15 a pair of parallel slotted openings 16 and 17 which afford means to admit sheets through the slotted opening 16 into the interior of the casing for developing and fixing an exposed negative sheet and a coated receiving sheet both of which are discharged through the slotted opening 17. The casing 11 also includes, adjacent the right-hand end of the front wall 13 as viewed in Figure 1, an opening 18 through which a segment of a control cylinder or drum, generally indicated at 19, projects. This drum, to be described in detail presently, includes graduations and visual indicia to facilitate rotatable positioning of said drum with respect to a gauge mark 21 suitably provided on the front wall 13 adjacent to said opening 18, so as to control the operation of the apparatus selectively.

Referring now to the Figures 2 through 7 disclosures in the accompanying drawings, the casing 11 encloses two principal mechanisms one of which, generally indicated at 22, constitutes an exposure or photocopy mechanism and the other, illustrated at 23, is a processing and developing mechanism. Both of these mechanisms are suitably mounted upon a rectangular base plate 24 preferably provided with foot portions 25 for'supporting said base upon any suitable surface.

The exposure mechanism 22 is itself substantially enclosed within a housing that includes a pair of longitudinally spaced apart flanged end frames or plates 26 rigidly secured to and extending upwardly from the base 24 closely adjacent to the front edge thereof. The end frames 26 are substantially triangular in shape with their bases seated on the base 24 and theyare securely joined together, preferably at their apexes, by an inverted substantially U-shaped channel 27 having the free margin of its forwardly disposed wall 28 bent inwardly to provide a flange 29 in substantial register with one edge of the slotted opening 12 in the casing 11. Also bridging the end frames 26, on the front faces thereof, is a removable plate 31 held by wing nuts 31a having its upper edge turned inwardly to define a flange 32 spaced from the flange 29 so as to define a passageway 33 in substantial register with the opening 12 in the casing 11. The lowermost edge of the plate 31 terminates above the base 24 and overlies an upturned flange 34 formed on a rigidly mounted horizontally disposed guide plate 35 bridging the end frames 26. As best shown in Figures 7 and 3, the plate 35 is co-extensive with the space between the end times 26 and it is spaced above the base 24 to define a passageway 36 in register with the passageway 14 formed by the housing 11. described presently,' the rearmost; edge margin of the guide plate 35 is turned upwardly, as at 37 (Fig. 7) and For a purpose to be 4 the base 24 has a longitudinally extending upwardly displaced guide portion 38 to define, with the margin 37, a wide throat and guide communicating with the passageway 36.

As will be best understood as the description proceeds, the opening 12 and passageway-33 constitute openings through which sheets of paper to be exposed are inserted into the apparatus and the passageway 36fand opening 14 constitute discharge openings through which the sheets are ejected from the apparatus afterhaving been initially processed in a manner to be described presently. 1

The rearwardly inclined wall 39 (Fig. 7) of the U-shaped channel '27 bridging the end frames 26 at their top, terminates short of the bottom thereof and the normally opened back side of the assembly 22 may be closed by a removable cover 41. The cover 41 may be detachably held in place by thumb screws 42, one provided adjacent each end thereof for engagement in lateral flanges provided on the end frames 26. Also mounted on the back side of the assembly 22, one adjacent each end, are vertically adjustable brackets 43, each suitably slotted (Fig. 2) to receive therethrough an adjusting screw 44 and provided on its lowermost end with a rearwardly rejecting lip 45 the purpose of which will become apparent presently.

Extending between and journaled in the end frames 26 are a pair of parallel shafts 46 and 47. These shafts have mounted thereon throughout their length between the end frames 26, rollers 48 and 49 respectively, over which is trained an endless belt 51 having a width corresponding to the length of rollers 48-49. Upon referring to Figured it will be observed that the shaft 47 projects to the outside of the related end frame 26 and that it has mounted firmly thereon a gear 52. The gear 52 constitutes means for operatively connecting the belt roller 49, in a manner to be described presently, with a power source so as to impart rotation to said roller and thereby .drive the belt 51 continuously in one direction during operation of said power source.

