US3731610A - Electro-optical printer with variable spacing and width control - Google Patents

Electro-optical printer with variable spacing and width control Download PDF

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Publication number
US3731610A
US3731610A US00016913A US3731610DA US3731610A US 3731610 A US3731610 A US 3731610A US 00016913 A US00016913 A US 00016913A US 3731610D A US3731610D A US 3731610DA US 3731610 A US3731610 A US 3731610A
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United States
Prior art keywords
print
character
line
characters
raster
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00016913A
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English (en)
Inventor
D Kyte
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Linotype Paul Ltd
Allied Corp
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Linotype Paul Ltd
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Assigned to ELTRA CORPORATION reassignment ELTRA CORPORATION CERTIFIED COPY OF MERGER FILED IN THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE OF DELAWARE ON JUNE 6, 1980, SHOWING MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME OF ASSIGNOR Assignors: ATREL CORPORATION
Assigned to ALLIED CORPORATION reassignment ALLIED CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: ELTRA CORPORATION
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41B—MACHINES OR ACCESSORIES FOR MAKING, SETTING, OR DISTRIBUTING TYPE; TYPE; PHOTOGRAPHIC OR PHOTOELECTRIC COMPOSING DEVICES
    • B41B19/00—Photoelectronic composing machines
    • B41B19/01—Photoelectronic composing machines having electron-beam tubes producing an image of at least one character which is photographed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41B—MACHINES OR ACCESSORIES FOR MAKING, SETTING, OR DISTRIBUTING TYPE; TYPE; PHOTOGRAPHIC OR PHOTOELECTRIC COMPOSING DEVICES
    • B41B27/00—Control, indicating, or safety devices or systems for composing machines of various kinds or types
    • B41B27/28—Control, indicating, or safety devices for individual operations or machine elements

