US3512462A - Photographic composition apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 19.70 L, M. MOYROUD 5 5 I PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1967 MLL FIG.

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ATTORNEY mmmmmmmmmmmmm 94 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMFI May 19, 1970 L. M. MOYROUD I I PHOTOGRAPH-IQ COMPOSITION APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG.7

1 l o lO Ol INVENTOR LOUIS M, MOYROUD "EMQM ATTORNEY United States Patent Int. 01. B41b 21/26 US. CI. 95-45 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An optical system for forming one or more short segments of composed text into one long line of text. The short segments comprising generally alphanumeric characters can be displayed on the face of a cathode ray tube or projected by other types of character presentation systems commonly used in photographic type composing machines, to an image plane. A plurality of beam splitters and associated shutters are positioned between the character presentation system and the image plane. The beam splitters and associated shutters merge the image segment into a long line of text. An accumulator and associated control circuits store each line segment prior to projection. Each segment is terminated after counting a predetermined number of character width units, prior to initiating the next segment on the line. The optical system can automatically change the point size of a projected character by selectively energizing one of a plurality of light shutters.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This case is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 506,936 filed Nov. 9, 1965 now Pat. 3,416,420, and is also a continuation-in-part of US. Pat. 3,254,579.

The line lengthening arrangement can conveniently be used in the phototypesetters disclosed in the following: Pat. No. 3,291,015, issued Dec. 13, 1966 and in copending application Ser. No. 441,738, now Pat. Nos. 3,422,736 and 506,936 as well'as others.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to an optical arrangement for use in conjunction with phototypesetting apparatus. More particularly this invention relates to means for optically projecting line segments so that they are combined on a common base line to form one long and continuous line.

It is generally recognized in the graphic arts that in many instances it is very desirable to generate lines of composition at very high speeds such as one thousand characters per second in order to rapidly set a page of composition. In the case of newspapers this page size is very often on the order of 16 inches wide by 22 inches long.

In almost all present high speed phototypesetters it is very diflicult to compose a line 16 inches wide. In opticalmechanical phototypesetters the line length is limited by the amount of light available to project a character and by the optical limitations involved in spacing characters or line segments along a line. On'the other hand in phototypesetters where the characters are displayed on the face of a cathode ray tube the line length is limited by the size of the face of the tube and by the tendency to introduce distortion into the character images toward the periphery of the face of the tube. To make a cathode ray tube large enough to display a sixteen inch line would be very costly.

Accordingly, one of the objects of this invention is to provide a means for producing long lines of composition from line segments displayed on a relatively small display device.

Another object of this invention is to provide means to utilize a relatively small and inexpensive cathode ray tube for setting relatively long lines of composed characters.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a means for spacing of line segments transversely across a photographic film without the need for any mechanical movement.

The invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents schematically preferred means to obtain long lines by juxtaposition of relatively short segments of the line, produced either on the face of a cathode ray tube or by projecting characters from a matrix.

FIG. 2 represents a line divided into segments.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the control of a character generating cathode ray tube.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of another arrangement to produce long lines by the successive optical projection of short line segments.

FIG. 5 is a representation of the face of the character generator in FIG. 4 showing displayed on it a segment of a line.

FIG. 6 represents yet another arrangement for optically projecting a long line from simultaneously produced short line segments.

FIG. 7 is a representation of the face of the character generator in FIG. 6 showing the simultaneously produced short line segment one above the other.

FIG. 8 represents an arrangement for instantaneously changing the enlargement ratio of characters being projected in a phototypesetter.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, groups of characters representing a segment of a line of composition are produced on the face 3 of a cathode ray tube 4. It is well known in the art that it is considerably easier to produce short lines of characters of typographical quality at the face of a cathode ray tube rather than long lines containing many characters. In the example shown, line fractions of relatively short length d are generated on the face of cathode ray tube 4 by circuitry not shown here but well known in the art. In general more than one segment will be included in the length of line 1' as seen in FIG. 2.

