US1901013A - Process and apparatus for photographic type-composing - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1933.

E. UHER, JR

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE COMPOSING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1950 E. UHER, JR

March 14, 1 933.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE COIPOSING Filed June 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /r/ h H A 0 Al Ev A Patented 1.4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDIOND 'UHEK IR, 01 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, ASSIGNOB-TO UHEBTYPE m- GEBELLSCHAI'T, OF GLABUS, Sl FIILZERIAIN'ID rnocnss Am) arranarus roa rno'roenarnro 'rYrn-ooxrosme Application filed J'une V25, 1980, Serial No. 463,761, and in Germany lay 5, 198D.

For. photographic type composing, as is known, a few simple printing character patterns are sutlicient, w ich can be very easily and cheaply made, kept in'stock, and ex- 5 changed, and admit of being reproduced photographically in any desired sizes. With this is also associated the fact that the finished form has practically no weight and occupies practica ly no space in comparison with a lead type form, and can be quickly and easily manipulated quite accurately by purely mechanical means, and can be readily enlarged photographically. As a set off against these main advantages there are certain difliculties which are experienced in ensuring the letter press space breadths of the difierent forms'of letters, and in the justification of the lines, and also in the supervision and correction of the form.

These three main disadvantages follow from the circumstance that the spatial displacement capacity and the tangibility of the forms of letters embodied in lead are completely absent from the projection images to be composed. The suggestions hitherto made relating to photographic type composing tend to replace the advantageous properties of the printing type characters in the case of prO ected images by indirect means, in that they involve a complicated and expensive new plant, comprising numerous unreliable component parts, and in conjunction. therewith a complete re-training of the compositors.

Now the object of the present invention is to unite the main advantages of photographic type composing with the main advantages of separate setting, without the disadvantages indicated. The process according to the invention consists essentially in the fact that the printing characters during.

' the preparation of the active mechanical control impulses. under the supervision of the compositor himself, are represented .by these control bodies, which, in conjunction with one or more particular controlling values which accuratel determine the printing character in question mechanicall and which the said rinting bodies alrea y'embody in themse ves, or carry with them in the form of controlimpulse selections, admit of being handled as freely as printing type characters or the like. The requisite corporeal properties of the printing characters are accordingly to be represented as detached from the projected image itself, and the mechanical and optical parts embodied, which are separated from one another to the greatest possible extent, are each to be handled under their most favourable operative conditions. The mechanical cohesion ofthe two parts will admit of being reduced to a minimum in the form of a mere feel of control or the like. i I

The control bodies are according to the invention first set up into control lines in the manner of printing characters, this being done simply as if they were rintin type or the like, and are also justifie and t e line to be printed is then mechanically controlled step. by step along the control line.

The employment of such control bodies, and also the previous assembling and the arranging thereof into controllines of predetermined length, need not in reality involve any appreciable sacrifice, because control bodies already arranged in stacks, for the controlling of control lines in the manner of the matrices of ordinary type-setting machines, may be assembled and distributed in a'mechanical circuit, and therefore with the readiness to which the compositor is accustomed. Photographic type composing i will accordingly proceed of itself with thg skill of the composing machine work. Furthermore the time needed for the separate phase required for the formation of a control line will admit'of being saved, owing to the fact that the preceding controlled line is set up and justified during the controlling of the next following line.

The processes described yield tangible carriers of the controlling values occurring, which are intended to present the space breadths of the letters or the like embodied thereby with the clearness and intelligibility of printing type or the like, and in themselves alone to represent the decisive quali- 'ties of the printing characters, without participating themselves directly in the print- 1 tive and partly in cross section.

v the matrices they embody a plurality of con.-'

ing, or being themselves bound directly to the printing character image in the giving of dimensions or in the performance of their other duties. The space breadths and the justifying will therefore be effected as in the case of type printing or the like. Inthecourseof this specification it willbe shown that the problem of supervising and correct ing has also been solved and furthermore that the controlling values of the controlling bodies can be transmitted with change of amplitude.

