Patent GB-1204062-A (GB)
Title: Optical typing mechanism
IPC: B41J2/465
Filed: 1968-03-06
Abstract: 1,204,062. Optical typing apparatus. OLYMPIA WERKE A.G. 6 March, 1968 [11 March, 19671, No. 10915/68. Heading B6W. [Also in Division G2] An optical typing mechanism, wherein images of selectable character stencils are projected on to a photo-sensitive recording medium, is characterized by a flexible optical typing conductor which is supplied with individual images by means of a multiple projector connected to the output ends of a plurality of individual optical image conductors, the recording medium and the output end of the flexible conductor being movable relatively to one another. General arrangement, Fig. 1.-Selected images of character stencils are projected in turn under the control of a manual keyboard along optical fibre image conductors 19 to a multiple projector 11 which projects an image from any conductor 19 to a single flexible fibre conductor 9. The output end of conductor 9 is mounted in a typing projector 3 which can be reciprocated on guide 5 by means of a stepping mechanism 6 and a return spring 7; the stepping mechanism may include a screw drive (8) (Fig. 2, not shown). Thus a line of type can be produced on recording medium 1, and rendered visible by a photochemical or photoelectric transducer. The recording medium 1 is generally mounted on a feed drum which effects line spacing (Fig. 2, not shown). A further image conductor 12 is provided on the output of projector 11 and leads to a visual checking indicator 13. Stencil system.-One arrangement for providing images to conductors 19 is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. A shutter slide 35 which is connected to a character key 20 through a key stem 21 is provided in front of the input end of each conductor 19; each slide has an aperture 36. The light-tight housing 39 also includes a diaphragm slide 37 provided with two rows of staggered apertures 38 which can be reciprocated in the direction of the arrows. In a normal position, the apertures 38 are directly aligned with the conductors 19; in a displaced position, the slide 37 shuts off all light from the conductors. A stencil slide 41 is provided with two rows of light-transmissive character stencils 42 and can also be displaced from a position in which the lower-case letters are opposite the conductors 19 to a position in which the uppercase letters are aligned with conductors 19. The conductors are also arranged in two rows in the housing 39, and are staggered in the same way as apertures 38 on slide 37. The stencil slide 42 is continuously illuminated by a light tube 44. An alternative system (not shown) involves providing the character stencils directly on the input or output ends of conductors 19 with the same arrangement of shutters and diaphragm. In this ease, no case-shift mechanism is envisaged and substitution of alternative stencils (e.g. for different type styles) is impossible. A further alternative stencil system involves a rotating stencil cylinder with the light-tube contained therein; this cylinder can be provided with a plurality of zig-zag double rows in different type styles, the style being selected by a simple rotatable knob device (Figs. 6, 7, 7a, not shown).  Keyboard mechanism, Fig. 4a.-Depression of a character key 20 causes lever 22 to rotate about pivot (23) (Fig. 5, not shown) against the action of return spring 25; a leaf spring 31 strikes a support (not shown) and, by snap action, pivots control lever 32 on rail 34 to move shutter slide 35 and bring aperture 36 (Fig. 1 and also Fig. 4, not shown) in alignment with its associated conductor 19. This briefly allows a beam of light 46 to shine through a character stencil 42, diaphragm aperture 38, and shutter aperture 36 to conductor 19. Before the shutter slide returns to its inoperative position under the action of spring 25, the lever 22 contacts bar 26, and, through intermediate members (no reference numerals), causes diaphragm slide 37 to move by one division and shut off all light from the ends of conductors 19. Spring 48 returns this slide to its normal position when key 20 is released. A lever mechanism (Fig. 4, not shown) is operable by a shift key to move the stencil slide 41 by one stencil division for case-shift.