It should be understood that line segments are generally produced by illuminating or generating characters one after the other at usually a rapid rate. The characters forming the line segments can be generated in the same sequence in which they form the line as described in co-pending application Ser. No. 441,738 or in a random fashion as described in co-pending application Ser. No. 506,936, in which the cathode ray tube operates as a light source, rather than as a means of generating characters.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, light beam 15 entering the optical system 16 can be split into four different beams shown as 21, 23, 25 and 27 by the use of beam splitters and mirrors. Electro-optical shutters or any other equivalent means are provided at 28, 30, 42 and 50. These could consist of commercially available plates marketed under the trade name Varad. Each of these electro-optical shutters can be operated respectively by wires 52, 54, '56 and 58 connected to the control circuit of the machine. The circuit operates in such a way that only one at a time of the electro-optical shutters can be in the operated position in which it allows light to go through. At the beginning of the composition of a line, during the projection of the first section of said line, shutter 28 is operated so that light beams in the form of one or several characters emerging from face 3 along path 15 can reach area 8 of film 6 through the optical system 16, the beam splitter 18, from which they move along path 17 to mirror 20, through beam splitter 22, to mirror 24 and through the now transparent electro-optical shutter 28. When the maximum length of segment 11 has been reached, or when there is no room for one more character in this segment, and the line is not yet completed, shutter 28 closes and shutter 30 opens. Characters are now appearing at the other end of segment d of surface 3. They move, for example, from position 33 representing the end of a segment to position 31 representing the beginning of a segment. The same procedure is repeated for the second segment of the line to be composed which will be projected at location on the film along path 15, 17 and 23 through shutter 30. At the end of the production of this second segment shutter 30 closes and shutter 42 opens at the same time as the image generating or illuminating means returns from posi tion 33 to position 31. When the machine decodes an end of line signal, all shutters close except shutter 28 so that the projection system of the machine is ready to locate the first segment of the second line flush with the left hand margin of the page after the film 6 has been moved in the direction of line spacing perpendicular to the plane of the drawing by a leading mechanism not shown.

As mentioned above, the application of the present invention is not restricted to cathode ray tube character and line generation. The cathode ray tube 4 can be replaced, for example, by a continuously rotating matrix drum of the kind described in our co-pending application Ser. No. 441,738. Although appropriate optical systems can be used to straighten the curved field produced by the segment of the drum surface projected to the film, these segments are limited in length if objectionable distortions are to be avoided. The surface of a matrix drum (as seen from inside) is schematically shown at 112 in FIG. 1. The segment or portion of the matrix projected to the film is comprised between lines 31 and 33. Mirrors such as 24 can be pivoted around a point such as 26 as shown by arrows 25 for fine adjustment of each line section on film 6.

The shutter control will be explained in more detail in relation with FIGS. 2 and 3. It is assumed in the example that follows that character widths are expressed in fractions of an em, as is well known in the art, and as described in our co-pending application Ser. No. 441,738. It should be understood that this is not a limitation and character Width can be expressed in thousandths of an inch or typographical points or fractions thereof or in any other system of measurement. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2 the length of line i has been selected to measure 1152 units, each unit being equal to one-thirtysixth of an em. It is assumed in this example that the line does not include any interword spaces but only a number of letters It is clear that the method herein described can also be applied to lines of text. It is also assumed in the example that the width of M is 36 units.

The maximum line segment length which can be produced for example by cathode ray tube 4 is shown at 2 (FIG. 4). Its length is d which for the purpose of this example has been taken as measuring 512 units. In the block diagram of FIG. 3 character codes are fed from any kind of input such as a paper tape reader through wires 60 to storage 62 controlled by a timing circuit 68. Characters are called out of storage one after another generally in rapid succession, and each time a character is pulled out of storage its associated width is stored into an accumulator 64 which keeps a constant count of the accumulated width of all the characters already projected including the character next to be projected as described in detail in Pat. No. 3,291,015. The accumulated character Width is used to control by circuit 6'6 the horizontal deflection circuit of cathode ray tube 4 utilized to space characters according to their Widths. The same accumulated width can also control a moving aperture or moving light patch as described in co-pending application Ser. No. 431,738. The total capacity of width accumulator 64 is the same as the number of units contained in line section d or in the present example 9 binary stages. The carry over of accumulator 64, which takes place when the 512th unit is added, operates a flip flop 70 which shifts from position zero to position one and through wire 52 opens shutter 28 of FIG. 1. This shutter stays open until flip flop 70 goes back to position zero at which time wire 52 is deenergized and flip flop 72 turned on. This condition occurs when the total accumulated width reaches 1024 units. That is twice the length of line segment d. Likewise flip flop 74 will be turned on when the total accumulated width reaches 2,048 units, etc. Flip flop 72 through wire 54 energizes shutter 54 of FIG. 1 and flip fiop 74 through wire 56 energizes shutter 42 and flip flop 76 energizes shutter 50 through wire 58. At the beginning of the composition of a line each letter M pulled out of storage causes 36 units to be entered into the width accumulator until the total accumulated amount goes over the maximum capacity of the accumulator 64. This capacity is 511 units. The entry of the next M causes the accumulator to carry which switches flip flop 70. As can be seen in FIG. 2, fourteen Ms can be accommodated in a segment of length d representing 404 units. The 15th M when entered into the accumulator produces a carry which closes shutter 28 of 'FIG. 1 and opens shutter 30. As 15 Ms represent a total number of units equal to 540 and the capacity of the accumulator is only 511 units, 28 units are left in the accumulator as unit number 512 is used to produce the carry-over, clear the accumulator, and energize the next stage of the accumulator (assuming that said accumulator is binary). The width of the 15th letter is thus entered into the accumulator, but the letter is not photographed as it would cause a line longer than the maximum length of segment d. At this point, through means not shown but operating in the same manner as described in our copending application Ser. No. 441,738 and Pat. No. 3,291,- 015, character formation is returned to the other end of segments d. In the case of a cathode ray tube, this is automatically obtained by the action of width accumulator 64 upon the digit to analog circuit. It can be understood, however, that the location at which the next character will be displayed following an overflow of the accumulator 64 will not generally be the same as at the beginning of a new line because of the remaining value in the accumulator which in this case is 28 units.

