Patent GB-1144681-A (GB)
Title: Photographic type composing apparatus
IPC: B41J3/01
Filed: 1966-03-25
Abstract: 1,144,681. Photographic type-composing; strip-perforating. ITEK CORP. 25 March, 1966 [25 March, 1965], No. 13387/66. Heading B6W. Apparatus for projecting and recording characters in a language such as Chinese includes a character matrix plate 12, Fig. 1, carrying for example, thirty-six rows and thirtytwo columns of character families, each family such as 14 comprising five rows and five columns of characters. The families in any one row consist of characters having similar top stroke configurations and those in any column similar bottom stroke configurations, so that a family consists of characters having similar top and bottom stroke configurations. Any selected family can be brought into a projection area 16 between a light source 61, Fig. 4, and a lens 63, by moving the plate vertically and horizontally. In operation, any X key and a Y key are pressed in succession indentifying the top and bottom configurations respectively of a character to be recorded, and this effects selection of the requisite family, the whole of which is then projected on to a viewing screen 72 through a row shift prism 64. a column shift prism 65 and a mirror 66. The screen is covered by a mask 74 having a window 73 in which is visible only the first row of characters in the family. The apparatus is controlled by an electric control system shown in Figs. 2, 3 (not shown) and 4 which control system includes a sequence clock which is set in succession to eight positions in which various electric contacts are closed. On pressing of the X and Y keys, during interval (1), a code signal from the X-key is inserted in an upper segment register (32) and in an X-register (37). During interval (2), a Y-signal is inserted in a lower segment register (34) and in a Y-register (39). During interval (3), stepping motors 13, 24 controlled by the signals in the registers (37, 39) move the plate 12 to the requisite position, bars 21, 25 being slidable in the supporting arms. If necessary, on inspection of the row of characters in the window 73, i.e. if the required character is not in the visible row, a row selection key is actuated to step a row counter and to move the prism 64 to shift the light beam until the character becomes visible. A column key is actuated to step a column counter and move the prism 65. On the actuation of the column key, a signal is passed to a converter 84 and thence to a timer 88, which first moves the mirror 66 out of the light path, the light then passing to a shutter 91. The timer then acts to open the shutter, and the image of the selected character is projected through an aperture 96 on to a recording drum 97, which is then indexed. During intervals (4) and (5), the codes in the registers (32) and (34) are punched into a tape. During interval (6), the codes in the row and column counters are punched, and during interval (7) a character completion code is punched. During interval (8) all the registers and counters are reset to their original positions. The most used families are positioned in the central area of the plate. In a modification of the arrangement of families, each family is arranged in the shape of a cross as shown in Fig. 7, each family comprising five characters. In another form, the optical system is moved and the plate stationary.