US3108521A

US3108521A - Phototyping machines

Info

Publication number: US3108521A
Application number: US769399A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leroy F Dyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-10-24
Filing date: 1958-10-24
Publication date: 1963-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-29

Description

L. F. DYER PHOTOTYPING MACHINES oef. 2 9, 1963 's sheets-sheet 1 Filed oet. 24. 195e 'IIIIII In verdor lne/*gy ZDyef" .B'y his .Attorney M; f u Il 7,

. mi M bv@ JKM Oct. 29, 1963 L. F. DYER PHoToTYPING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1958 Oct. 29, 1963 l.. F. DYER 3,108,521

" PHoToTYPING MACHINES Filed oct. 24. 1958 :s sheets-#snaai s United States Patent O 3,108,521 PHOTOTYPIN G MACHINES Leroy F. Dyer, 1 Ford St., Quincy 69, Mass. Filed Oct. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 769,399 14 Claims. (Cl. 95-4.5)

This invention relates to photographic typing machines in which, as a result of keyboard action, type characters are produced on sensitized sheets of paper or film. Such sheets are used in making plates for printing with ink by various processes.

A phototyping machine of the justifying class first records keyboard information by code on paper tape or by other means and then releases such information at a speed within the limitation of its printing mechanism. Regardless of keyboard speed, its output cannot exceed that of this printing mechanism. Present phototyping machines are slow in comparison with typewriters principally because of the difficulties involved in positioning the projected images of various characters in a font successively on sensitized material at a speed approaching that of typebar mechanisms.

Unjustified phototyped lines can be reproduced in justified form at a speed many times greater than the keyboarding speed of a typewriter by the machine known as J ustigraph which is claimed and described in my Letters Patent of the United States, No. 2,702,499, granted Feb. 22, 1955.

A non-justifying phototyper directly connected to, and operating simultaneously with a typewriter, when used in conjuntcion with Iustigraph, would not only produce a justified end product at greater speed than present phototypesetters but would also avoid the complications arising from the necessary delay between keyboarding and photoprinting operations requiring coding or otherwise storing keyboard information.

Accordingly, an important object of my invention is the provision of an improved and simplified phototyping machine which, when attached to a typewriter, will operate at the maximum typewriter speed to reproduce typed matter written on the typewriter but in photoprint and in a great variety of styles, subject to intermixing at the will of the typist. 'Although no provision is made for justifying by the phototyping machine to be described, it will be understood that the principles to be disclosed are not limited to machines of the non-justifying class, such principles being fully applicable to systems in which keyboard information is coded or otherwise recorded.

It is well known that a font of type characters, including capitals and punctuation marks, can be recorded photographically upon a film and that when such a film is illuminated, as by the flash of a lamp, light rays from same may be passed through an optical system to produce an image of the type characters on a photosensitive sheet.

A variety of mechanisms have been designed to select individual characters from a font and project them successively to form a line of print. In these, variously, the font, the sensitized material, or the lens, may be moved to accomplish alignment between the film character and the image-receiving point, on an axis of a lens. Systems which scan a stationary font of type characters by the deflection of light rays have also been devised but these include such undesirable features as curved character-font surfaces, individual lenses for each character, galvanometer-operated deflectors and light-robbing devices such as reflecting surfaces behind the character font, halfsilvered mirrors, etc.

It is obvious that, in a system to be operated at high speed, it is important to minimize inertia and momentum effects. These depend upon the weight of moving parts and the distance which they must be moved. It is also important that light be conserved to the fullest extent;

that the character fonts be made photographically on flexible-base film for reasons of economy and because such film can be flattened during manufacture and use but, at other times, conveniently stored on reels within the machine and the fonts quickly interchanged by means of external cranks or knobs; that delicate devices sensitive to vibration or voltage-variation effects be eliminated.

Hence, a feature of the invention provides a faster mechanism including a stationary font of characters and an optical system by which an image of the font is projected upon a mask having an aperture only large enough to pass any one of the font characters. Back of this mask a photosensitive sheet is supported for step by step movement past the aperture. Novel means for defiecting a weightless beam of light are used to present the chosen character at the mask opening. As illustrated, the font has letters arranged in equidistant columns and rows on a flat surface and two deflectors, pivotally supported upon axes normal to each other, deflect rays of light to bring the image of the desired column and row, respectively, into position at the mask aperture.

