Patent GB-789896-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to photographic type-composing apparatus
Inventor: HOOVEN FREDERICK JOHNSON
IPC: B41B17/10
Filed: 1955-08-04
Abstract: 789,896. Photography. HARRIS-SEYBOLD CO. Aug. 4, 1955, No. 22434/55. Class 106 (1). [Also in Groups XX and XL (b)] A photographic type composing machine (see Group XX) includes a register continuously rotatable with a character carrier and having a plurality of zones, each of predetermined angular extent, round its periphery, means controlled by the sequence of characters in the line of composition for selecting a corresponding sequence of zones within. the register, and means controlled in accordance with the selection of each individual character for recording in each of the selected zones coded data distinctive of the selected character by reason of its position in the zone. As shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 1 continuously driven by a motor 2 carries the register 3 and the character carrier 4. Recording and printing units are mounted. at 5 and 6 respectively. The character carrier carries, in addition to the characters, a series of marks which generate pulses in a photo-electric cell 12 in conjunction with a lamp 11. A light source 9 produces bright flashes of very short duration to illuminate selected characters and to project their images on to a film in a carrier 8. The film carrier is driven by the shaft 1 through driving means 7, which may be of the kind described in Specification 780,549. The operations are controlled by pulse actuated electronic units. Registers and pulse generators.-As shown in Fig. 3, the magnetic surface of the drum 3 is divided into circumferential tracks, each of which is divided into as many zones or " cells " as there are characters on the character carrier 4. The cells may be numbered, e.g. 1 to 128. The first three tracks carry permanently recorded signals, e.g. marks scribed on the surface, which induce signals in pick-up heads mounted close to each track. The first track comprises the marker pulse generator MPG, and has one signal recorded thereon at the zero or datum position of the system. The second track comprises the timing pulse generator TPG and carries a number of signals which mark the limits of the cells. The third track comprises the code pulse generator CPG, and carries 16 pulses in each cell. Coded information corresponding to the characters is recorded on two groups of registers. Each group comprises a units code register UCR, a 16's code register 16CR, a space code register SCR and a word space register WSR. In operation, these groups are used alternately for recording and printing, the signals used for the printing of a line being erased at the end of the printing operation. The character disc 4 carries a track of permanently recorded pulses comprising the space pulse generator SPG, the number of pulses recorded in each cell being equal to the width of the corresponding character in width units. This generator SPG may be magnetically formed but preferably the pulses are recorded photographically as marks on the character carrier, and produce pulses in a photoelectric cell 12 (Fig. 1) by interrupting a light beam incident thereon. In a modification, the generators MPG, TPG and CPG may be formed photographically on the character carrier instead of on the drum 3. Recording.-When one of the keys of the keyboard, such as the key 30 shown in Fig. 10, is depressed, a switch 31 is closed allowing a pulse from a static pulse generator P to close the electronic switch S1. This allows the next marker pulse to close the switch S2; the first timing pulse through S2 will open switch S1. The operation of key 30 also operates a combination of a set of seven switches 32, the combination operated being different for each key. The switches 32 are connected to a seven-stage binary counter with a capacity of 128 comprising the recording position counter RPC, so that the counter is pre-set to a required number N. Timing pulses are fed from the timing pulse generator TPG through switch S2 to the counter RPC at the beginning of each cell position until the total in the counter reaches 128, whereupon the counter resets to zero and emits a zero pulse. This pulse opens switch S2 and closes switch S3. The next timing pulse opens switch S3 so that the switch S3 opens at the beginning of the cell numbered 128-N from the datum position and closes at the end of the cell. The output from the space pulse generator SPG (recorded on the character disc) is connected to switch S3, so that the number of pulses representing the width of the character corresponding to the selected cell and corresponding to the key 30 which has been actuated is transmitted through a buffer B to the recording space pulse counter RSPC. A recording sequence switch RQS consists of a number of cams on a common shaft, the first cam having two lobes, the next four, and so on, and each cam causing a switch to open or close. The shaft is stepped round by a ratchet mechanism each time a key is