Automatic masking device for use in a printer

An automatic masking device for use in a printer, wherein a reproduction picture to be projected onto a photosensitive film sheet mounted on a holder is masked by a pair of masking plates which are separated at a certain distance away from the surface of the photosensitive film sheet, and are adapted to be movable over the surface of the film sheet so as to open and close the opening distance between the masking plates, and wherein the opening distance between the masking plates is settled by moving the masking plates depending on an magnification and a size of the reproduction picture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an automatic masking device for use in a printer 
in which an original picture is projected through a focusing lens onto a 
photosensitive material such as a film, a plate, or the like, mounted on a 
photosensitive material holder. 
When a plurality of original pictures are printed one by one onto a 
photosensitive film according to the desired rayout by using a grouping 
camera or a projector, one picture is exposed, while the surface of the 
photosensitive film except the corresponding portion to the one picture is 
masked by a masking device. 
When the masking is carried out, masking plates are preferably contacted 
with the photosensitive film. However, in a conventional masking device, 
the masking plates are separated from the film so as not to damage the 
surface of the film. Accordingly, in this case, when the angle of view is 
large, a considerable error between the opening distance between the 
masking plates and the size of the picture reproduction projected is 
resulted, unlike the contact printing process. 
The rayout of the reproduction pictures onto the photosensitive film by the 
grouping camera requires the precise size of each reproduction picture. 
When the conventional masking device is used for such a rayout process, a 
white or a dark line is often appeared between the two reproduction 
pictures due to an overlap or a gap between the two reproduction pictures, 
and imparts the fatal damage to the quality of the finished product, 
particularly in case of a color duplicate film. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic 
masking device for use in a printer free from the abovementioned defects, 
which is simple and reliable in operation. 
According to the present invention there is provided an automatic masking 
device for use in a printer, comprising a photosensitive film sheet holder 
on which a photosensitive film sheet is to be held; and a pair of masking 
plates which are separated at a certain distance away from the surface of 
the holder, and are adapted to be movable over the surface of the holder 
so as to open and close the opening distance between the masking plates, 
characterized in that the opening distance between the masking plates is 
settled by moving the masking plates depending on a magnification and a 
size of a reproduction picture to be projected onto the photosensitive 
film sheet on the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a vertical support 
plate 1 on which a photosensitive material such as a photosensitive film 2 
having a thickness t is secured properly, for example, by means of a 
vacuum suction means, or the like. 
In front of the photosensitive film 2, a pair of masking plates 3 are 
arranged at a distance D or d away from the surface of the vertical 
support plate 1 or the photosensitive film 2, and are movable vertically 
toward or away from each other over the surface of the vertical plate 1. 
A convex focusing lens 4 having a focal distance f of a printer for 
plate-making, or the like, is arranged before the masking plates 3 at a 
distance B away from the surface of the photosensitive film 2 along a 
central light axis C which passes through the center of the vertical 
support plate 1. An original picture (not shown) is projected onto the 
photosensitive film 2 through the lens 4 and the aperture between the 
masking plates 3, and the angle of view with respect to the lens 4 is 
2.theta.. 
Assuming that the opening distance between the masking plates 3 is M, the 
size of the reproduction picture to be projected on the photosensitive 
film 2 is I, and the difference between the size I of the reproduction 
picture and the opening distance M is 2.DELTA.L, thus I equals M and 
2.DELTA.L. If the magnification of the reproduction picture to be 
projected is m, the following formulae are resulted. 
EQU M=I-2.DELTA.L (1) 
EQU .DELTA.L=d tan .theta. (2) 
EQU d=D-t (3) 
EQU tan .theta.=I/2B (4) 
EQU B=f(1+m) (5) 
From these formulae the relation between I and M is expressed in the 
following formula. 
EQU M=I[1-D-t/f(1+m)] (6) 
Now, if two pairs of vertical and horizontal masking plates constitute a 
rectangular opening, and horizontal and vertical opening distances to be 
obtained between the masking plates, horizontal and vertical sizes of the 
reproduction picture projected on the film, and the distances between the 
vertical support plate and the vertical and the horizontal masking plates 
are Mx, My, Ix, Iy, Dx and Dy, the formula (6) is expressed in the two 
following formulae. 
EQU Mx=Ix[1-Dx-t/f(1+m)] (6-1) 
EQU My=Iy[1-Dy-t/f(1+m)] (6-2) 
In the formulae (6-1) and (6-2), since Dx, Dy, t, f and m are known from 
the construction of the masking device and the photosensitive material, 
the horizontal and the vertical opening distances Mx and My to be obtained 
may be readily determined. 
From the formulae (1)-(5), the opening distance M is shown in the following 
formulae, 
EQU M=I-2d tan .theta. (7) 
EQU M=I-dI/B (8) 
wherein d, .theta. and B can be measured, and thus the opening distance 
desired between the masking plates corresponding to the size of the 
reproduction picture to be projected may be determined according to these 
formulae (7) and (8). 
According to the present invention, the opening distances Mx and My between 
the vertical and the horizontal masking plates are determined by the 
formulae described above, and then depending on these Mx and My, the 
positions of the masking plates are controlled automatically so that the 
masking plates may be opened properly into the desired distances. 
In FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown an automatic masking device according to 
the present invention. 