In order that rapid and accurate movement of the deflecting means may be readily acomplished, another important feature of the invention provides a selector mechanism of novel construction coacting with the movable deflectors to cause and limit the movement thereof in response to impulses which provide a power means for moving the desired selectors. Electromagnets connected to the selectors may conveniently be operated by current impulses to effect this movement.

From another aspect, invention resides in the use of selector bars having V-shaped notches. These bars are swingable about adjustably fixed pivots and when a V- shaped notch on same is drawn against a roll attached to a deflector, the roll is forced into contact with both sides of the notch, thereby swinging the deflector rapidly and positively to its desired position. Without difficulty, the optical paths may be long enough so that only a very small angle of swing is required to move the image of the font a distance equal to its Width or depth.

In still another aspect, novelty is found in the arrangement of magnet coils in a manner which enables a single switch to perform multiple functions in energizing several electromagnets by means of an electrical impulse and causing such electromagnets to respond to the requirements of the particular key bar with which the switch is associated. Another switch is provided to perform similar functions when the shift key is in depressed position to produce an upper-case letter.

These and other features and aspects of the invention will now be described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is an elevation showing the selector mechanism associated with lighting, printing, and switching devices, some of which are shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 2 is an plan View, with parts in horizontal section, of the optical system with its associated selector mechanism;

lFIG. 3 is la fragmentary end elevation, of the prism first encountered, with some `associated parts. This is taken looking in the direction of the arrow `III in FIG. 2 but turned to bring top surfaces at the top of the figure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the image of a whole font as projected upon an apertured mask, and

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram such as might be employed for eight lkey bars, but regardless of the exact arrangement of the font suggested in FIG. 4. The diagram `also includes a suggestion of one suitable arrangement for timing t-he flashing of the lamp.

A photographic font 10' (FIGS. 1 and 4) will consist of a negative (or positive) film usually about t-wo inches square having rows 12. of ten characters (more or less) amasar each and those of successive rows are `disposed in alignment with respect to a reference point on each character, thus making columns 14. 'Ihe distance between successive rows may conveniently be equal to the distance between successive columns. The font I may be associated with others, `as later explained, upon an elongated lrn strip 16 carried lby reels 18 supported upon a table 20 having a backboard Z2 and carried upon a post 24 erected upon a base 26. Cranks are attached to the reels so that any portion o-f the strip 16 may be associated with an illuminating device having a housing V28, a lamp 30, la reflector 52, and condenser lenses 34. Ihe housing is slotted to allow passage of the hlm strip 16.

Each font will commonly contain both lower case and upper case letters, as well as such punctuation signs or other special characters desired (FIG. 4). Since it may be desired to use other type faces, other fonts will be distributed along the lm strip such as one of boldface, one of italic, etc., and different styles of type may be used in other lfonts along the film. An indicator 36 is provided so that the user may readily determine ywhich font is in position under the electric lamp 30 and this indicator is operated automatically as the font is positioned, by providing the indicator shaft with a gear 38 associated with a one-tooth ,gear 4G* on a shaft provided .with a nubbed wheel 42 which is turned by movement of the perforated film strip so that the portion of the strip occupied by each font will cause a single rotation of the nubbed wheel and hence move a pointer on the indicator a step. Assurance of the accuracy of positioning the -font 10 in the housing 28 is obtained by providing the one-tooth lgear 40 with a V-shaped notch receiving a roll on the end of a spring bar 41 fixed to the back board 22.

The film 16 may be spliced if it is desired to add or remove particular fonts and the arrangement per-mits the storage and immediate accessibility of hundreds of fonts at a minimum cost.

The lamp 36l may be of the General Electric PXA type when controlled illumination is desired, or of the so-oalled strobe-flash type for shorter exposures. Between this light and a photosensiti've sheet 44 is an optical system including a reflector in the form of a right-angle prism 46 (FIGS. 2 and 3) mounted for tilting about a horizontal axis 46a, a lens cell 48 containing a long-focus lens of which one element is 50, ianother similar prism 52 mounted on the cell for tilting about a vertical axis 52a nonmal to the axis 46a and a mask 54 having an aperture only large enough to pass the largest single character to be photographed.