struck, and the arrangement is such that the switches represent, by their open or closed positions, the sequence in the line of the character last recorded expressed as a binary number. The switches preset this number into a recording sequence counter RQC, which is similar to the counter RPC. When switch S7 is closed by the marker pulse, pulses are counted into the counter RQC until its capacity is reached, whereupon the counter resets to zero and emits a pulse, termed the QR pulse, which selects the cell which has a position on the register drum corresponding to the position of the character in the line. The QR pulse closes switch S6 to allow pulses from the code pulse generator CPG to pass to the recording space pulse counter RSPC. There are sixteen code pulses for each cell, and since the capacity of the counter RSPC is 16, the counter will produce a pulse which is recorded on the selected cell of the space code register SCR in a position within the cell which corresponds to the width of the character, as previously counted into the counter RSPC from the space pulse generator SPG. The switches 32 also provide data indicative of the selected character by setting two numbers into two binary counters. Four of the switches are connected to the recording units code counter RUCC, which has a capacity of 16, while the other three are connected to the recording 16's code counter R16CC, which has a capacity of 8. If the number set into the recording position counter RPC is N, then the counters RUCC, R16CC are set respectively to munbers j and k, such that N = j + 16k. As previously stated, the cell selected on the space pulse generator SPG for the pulses indicative of character width is numbered 128-N. The corresponding character does not, however, occupy the same cell; but instead occupies the cell numbered S, where S = j + 16(k - 1). ' When the QR pulse occurs at the beginning of the cell corresponding to the position of the carriage in the line, switches S4 and S5 are closed and pulses from the code pulse generator CPG are fed simultaneously into the counters. When each counter reaches its capacity, it emits a pulse which is recorded in a position in the cell corresponding to the number preset in the units code register UCR or the 16's code register 16CR. When the word space bar WS is actuated, a switch 55 is closed so that a pulse from the static pulse generator P passes through buffer B to close switch S8. At the same time switch 56 is closed, so that the next QR pulse passes through S8 and is recorded on the word space register WSR, and also operates the carriage escapement. The QR pulse also closes switches S4, S5 and S6 so that the code pulses are fed into the counters RUCC, R16CC and RSPC. As the counters remain preset at zero, pulses are recorded on the corresponding registers in the zero position, corresponding to the last of the 16 pulses of the group on the code pulse generator CPG for the counters RUCC and RSPC, and the eighth pulse for counter R16CC. A number of keys, of which one is shown at 60, are provided to record fixed spaces by selectively closing switches 61, which preset a number corresponding to the required space into the recording space pulse counter RSPC. Printing.-When a line has been completely recorded on one group of registers, the recorded signals are used to control the printing operation while the next line is recorded on the other group. Each cell is selected in sequence by the printing sequence counter PQC, Fig. 17, a 7- stage binary counter similar to the recording sequence counter RQC. The number of the character to be printed in the line is set into the counter PQC by the printing sequence switch PQS, which records a number increasing by one as each character is printed. The marker pulse produced by the marking pulse generator MPG at each revolution closes switch S14, whereupon timing pulses from the timing pulse generator TPG are fed into the printing sequence counter PQC. When the count reaches 128, the counter PQC resets to zero and produces a pulse termed the QP pulse, which occurs at the beginning of the required cell. Character spacing is controlled by the printing space pulse counter PSPC, which is a binary counter having a capacity of 16. The printing operation is initiated by operation of a print key PrK, whereby a pulse from a static pulse generator P is fed through buffer B to close switches S11 and S15. Thereupon the input of counter PSPC is connected to the marking pulse generator MPG through switch S 11, and to the code pulse generator CPG through a normally open switch S19. Switch S19 is closed by the QP pulse at the beginning of the required cell, whereupon code pulses are counted into the counter until switch S19 is closed by the pulse recorded on the space code register SCR. Now if the character recorded has a width of 5 units,. then as described above the pulse recorded on the space code register SCR will correspond with the 11th pulse of the group recorded on the corresponding cell of the code pulse generator CPG. In consequence, switch S19 will