Definitions

  • FIG. 2 /FILM I BAR T650 EXPOSED T LINES PER INfiH FIG. 2
  • FIG. 1C A first figure.
  • This invention relates to photographic recording equipment comprising a light beam generating device adapted to generate successive parallel linear beams; beam-modulating means; a support for a photographic negative; and a beam directive system movable intermediate said beam generating device and said support for directing a succession of beams from said device on to successive side-by-side parallel locations on a negative on said support.
  • Typical examples of such equipment are photographic type-setting equipment such as page print-out equipment utilizing a cathode ray tube or other light beam sweep device, such as a laser and moving mirror system as described in British specification No.
  • the print-out technique is common to photomechanical type-setting; photo-electrical type-setting; electrostatic copying; and facsimile telegraph reproduction, for example.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide modifications to the above type of system to remove certain inherent small but noticeable variations from the normal in the printed page, which are unacceptable to the printing trade.
  • This object is attained by providing a mini-raster on the print-out tube, controlled according to the identity of individual characters, and of the type fount in use, for example.
  • the raster is mini, not so much in the number of lines provided, but in their very close spacmg,
  • FIG. 1 is the basis of the known line-by-line print-out system.
  • FIG. 2 shows the build-up of a line of print on photosensitive film in known manner
  • FIG. 3 shows the build-up of an individual character in known manner.
  • FIG. 4 shows the known CRT light beam character matrix scanning system.
  • FIG. 5 shows the gaps in the horizontal rules or lines in a printed page
  • FIG. 6 shows kerning between anfand an 1'.
  • FIG. 7 shows the mini raster of the present invention on the print-out tube.
  • FIG. 8. shows an example of overlapped character print-out according to the invention.
  • FIG. 9 shows the print-out of a character.
  • FIG. 10 shows the set for an f excluding its overhang, and shows the expanded raster including its overhang, while FIG. 11 shows intercontrol circuits between index or scanning tube and print-out tube for carrying out the present invention.
  • the spot on the print-out cathode ray tube T describes horizontal sweeps only. Assuming that there is no modulation of the brightness of the light spot, horizontal lines of light are seen on the face of this tube.
  • This light is collected and converted to parallel beams by means of a fixed collimator lens L.
  • a carriage C arranged to move horizontally along the axis of the CRT carries a plane mirror M at 45 to the horizontal, an objective lens 0, and a ruled optical grating G.
  • the optical arrangement is such that irrespective of the horizontal position of the carriage, the lines on the film will be sharp and uniformly exposed.
  • the size of the light spot is adjusted so that these lines will just touch. In the absence of modulation of the CRT spot, therefore, a bar will be exposed across the film for each carriage movement as shown in FIG. 2. The height of this bar will be determined by the focal lengths of the lenses used in the optics and by the length of the linear trace on the print-out cathode ray tube.
  • This reference system consists of a moving ruled grating G, FIG. 1, a stationary photocell P and a stationary light source S.
  • the grating consists of a glass strip, at least as long as the maximum carriage movement, and having ruled on it 650 lines per inch. The lines are separated by clear spaces approximately as wide as themselves l: l mark/space ratio).
  • the grating G is attached to the carriage C and moves with it.
  • the fixed light source S is arranged to shine a beam of light through the grating onto the fixed photocell P. As the carriage moves, this light beam is interrupted by the grating lines.
  • the photocell P therefore generates an electrical signal which consists of a series of pulses-each pulse corresponding to the movement of the carriage by l/650th part of an inch. After suitable amplification, successive pulses are used to control the start of successive linear traces on the print-out cathode ray tube. Irrespective of the speed of the carriage, therefore, the spacing of the photographs of these traces will be constant.
  • the light spot on an index cathode ray tube also makes linear traces also synchronized with the pulses from the above mentioned grating photocell P.
  • the light spot on the Index CRT is not modulated but is bright during the whole of a trace.
  • successive traces are not in the same position on the tube but are separated by applying X' deflections to the spot during the fly-back periods between traces.
  • the spot on the Index tube describes a conventional raster, Le. a rectangular shape formed by laying successive linear traces side by side. This is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 4.
  • Light from the Index tube IT is collected by a lens LL and focussed onto a matrix plate M containing a transparent photographic negative image of the character which is to be reproduced.
  • Light passing through this character, while parts thereof within the raster are scanned, is condensed by a lens system CL onto the photo-cathode of a photo-multiplier PM.
  • the signal from the photo-multiplier controls the brightness of the print-out tube.
  • pulses from the grating photocell P FIG. 1 cause successive displaced traces on the Index Tube IT and successive superimposed traces on the Print-Out Tube T.
  • the printout spot is bright or dark depending on whether the Index light spot imaged onto the master character is allowed to pass or not.
  • a further disadvantage in the system is that it does not give the possibility of kerning in normal type founts. Kerning is the reproduction of two or more adjacent characters in such a way that the horizontal areas occupied by adjacent parts of the individua characters overlap.
  • a typical and very common example is the sequence of lower case f and i in a serif typeface. These are normally reproduced so that the top part of the f overlaps part of the i as in FIG. 6.
  • a system which cannot join characters obviously cannot overlap them, except in the Italic mode described in the above Specification, but this is a special case.
  • the new electrically-controlled overlap print-out system described below overcomes both the above disadvantages: it provides a breathing space between adjacent characters, and provides for kerning.
  • successive traces of the same character occur in the same horizontal position on the print-out tube T, by reason of the fact that no Y deflection is applied to the tube to vary the vertical positions of the traces.
  • the traces are applied side by side to create a line Of print by the movement of the mirror M.
  • this Y deflection can be used as a vernier adjunct to the mirror movement.
  • the Y deflection technique can also be used to provide kerning, in addition to the breathing space between characters, in the following manner.
  • the relative width of a kernable character excludes the overhang, and by utilizing the same technique in the computer of the present system kerning can be obtained.
  • the computer not only determines the number of grating lines required by the character identity and the point size, but expands the width of the raster by an amount which in the case of an overhanging character is sufficient to ensure that the raster covers the whole character including the overhang, while keeping the number of lines in the raster constant.
  • the computer will determine the amount ofkerning movement required for a character and will add the constant 2 grating line space, the result being used to control the overall Y deflection AB, FIG. 7, on the print-out tube for the particular character as described below.
  • This print-out fly-back can be achieved by moving the trace on the face of the print-out CRT in a direction at right angles to its length or linear scan: i.e., by providing a frame timebase.