Also mounted within the assembly 22 and extending between the end frames 26 in parallel with the shafts 46 and 47 is a transparent cylinder 53. This cylinder may be made of clear glass or any other light transmitting plastic material and it is adapted to beheld, substantially as illustrated in Figure 7, in close contact with one reach of the belt 51 by means of a pair of wheels 54 mounted firmly on a shaft 55 which is co-extensive with the cylinder 53 and has its ends journaled in angularly disposed bearing slots 56 formed in each end frame 26. Each end of the shaft 55, extending outwardly of the related end frames 26, is provided with a circumferential groove 57 .to accommodate yieldable means for retaining the shaft in position within the slots 56 and also for normally urging said shaft inwardly toward the cylinder 53 so as to maintain said cylinder in substantial surface contact with the belt 51. V This yieldable holding means is perhaps best illustrated in Figure 17 which shows one of the two like mountings. As there shown, a clip 58 having an outwardly turned finger engaging portion 59 on its forward end is provided with an opening 61 to be engaged in the circumferential groove 57 in the shaft end. A tension spring 62 has one end connected to the clip 58 and its other end anchored, as at .63, to a lug 64 preferably struck out of the end frame 26. This structure affords means whereby the clips 58 may be readily disengaged from the grooves 57 onrthe shaft ends to permit removal of the shaft 55 when it is desired to obtain access to the cylinder 53 so that it may be removed and replaced readily should cleaning become necessary.

The operation of the apparatus, insofar as it has been described, is such that when a sheet containingimaterial to be copied and an unexposed negative sheet are placed in face to face contact and then inserted through the casing opening 12, such sheets are manually pushed tension normally inherent therein.

through the passageway 33 until their leading edges are between the belt 51 and cylinder 53. The engaged sheets are then drawn into the apparatus and are carried around the portion of'the cylinder 53 in contact with the belt 51. Said leading edges are then carried into contact with the inclined base surface 38 and are directed into the passageway 36 and out of the casing 11 through opening 14. After the sheets have advanced far enough to free their trailing edges from the cylinder and belt, they are grasped by the operator and withdrawn manually. The passage of the two sheets between the cylinder 53 and belt 51 is eifected so that the unexposed negative sheet may have generated thereon a latent image of the matter to be copied. In order to accomplish this, a suitable light source is arranged within the cylinder 53 and owing to the variations in the degree of blackness of the material to be copied and because some material may include color it is necessary to control the amount of said illumination to prevent under or over exposure of the negative.

Although other means for providing illumination may be utilized it is preferred that the source of illumination consist of a fluorescent lamp tube 66 which is arranged within the cylinder 53 but is in no way connected therewith. This lamp tube is perhaps best illustrated in Figure 9 and as shown it has at each end the conventional prongs 67 for making electrical contact with any suitable source of electrical supply. A sheet of light transmitting filter material 63 is wrapped around the lamp tube and such sheet extends from one end to the other thereof so as to filter the light rays passing therethrough. It is well understood that fluorescent lamp tubes emit substantially uniform illumination throughout their medial portion but that the degree of illumination obtained adjacent the ends thereof is substantially dimmer. It is essential, to successful exposure of the negative sheet, that the light directed thereagainst be uniform throughout the entire width of said sheet. This, of course, cannot be accomplished in the instances of use of fluorescent lamp tubes of a length corresponding substantially to the length of the cylinder 53 unless means is provided to render the degree of illumination obtained at the end portions of the tube substantially like that of the medial portion. Accordingly, a second filter sheet 69 is wrapped around the fluorescent lamp tube and this sheet terminates short of the ends of the tube. In this manner the lamp tube is covered at its end portion with a single thickness of filter material whereas there is a double thickness in the intermediate or normally brighter portion. The result is that the illumination passing from the tube 66 is substantially uniform throughout its length. It should be understood, however, that other means than the placing of sheets of filter material on the tube may be utilized such as, for example, by brush coating a filter film thereon.

