Patent GB-825801-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to photographic type composing machines
IPC: B41B21/32
Filed: 1957-09-25
Abstract: 825,801. Photographic type composing. MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE CO. Sept. 25. 1957 [Oct. 8, 1956], No. 30054/57. Class 98(1) A tape-controlled photographic type composing machine includes a film which is advanced step by step longitudinally through the machine and on which transverse lines of type are photographed, means responsive to code marks on the tape for advancing the film, and means separate and distinct from the advancing means for stopping the film in a predetermined position, which include film engaging elements moving with the film in its advance and having a movement corresponding to the advance of the film. As shown in Fig. 1, the film 1 passes from a supply reel 2 in a light-tight compartment 3 over a tensioning roller 6 and a roller 6 and a roller 7, between an apertured plate 8 in the front of the compartment 3 and a platen 9, past a pair of punches 10, over rollers 11, 12 and across a pair of knives 13, 14 and guide rollers and thence into a cassette 5, passing by way of guides 15 and rollers 16A, 17A to a take-up reel 4. Film advance is effected way of guides 15 and rollers 16A, 17A to by rollers 11, 12 which draw it past the aperture in plate 8, and by rollers 16A, 17A which draw it past knives 13, 14, and reel 4 is driven frictionally from rollers 16A, 17A. The cassette 5 and the compartment 5 have parts of their walls hinged to open for removal and replacement of film. The joint between the cassette and the compartment is formed by an extension 21A of the cassette (Fig. 1a), entering a way 21, and is closed by shutters 22 which are pushed up by cams 22A on the cassette when it is inserted. A similar shutter is provided on the cassette. Another shutter 23 closes the aperture in plate 8 when the machine is switched off; but is raised by a rotary solenoid which is energised when the power is switched on. Means are provided to retract the punches 10 during film threading. Pneumatic film flattener. The face of the platen 9 has grooves leading to tubes connected by hoses to a bellows 46. The bellows are normally held closed, but after a film advance a rotary solenoid is energized which allows the bellows to extend under spring action, creating a partial vacuum which holds the film flat on the platen. Film perforation On completion of the composition of a line, an end-ofline signal initiates the following cycle of operations; the punches 10 are retracted, lowered to a given position with respect to the composed line, and then moved forward to perforate the film; the partial vacuum is broken and the platen 9 retracted; the film and punches are together raised until the punches are in their initial position; and finally the plate is moved forward and the partial vacuum re-established so that unexposed film is held flat against the aperture in plate 8. The cycle is effected by means of a camshaft 52 (Figs. 10, 11) journalled in the side walls of a housing positioned next to the compartment 3 and driven by a motor 54 through a slip clutch 55. The end-of-line signal causes energization of a solenoid 56, which operates a spring-loaded stop lever 56A, and also closes a switch 56C to complete the motor circuit so that shaft 52 rotates. The punches 10 and their die plates are mounted on the leg portions 57 of a U-shaped member 58, shown in plan and in section in Figs. 13, 14 respectively. The leg portions 57 have lugs slidably engaging vertical groove 60 in the front of compartment 3. To actuate each punch there is a hammer 62 mounted on a lever 63 pivotally mounted on a shaft 64 common to two rotary solenoids 65 mounted by brackets 66 on the rear face of U-shaped member 58. A spring 68 is anchored to each bracket 66 and connected to a pin 67 through the lever 63, the action of the springs being to press hammers 62 against punches 10, which are thereby held in forward position. When camshaft 52 begins to turn, a cam 95 thereon closes a switch 96 to energize solenoids 65, which rotate shaft 64. Levers 70 mounted on the shaft then engage the pins 67 to rock levers 63 away from the punches 10, which are then free to move back out of engagement with the film under action of their return springs 61. To move the punches down into position for the next film perforation, the member 58 has flanges 73 (Fig. 15) resting on pins 74 carried by a pair of levers 75 mounted on a rock shaft 76. Engagement is maintained by springs 77 connected between pins 74 and pins 78 on the member 58. Shaft 76 projects through the wall of compartment 3 and carries a lever 79 on its outer end. Lever 79 carries a pin 92 movable between studs 93, 108 (Fig. 26) and a vertical pin 80 (Fig. 10) engaged by a U-shaped member 82 carried on a lever 83 fast on a shaft 84 axially aligned with shaft 76. A clock spring 86 surrounding shaft 84 urges a pin 87 on lever 83 into engagement with an adjustable stud 87A carried by a