The mask 54 is shown as a wall of a housing 55 but could be separate therefrom and adjustable as to its position or the size of its aperture. Suitable enclosures, not shown, would prevent unwanted light from entering the aperture. The lens cell 148 is held in elevated position above the base 26 by uprilghts -49 attached to that base. The aperture 56 is centralized on a projected ray 59, when the prism surfaces `6h and 62 which `face the lens are perpendicular to the principal yaxis 59a of the lens. This image of the whole 'font `10 formed by the light passing along an optical path 58 (FIGS. l and 3) will be de-ected by the reflecting surface 66 of the first prism 46 as it is passed to the lens but only a slight tilting movement of this prism, whose axis is parallel to a column 14V (FIG. 4) of characters of the font 10, is needed in order to bring any one of the ten columns in line With the aperture 56. A similar slight tilting movement of the second prism 52 will be all that is needed to bring the image of any one of the ten rows 112. of the font in line with the aperture 56. Thus any chosen character may be projected through the aperture 56 and printed photographically upon the sheet 44.

The pivot axis 46a of the prism 46 is a horizontal line across the reliecting sunface 66 and perpendicular to the axis 59a of the lens. The prism is positioned so that its leaving face 60 (FIG. 3) is close to the entrance pupil of the adjacent lens 59 and its entering face 61 is parallel to the fon-t 10. The axis 52a (FIG. 2) Iof fthe second prism 52 extends vertically across the refiecting surface 68. The entrance face 62 of this second prism is close to the exit pupil of the lens ,and its leaving face I63` is parallel to the face of the mask S4 when a ray of light on the principal axis 59a of the lens is deflected yfrom ia point on the pivotal axis of prism `46 and a similar point on the pivotal axis of prism 52, at an angle of 90l degrees. In this normal position of the prisms the mask aperture 56I and the photographic font 10 will be centralized with the deflected ray.

Assuming that it is `desired to make the size of the character image equal to the size of the character in the font, the character font and its image receiver (i.e., the sensitized sheet) are located, respectively, at points of conjugate foci of the lens and each at a distance equal to twice the normal focal length of the lens (its focal length at infinity) measured from its nodal point and including

optical paths

58 and 59. So measured, in the case of ,a teninch lens, the character font and the sensitized sheet would each be located twenty inches `from the nodal point of the lens. The `detiected rays will be slightly shorter because of the physical necessity of placing the reflectors beyond the lens outer surfaces. A lens of longer focus would increase the length of the deflected rays with consequent reduction of reflector movement but the advantage would be slight unless it should be desired to increase the area of the character font.

While the light rays pass first vertically down, then horizontally through the lens, and then laterally to the mask, in the illustrated arrangement7 it may be desired to change the placement of the components of the system for improved design of the whole and this can be done without the exercise of invention.

It will be understood that the image I as projected from a negative font, upon the mask 54, will have the letters illu-minated against a darkened background so that they will appear black on the developed sheet 44. For ease of illustration they are shown as black letters in the drawing.

A variation of the optical system in this invention, having the same objective, namely, directing light rays emanating from the character font, would omit the prisms, centralize the aperture and character font on the principal axis of the lens, and move the lens laterally by means of rolls (not shown) attached to its support, and positioners such as described. Because of the greater weight to be moved and the greater distance it must be moved to accomplish its purpose, this form is not preferred.

The extent of angular movement of the reiiecting surfaces 66 and 68 is small, thus minimizing the effects of inertia'and momentum and making it possible to use prisms as reflectors instead of mirrors, with the advantage of total light reflection, durability, and ease of cleaning. In the case of a character font containing ten columns and ten rows of characters, the printing of a chosen character involves only so much movement of the respective prisms as is necessary to bring them to any one of ten positions. As a chosen character is brought to the aperture 56 by the resulting movement of the image I of the whole font, the sensitized sheet 44 is moved aside a distance equal to the width of the last character previously exposed, presenting an unexposed area on the sheet for the chosen character, and then the light is flashed.

To effect this movement the sheet may be supported by any suitable mechanism, one form of which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 as including a platen 70 such as that found in a typewriter, and the platen is rotatable upon a slidable carriage 72 moved in a line by a suitable escapement. Inasmuch as characters have different Widths, a corresponding set of electromagnets 74 is provided for so operating the escapement that the desired amount of movement is obtained. When a line is completed on the sheet, as determined by reference to an indicator (not shown) connected to platen 70, another magnet 76, working through a pawl 78 and a ratchet 80, will` be energized by an operator-controlled push button 82 1n a sub-base 84 to turn the platen to the next line. Alternatively, the switch could be connected to the line space key, or lever, of the typewriter for automatic operation. Functions of typewriter keys other than char acter keys would ordinarily be performed in a similar manner.