The filter sheets, when'used, may be held in place around the fluorescent lamp tube in any suitable manner however inasmuch as shield means must be provided on said tube said shield is employed for retaining the filter sheets in place. Still referring to Figure 9, and also to Figures 7 and 17, it will be observed that a shield '71 is fitted over the lamp tube. This shield is fabricated from sheet metal and it conforms substantially to the diameter of the tube and is adapted to have a relatively snug fit thereon so as to be held in place by the spring The shield 71 covers substantially three-quarters of the area of the tube and it has its opposed edges flared outwardly radially, as at 72, which edges terminate short of the inside face of the transparent cylinder 53. The open portion of the tube generally faces the belt 51 so that substantially all of the light emitted from said tube is directed toward the portion of the cylinder between the flanges 72. In this manner all of the effective light rays can be directed 6 through the sheet bearing the material to be copied as it passes around the cylinder beneath the belt 51.

The position of the lamp tube and its shield 71 may be adjusted in a manner now to be described so that a greater or lesser area of the cylinder in contact with the belt 51 is illuminated. In this manner the intensity of light to which the negative sheet is subjected may be varied according to the requirements determined by the color and/or blackness of the material to be copied. Adjustment of the lamp tube is effected through manual manipulation of the selector drum 19, previously referred to, which is operatively associated with said tube.

The mounting for the lamp tube will now be described. Upon referring to Figures 3 and 7 it will be observed that each of the end frames 26 is provided with an opening 77 through which the ends of the lamp tube 66 project freely. One end of said lamp tube is mounted in a conventional socket 78 (Fig, 3) which is rotatably journaled, by means of a pin 79, in a bracket 81 mounted firmly on and extending upwardly the base 24. The other tube end likewise is mounted in a socket 82 having an outwardly extending stud 83 rotatably mounted on a vertically disposed hinge leaf 84. The hinge leaf 84 is pivotally mounted, at 85, on the base 24 so that it may be moved from the full line position shown in Figure 3, into substantially the dotted line position there illustrated. The movement of the socket 82 into the dotted line position disengages said socket from the prongs of the related tube end thereby permitting said tube to be disengaged from the opposed socket 78 and Withdrawn axially from the housing 22. Removal of the tube and removal of the shaft 55 carrying the wheels 54, frees the cylinder 53 so that it may be taken out of the housing 22 upon removal of the cover plate 31. This assembly is thus made very convenient and consequently the cylinder '53 may be cleaned with little difficulty and should tube replacement be required this may be accomplished without requiring any extensive dismantling of the apparatus.

Firmly mounted on and movable with the lamp socket 78 is a gear 86 that meshes at all times with a pinion 87 carried on a shaft 88 upon which the selector drum 19 is mounted. The selector drum and its mounting is perhaps best illustrated in Figures 10 through 13 to which reference is now had. As illustrated, the shaft 88 has terminal portions of reduced diameter, one of which is journalled in the bracket 81 and the other in a bracket 91. Extending inwardly from each terminal shaft portion are larger diameter shaft portions 92 and 93 and the medial portion 94 of said shaft is of still a larger diameter so as to provide opposed shoulders 95 and 96 thereon. A flanged disc 97 is pressditted on the intermediate diameter portion 92 and a somewhat like disc 98 is press-fitted onto the intermediate diameter portion 93 in tight abutment with the shoulders 95 and 96 respectively. A drum 101, preferably made of transparent or translucent plastic material, is press fitted onto the externally flanged perimeters of the discs 97 and 98 and this drum has, adjacent one end, an external circumferential surface 102 slightly smaller in diameter than the adjacent circumferential surface 103. The external surface 102 is provided with a plurality of indicia markings, best illustrated in Figure 1, which are adapted to be selectively positioned in register with a gauge marker 21 on the housing 11. In order to have greater ease in the selective control of light intensity by manipulation of the drum 19, the drum surface 103 preferably is sand-blasted or otherwise rendered suitable to receive thereon selectively applied pencil or ink markings representative of the most frequently used positions of the drum.

The remaining portion of the drum is of reduced diameter, as indicated at 104, and is adapted to receive freely telescoped thereover a sleeve .105 having an external diameter substantially corresponding to the external diameter of the drum portion 103 so as to provide a substan- 7 tially unbroken external drum surface. The outermost end portion of the sleeve 105 may be knurledas at 106. The issuance-or the sleeve 105 is recessed, as at 107,

to provide'space to receive between said sleeve and the' while another may be yellow and still others green, blue,

and red, for example. The strip 108 is provided at each end with a bent over portion 110 that is adapted to be engaged in a recess 111 (Fig. 12) provided on the inside face of the sleeve 105 when said strip is in place so as to prevent relative movement circur'nferentially between the strip and said sleeve.

