Copying apparatus

Copying apparatus for copying both sides of a record which is placed for copying between two transparent sheets mounted in the front focal plane of a lens system of the apparatus, the sheets are pivotal about a hinge axis adjacent one side of the sheets, the sheets being rotatable through at least 90.degree. about the hinge axis which is in or to one side of an optical axis of the lens system. To copy the reverse of the record the sheets are turned through 90.degree. and in one embodiment where the hinge axis is in the optical axis a masking means having two apertures one on one side and the other on the other side of the optical axis shifts to record the reverse; in another embodiment where the hinge axis is to one side of the optical axis the hinge axis is shifted from the one side to the other of the optical axis. The sheets can be rotated about an axis in or parallel to the optical axis so that the sheets may be turned about a top or side of the record for "normal" or "tumble" turnings.

The present invention relates to devices for copying both sides of a single 
sheet of data. The device has been designed particularly for a microfiche 
camera, but is applicable for copying machines using xerographic or other 
copying methods. 
In present copying machines the operator is required to manually turn a 
sheet of data, referred to hereafter as a record, so that the reverse may 
be copied. This manual operation is tiring, and may be subject to error in 
aligning the reverse with the position in which the obverse was aligned 
during the first copying stage. Normally, records with data recorded on 
the obverse and the reverse have the information recorded the same way up, 
thus such a record is turned to view the other side by turning about an 
axis parallel to the sides of the record. This method of turning will be 
referred to as "normal turning". Some records, however, have the 
information recorded on the obverse, one way up, and on the reverse, the 
opposite way up. These latter records are turned about an axis parallel to 
the top or bottom of the record, and will be referred to as 
"tumble-turned". 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for copying 
both sides of a record comprising two transparent sheets of material 
hinged at a hinged axis at, or adjacent, one side of the sheets, so as to 
hold a record between the sheets, the sheets being rotatable through at 
least 90.degree. about the hinged axis, which is in or to one side of an 
optical axis of a copying lens or lens system of a copying machine, the 
hinged axis being located so that the record may be held in the front 
focal plane of the copying lens or lens system. 
In one embodiment of the invention, where the hinge axis is in the optical 
axis, the lens or lens system is provided with a masking device, arranged 
to open an aperture to one side of the optical axis for recording the 
obverse of the record, and to open an aperture at the other side of the 
optical axis to record the reverse of the record. 
In another embodiment of the invention, the record is located by the 
transparent sheet centrally of the optical axis and the hinge axis is 
located at one side of the optical axis for recording the obverse of the 
record, and is moved to the other side of the optical axis for recording 
the reverse of the record. In the second embodiment, the copying lens or 
lens system is provided with a mask located centrally with the optical 
axis. 
In a further embodiment of the invention, the transparent sheets of 
material are pivotally mounted about an axis in or parallel to the optical 
axis, so that the hinge axis may be rotated through 90.degree. so as to 
turn the record about an axis parallel with the top of the record. 
Further transparent sheets may be hinged about the hinge axis so as to 
enable a further record to be inserted in the device whilst a first record 
is being copied. 
The masking device may comprise a slide, having one or more apertures 
mounted on a mask disc, pivotal about an axis parallel to the optical 
axis, and located between the lens or lens system and a carrier for 
carrying a recording medium.