As soon as shutter 28 has closed and shutter 30 has opened, the next segment of the line is being projected and the width of characters for this second segment is again accumulated in width accumulator 64 until there is no room for one more character. This condition occurs again when accumulator 64 generates a carry signal which causes flip- flops 72 and 74 to switch. This causes shutter 30 to close and shutter 42 to open. As explained above the process goes on until an end of line signal is read which causes a film feed for line spacing and the accumulation into the storage of the next line of characters. Although the example shown enables the juxtaposition of four line sections, it is clear that this number can be increased or decreased depending on the optical syste utilized.

It should be understood that although in FIG. 2 sections of line d are shown in dilferent levels to better represent the remainder left in the Width accumulator at the end of each line such as rand r. These sections are aligned on the same base line. The operation is similar to the one described in our copending application Ser. No. 441,738 in which successive line sections are properly placed one after the other by displacing an optical system. The same purpose can be accomplished by the modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in these figures, the segment of line 2 of length d is to be projected onto film 6. A cathode ray tube is shown at 4 and two electro- optical shutters 84 and 86 are placed in front of projection of lenses 88 and 90, Two projection lenses are shown in this example, but this is not a limitation and more than two lenses may be used without departing from the invention. The lenses are positioned in such a Way that, for example, lens 88 makes an image of the illuminated line section 2 at .area 92 on the film and lens 90' at area 94- on the same base-line for accurate horizontal alignment of characters. As explained above, the first segment of the line, for example, 92 is produced by leaving shutter 84 open and shutter 86 closed. When the width accumulator has reached full capacity, shutter 84 closes and shutter 86 opens to produce the next line segment, 94. Lenses 88 and 90 are accurately positioned so that no discontinuity is noticeable between segments 92 and 94. This is also achieved by the use of a width accumulator as explained above in relation with FIG. 3.

In the other embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the cathode ray tube or character matrix is also associated with two lenses 102 and 106 but the first line segment is produced at location 80', on the display surface as shown in FIG. 7 and the second segment in another location 82, preferably parallel with and spaced from location 81. During the production of the first segment 80, the light emerging from the display surface is directed through lens 102 to film 6 to reach the common base line 108 via an optical wedge 100. This segment is produced for example, while the width accumulator moves from count zero to count 511. At 512 the electron beam, in the case of a cathode ray tube is shifted vertically by a proper energization of the vertical deflection coils to produce the next segment at position 82. At this position, the light is projected in the same way as before through optical wedge 104 and lens 106. Wedges 100 and 104 are designed to merge on the same base line beams 103 and 105. Shielding 110 is provided to avoid stray light from reaching film 6. At the end of the production of each full line the film 6 is moved in the direction of the arrow 7 for desired line spacing. In the example of FIGS. 6 and 7, projection lenses 102 and 106 are positioned so that both line sections produced on the same base line by wedges 100 and 104 are also juxtaposed end to end. This is achieved by positioning each lens in the right location along line segment a. to achieve the results shown in FIG. 4. The lenses are represented by dotted lines 102 and 106 in FIG. 7. Lens location depends on the length of segment d and their focal length.