In order to locate the sleeve 105, with the strip 108 therein, in a po'sition to afford accurate positioning'of the drum 19 with respect to the intensity of the light to be made available during a printing operation, the sleeve 105 is provided adjacent its outermost end with a short longitudinal groove 112'on its outside surface,

which notch terminates at the free end of said sleeve in a radial notch 113 and at its other end in a radial hole 114. The drum 101 is provided with a plurality of cir' cumferentially spaced apart holes 115 any one of which may be placed in register with the hole 114. A U-shaped clip 116 is adapted to be placed in the groove 112 with one of its legs engaged in the notch 113 and its other leg extending through the aligned holes 114 and 115 so as to secure the sleeve in a position of circumferential adjustment relative to the drum 101. i

Referring now to Figures and 12 in particular,

the disc 97 forming one end wall of the drum 101 is provided with a lug 117 which extends outwardly therefrom and is so positioned with respect to a switch arm 118 of an electric switch 119 that when the drum is rotated toan 011 position said lug 117 coacts with the switch arm to open the switch. This switch is, of course, connected in the main circuit leading from a source of electric current to the lamp 66 and also to an electric motor to be described presently. As soon as the drum is rotated from its off position into any selected po'sitiori for use the lug 117 is moved away from the switch arm' 118 thus permitting said switch to close and allow current to flow to the tube 66 and to the motor aforesaid and the apparatus is thus placedin operative condition. As is best illustrated in Figure 10, the switch 119 is firmly mounted upon a bracket .121 extending substantially horizontally from one side of the bracket 81 upon which it is firmly mounted.

The other drum disc 98 has projected from its outside face, closely adjacent to its perimeter, a struck out ear 122 which ear is adapted to coact with a stop 123 extending inwardly from the drum mounting bracket 91. Although both discs 97 and 98 are press-fitted into the drum 101 it is desired to prevent inadvertent relative rotation of the parts and accordingly the inside face of said drum is provided, in the area of the internal offset shoulders therein, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart nibs 124 each of which is adapted to be seated in a radial notch 125 in each of the discs 97- 98.

Friction means is provided in association with the selector drum 19 to facilitate its being rotated into any selected position and held against inadvertent displacement. To this end, the disc 98 has firmly secured to its outside face, as by means of rivets 126, a disc 127 having a series of circumferentially spaced detents or holes 128, any

one of which is engageable by 'a spring pressed plunger 129 carried by the bracket 91. v

The construction, insofar as it has been describedwith respect to the manual selector drum 19, is such that said selector drum 19 may be rotated into any selected positron, which rotation imparts rotation to the lamp 'tube 66 and the shield 71 carriedtherebyt The rotation of the lamp and shield determines the setting or positioning of the exposed portion of the tube so as to regulate the amount of light directed onto the efiective portion of cylinder 53. When a colored original is to be reproduced the selector drum is positioned with the mid-portion of a color band 109 corresponding to the color most prominent in the original, in substantial register with the gauge marking 21. This adjusts the lamp tube with relation to the effective portion of the cylinder 53 so as to increase or decrease the amount of light passing therethrough. Thus, it is quite apparent that light intensity can be accurately and quickly determined and selected, thereby insuring the correct amount of exposure required for creating a latent image on the undeveloped negative sheet.

-Also supported on the base within the housing 11 rearwardly of the exposure or photocopy assembly is the processing and developing assembly 23. This assembly is'removably mounted and is adapted to rest normally in close association with and be supported in usable position by the ears 45 formed on brackets 43 carried on the rearwardly disposed wall 39 of the photocopy assembly.

Referring particularly to the Figures 2, 4, 6 and 7, the printing and developing assembly includes a substantially semicylindrical solution container 131 preferably fabricated from sheet material and having one of its longitudinal walls 132 formed substantially straight and extending a considerable distance above the terminal edge of the opposed wall. The wall 132 is adapted normally to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the rearwardly disposed inclined wall 39 of the photocopy assembly 22 and it has a channel 133 firmly secured on its outside face below the top edge thereof. One flange 134 of said channel rests normally on the lips 45 of brackets 43 to constitute support means for the solution container 131. The ends of the channel 133 extend beyond the container end walls 135 and each has secured thereto, as by welding, an end plate 136.