In FIG. 1 there is shown diagrammatically a copying machine, which may be a 
microfiche camera. The machine has a normal turn device 1 which consists 
of two glass plates 2 and 3 pivotted at a hinge point 4. The plates 2 and 
3 are pivotable to allow a record 5 to be inserted between them. 
Above the device 1 is a copying lens or lens system 6 which is positioned 
in the optical axis 7 above the hinge point 4. Positioned adjacent the 
lens 6 is a mask 8 which is movable across the optical axis 7 from the 
position shown in FIG. 1 to the position 8' shown in FIG. 3. Though it 
will be appreciated from a further arrangement described that mask 8' can 
be a separate mask from mask 8. The mask or masks should be at or nearly 
at the back-focal point of the lens or lens system 6 as should also the 
film or recording medium 9 although this is shown as being separated from 
the mask for ease of illustration. 
In FIG. 2 the device 1 is shown closed to trap the record and the copying 
machine is activated to record the image of record 5 on the recording 
medium 9 in a frame 10. The frame 10 is offset to the right of the axis 7. 
When the copying machine is a microfiche camera the frame 10 conveniently 
forms half a double-fiche frame, as is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 
4,027,968. 
After the image of record 5 is recorded on recording medium 9 in frame 10, 
the device 1 is pivotted about 4 to the position shown in FIG. 3. At the 
same time the mask 8 is shifted to the left of the axis 7 or, as in the 
case of a separate mask, a new mask 8' is brought into the position to the 
left of the axis 7. The copying machine is again activated and an image of 
the reverse side of record 5 is recorded in frame 10' on the medium 9. In 
the case of a double-fiche frame, the frame 10' forms the remaining part 
of the double-fiche frame. 
After recording in frame 10', the record 5 is released from the copying 
machine by lowering plate 2 so that the record 5 falls out. The device 1 
is then returned to the position of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, either by continued 
turning of the device 1 in the same direction as it was turned from the 
position of FIG. 2 to the position FIG. 3, or by turning the device 1 in a 
reverse direction. 
It will be appreciated that by turning the hinge axis 4 through 90.degree. 
a tumble-turn device can be provided, but the masking arrangements would 
also have to be changed. 
One suitable arrangement for masking is shown in FIG. 5, where a mask disc 
20 similar to the mask disc of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,968 is provided. A 
slide 21, shown in the inner position, is movable radially from the disc 
axis by means of a pawl, shown in the said U.S. Patent which engages in 
hole 23 to pull the slide 21 in the slide frame 24 against weak spring 25 
to an outer position. In the inner position the mask aperture 26 in the 
slide corresponds with half of an aperture 27 in the mask disc, and this 
allows an aperture equivalent to frame 10 in FIG. 1 to be opened for 
recording the obverse of the record when the mask axis 28 is rotated to 
intersect the optical axis equivalent to axis 7 in FIG. 1. When the 
reverse of the record is to be recorded the slide 21 is pulled by the pawl 
to the outer position, so that aperture 29 in the slide 21 corresponds 
with the other half of aperture 27. This allows an aperture equivalent to 
frame 10' in FIG. 1 to be opened. 
The arrangement shown in FIG. 5 has the advantage that several formats such 
as NMA or COSSATI can be accomodated on one disc by providing further 
slides on the discs. Also, slides for the same format but for single or 
double fiche for single side copying can be provided. 
In FIG. 6 an alternative arrangement to FIG. 1 is provided in which a 
normal turn device 31, similar to device 1, is hinged at 34. The hinge 
axis 34 is slidable in a slide 41 across the optical axis 37 so that the 
obverse of record 35 held between glass plates 32 and 33 pivotted at 34, 
can be recorded with its centre in the optical axis 37. When the reverse 
of record 35 is to be recorded, the hinge point 34 is moved to the right 
of the slide 41 to position 42 and the plates 32 and 33 are simultaneously 
turned through 90.degree. to place the reverse of the record uppermost and 
its centre again centred in the optical axis 37. In this way a masking 
arrangement the same as shown in the aforesaid U.S. Patent can be used. 
This enables more formats with, if required, single or double fiche 
recordings to be made than the arrangement shown in FIG. 5. 
In another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a device 
similar to the device shown in FIG. 6 is provided, having slides 41' and 
41" mounted on a base 44. The base 44 is in turn mounted on a pivot 45 
whose axis is in the optical axis 37' centred on the plates of the device, 
the top one 32' is shown in FIG. 7. 
In a further embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9, two pairs of 
transparent plates 52, 53 and 52', 53' are hinged at a common axis 54. The 
transparent plates are enabled for complete 360.degree. rotation. 
In FIG. 9 it will be seen that record 55' is being copied in frame 60' (in 
the same way that copying is carried out in frame 10' in FIG. 3). 
Meanwhile, plate 52 of the left hand pair of plates is open to receive the 
next record 55 to be copied. When record 55' is copied as is shown in FIG. 
10, the lower plate of the right hand pair of plates drops to release 
record 55', and plate 52 of the left hand pair lowers to trap record 55. 
The recording medium 59 is then shifted to place frame 61 in line with 
mask 58 which replaces mask 58'. Record 55 is then copied, whereupon the 
whole device 51 is rotated through 180.degree.. This brings plate 53' to 
the position of 52 in FIG. 9, and 52' to the position of 53 in FIG. 9. 
Thus 53' is already lifted to allow a further record to be inserted in the 
device, and record 55 is normal turned for recording its reverse. This is 
done when mask 58' is brought into play and so on. 
The advantage of the FIG. 9/FIG. 10 embodiment is that a continuous flow of 
two-sided records can be copied, reducing the time taken over the 
arrangement of FIG. 1. 
The disadvantage of the FIG. 9 embodiment is that it is more difficult to 
mount for swivelling for tumble-turning, and the device is bulkier for 
mounting in a copying machine.