Patent GB-970979-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to data transmission and reproduction systems and concerned with displaying or reproducing such data in visually identifiable manner
Inventor: HIGONNET RENE ALPHONSE EUGENE
IPC: B41B21/16
Filed: 1959-12-21
Abstract: 970,979. Photographic type-composing apparatus. INTERNATIONAL PHOTON CORPORATION. Dec. 21, 1960 [Dec. 21, 1959], No. 43384/59. Heading B6W. [Also in Division G2] Apparatus for projecting to each position in a line of character image positions on a surface an image of a master character of a chosen identity comprises a stationary matrix of master characters arranged in groups associated individually with the image positions and each containing one set of master characters of different identities; projection means including a projection lens viewing groups of master characters on the matrix and for projecting an image of a chosen master character of a group to an image position on the surface and unique to that group; and character selection for selecting a master character in accordance with two codes, one of which is significant of the image position in the line and determines the group from which the master character is selected and the other of which is significant of the image identity and determines which master character is selected from the group. As shown in Fig. 1, the font plate 2 may comprise alternate horizontal rows of inverted and erect characters, each column comprising a complete alphabet and each row consisting of the same character, all the characters in each column being imaged erect at a common position by means of a lens 4 and a parallelsided glass block 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the font plate may comprise three vertically separate parts, images of which are all formed in the same line on the film 54 by means of prisms 20, 22, semi-reflecting mirrors 26, 28, projection lens 4 and parallel-sided glass plate 6, the prisms 20, 22 and supplementary lenses 23, 25 compensating for the longer paths from the outer parts of the plate 2. Three similar font plates may be arranged side-by-side with the addition of two further projection lenses to avoid requiring a single lens with a large field (Fig. 3, not shown). A similar system may also be provided for a second font plate array 30 in order to double the number of different characters which can be projected, the film 54 having a transparent base so that recording may be effected from either side. Pairs of parallel front surface mirrors may be used instead of the glass plates. The film from supply spool 52 may be fed intermittently between lines of recording by rollers 57 and braked by rollers 55 while the characters are recorded sequentially by use of one or more cathode-ray tubes as 16, the electron beam being used to effect character selection. Alternatively a bank of individually operable flash lamps, one lamp per character, may be used and by storing information all the charac ters in a line may be recorded simultaneously. If, alternatively, the film is fed continuously, either the characters in the line are printed simultaneously or the characters themselves and the exposure gate are slanted relatively to the film (Figs. 10, 11, not shown), to correct the echelon effect caused by film movement between recording of successive characters Further arrangements for selectively projecting characters comprise an array of lamps illuminating the whole character plate and a set of relatively displaceable castallated blades (Figs. 12 to 14, not shown), forming a shutter of the kind disclosed in Specification 905,105, is provided for each column on the plate. Preferably the font plate is formed in two halves with a separate projection lens for each, the character columns being separated by blank spaces which are always covered by the completely opaque halves of the blades. As an alternative to these shutters, an opaque card punched with apertures to select one character from each column may be used. For storing the signals comprising a complete line bi-stable magnetic core stores may be used, either such a core being provided for each character position or five cores being provided per column so that the position of the required character in the column is stored in binary form in the cores. Instead of a photographic film, a photographic paper, electrophotographic photo-conductive paper, thermographic paper, or a xerographic recording surface may be used. The Provisional Specification describes the application of the above photo-composing device to recording the changes in stock market prices, trading information being fed to a computer which controls a magnetic store in which only the most recent changes are recorded and read out from the store when required controlling the composing device. Fixed information may be introduced into each line by means of a separate reflector from an image source separate from the character matrix. In an alternative form (see Fig. 4), the photo-composing device employs a rotating matrix disc 37 bearing 20 sets of numerals, each set having radial rows of 32 identical numerals forming concentric " columns " each of numerals 0 to 9, a row of flash lamps 38, one lamp for each column illuminating the chosen numeral when it is framed by a slit 39. Fixed data on a strip 30 is recorded directly on the film 48 at 46 via a lens 42 while variable numerical data are recorded via roof prism 43 and lens 44 at 45 and via penta-prism 40 and lens 41 at 47.