Patent GB-691671-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for performing calculations relative to colour-matching
IPC: G06G7/75
Filed: 1947-02-14
Abstract: 691,671. Electric analogue calculating systems ; electric resistances ; automatically balanced bridges and potentiometers. AMERICAN CYANAMID CO. Feb. 14, 1947 [May 7, 1946], No. 4369/47. Class 37. Apparatus for producing a physical quantity corresponding with the reflectance of a mixture of pigments for a given wave-length comprises means for each pigment for generating two physical quantities proportional to the product of concentration and the appropriate value of a light absorption function and to the product of concentration and the appropriate value of a light scattering function respectively, means for summing the two sets of quantities for the several pigments, means for producing a quantity proportional to the ratio of the sums and means for transforming the latter into a quantity corresponding with reflectance. In order to obtain the integrated tristimulus values for the mixture as described below, the reflectance is found for each of a selected number of wavelengths throughout the spectrum or a quantity corresponding with reflectance may be produced which varies continuously as the data are varied according to wavelength. Where the reflectance is found for selected wavelengths, templates, Fig. 1, cut to represent logarithmically the additive light-absorption and lightscattering functions (K and S respectively), are provided for each pigment and for the substrate and are guided for vertical movement under the control of hand wheels 32 each having a logarithmic scale for the concentration of the pigment. Plates 13, adjacent to each template, are slotted vertically to serve as guides for eleven pins 11, each secured to a cable passed round pulleys so as to control a helical logarithmic rheostat which is sprung to urge the pin against its template, thereby tapping off a resistance corresponding to the product of the concentration and the particular value of the absorption or scattering function. For each of the eleven chosen wavelengths in the spectrum, there is a bridge circuit, Fig. 4, the resistances 22AK-22DK and 22AS-22DS corresponding respectively to the products of concentration and the values of the absorption and scattering functions for the several pigments and substrate being connected in series to form two arms of the bridge. The opposite arms are formed by a fixed resistance 52 and a logarithmic resistance 53 which is driven to the balance point by a motor connected to an amplifier 61 whose input is connected across the bridge. The motor also drives a cam 58 which positions a follower in accordance with the reflectance of the mixture at that wavelength, the follower setting three equal potentiometers 85, the outputs of which are connected to potentiometers 87 tapped according to the tristimulus values of a chosen illuminant for that wavelength. Each voltage so obtained is connected in series with the corresponding voltages for the other chosen wavelengths so that voltages representing approximately the three integrated tristimulus values are obtained and may be indicated or recorded in a known manner. The rheostats 22 may be replaced by logarithmic condensers in which case the cam 58 may adjust three variable condensers, the plates of which have areas corresponding with the tristimulus values. Moreover, these plates may be so shaped as to render the cam 58 unnecessary or to reduce the steepness of its profile. In a modification, Fig. 10, two sets of eleven potentiometers 111-121, corresponding to the absorption and scattering functions respectively and tapped according to the values of these functions at the eleven selected wave-lengths, are provided for each pigment A-C and for the substrate D, and for each pair of sets the voltage applied to the potentiometers is controlled by an attenuator 103 set by a hand dial 104 according to the concentration of the corresponding pigment. For each of the chosen wavelengths, the voltages representing the products of concentration and the values of the absorption function are connected in series across a potentiometer 183, Fig. 11, which forms the input to a known form of amplifier having a logarithmic response. The voltages corresponding to the scattering function are similarly summed and applied to a similar amplifier and the outputs of the two amplifiers are connected in opposition and applied to the grid of a valve 218, the anode of which is connected through a potentiometer 234 to the primary coil of a transformer 237. Three equal voltages are thus produced in secondary coils corresponding to the reflectance of the mixture, the secondary coils being connected across potentiometers 242 tapped according to the tristimulus values for that wavelength. These voltages are summed for the different wavelengths so as to produce three voltages representing approximately the integrated tristimulus values. In a further modincation employing continuous integration, logarithmic resistances 145, Fig. 13, provided for each pigment and the substrate are rotated according to the concentration which is set by a logarithmic scale 134 and the contact 150 is moved by a cam 123 representing logarithmically the absorption function so as to tap off a resistance which varies with the product of concentration and the absorption function. The resistances are connected in series to form one arm of a bridge circuit, another arm of which is formed by a similar set of resistances corresponding to the scattering function. As shown in Fig. 4, a motor is,driven to balance the bridge and the movement of the motor, as the cams driving the resistances rotate by an amount corresponding with the range of the visible spectrum, represents the varying ratio of the two suns. This movement may be changed into one representing the varying reflectance of the mixture which may then be multiplied by the tristimulus functions and integrated over the spectrum. For greater accuracy, resistances corresponding to the absorption function may be replaced by resistance 172, Fig. 14, which is driven by motor 168 controlled by an amplifier 166 to match a voltage obtained from a potentiometer 160 against the sum of the output voltages of manually set concentration potentiometers 161-164. The inputs of these potentiometers are obtained from attenuators 155-158 controlled by cams representing the absorption functions. The driven resistances 91-94 representing the products of concentration and the scattering function are connected in series in one arm of the bridge. The motor 181 which balances the bridge by varying a resistance 175 also controls the adjustable contact of a potentiometer 228, the output of which is connected in opposition to -the output of an attenuator comprising a rheostat 244 and potentiometers 245 which are motor-driven under the control of an amplifier 230 to balance the two voltages. This motor drives a cam 249 so shaped that the movement of its follower corresponds to the variations in the apparent body reflectance of the mixture. Each of the attenuators 155-158 comprises a rheostat 251, Fig. 15, and potentiometers 252, 253 which are moved in accordance with the apparent body reflectance and manually-adjustable resistances 256, 257 and a potentiometer 258 for compensating variations in the battery voltage. The amplified circuit obtained by throwing over switches 260, 261 may be used when the absorption function falls within certain limits.