A few constructional forms of control bodies and photographic type-composing machines according to the invention are diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views of three different control bodies,

Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of a control line in a collector, where the control bodies appear in a horizontal central section through Figures 1 to 3,

Figure 5 is a broken longitudinal section of a'control line, together with further controlling devices, where the control bodies appear in vertical longitudinal section through Figures 1 to 3, v

Figure 6 is a cross section of similar members in another constructional form, a control body according to Figure 2 being shown in elevation, and

Figure 7 shows'a general View of a photographic-type-composing machine in perspec- In Figures 1, 2 and 3, three. control bodies 1, 1 and lf-are shown, provided with pairs;v of lugs 2 and withdistributing teeth 3 of.

the nature of the matrices of type-composing machines, which fit directly into the The control. bodles show the block-like form of base of usual composing machines.

the matrices. with guiding surfaces extendmg m the direction of the lines, and with .1 lateral bounding planes perpendicular? to the guiding. surfaces, butas contrasted with trolling values in the form of impulse delivering lengths of different linear dimen- "sions.

They should accordingly be accurately machined, and can be fitted to the variables occurring, according to the simplestconditions. x V v The control dimensions X X? -and X of f the: breadths of the particular printing chanthe direction of the line, thev decisive longi acters are represented by the distances of. the two lateral'boundaryplanes. from one another; but the control dimensions Y, Y

and Y of the printing characterselection are provided in the form of slots, 4%, and 4 which extend through the control. bodies in tudinal dimensions thereof being perpendlcular to the direction of the line.

The

slidable in a guide 6, for the purpose of enabling the finished control lineL to move past in front of an actuating position not extending beyond the reach of a control body, during the controlling operation. It tends'to pass into its end position, towards which it is pulled by a cable 10,-secured at 7, passed round an independently supported roller 8. and loaded with a weight 9, but it is checked step by step according to the measure of stop surfaces on the control bodies, which are placed in the direction of the line,- so that the controlling proceeds from one. printing character to ,the next in series.

Such a stop surface is' obtained without impairing the outline illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 in the following manner 1 On the control bodies '1'; of the two wide sides 11 and 12, in general only the former is left straight, while the latter is bevelled rearwardly in the direction of the line. In

the sequence of control bodies 1 closed to form a line L therei accordingly occurs a cam surface of saw-toothed section, where the parts 13 remaining uncovered serve as stop surfaces.

All that now need be done is to provide suitable plungers in a stationary position in the'region of the path-of'the collector and to actuate them periodically in any convenient manner, in order that the controlling values contained in the line L maybe trans missible mechanically. Figure 1 shows for example a bolt shaped plunger 16, sliding to and fro in a guide 14, and acted upon by a spring 15. If this plunger is somewhat lifted in the direction of the arrow at one moment and then released, that is to say,- merely lifted over the upper edge of the stop surface 13, the collector 5 slides as awhole towards the left, until the plunger 16, feel- 1n the wide side 12, strikes against the next fofiowing stop surface 13. The longitudinal displacement of. the collector 5 thus obtained accurately returns the controllin dimension falling into-the line direction, '0 the control body 1 in question, and this dimension in its turn is proportional to the breadth of the particular printing character. The collector. displacement in question can accordingly be employed mechanically, either directly or with the interposition 1 of any desired transmission ratio, for the adjustment-bf that light-sensitive support" which has to re-= ceive the actual photographic form. This i 12 of the control bodies 1 or 1 which represent stationary or justifiable filling pieces, are not bevelled but straight. The full wide sides, slide past underneath the plunger 16 without being checked, and hand in hand therewith the light-sensitive support is smoothly and idly fed forward correspondingly to such positions. I

It is also necessary to take care that in the photographic type-composing device itself the pattern of that particular printing character which is represented by the particular control body is always adjusted for photographing. For this purpose the selector slots 4 co-operate according to Figure 5 with a feeler-like plunger 17. The latter is periodically actuated by the aid of a compressed air cylinder 18 and its piston 19,

with which it is connected by means of a rack- 20. The latter meshes with a pinion 21, and a toothed wheel 22 keyed to the pinion 21 meshes with a rack 23, which in its turn is connected with a glass plate 24.