Dual selector mechanism

90 and 92, one for each

prism

46 and 52, are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Since they are alike, only the mechanism 92.associated with the prism 52 in FIG. 2 need be described in detail. Similar numerals with primes are applied to the mechanism 90. Qn this prism 52 is a U-frame 94 the mid portion of which 1s a rounded member such as a rod 96 or a roll pivoted between pointed screws 101. The outer extremities of the upper arm 98 and lower arm 100 of the U-frame are connected to opposite end faces of prism 52 through spacing studs 102 and flanges 104. Note also the similar parts 102 and 104 in FIG. 2. The U-frame'94 and the prism are tiltable between pivot screws 105 locked in arms 107 fastened to the lens cell 48.

l To damp vibration set up in U-frame 94 when its motion is suddenly retarded by means to be described, friction may be applied to the U-frame. One form of dampener is illustrated in FIG. 2 in which a damping member 99 of cork, for example, coacts with an arcuate surface at the end of an extension 103 on the lower arm 100 of the frame. This damping member is secured to a yieldable strip 105 on an upright bracket 111 and a screw 109 1s provided to adjust the friction.

Positioned to receive roll 96 is a V-notch 106 in a selector bar or plate 108. Selectors 90 (FIG. l) and 92 (FIG. 2) each include ten of these plates. Those at .90 are arranged side by sidevwith their broad surfaces 1n vertical planes. The broad surfaces of the plates 108 in selector 92 are in horizontal planes. Some of the notches in other plates are indicated at 10611, 106m, and 1061K. They are held in spaced relationship by a comb 110 made up of a bar 112 fastened to the base 26 and having spaced pins 114. Associated with the prism 46 are notched plates lying beneath it in Vertical plane and the comb bar 112 is fastened to brackets 113 on the base 26. In both selectors, these

bars

112 and 112 serve also as stops for the notched selector plates when they are drawn away from the roll 96 by torsion springs 116, each having one end mounted in a bracket 118 and the other end 120 hooked over the corner of a notched plate 108. These springs are operative normally to hold the ends containing the notches 106 away from the rod 96.

The plates 108 may conveniently be made identical and each has another notch 126 adapted to receive an adjustably fixed pivot comprising a round stud 128 mounted on an arm 130 pivoted on an upright post 132, and one end of a plate 108 underlies a head on the stud. There are spacing washers (not shown) on the post 132 between successive arms. The exact angular position of each arm 130 will be determined by adjusting a pair of stop screws 134 threaded in side plates 136 fastened to the top and the bottom 138 of a housing mounted on the base 26 and also carrying the post 132. By staggering the stop screws 134 (FIG. l), more room is provided for them.

Furthermore, by applying pressure by the adjustable stop screws 134 at separated points on an arm 130, that arm and hence its rounded stud 128 are rigidly fixed, insuring against possible rocking due to lost motion at the pivot post 132.

Each plate 108 has a wire 140 attached through a spring 142 to the armature 144 of an electromagnet which is one of a group 146. When this magnet is energized it constitutes a power means which draws its associated notched plate 108 sharply against a pivot stud 128 and, in a lixed path, against the rounded member or roll 96. As these seat in the notches, the

arms

98 and 100 will swing the prism 52 to a certain position where light rays passing through it will form the image of a certain row 12 in alignment with the mask aperture 56. At the same time one of a series of electromagnets 150, attached to a plate 1080i will swing the prism 46 about axis 46a to bring the image of a certain column 14 in alignment with the aperture. As shown inFIG. 4, the character w is at the aperture and will be printed when the light 30 is flashed.

The util-ization yof V-sha-ped notches in the selector plates imparts a self-damping tendency to the selector system thus contributing to -greater speed. Furthermore, it may be assumed that any wear will be equal on the opposed faces of the Vs thus making the system free from inaccuracy due to mechanical Wear on the notch sides.