On a vertical support plate 11, a photosensitive film material 12 having a 
thickness t is sucured properly. Two pairs of vertical and horizontal 
masking plates 13 and 14 are movably mounted to upper, lower, left and 
right screw rods 16 and 18 which are rotatably mounted to upper, lower, 
left and right edges of the vertical plate 11 via bearing members 15 and 
17. Each screw rod 16 or 18 includes a normal and reverse screw portions 
in its left and right or upper and lower half parts 16a and 16b or 18a and 
18b in FIG. 2, which the tapped ends of the masking plates 13 or 14 are 
engaged with. Thus, each pair of masking plates 13 or 14 may be moved 
toward or away from the central light axis C each other in X or Y 
direction in FIG. 2 by driving the screw rods 16 or 18. 
As clearly shown in FIG. 3, each vertical or horizontal masking plate 13 or 
14 is provided with a knife-edge 13a or 14a in its rear or front inside 
surface, and the front surfaces of the vertical masking plates 13 are 
contacted with the rear surfaces of the horizontal masking plates 14. 
Therefore, the distances Dx and Dy from the surface of the vertical plate 
11 to the vertical and the horizontal masking plates 13 and 14 are 
substantially the same [refer to the formulae (6-1) and (6-2)], and thus 
the resolving powers of the vertical and the horizontal edges of the 
reproduction picture projected on the photosensitive film 12 are 
substantially the same. Further, the flare which is caused, if no 
knife-edges are provided to the masking plates, by the reflected lights 
from inner side edges of the masking plates is removed. 
A coupling rod 19 is rotatably mounted to the bearing members 17 in 
parallel with the screw rod 18 positioned in the right hand side of the 
vertical plate 11 in FIG. 2. A pair of worm wheels 20 are connected to one 
ends, the right hand side ends in FIG. 2, of the screw rods 16, and a pair 
of worms 21 are fixed to the upper and the lower ends of the coupling rod 
19 so that the worm wheels 21 and the worms 21 may be engaged with one 
another. The coupling rod 19 is driven by a pulse motor PMx connected to 
its lower end, which is capable of rotating the coupling rod 19 clockwise 
and counterclockwise, and whose rotation number and phase can be detected. 
Another coupling rod 22 is rotatably mounted to the bearing members 15 in 
parallel with the screw rod 16 positioned in the bottom of the vertical 
plate 11 in FIG. 2. A pair of worm wheels 23 are mounted to the lower ends 
of the screw rods 18 and a pair of worms 24 are connected to both ends of 
the coupling rod 22 so that the worm wheels 23 and the worms 24 may be 
engaged with one another. The coupling rod 22 is driven by another pulse 
motor PMy of the same type as the one PMx, which is connected to its right 
hand side end. 
Hence, it is readily understood that each pair of masking plates 13 or 14 
may be moved toward or away from each other by controlling the pulse motor 
PMx or PMy, thereby adjusting the horizontal and the vertical real opening 
distances Mx' and My' between the masking plates, as shown in FIG. 2. 
A masking size settler 25 having an adjusting dial or slide lever sets up 
the horizontal and the vertical sizes Ix and Iy of the reproduction 
picture to be projected onto the photosensitive material 12. In a memory 
26 the values Dx, Dy (in this embodiment, Dx equals Dy), t, f and m 
appeared in the formulae (6-1) and (6-2), and so forth, are stored in 
advance. 
The magnification m is often varied when the original pictures are varied 
one by one. Thus, it may be set to the desired value by a dial in the 
similar manner to the masking size settler 25 and the value set may be 
stored in the memory 26 or be sent directly to a following operational 
unit 27. The operational unit 27 operates the values Ix, Iy, Dx, Dy, t, f, 
and m fed from the masking size settler 25 and the memory 26 according to 
the formulae (6-1) and (6-2) to obtain the horizontal and the vertical 
opening distances Mx and My corresponding to the values Ix and Iy, and 
outputs signals to a motor controller 28. 
The motor controller 28 controls the pulse motors PMx and PMy depending on 
the output signals from the operational unit 27 so that the real opening 
distances Mx' and My' may be coincident with the values Mx and My operated 
in the operational unit 27. 
While the pulse motors PMx and PMy are controlled by the motor controller 
28, the pulse motors PMx and PMy output pulse signals corresponding to the 
rotation numbers and the phases of the motors to phase counters 28a and 
28b which output signals corresponding to the rotation numbers and the 
phases of the pulse motors to the motor controller 28 in order to detect 
the precise positions of the masking plates 13 and 14 from the standard 
point. 
When the real opening distances Mx' and My' are coincident with the 
operated values Mx and My, the pulse motors PMx and PMy are stopped 
automatically, thereby setting the opening distances between the vertical 
and the horizontal masking plates to the desired values operated in the 
operational unit. 
According to the present invention the photosensitive material 12 may be of 
course movable over the surface of the vertical plate 11 by a proper 
moving means. 
One of each or both vertical or/and horizontal masking plates may be 
omitted, as occasion demands, in order to determine the size of the 
reproduction picture exactly. 
Further, three or more pairs of masking plates may be so arranged as to be 
movable independently as described above. 
According to the present invention, induction motors may be used instead of 
the pulse motors, and rotary encoders may be utilized instead of the 
coupling rods 19 and 22. 
Although the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred 
embodiment thereof, however, various changes and modifications may be made 
by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the 
present invention.