The glass plate 24 is the carrier of various transparent printing character pat terns, which are arranged in a line thereon,

and which pass individually into the'stationary photographing position of a photographic com osing device accordingto the amplitude o the longitudinal displacement of the glass plate 24. It therefore depends ultimately upon the height Y of the selector'slots 4 that limit the plunger strokes, hgw far the glass plate 24 is displaced, that is" to say, which printing character pattern thereon is adjusted. It is therefore only necessary to dimension the slot heights Y proportionally to the longitudinal co-ordinates of the positions occupied by the printing character patterns on the glass plate, in order that to each printing character pattern there may correspond a selector slot of its own on its control body. j

If forexample there are forty-six different printing characters, and therefore fortysix patterns provided on the glass plate 24,

forty-six control bodies will have to-be provided with an equ'al'number of different slot heights. If, however," the patterns on the glass plate are arranged in two or more rows it will suffice to provide one andthe same selector slot height for all the patterns that have the same longitudinal co-ordinate on thelglass plate 24. Figure 6 showsa changing "device suitable for this purpose for a' glass plate having two rows. The con- 'trol body 1, in=additionto the selector slot 4 which, like the selector slot 4, co-operates with a plunger device according to Fi ure 5,:

has an auxiliary selector slot 4?, which in bring about a raising or lowering of the glass plate 24 in a direction transverse to the rows of'patterns.

In control bodies according to Figure 1, which are not provided with a second slot, the plunger 17 cannot penetrate so far that it will bring about an exchange. Such control bodies will be employed for example for the small letters, while the control bodies for capital letters will be providedwith auxiliary slots. Accordingly one row on the glass, plate 24 will contain the small letters and the other row the capital letters. In control bodies of stationary or justifiable filling pieces no selector slots at all are necessary, because the same have nothing to be adjusted for photographing.

Figures 1, 2'and 4 show that on the wide sides 11 indicating marks 28, 28 and so forth may be provided, which immediately indicate the printingcharacter that is represented by the control body in question. These indicating marks preferably project so far'that they enable a proof impression In Figure 7 will be seenthe main parts ,of a photographic type-composing machine,

where the plunger strokes, influenced b the selector slots-4, are transmittedto a p otographic composing device with a drumshaped pattern carrier. The rack 20 carrying the plunger '17 3 rests in the inoperative position on a stop 35, and the up strokes permitted by'the various selector slots 4 set the pinion 21 1 in rotary motion, which is transmitted by means of a shaft 36 and of two bevel .wheels37, 38 to a vertical shaft 39.

The latter carries at its upper end an inclined mirror 40: which reflects rays of light 1 comin inclined annular mirrors 42 and 42 to an inclined mirror located at the inner end of the shaft-39, and from-hereinto a photo from a lamp 41 along a path indicated y dot-and-dash-lines, by way of two graphic objective lens 43. 'A" stationary "disc 44 carries a. glass drum 45, on the periphery of which the transparent. printing character patterns are arranged in belts 46-, 46 and 46 With the shaft 39 there also revolves in the direction of the arrow the upper half 47 of a ratchet mechanism provided with wedge teeth, while the lower half 47 of the ratchet mechanism is stationary, and can be raised and lowered by means of rods 48. v

The up strokes of the plunger 17 ultimately each rotate the shaft 39 through a definite angle. The different angular rotations of the latter involve diflerent photographic adjustments, because the' two inclined mirrors mentioned above are rotated with it, and the rays of light from the lamp 41 vpass round the circuit of the belts 46 and therefore illuminate just that particular printing character pattern which corresponds to the particular selector slot 4.