One of the set 146 (FIG. l) of ten magnets coaots with a plate 108 to move the prism y52 and one of another set of ten magnets 150l will simultaneously swing the prism 46. The en-ergization. of these magnets, usually connected in `series when operative, is effected by a switching mechanism (shown at the bottom of FIG. 1 as mounted on the sub-.base 84) which is 'arranged so that it is operated by the key bars of an ordinary typewriter (not shown) supported in predetermined position on the subsbase. This switch-ing mechanism on the sub-base is connected to the mechanism on the base 26 by a cable (not shown) containing Wires leading from conductors shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, the sub-base and the base 216 do not have to be fastened together though they usually will both be part of a unitary structure as sold to a user.

Since the typewriter has a series of key bars 1601, my mechanism includes a series of pivoted switch bars 162 each having depending lugs 164 and 166 which coact ywith yieldable or spring switches 168 and 170 mounted on insulation cross ribs 172 attached to a plate 174 of insulation carried as by dowels -in lugs 175 on the sub-base. There will be rows of such spring switches 168 and 170 side by side on the plate 174 so as to have them aligned with the key bars 160. A series yof pins 176 sliidable vertically in a shelf 84a of the subablase, with one pin foreach key bar 160, rest on the switch bars. 162 so the key bars will move them.

These switch bars 162 are pivoted on a rod 180' carried by a swing frame having two hangers 182 pinned to the ends of -a pivot rod 184 rotatable in brackets 186 on the sub-base. These hangers '182 ofthe swing `frame are connected by rods 188 to bell icnanks 190 underlying either shift-key bar 192 on the typewriter. The rod 188 is normally drawn to the left :as in FIG. l -by a spring 194.

When the shiftkey bar 192 is depressed, the pivot rod' 180 and hence the switch bars `162 are moved to the right, bringing the lugs 164 into position `above a series of switches 1-69 for upper-case letters and the lugs 166 into register with one of another series 171 of escapement switches. The latter series and 171 control the action of the escapement below the carriage 72 in FIG. 1, by energizing lone or another magnet 74, to cau-se the length of the movement imparted to be equal to the width of a particular letter, it `being obvious that the letter i requires less space in a line than the letter w, for example, when printed in conventional printers type. Although only four magnets 74 as shown, more are sometimes used together with associated escapement parts to accommodate a wider range of letter-width Variation.

`Connections between the

switches

170 and 171 and one of the magnets 74 as well as the connections between the

switches

168 and 169 and one each of the

magnets

146 and 150| are indicated, for the rst eight letters of the alphabet (capitals and lower case), in the partial diagnam of FIG. 5. Physically, and lif desired, these connections may be made -by means of printed-circuit pancakes placed below the switch-supporting plate 174. Such pancakes may be made up .by printing parallel stripes on one Isurface of a sheet of insulating material and, on the opposite surface of the sheet, another series of stripes at right angle to the iirst, there being electrical connection between `a stripe on one .side of the sheet and one on the other, at required points. Flexible leads in a cable, will connect these stripes to the magnets and to a source of power. More than one layer of printed-circuit sheets may be utilized `and at the bottom of FIG. l the lines 196 represent stripesy parallel to the key bars 160l while the short lines 198 represent stripes crosswise thereof. Y

A circuit :diagram in FIG. is typical for the characters a to h and A to H but has no relation to the particular arrangement of the iont shown in PIG. 4. In this diagram the series of

switches

168 and 169 are connected to groups of magnet coils and when, for example, the key bar for the letter b is struck, the magnet coils 26) and 202 will be energized from a source Iof power 2014 thus pulling out a selector 108 (FIG. 2) to position the prism 52 and another selector to position the prism 46, which prisms will be tilted into position to project the letter b through the aperture 56. The switch b in the group 168 (FIG. 5) is effective to join conductor-

s

206 and 208 so as to put the particular magnet coils in series across the source of power 20'4. Closing the switch E of the series 169 will join the coductor 206 to conductor 218l thus energizing the magnet coils 200 and 212.

During the time while the prisms are being positioned the sheet-supporting carriage 72 (FIG. l) will be moved a distance corresponding to the Width loi the letter selected. For example, if the switch b in the lower case series 170 of es'capement switches is closed by the sarne key bar 162 as the switch b of the series 168, then the three-unit-ofspace magnet coil 214 of the group 74 will be energized On the other hand, if the switch E of the ser-ies 171 (FIG. 5) is closed because the shift key has iirst been depressed, then the four-unit-of-space magnet coil -216 oft the escapement group 74 will be energized rand the carriage 72 moved a longer distance.