Each of these plates 136 is substantially rectangular in shape and the upper edges of said plates are located a considerable distance above the terminal edges of the rear wall and end walls 135 of the container 131 and said plates extend rearwardly of said container rear wall as is perhaps best illustrated in Figure 7. A rod 137 bridges the end plates 136 closely adjacent to the rearmost and bottom edges thereof and said rod has its end portions extending outwardly of said end plates to constitute journals for hingedly and removably mounting the assembly. To this end a pair of upstanding brackets 138 are provided. Each of these brackets is firmly secured on the base 24 and its upper end is provided with a bearing recess 139 adapted to disengageably receive the related projecting end of rod 137. This structure permits the processing and developing assembly to be moved or rocked about the rod 137 from the full line position of use illustrated in Figure 6 into a rearwardly tilted position as shown in dotted lines in said figure. If desired the assembly can readily be removed from the bearing brackets 138 by simply Withdrawing the ends of the rod 137 from the recesses 139; the tilting and removal of the printing and developing assembly in this manner may be accomplished after the housing 11 has been removed and the purpose of providing for such easy removal of said apparatus is to facilitate cleaning of the solution container 131.

A tie bar 141, preferably channel shaped in section, is removably secured to the top flanges 142 on the end plates 136. As shown wing screws 143 may be provided to facilitate ready attachment and removal of said bar. This bar functions to reinforce the assembly and also constitutes support means for a plurality of mutually spaced guide blades or webs 144 which preferably are struck out of a plate 145 which is disposed angularly, as best illustrated in Figure 7, with respect to the bar 141 and it has on its uppermost edge a turned over flange 146 which is orrearwardly' disposed free edge of the plate 145 is 10- cated below the top edge of the container 131 and the blades 144 have a contour conforming substantially to the curvature of the container wall so as to define a plurality of guide edges for a purpose to become apparent presently. The container wall also is formed with spaced apart internal ribs 148. The edges of the blades 144 and the ribs 148 reduce surface friction on sheets passing thereover.

Also mounted within the container 131 is a separator plate 151. This plate is located between the container wall 132 and the forwardly disposed edge of bar 141 and it preferably has its upper edge terminate a considerable distance above the top edges of said wall 131 and bar 141. The separator plate 151 may be secured firmly to the wall 132 by means of screws 152 which are threaded into the otfset end portions 153 on said separator plate. Depending from the free lower edge of the separator plate 151 is a plurality of mutually spaced apart fingers 154, the terminal portions of which are located well below the top edge of the container 131 so as to be submerged at all times below the level of developing and fixing solution normally contained therein. Still referring to Figure 7, it will be observed that the separator plate 151 extends substantially into the slotted opening 16 of the cover 11 thereby dividing said opening into two passageways 16a and 16b and that the wall 131, fingers 154 and blades 144 constitute extensions of said passageways which extensions merge into a single passageway 155 in a lower portion of the solution container.

The processing and developing assembly, insofar as it has been described, is such that an undeveloped negative containing a latent image of the material reproduced from the original during operation-of the exposure assembly 22, and a coated receiving sheet may be inserted in the passageways 16a and 16b respectively, and held apart by the separator plate 151 and its fingers 154 until after they have been advanced manually downwardly into the solution so as to become thoroughly wetted thereby. The two sheets are further advanced manually so that their leading edges follow the contour of the passageway 155 and are then directed upwardly out of the solution.

After the leading edges of the sheets have been advanced beyond the terminal edge of the back wall of the container 131, they are engaged between a pair of wringerfeed rolls 156 and 157. The roller 157 is carried firmly on a shaft 158 that is journaled at its ends in bearings provided in the end plates 136. The roller 156 is likewise mounted firmly on a shaft 159. This shaft is journaled at its ends in bearings 161 (Figs. -6) carried in plates 162 is pivotally mounted at 163 on the outside faces of the end plates 136, a slot 164 being provided in said plates 136 to permit limited movement of the shaft 158 towards and away from the shaft 159. A spring 165, anchored at 166 to the related end plate 136 and at its other end 167 to the bearing plate 162 normally tend to urge the shaft 158 toward the shaft 159 to maintain the wringer- feed rollers 156 and 157 in tight rolling engagement one with the other.