Now to' the longitudinal co-ordinates of the glass plate 24 of Figure 5 there correspond the partial rotations of the shaft 39, and the auixiliary slots have here to pro vide for the raising of the particular belt of printing characters 46, 46 or 46 to the level of the lower annular mirror 42 The displacements effected by the selector slots 4 are adjusted by the fact that the lower half 47 of the ratchet mechanism is raised at suitable moments. Thev wedge effect of the teeth is thus intended to ensure the accuracy of the adjustments. The flexibility of the driving mechanism requisite for this purpose may be obtained by interposing an elastic element at any convenient position. Such an adjustment is of course also possible in other pattern carriers.

The light-sensitive support is displaced by the aid .of a two-armed lever 49, the pivot 50 of which, for the purpose of regulating the transmission ratio, is shifted on a slide 52 in a guide 51 and can be made fast by means of a screw 53. The lever49 is attached to the collector 5 at one end in longitudinal slots 54, 54 and at the other end by a pin 55 to a slide56, which takes with it step wise by means of a pin 59 a strip of film 58 unwinding in the direction of the arrow from a roll 57, as it is liberated by the plunger 16 in proportion to the correspondin stops'of the control bodies. The slide 56 is constantly pulled in the direction of the arrow towards its end position by a cable 10 passing over a pulley 8 and loaded with a weight 9 From one control body to the next, that is to say, from one printing character to the next, the shaft36 is rotated at will, and therefore the corresponding character pattern is illuminated on the glass drum 45 and projected through the objective lens .43 to the constant exposure point 60,while the strip of film 58 is .fed forward according to the particular breadth dimensions of the control bodies, so that the exposure always takes place on fresh film'sur-;

'minate smoothly.

faces. Since the lines, while still in the con-- dition of control lines, are already justified, A l

and supervised, the photographic exposures maybe effected in rapid succession. For

this purpose alone the succession of the periodical plunger actuations is to be effected with corresponding rapidity, becauseduring forms in column form can likewise be made, only a corresponding line displacement of the light-sensitive support has to be provided for. The drawing in fact indicates the existence'of the photographic form on the film strip 58, but the same in reality only. becomes visible after photographic development, and so forth.

The plunger 16, in the position-of the collector 5 adjusted for the commencement of the controlling of a line, has to check .the

latter at the initial stop surface 13 of the initial control body. This precaution is intended to determine in the first place the most advantageous arrangement of the plunger16 and to ensure in the second place that the photographic exposures can precede the adjustments from time to time of the light-sensitive supports.

On similar grounds the plungers 17 c'ooperating with the selector slots 4 have to be located, in the position of the collector 5 just mentioned, within reach of the narrowest initial control body occurring. In the case of the other control bodies under consideration the selector slots 4 prove longer in the direction of the line, so that the upstrokes of the plungers 17 can always ter- The pneumatic operation of the latter exerts moreover a buffer-like action, so that the plunger strokes can be di- 7 rectly lengthened or shortened. Figures 4, 5 and 6 indicate that the two kinds of control devices can be connected with one ang other. To the plunger 16 of Figure 4 is pivoted the key 32 of a cock 33, which opens and closes the compressed air supply pipe 34. The latter is continuous with pipes 34 34 and 34 which open in the corresponding cylinders 18, 18 and 18 These accordingly receive their supplies of compressed air under the control of the strokes of the plunger 16. 1

The photographic composing machine described may as a whole consist of an ordinary type-setting machine, in which the control bodies 1 described above are employed in place of the matrices, the longitudinally slidable collector 5, together with'the plungers 16 and 17 hereinbefore described are used instead of the ordinary collector, and a photographic type-composing device is employed in place of the casting and line-treating device, this composing device being 'controlled by means of the control bodies. Ac-

cordingly a comparativel small number of control bodies will be su cientand will facilitate the introduction of the photographic composin machines, both from the point of view of t e owner and from that of the op- I erators.

