Patent GB-796506-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to photographic type-composing machines
IPC: B41B21/28
Filed: 1955-08-02
Abstract: 796,506. Photographic type - composing. HIGGONET, R. A. E., and MOYROUD. L. M. Aug. 2, 1955, No. 22229/55. Class 98(1) A photographic type-composing machine includes a carrier plate with characters thereon; a lens system for forming an image of selected character; means for effecting, in single steps only from a central position, relative rectilinear movements between the plate and the lens system for positioning characters selectively in an image-forming position with respect to the lens system, and abutment means for precisely locating the plate and lens system in their central and relatively shifted positions. The relative shifting movements may take place in two directions at rightangles, and both the plate and the lens system may be shiftable. As shown in Fig. 2, a plate P carries two arrays of characters 10, 12 each array comprising eighty-one characters. The characters on each array are arranged in nine grqups, each group consisting of nine characters, the central character of each group being indicated by a cross. As shown in Fig. 3, the plate P is mounted in a frame 14 mounted for movement on a base plate 16, which carries two pairs of bearing blocks 17, 18. A rod 22 has collars 24 pinned to it in such a position that the collars fit into the bearing blocks 17 with the ends of the collars flush with the inner faces of the block. A spring 28 bears on collars 26 which are thereby pressed into contact with the faces of the collars 24 and the blocks 17 when the frame is in central position. A rod 30 parallel to rod 22 is similarly mounted in bearing blocks 18. Rods 32, 34, which are perpendicular to rods 22, 30, are similarly mounted in bearing blocks 19, 20 mounted on the frame 14. The ends of the four rods are held in corner blocks 36. When the frame 14 is at rest, the springs 28,28<SP>1</SP> on the four rods hold the frame accurately in a central position. The frame can be moved against action of the spring up or down or left or right in Fig. 3. into contact with fixed abutments 38, 39, 40, 41 Nine positions of the frame 14 are thus possible. Means tor moving the trame 14 into a selected position are shown in Fig. 5. Eccentrics 48, 50 are linked to a lever 56, which in turn is linked to a bar 64 having a pin-and-slot connections with a lug 44 on the frame 14. Rotation of one or the other of the eccentrics 48, 50 moves the frame 14 up or down, while other eccentrics 70, 72 move it right or left in similar fashion. In this way, any one of the nine groups of nine characters on either of the arrays 10, 12 may be brought into operative position. As shown in Fig. 1, light from lamps L passes through condenser C and plate P along lines A, B to mirrors 96, 98. Mirror 98 is removable, so that either of the arrays 10, 12 may be used at will. Lenses 84, 86 are placed between the plate P and the mirrors 96, 98 respectively, in order that images of the characters projected may be formed at 102. The lenses 84, 86 are mounted in a frame 82 which is movable into any one of nine positions in the same way as the frame 14. Taking the spacing of characters on the plate P as one unit the movement of the frame 14 is three units, while the movement of the frame F carrying the lenses need only be half a unit. A diaphragm 104 is placed to cut off light which may surround the selected image 102, and a shutter 106 may be placed just in front of it. The arrangement is such that the image formed at 102 is of the same size as the characters on the plate P. For projection therefore a lens 108 is provided to render the light issuing from the diaphragm 104 parrallel. A turret 110 carries systems of afocal lenses 112 which are brought selectively into the parallel beam of rays in order to vary the magnification. The rays are finally focused on a photographic surface 116 by means of a lens 114, which moves together with a plane mirror in order to space the characters on the surface. In a modification, the mirror 98 is stationary but extends only up to the optical axis B. Mirror 98 in this case reflects only half the cone of rays emerging from lens 86, while it also blocks off half the cone of rays reflected by the mirror 96. Selection between the two mirrors is made by individual shutters. Specifications 691,761 and 691,763 are referred to.