  • the first trace corresponding to the first grating pulse for a new character will be in a certain start position marked A in FIG. 7.
  • the linear traces will be moved successively across the face of the tube in the Y direction so that the last trace for the character is in some such position as B, FIG. 7.
  • this Y deflection on the tube is equivalent to a distance of five grating lines on the film and suppose that the reproduction of the character had required carriage movement equal to 10 grating lines, then the position of the printed-out lines on the film will be as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8 in relation to the grating line spacing.
  • the spacing of the lines is no longer equal to the pitch of the grating but is 50 percent greater since ten printed-out lines occupy the space of 15 grating lines.
  • the Y deflection of the print-out tube is rapidly brought to the original value so that the first trace for the next character is back in the start position A.
  • the first print-out of the next character will be in position A and some of the succeeding lines will overprint regions already covered during the print-out of the first character.
  • each character When printing characters along a line of text, each character has to be allotted a certain amount of space in the horizontal direction. This space is known as the relative width of the character.
  • the basic absolute measure of line space is the point and there are 72.27 points to the inch. Every type fount is allocated a maximum character width of x points, called the Em of Set, and the individual character widths are in eighteenth parts of the .Em of Set, called Units, say y units.
  • Em of Set is 6 points (i.e. approximately 6/72, or one twelfth, of an inch) wide, and each unit for such type is-( l/l2 X 18) 1/216 inch approximately.
  • the relation between points (72 to the inch) and grating lines on the carriage (650 to the inch) is approximately 9 grating lines per point.
  • the width of a character to be printed-out varies with the points allocation
  • the number of grating lines on the print-out carriage corresponding to the width of the character varies with the points allocation in operation. Consequently, since the matrix character to be scanned to develop the number of print-out lines required has a constant width, and must be scanned by a scanning raster of constant width, the spacing of the raster lines therein must vary with the number of grating lines corresponding to the print-out width of the character determined by the point size.
  • the number of vertical lines in the scanning raster on the face of the Index or Picture Scanning CRT not only varies with the identity of the character (the raster being narrow for a narrow character like i and wide for a character like M), but also varies for the same character according to the point size.
  • the number of lines in the constant width of the scanning raster for a particular character varies, and the distance between the successive lines of the raster (in the X direction) is controlled by the set width.
  • each Index raster was always such that its projection on the master photographic negative was exactly equal to the width of the character thereon being scanned. In other words, the raster lines just fitted neatly over the character. Usually, but not always, the width of a character includes a small amount of clear space on either side. This situation is shown in FIG. 9.
  • the character matrix comprises transparent characters in an opaque background, the characters being suitably spaced to allow the raster for a character to be wider than normal, and to be suitably positioned laterally therein.
  • the relative width for such characters does not include the portion which overlaps. This will be clear when it is appreciated that the relative width determines where the next character is to be placed. If this includes any overhanging parts the next character cannot be placed so that it is overhung.
  • the relative width of the f ends at the broken vertical line and the relative width of the i begins at that line. Note that part of the top of the f extends into the relative width of the i.
  • Proportional widening is simpler to achieve technically since it merely requires an increase in the amplitude of the X deflection applied to the Index CRT. For example, this signal may be increased by one sixth so that a raster which was equivalent to 18 units wide now becomes 21 units wide and one that was 6 units wide is increased to 7 units, and this technique has been adopted.
  • the extra scanned area may be wholly to the right or to the left of the character, or it may be equally divided on both sides, depending on how the character is drawn on the master photographic plate. For purposes of illustration, it will be assumed that the extra width is wholly on the right hand side.
  • FlG. 10 shows a raster increased in width and superimposed on the letter f. The relative width of the f is shown by dotted lines and it will be seen that the raster now extends beyond this width sufficiently to scan the overhang. The number of scan lines in the raster is still the number calculated according to the formula given earlier, based on the set width, but the distance between them has been increased.
  • the number of grating lines required to reproduce this character will be 54 (nine lines to a point X 6).
  • the number of lines in the raster on the index CRT will therefore be 54.
  • the index X deflection is expanded by one sixth so that these lines will cover 21 units on the photographic master plate.
  • the print-out line will move across the print-out CRT by such a distance that the print-out line in the film plane has moved 54/6 9 grating lines.
  • the printed-out lines will cover a total horizontal distance on the film equal to 54 9 63 grating lines.
  • FIG. 11 shows diagrammatically the circuits required.
  • Blocks 1 and 2 are the horizontal time-base and deflection amplifiers for the index CRT. These circuits are also needed in the original system disclosed in specification No. 1,1 10,991.
  • Blocks 3, 4, and show three vertical deflection amplifiers VDA 3, 4, 5 with pre-set amplification factors proportional to the SET WIDTHS for which they are used. These amplifiers only operate when switched into use by control signals sent along conductors 3A, 4A and 5A. The output of whichever amplifier is in use controls the vertical deflection of the print-out trace via the deflection amplifier 6.
  • the required circuits are not shown in detail since they are well known to those skilled in the art.
  • Photographic reproduction equipment comprising a scanning cathode ray tube for scanning in raster fashion each of a succession of printing characters on a matrix of characters and thereby generating a modulated light signal, means for translating the modulated light signal thereby generated into an electrical signal, a print-out cathode ray tube having beam generating and modulating means, an electrical signal channel from said translating means to the beam-modulating means of the print-out tube, line scan control means for the print-out tube operable in synchronism with the line scanning of the scanning tube, a support for a photosensitive web, a beam directive system between the print-out tube and the web support movable to direct successive straight parallel line traces on the print-out tube for a succession of characters to form a sequence of modulated line traces in successive side-by-side positions on a web mounted on said support so as to form a line of characters, raster control means for moving the otherwise fixed straight-line trace position on the printout tube in a direction perpendicular to the line trace to
  • said beam directive system comprises a carriage which makes a succession of passes along a fixed path in the axis of the beam and optical means carried by said carriage for directing the beam at right angles to said axis.
  • said print-out cathode ray tube comprises line trace deflecting means and said raster control means comprises a plurality of preset amplifiers, and means for selectively associating any one of said amplifiers with said deflecting means.