' not has to be employed.

'What I claim is 1. A photographic type-composing process, comprising setting up by a successlon of manual operations separate movable control bodies each representing a printlng charactor, and deflectinga beam of light into a direction determined by certain dimensions of each of the said control bodies in succession, thereby causing) the corresponding printing characters to e photographed on a moving sensitized strip.

2. A photogra hie type-composing process, comprising orming a control me by setting up b a succession of manual operations movab e control bodies each representing a printing character, justifying the control line, and deflecting a beam of'light nto a direction determined by certain dimensions of each of the said control bodies in succes sion, thereby causing the corresponding printing characters to be photographed on a moving sensitized strip.

3. A photogra hie type-composing ess, comprising orming .a control me by setting up by a succession of manual operations movable control bodies each representing a printin character, justifying the control line, de ecting a beam of li ht into a direction determined by certain imensions v of each ofthe'said control bodies in succesthe corresponding printingcliaracters to photographed on a moving sensitized strip and formmg a further control line of movable control bodies while the control line previousl set up is controllingthe photographing? printing characters represented there y. Y Y 4. A photogra hie type-composm procthe ess, comprising orming a control he by setting up b a succession of manual operations movab e control bodies each representing a printing character, justifyin the.con-.

trol'line, and deflecting a beam ofdight into a direction determined by certain dimensions of each of the said control bodies in succession, thereby causing the corres on ing printing characters to be photograp ed n a v p v procmoving "sensitized strip, the control bodies being assembled from stacks and re-distributed thereto after use in a mechanical circuit like the matrices of a type-setting machine;

5. A photographic type-eomposingmachine, comprising a longitudinally slidable collector adapted. to assemble control bodies representing particular printing characters into control lines.

6. A photographic type-composin machine for carrying out the process 0 aimed in claim 1, comprising a longitudinally slidable collector adapted to assemble control bodies representing particular printing characters into control lines.

7 A photographic type-com osing machine, com rislng a longitudina ly slidable.

collector a apted to assemble control bodies representing particular printing characters into control lines, a plunger mounted near the path of the collector and adapted to cooperate step by step with the control bodies assembled therein, and means for periodi- I 9. A photographic) type-composin machine, comprising a longitudinally s idable collector a apted to assemble control bodies representing particular printingcharacters into control lmes, a plunger mounted near the path of the collector and adapted to cooperate step by step with the control bodies assembled therein, and means for periodically reciprocating the plun r, the plunger engaging with the outer en faoe of the mitial control body when the colleetor is in its startin control position.

10. A p otographic type-composing machine, comprising a longitudina ly slidable collector a apted to assemble control bodies representing particular printing characters into contro operate step by step with the control bodies assembled therein, and means for periodically reciprocating the plunger, the line of action of the plunger being in such a position in relation to the path of the collectorthat it can engage adequatel with even the narrowest-of the control bo ies when occupying the initial position in the control line.

.ed to assemble control bodies representm particular printing characters" into. contro lines, a plunger mounted near the path of the collector and adapted to colines, a plunger mounted near the path of the collector and adapted to co-operate step by step with the control bodies'a'ssembled therein, and means for periodicallyreciproeating the plunger in place of the usual matrices and matrice-collector, and photographic type-composing means controlled by the said control bodies in place of the usual casting and line-treating means.

.' 12. A photographic type-composing ma chine, comprising a longltudinally sl idable collector adapted to assemble into control lines, control bodies representing particular printing characters and having certain linear dimensions that differ from the corresponding linear dimensions of similar control bodies representing other printing characters, and comprising guiding surfaces substantially parallel to the direction of the line of control bodies when set up, and lateral bounding planes perpendicular to the said guiding surfaces. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. EDMOND UHER, JR.

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