FIG. 8 shows an arrangement to instantaneously change point size. The face of a cathode ray tube or a continuously moving matrix such as the band or drum as shown in our Pat. No. 3,291,015 is shown at 3 as described in co-pending applications Ser. Nos. 441,738 and 506,936. A source of light 119 illuminates the characters to be projected, for example through a window mechanism not shown in this application but fully disclosed in the above mentioned co-pending applications. The illuminated characters are projected through a double beam splitter 114 either along path 121 after reflection by mirror 124 or along path 123, or along path 125, after reflection by mirror 116. The three beams emerging from beam splitter 114 are each associated with lens systems 118, 130 and 126 of different focal lengths, to produce 3 different point sizes on the film 6. Characters are projected on the same base line 108 after being deflected a second time by mirrors 128 or 120, and the double beam splitter 122. The selection of one or another point size is obtained by selective operation of shutters 127, 129 or 6 131. The shutter control can be obtained by decoding point size shift codes, as is well known in the art.

I claim:

1. In a photographic type composing machine the combination of a character display device adapted to display a plurality of characters forming a segment of a line of composition an optical system comprising a projection lens located to project the images of the plurality of characters displayed by the display device, an image plane where said projected images are focused, a first beam splitter located on the optical axis between the projection lens and the image plane effective to transmit a first portion of the image carrying light rays in a direction parallel to the optical axis and also effective to deflect a second portion of said image carrying rays perpendicular to the optical axis, a first mirror spaced from the optical axis effective to deflect said second portion of the image carrying light beam to a path parallel to but spaced from the optical axis, a first shutter means located in the path of said second portion of the image carrying light beam, a second mirror located on the optical axis effective to deflect said first portion of the image carrying light rays to a path perpendicular to the optical axis, a third mirror effective to deflect said first portion of the rays from said erpendicular path to a path parallel to and spaced from the optical axis, a second shutter means located in the path of said first portion of said image carrying rays, and means to actuate alternatively said shutters whereby the segments of lines of composition displayed by the display device are projected one beside the other to form a full line of composition.

2. In a photographic type composing machine the combination of a character display device a first double beam splitter effective to allow a first portion of the light rays of the display character to follow their original axial path while deflecting a second and third portion of the light in opposite directions in paths perpendicular to the path of the first portion, a first mirror effective to deflect the second portion of the light in a path parallel to the first portion, a second mirror effective to deflect the third portion in a path parallel to the first portion, a third mirror spaced from said first mirror effective to deflect the second portion to a path perpendicular to said first path, a forth mirror spaced from said second mirror effective to deflect the third portion to a path perpendicular to said first portion, a second double beam splitter effective to merge all three portions of said light rays to a final axial an imageplane upon which said final axial path, an image plane upon which said final axial path impinges, three magnifier lenses located in the path of said respective first, second and third portions of said light rays effective to project a different sized image of the character displayed by the character display device to a common position in the image plane, and three shutters each associated with one of the three portions of the light rays effective to allow only one of said three portions to reach the image plane at one time.

3. In a photographic type composing machine, means for instantaneously changing point size, said point size changing means including:

a plurality of lenses of different focal lengths positioned between a character presentation means and an image plane;

means adapted to direct light emerging from said character presentation means simultaneously, in separate paths, through each of said lenses;

means adapted to redirect light from each of said lenses to a common base line on said image plane;

a plurality of shutter means, each of said shutter means associated with a respective lens; and

control means for selectively energizing each of said shutter means, such that light is allowed to pass through only one of said lenses to the image plane at a time, thus permitting instantaneous change of point size by virtue of said selective energization of image plane, in order to form a line of composition a shutter means. of extended length. 4. In a photographic composing machine, including I :haracter presentation means; optical means for projecting References Cited 1 plurality of characters in order to form at least two line segments, and an image plane; 5 UNITED STATES TE means for accumulating or storing a predetermined number of width units corresponding to the desired 2942538 6/1960 Bechtold 95*4'5 length of a particular line segment- 3106881 10/1963 Kgpur 95*4'5 3,254,579 6/1966 H1g0nnet 954.5

control means connected to said accumulating means 10 such that the storing of the last of sa1d predetermined number of width units energizes said control means JOHN HORAN Pnmary Exammer in order to terminate the line segment under composi- L. H. MCCORMICK, 1a., Assistant Examiner tion, and to initiate the composition of the next line segment; and 15 US. Cl. X.R. optical means for merging each of said line segments 355-40, 66

one after another along a common base line on said

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