Photographic composition system

Claim 2

A photo composing mechanism comprising means for reading impulses from a character data carrier, count storage means independent of said character data carrier having information representing each character by a predetermined count, a light source, a drum having a font of transparent characters on its periphery, means for continuously rotating said drum, a beam diverter mounted within said drum, means for counting the number of characters on said drum passing a predetermined point, means for detecting coincidence between the number of characters passing said point and the predetermined count of the character read by the reading means, means operable by said coincidence to activate said light source to generate a light beam, said light beam being projected within said drum and against said divertor to redirect it and cause it to pass through the selected character in the font to form an image of the character, means for directing the image of each character onto a photo-sensitive sheet, width storage means independent of said character data carrier and independent of said font having the width characteristics of each character, a movable reflector outside of said drum in the path of said image, said movable reflector being adapted to direct the image against the photo-sensitive sheet, said photo-sensitive sheet being movable in a path perpendicular of the path of the movable reflector, means for maintaining said photo-sensitive sheet stationary until a line of characters has been impressed on said sheet, means for moving the photosensitive sheet in said perpendicular direction when a line has been completed, means responsive to width characteristics in said width storage means for moving the movable reflector a predetermined distance whereby the movable reflector will direct the image of the characters in a single line on said photosensitive sheet in accurately spaced relationship to each other, inhibit means to inhibit the pulsing of the light beam until the reflector is in proper position, means for removing the inhibit when the reflector mechanism is in position, said counting means comprising an opening adjacent each transparent character, a light source within the drum and directing a light ray through said opening and a light-sensitive count sensor adapted to receive said light ray, and a lens system between the reflector mechanism and said drum.

Claim 3

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein pulsing of the light power supply is inhibited until the reflecting mechanism is in proper position.

Claim 4

A mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided to remove the inhibit when the reflecting mechanism is in position.

Claim 5

A mechanism as claimed in claim 3 wherein said font has a plurality of transparent characters.

Claim 6

A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sensing means comprises a gate adjacent each character.

Claim 7

A mechanism as claimed in claim 5 wherein a light sensitive mechanism is provided for sensing said gates and is connected to said counting means.

Claim 8

A mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein a light source is mounted on one side of said font and said sensing means are mounted on the opposite side thereof.

Claim 9

A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 wherein said gate is an opening adjacent said characters.

Claim 10

A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 wherein a lens system is mounted between the said reflecting mechanism and said drum.

Claim 11

A photo composing mechanism comprising means for reading impulses from a character data carrier, means for representing each character read by a count, a light source, a font of characters, means for continuously moving said font of characters, means for counting the number of characters on said font passing a predetermined point, means for detecting coincidence between the number of characters passing said point and the count represented by the character reading means, means operable by said coincidence to activate said light source to generate a light beam, means for passing the light beam through the selected character in the font to form an image of the character and means for directing said image onto a photo-sensitive sheet, means for directing said image to a movable reflecting mechanism, said reflecting mechanism being moved a predetermined amount in order to direct adjoining character images onto said photo-sensitive sheet spaced in accordance with predetermined width characteristic, movement of said reflecting mechanism being controlled by a memory mechanism operatively connected to the reading means and by the coincidence detecting means, means for inhibiting the pulsing of the light power supply until the reflecting mechanism is in proper position, means to remove the inhibit when the reflecting mechanism is in position, said counting means comprising means for sensing the position of each character as it passes said predetermined point, said font having a plurality of transparent characters, said sensing means comprising a gate adjacent each character, a light sensitive mechanism being provided for sensing said gates and connected to said counting means, a light source being mounted on one side of said font and said sensing means mounted on the opposite side thereof, said gate being an opening adjacent said characters, said font being a continuously rotating drum, the generated light beam being directed by a reflector in said drum, the generated light beam passing through the transparent characters in the drum to direct the image thereof to the reflecting mechanism, a lens system being mounted between the said reflecting mechanism and said drum, means being provided for adjusting the intensity of said light, said adjusting means comprises a beam splitter which directs a portion of said generated beam to an intensity measuring device for controlling the intensity of the light source.

Claim 12

A photo composing mechanism comprising means for reading impulses from a character data carrier, means for representing each character read by a count, a light source, a font of characters, means for continuously moving said font of characters, means for counting the number of characters on said font passing a predetermined point, means for detecting coincidence between the number of characters passing said point and the count represented by the character reading means, means operable by said coincidence to activate said light source to generate a light beam, means for passing the light beam through the selected character in the font to form an image of the character and means for directing said image onto a photo-sensitive sheet, means for directing said image to a movable reflecting mechanism, said reflecting mechanism being moved a predetermined amount in order to direct adjoining character images onto said photo-sensitive sheet spaced in accordance with predetermined width characteristic, movement of said reflecting mechanism being controlled by a memory mechanism operatively connected to the reading means and by the coincidence detecting means, means for inhibiting the pulsing of the light power supply until the reflecting mechanism is in proper position, means to remove the inhibit when the reflecting mechanism is in position, said counting means comprising means for sensing the position of each character as it passes said predetermined point, said font having a plurality of transparent characters, said sensing means comprising a gate adjacent each character, a light sensitive mechanism being provided for sensing said gates and connected to said counting means, a light source being mounted on one side of said font and said sensing means mounted on the opposite side thereof, said gate being an opening adjacent said characters, said font being a continuously rotating drum, the generated light beam being directed by a reflector in said drum, the generated light beam passing through the transparent characters in the drum to direct the image thereof to the reflecting mechanism, a lens system being mounted between the said reflecting mechanism and said drum, means being provided for adjusting the intensity of said light, said adjusting means comprises a beam splitter which directs a portion of said generated beam to an intensity measuring device for controlling the intensity of the light source.

Claim 13

A mechanism as claimed in claim 10 wherein the reflector in the drum is a penta reflector.

Claim 14

A mechanism as claimed in claim 11 wherein the distance between the mirror and the photo-sensitive sheet is long so that there is no distortion.

Claim 15

A mechanism as claimed in claim 11 wherein the photo-sensitive sheet is curved.

Claim 16

A mechanism as claimed in claim 11 wherein the photo-sensitive sheet is moved up after a line is completed.

Claim 17

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein a beam splitter is provided which directs a portion of said generated beam to an intensity measuring device for controlling the intensity of the light source.

Claim 18

A mechanism as claimed in claim 15 wherein the reflector in the drum is a penta reflector.

Claim 19

A mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein the distance between the reflector and the photo-Sensitive sheet is long so that there is no distortion.

Claim 20

A mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein the photo-sensitive sheet is curved.

Claim 21

A mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein the photo-sensitive sheet is moved up after a line is completed.