Upon referring to Figures 2 and 5, it will be observed that the rollers 156 and 157 are substantially coextensive with the container 131 and that suitable gears 168 are carried on their respective shafts which are constantly in mesh so as to insure positive rotation of both rollers in unison when the apparatus is in operation.

As previously stated the wringer feed rolls 156 and 157 are operated in unison so as to engage and draw the sheets from the container 131 and deliver them in a substantially dry condition through the slotted opening 17 in the housing 11 after which they may be peeled apart and set aside to dry thoroughly.

Common means is provided for driving the belt 51 in the photocopy assembly and the wringer-feed rolls 156 and 157 in the developing and printing assembly. To this end the shaft 159, carrying the roller 156 extends beyond the end plate 136 a sufiicient distance to have mounted firmly thereon a gear 169. When the printing and developing assembly is in the position of use best illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, the gear 169 meshes with a drive gear 170 carried on the end of a shaft 171 of an electrically operated motor generally indicated at 172. This motor is supported firmly on the base 24 and a frame 174 which consists of a vertical flange, is suitably secured, as by welding, to the apparatus base 24 to provide a friction mounting for a suitable casing (not shown) that encloses the motor 172, a transformer 175 and a starter switch 176. The motor 172, transformer 175 and starter switch 176 are connected by conventional wiring to the switch 119 and lamp 66. It is thus apparent that when the switch 119 is closed upon initial setting of the selector drum 19, the lamp 66 is illuminated and the motor 172 is energized to rotate the wringer-feed rolls 156 and 157.

The lowermost shaft 47 of the belt drive in the photocopy assembly also carries the previously mentioned gear 52. This gear also meshes at all times with the motor driven gear 170 so that the belt 51 is operated at the same time the rollers 156 and 157 are operated. This unitary drive conditions the apparatus for reproducing material to be copied on an unexposed negative sheet and for transposing the latent image on said negative sheet on to a coated receiving sheet. The entire process is therefore substantially continuous and photoprint of the material to be copied may be obtained through single operation of the whole apparatus.

The solution container 131 is provided with novel means to facilitate filling and withdrawal of solution therefrom. This means is best illustrated in Figure 19, where it will be observed that the container 131 is provided adjacent one of its ends with a sump 178 into which all of the solution contained within the container 131 may drain during an emptying operation. The housing 11 is provided in its top surface with a tubular opening 179 in vertical alignment with the sump 178. This opening affords means for the insertion of a filling or draining tube 181 and the presence of the tubular opening 179 prevents inadvertent tilting of the tube 181 during its insertion so as to insure that it enters into the container 131 when inserted through the tubular opem'ng 179. In order to withdraw solution from the container 131 said solution is syphoned in a manner that is well understood through the tube 181, the lower end of which is located in the sump 178.

It is advantageous to securely lock the housing 11 onto the base 24 and to this end lock means generally indicated at 182, in Figure 2 and best illustrated in Figures 14 through 16, is provided. Referring now to Figures 14 through 16 it will be observed that cover 11 has a U- shaped bracket 183 mounted on the inside face of its end wall. This bracket has its leg portions suitably apertured to receive therethrough a lock pin 184. The lock pin 184 is threaded at its upper end, as at 185, which end is threaded through flanged opening 186 and has mounted thereon a lock nut 187 for securing the lock pin in an adjusted position. The lower end of the pin 184 is formed with an annular groove 188, which groove normally is located below the plane of the base 24 when the cover is positioned thereover. In order to accomplish this the base is provided with an opening 189 having an upstanding sleeve 191 fitted therein and thereovcr, and through which pin 184 depends. A manually operable latch 192 suitably forked at one end, as at 193, is mounted for sliding movement on the bottom face of the base 24. The mounting for the latch 192 is perhaps best illustrated in Figures 15 and 16. As shown, said latch has a pair of spaced apart upwardly offset ears 194 that ride in a slot 195 provided in base 24. A headed rivet 196, securely mounted in the slide latch 192 between said ears 194, has a resilient collar 197 interposed between its head and the top face of the base 24 to afford a resilient mounting for the latch 192. A finger piece 198 depending from the other end of the latch 192 affords means whereby said latch may be manually shifted from a, disengaged position into the engaged position illustrated in which position the forked end 193 of said latch engages in the circumferential groove of the pin 184.