lever 85, loosely mounted on shaft 84. A spring 91 acting on lever 85 keeps a roller 89 mounted thereon in contact with a cam 90 on camshaft 52, which is so shaped that initially the pin 92 on lever 79 engages the stud 93 in Fig. 26. After the punches have been withdrawn from the film continued rotation of cam 90 rocks lever 85. and hence lever 83, to swing arm 79 until pin 92 engages stud 108. This swinging motion rotates 'shaft 76 and arms 75 to lower the member 58 by an amount dependent on the travel of pin 92 between studs 93, 108. To enable the amount of movement to be changed to suit different character sizes, the studs 93, 108 are each made one of a series of studs of varying heights mounted respectively on discs 94, 109 which are rotatable in response to a tape signal as described below. The throw imparted to lever 85 by cam 90 is sufficient for the largest character size available, and for smaller sizes is partially taken up by the spring connection. When member 58 has been fully lowered, cam 95 (Fig. 11) opens switch 96 to de-energize solenoids 65, whereupon the springs 68 rotate the levers 63 so that the hammers 62 strike the punches 10 to perforate the film 1 at both ends of the composed line. On continued rotation of camshaft 52, cams 111, 112 operate switches which respectively de-energize solenoid 51B, which releases bellows 46 to destroy the partial vacuum, and solenoid. 41, which allows the platen 9 to swing away from the film. Film advance. As stated above, film advance is effected by rollers 11, 12 in the compartment 3 and by rollers 16, 17 in the cassette 5 (Fig. 1). The shaft 16 of roller 16A projects through the wall of the cassette and carries a gear wheel 97 meshing (when the cassette is in position) with a gear wheel 98 (Fig. 18) on a stud shaft 99. Shaft 99, and the shaft 12A of the roller 12, carry pulleys 101, 102 driven by belts 102A from a double pulley 104 mounted on a shaft 105, and connected through a one-way clutch to a gear wheel 106 meshing with a gear segment 107 fast on the shaft 76 connected to the lever 79. Thus during the swinging movement of the lever 79, which raises the punches 10, the rollers 16A, 12 are rotated to advance the film; the speed of rotation of roller 12 being such that the film moves at the same speed as the punches 10, which are at this time engaged in the perforations. Change of film advance on change of character size. When the size of the characters is changed, a signal on the tape completes a circuit to an electric motor geared to a gear wheel 127 (Fig. 26) fast with disc 109, which is keyed to a sleeve fast with disc 94, so that by means of a selector circuit the discs are turned to bring into operation pins 108, 93 of such height as to produce an appropriate movement of the film. In order to allow free rotation of the disc, the lever 83 is first moved, by means of a solenoid-operated lever, to a position such that pin 92 on lever 79 is held midway between the pins until the discs have been moved to their new positions.  Return of punches. After the film has been advanced, cam 112 on camshaft 52 (Fig. 11) closes switch 122A to energize solenoid 41, which causes the platen 9 to press the film against the apertured plate 8, and cam 111 closes switch 111A to energize the bellows-operating solenoid 51B, thus to re-establish the partial vacuum under the film at the aperture. Lever 56A is then allowed to drop, opening the motor circuit and stoppng shaft 52, so that the cycle is brought to 'an end. Variation of leading. As shown in Fig. 26, a wide gear wheel 141 is screwed on to a threaded portion 140 of the shaft 110 on which the discs 94, 108 are rotatably mounted. The gear is connected by a gear train to a reversible electric motor not shown, which, under the control of a special signal on the tape, rotates the gear 141 and so screws it along the shaft 110, moving disc 94, which is urged by a spring 156 against gear 141, towards or away from disc 109, thus varying the amount of movement of pin 92 on lever 79 and hence of the film, and punches 10. By this means the leading can be adjusted to a whole number of points. A knob 166 is marked in fractions of a point, and is geared to shaft 110 to turn it in gear 141, so that variations of a fraction of a point may be obtained manually. Film metering. A shaft 170 journalled in the walls of the compartment 3 has a lever 169 fixed to it, and a lever 176 loosely mounted on it next to lever 169. The levers are connected by a compression spring 174, which urges them in opposite directions so that a roller 178 on lever 169 is pressed against the film reel 2, and a foot or lever 176 is pressed against the floor of compartment 3. Shaft 170 carries a pointed at its outer end, which moves over a scale as the film on reel 2 is unwound to indicate the length of film left on the reel. When the film spool is to be changed, lever 176 is rocked by a key 177 formed thereon until spring 174 is moved over centre and pushes lever 169 back against a stop 179 carried by a spring-loaded lever