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US00016913A 1969-03-17 1970-03-05 Electro-optical printer with variable spacing and width control Expired - Lifetime US3731610A (en)

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GB03979/69A GB1299357A (en) 1969-03-17 1969-03-17 Photographic printing equipment

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US3731610A true US3731610A (en) 1973-05-08

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US (1) US3731610A (nl)
DE (1) DE2012265C3 (nl)
FR (1) FR2034990A1 (nl)
GB (1) GB1299357A (nl)
NL (1) NL161088C (nl)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3950763A (en) * 1974-10-29 1976-04-13 California Computer Products, Inc. Cathode ray tube lighthead
US4027313A (en) * 1975-06-18 1977-05-31 Eltra Corporation Photocomposing machine and font strip therefor for kerned characters
US4038493A (en) * 1975-06-13 1977-07-26 Rockwell International Corporation Method and apparatus for phototypesetting
US4090187A (en) * 1976-05-10 1978-05-16 Thomson-Csf Laboratories, Inc. Television titling system for producing overlapping characters
US4322717A (en) * 1978-09-18 1982-03-30 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Recording character configuration changing system

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3273476A (en) * 1964-05-04 1966-09-20 Rca Corp Photocomposing system
US3517593A (en) * 1967-11-14 1970-06-30 Ibm Reciprocating lens photocomposer
US3553676A (en) * 1968-01-30 1971-01-05 Rca Corp Electro-optical composition system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3273476A (en) * 1964-05-04 1966-09-20 Rca Corp Photocomposing system
US3517593A (en) * 1967-11-14 1970-06-30 Ibm Reciprocating lens photocomposer
US3553676A (en) * 1968-01-30 1971-01-05 Rca Corp Electro-optical composition system

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3950763A (en) * 1974-10-29 1976-04-13 California Computer Products, Inc. Cathode ray tube lighthead
US4038493A (en) * 1975-06-13 1977-07-26 Rockwell International Corporation Method and apparatus for phototypesetting
US4027313A (en) * 1975-06-18 1977-05-31 Eltra Corporation Photocomposing machine and font strip therefor for kerned characters
US4090187A (en) * 1976-05-10 1978-05-16 Thomson-Csf Laboratories, Inc. Television titling system for producing overlapping characters
US4322717A (en) * 1978-09-18 1982-03-30 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Recording character configuration changing system

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DE2012265A1 (de) 1970-10-29
DE2012265B2 (nl) 1974-05-09
NL161088C (nl) 1980-01-15
NL7003803A (nl) 1970-09-21
FR2034990A1 (nl) 1970-12-18
GB1299357A (en) 1972-12-13
NL161088B (nl) 1979-08-15
DE2012265C3 (de) 1974-12-12

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AS Assignment

Owner name: ELTRA CORPORATION, OHIO

Free format text: CERTIFIED COPY OF MERGER FILED IN THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE OF DELAWARE ON JUNE 6, 1980, SHOWING MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME OF ASSIGNOR;ASSIGNOR:ATREL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:003992/0237

Effective date: 19811020

Owner name: ELTRA CORPORATION, A CORP. OF NY

Free format text: CERTIFIED COPY OF MERGER FILED IN THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE OF DELAWARE ON JUNE 6, 1980, SHOWING MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME OF ASSIGNOR;ASSIGNOR:ATREL CORPORATION (INTO);REEL/FRAME:003992/0237

Effective date: 19811020

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Owner name: ALLIED CORPORATION, NEW JERSEY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ELTRA CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004026/0293

Effective date: 19820531

Owner name: ALLIED CORPORATION; COLUMBIA RD. AND PARK AVE., MO

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Effective date: 19820531