Following this positioning of the prisms and the carriage, a delayed-action switch 226 will be closed by a cam '220 on a shaft 224 to liash the lamp 30. rIbis llash will Ioccur before the prisms are released by the open-ing of switches in

groups

168 or 169 because the delaying action is timed to be faster than the action of a typewriter key. 'Ille cam shaft 224 is driven irictionally by Ia synchronous motor and starts its ycycle whenever it is release by a suitable one-.revolution escapement including a lever 228 normally held in inactive position by a spring 238i. An electnomagnet 222, in series with the selector-magnet y,groups 146 land 150, starts the escapernent by pulling its lever 228, overcoming the pull of the spring 238. When a keybar is released the magnet '222 be deenengized and the lever 228 returned to normal position. The design of the cam will control the start of the exposure interval and regulate its duration.

In use, the typewriter will be operated as usual and a proof will be prepared thereon. Then, assuming that the desired font y is located beneath the lamp 30 and that a sensitized sheet `44 has beenl placed in the housing 55 on the platen 70 and the carriage drawn back, one of the key bars 160 of the typewriter will close one of the switches 168. These will operate

certain magnets

146 and 150 to attract chosen notched selector bars 1'08 and 108' yand the selector bars will rapidly and accurately position the

prisms

46 and 52 to bring -the desired charlacter at the mask Window 56. At the same (time, the escapement will be operated by one of the magnets 74, energized by one of the switches l170y or `171. This completed, the light 30 will be flashed by the switch 226 and a chosen image printed on the sensitized sheet or lilm 44. At the end of a line, the platen will :be turned a step by closing the pushbutton switch 82.

Although a particular preferred embodiment has been described, it will be understood that modiiications may be made within the spirit of the invention and what I claim is:

l. In combination, a long-focus lens, Aa tiltable rellector immediately `in front of said lens, a tiltable reflector iinrnediately behind said lens, -a font of print characters and an image receiver at points of conjugate foci of said lens respectively, the distance between each of said -foci and said lens being much greater .than the distance between each of `said reflectors `and said lens, the distance between each of said reliectors and the mirror of said foci being nearly equal to but slightly less than said distances between each of said `foci and said lens, and means to alter the angle of said reflectors thereby to project the vimage of [any one of said print characters ata iixed position on said image receiver.

2. In combination, a fon-t of characters, a movable platen to support a sensitized sheet, a :stationary covering mask for said sheet provided with an aperture to expose spacefor only Aa single character, `an optica-l syste-n1 includ-ing a long-focus lens to project the image of said font of characters upon the mask, and a 'light ray ideflector closely adjacent to said long-Liocus lens in said system to move the whole font image on the mask to a position which will |bring a desired character at the aperture, said platen and said font including respective conjugate lfoci of said lens and being spaced from said lens by a distance much greater than the ldistance between said deliector and said lens, the irst distance between said deflector yand the nearer of said foci being nearly equal to 'but slightly less than said distances between each of said ttoci yand said lens `and the second distance between said deflector and the further of said `foci being nearly equal yto but slightly `greater than said distances between each of said foci and said lens, the difference between said iirst distance and said second distance being slightly greater than the physical length or said lens.

3. In combination, a font of characters, a movable platen to support a sensitized sheet, a stationary covering mask for said sheet provided with an aperture to expose space for only a single character, lan optical system including a long-focus lens to project the inra-ge orf said font of characters upon the mask, 'a light ray dellector `closely adjacent to said long-focus lens in said syste-rn to move the whole font image on the mask to a position which Will bring a desired character at the aperture, and operator-controlled selector means coaoting fw-irth said deflector to determine the character positioned thereby at the aperture, said platen and said font including respec- .tive conjugate foci of said lens and being spaced from said lens by a distance much greater than the distance between said deflector and said lens, the lirst distance between saiddelleotor and .the nearer of said foci bein-g nearly equal to but slightly less than said distances between each of said foci and said lens and the second distance between said deflector and the further of said ffoci being nearly equal to but slightly greater than said distances between each of said foci and said lens, the difference between :said iirst distance Iand said second distance 1being slightly greater than the physical length of said 'ens.