It is believed that our invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A photocopying apparatus for reproducing a subject sheet to be copied, said apparatus comprising a cylinder composed of light-transmitting material, means for conveying a photosensitive sheet and said subject sheet in face-to-face relation therewith around a segment of the exterior surface of said cylinder and adjacent to said surface, a light source located within said cylinder, a light shield associated with said light source for restricting the radiation of light rays emitted therefrom to a predetermined arcuate angle, means for movably mounting said light shield for movement to any selected one of a plurality of positions in which varying quantities of light will be transmitted from said light source through said segment of the cylinder surface adjacent said sheets, and a manually controlled mechanism for moving said shield to any selected one of said plurality of positions, said manually controlled mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft, a drum securely mounted on said shaft, a

transparent sleeve telescoped on said drum, a color chart carried circumferentially by said sleeve and visible therethrough, said color chart having a plurality of differently colored areas circumferentially spaced thereon, said sleeve and its chart being adjustable circumferentially relative to the drum, means to secure the sleeve in adjusted position on said drum, and means drivingly connecting said shaft with said light shield to position said light shield in accordance with the degree of rotation of said shaft, said color chart being arranged around said drum so that when a selected said area thereon having a predetermined color is rotated to a predetermined visible position said shield is positioned for transmission of light in quantities ideal for reproduction of a said subject sheet having substantially the same said color.

2. A photocopying apparatus for reproducing a subject sheet to be copied, said apparatus comprising a cylinder composed of light-transmitting material, means for conveying a photosensitive sheet and said subject sheet 12 in face-to-face relation therewith along a path leading around a segment of the exterior surface of saidpylinder and adjacentto said surface, a longitudinal cylindrical light: tube located within said cylinder, an integral segmentally-cylindrical light shield secured to said light tube and extending at least partially around the exterior surface thereof, said light shield having a longitudinal opening for emitting light rays therethrough in a predetermined direction, means for mounting said light tube for rotatable movement about its axis, and manually controlled means for moving said light'tube to any selected one of a plurality of angular positions so as to subject varying portions of said cylinder surface segment to the light radiation emitted from said tube through saidshield opening, said manually controlled means comprising a rotatable shaft, a drum securely mounted on said shaft, a sleeve telescoped on said-drum, indicia means carried circumferentially by said sleeve, said indicia means comprising a a plurality of portions each respectively representing the light requirements necessary to reproduce respective said subject sheets having various respective colors and shades, said sleeve being adjustable circumferentially relative to the drum, means to secure the sleeve in any selected one of a plurality of circumferential positions on said drum, and means drivingly connecting said shaft with said light shield to position said light shield in accordance with the degree of rotation of said shaft, said indicia means being arranged around said drum so that when a selected,

portion of said indicia means is rotated to a predetermined-visible position said shield is positioned to subject to said light radiation aportion of said cylinder surface which will be of such a size that will transmit light in quantitiesideal for reproduction of a said subject sheet beingconveyed therearound and having a said.

color or shade corresponding to said selected portion of said indicia means.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent 7 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,168,481

Jollasse Aug. 8, 2,204,297 Brunk June 11, 1940 2,347,671 Dircksen May 2, 1944 2,544,647 Barnes Mar. 13, 1951 2,546,482 Van Der Grinten Mar. 27, 1951 2,559,159 Hruby July 3, 1951 2,657,618 Eisbein Nov. 3, 1953 2,718,636 Harrington et al. Sept. 20, 1955 2,726,625 Evans Dec. 13, 1955 2,732,778 Limberger Jan. 31, 1956 2,783,697 Eisner et al. Mar. 5, 1957 2,789,528 Kaden et al. Apr. 23, 1957

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