4. In a phototyping machine having an optical system including a movably mounted reflector interposed between a font and a sensitized sheet, mechanism to positively move the reflector a predetermined amount, comprising an arm connected to the reflector and hav-ing a rounded member, a plurality of members each movable in a fixed path -and having a notch to engage the rounded member, and power means to move the notched members to force the arm to a `desired position with said rounded member seated in a selected one of said notches. 5. In a phototypin-g machine having an optical system including a movably mounted reflector interposed between a font yand a sensitized sheet, said reflector having a roll, `a plwnality of movable selectors each having a V-notch to engage said roll, and means to produce relative movement between said roll and said selectors thereby positively to cause the roll .to seat in the notch of a selected `one of said selectors.

6. A mechanism, `as in claim 5, said selectors being positioned individually to engage said roll, said notches in various selectors being relatively displaced from one another thereby to impart diierent positions to a reflector, and individually energized power means to move a desired selector.

7. In a phototyping machine having an optical system including a movably mounted reflector interposed between 'a font and a sensitized sheet, stacked selector plates each having spaced V-notches, an arm on the reflector having an elongated roll extending across the stack to coact with one series of notches, adjustable pivot studs arranged to coact with the series of notches spaced from the first series, said pivot studs being stacked in register with the selector plates, and power means to draw a desired selector plate against the elongated roll `and its own pivot stud to seat the roll in a selected one of the notches, thereby to swing the deector a predetermined amount dependent upon the spacing of Kthe notches.

8. In a phototyping machine having an optical system including a pivotally mounted rellector interposed between a font and a sensitized sheet, arms extending from the reflector supporting a roll whose axis is parallel to the pivot axis of the reflector, a series of adjustable studs with the -axis of each stud parallel to that of the roll, a series of reflector-positioning selectors each supported opposite to a stud, each selector having V-shaped notches near its end portions in one side of the selector, and electromagnets connected to said selectors between the notches of a selected one of said selectors to cause both sides of .both V notches to be drawn into contact with the roll and one of the studs, respectively, thereby to determine the angular position of the reflector.

9. In a phototyping machine, a holder for a sensitized sheet, an apertured covering mask for the sheet, a photographic font having a series of characters arranged in columns and rows, means including a long-focus lens for projecting light rays from said font to impress its image upon the mask, a reflector closely adjacent to said lens in the path of said light rays pivoted on an axis parallel to said colu-mns, another reflector closely adjacent to said lens in said path pivoted on an axis normal to the first and hence parallel to the rows ofthe image received from said ust reflector, said reflectors being separated by said lens, said holder and said font including respective conjugate foci of said lens and being spaced from said lens by a distance much greater than Ithe distance between each off said reflectors and said lens, .the `distance between each of said reflectors and the nearer of said foci bein-g nearly equal to butt slightly less than said distances between each of said foci and said lens, selector means to shift said reflectors by predetermined amounts to position a single character at the aperture in the mask, a series of electric power devices to operate selectors for the respective reflectors, and a switch to connect one power device from each series |to Ia source of electric power.

l0. In a phototyping machine, a holder for a sensitized sheet, an apertured covering mask for said sheet, a photographic font having a plurality of characters, the position of each character being uniquely determined by two coordinates, means including electrically operated selectors for providing signals representative of respective values of said two coordinates to project the image of a chosen character on the sheet Ithrough |the aperture, the location of said chosen character being identified by said values, the means to project the image of a chosen character including a long-focus lens having conjugate foci included by said font and said holder, respectively, first and sccond reflectors closely adjacent to said lens and positioned by said selectors, lthe distance between each of said foci and said lens being much greater than the distance between each of said reflectors and said lens, a sub-base for supporting thereon a typewriter having a shift bar and a series of key bars, two laterally displaced series ci switches controlling said selector means, a series of switchoperating bars arranged for operating movement by the ing bars and the series of switches thereby to cause co faction between the latter bars and one or the other series of switches to control selection of said chosen character.

ll. 4In a phototyping machine, a holder for a sensitized sheet, an apertured covering mask for said sheet, a photographic font having a plurality of characters including both upperand lower-case letters, the position of each character being uniquely determined by two coordinates, means including electrically operated selectors for providing signals representative of respective values of said two coordinates to project the image of a lchosen character on the sheet through the aperture, the location of said chosen character being identified by said values, the means to project the image of a chosen character including a long-focus lens having conjugate foci included by said holder and said font respectively, first and second reflectors closely adjacent to said lens and positioned by said selectors, the distance between each of said fooi and said lens being much greater than the distance between each of said reflectors and said lens, a sub-base for supporting in predetermined position thereon a typewriter having a shift bar and a series of key bars, two laterally displaced series of switches controlling said selector means, a series of pivoted switch-operating bars in the subbase in alignment with and between the key bars and the switches, a movable support for the pivots of the switcheoperating bars, and a mechanism aligned with the shift-key bar of the typewriter for moving said support to bring the switch-operating bars into position to coac-t with another series of switches, thereby to select other characters such as upper-case letters.

l2. In a phototyping machine, a `flat photo font, means for supporting a sheet of sensitized material, a mask over said material and having an aperture only large enough to pass a single character, a long-focus lens, and means for projecting the image of the font through said lens on said mask, said projecting means including a right angle prism having an exit face close to the entrance pupil orf the lens and its entrance face parallel to the plane of the photo font, said prism being pivoted on a tilting axis extending across its reflecting surface parallel to the rightangle corner of said prism, and another right angle prism similarly mounted close to the exit pupil of the lens but with its tilting axis normal, in la parallel plane, to the r.first tilting axis, said font and 4said sheet supporting means including respective conjugate foci of said lens, the -distance from said font and from said sheet supporting means to said lens being much greater than the distance between each of said prisms to said lens, the distance between each of said prisms and .the nearer of said foci being nearly equal to but slightly less than said distances between each of said foci and said lens.

13. In a phototyping machine, a holder .for a sensitized sheet, an apertured covering mask tor said sheet, a stationary photographic font having a plurality of characters, the position of each character uniquely determined by Itwo coordinates, means including electrically operated selectors for providing signals representative of respec- -tive values of said two coordinates to project the image of a chosen character on the sheet through the aperture, the location onf said chosen character being identified by said values, the means to project the image of a chosen character including a long-focus lens having conjugate foci included by said holder and said `font respectively, first and second reflectors closely adjacent to said lens, the distance between each of said foci and said lens being much greater than the distance between each of said reiiectors and said lens, the distance between each of said reflectors and the nearer of said foci being nearly equal to but slightly less than said distances between each of said foci and said lens, a sub-base :for supporting thereon a typewriter having a series of key bars, a series of switches controlling said selector means, and a series cf switch-operating bars arranged for operating movement by the key bars to select one orf said `characters for projection upon depressing a key bar.

14. The combination of, in sequence, an illuminated -font of type characters, a swingable retector -to deect light rays from said font of type chanacters, a long-focus lens closely adjacentto said reflector to receive light rays deflected therefrom, a swinga'brle reilector closely adjacent to said lens to ldeilect light rays received therefrom, an apertured mask to intercept some of such Ideflected rays, a support beyond the mask for photo-sensitive material, these providing an optical device Yby means of which any one of said -type characters may be photographed sepiarately, said support `and said lfont including respective conjugate foci of said lensV and being spaced from said lens by -a distance mulch greater .than the distance between each of said reflectors and said lens, and funther including a roll Connected Ito :a reflector, a plurali-ty of pre-positioned V-notched elements associated 'with said roll, and power means mechanically to selectively bring the V-notch of one of said V-notched elements and the roll into engagement Iwith one another to move said roll and its interconnected reiiector Ito a predetermined position ywith said Poil seated in the V-notch of said one element, thereby providing a system lby means of which said reilector may be positioned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION, A LONG-FOCUS LENS, A TILTABLE REFLECTOR IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF SAID LENS, A TILTABLE REFLECTOR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND SAID LENS, A FONT OF PRINT CHARACTERS AND AN IMAGE RECEIVER AT POINTS OF CONJUGATE FOCI OF SAID LENS RESPECTIVELY, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH OF SAID FOCI AND SAID LENS BEING MUCH GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH OF SAID REFLECTORS AND SAID LENS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH OF SAID REFLECTORS AND THE MIRROR OF SAID FOCI BEING NEARLY EQUAL TO BUT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN SAID DISTANCES BETWEEN EACH OF SAID FOCI AND SAID LENS, AND MEANS TO ALTER THE ANGLE OF SAID REFLECTORS THEREBY TO PROJECT THE IMAGE OF ANY ONE OF SAID PRINT CHARACTERS AT A FIXED POSITION ON SAID IMAGE RECEIVER.