Graphic forming device with preview feature

• US 4,291,956 A
• Filed: 12/17/1979
• Issued: 09/29/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Vogelgesang, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRIFFIN, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/104,574
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 354/5-17
• US Class Current: 396/556
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/04 Copying apparatus without a relative movement between the original and the light source during exposure, e.g. printing frame or printing box

Abstract

A device for composing graphics comprising a flash lamp for irradiating portions of strip material through a template when an arm supporting the lamp is moved to an exposure position at an exposure station. The template is pressed against the strip at the exposure station between a resilient frame-mounted pad and a transparent plate on the lamp arm by a toggle linkage between the frame and the arm. The template has a rectangular array of windows and is manually positionable on locating pins at the exposure station for different exposures. A positive image of each window is provided on the template, and the locating pins are movable via movement of the lamp arm from a preview position where the image is at the exposure station so the operator can see where the graphic will be formed to an exposure position with the associated window located at the exposure station for exposure. The template also has a code for each window optically readable by the device so that means in the device will advance the strip material a predetermined distance to provide appropriate spacing between graphics along the strip material.

Claims

1. In a device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures along a strip of radiation sensitive material, said device comprising:

means for defining an exposure station;

means adapted for positioning a predetermined portion of a said strip at said exposure station; and

means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating the predetermined portion of a said strip at said exposure station in a sharply defined graphic pattern, including;

a template comprising a thin radiation transparent member with a radiation blocking coating having sharply defined open areas corresponding in shape to graphics to be formed to provide radiation transmissive windows through said template;

means for mounting said template to register one of the windows at said exposure station; and

radiation means for briefly irradiating the portion of the strip at said exposure station through the aligned window, comprising a flash lamp;

means mounting said flash lamp for movement between a normal position spaced from said exposure station to afford visible inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station, and an expose position with said flash lamp closely adjacent the exposure station; and

means for operating said flash lamp upon movement of the flash lamp to its expose position, the improvement wherein;

said coating on said template has a viewing opening adjacent each of said windows;

for each of said windows said template has a positive image of that window within said viewing opening, which image is positioned with a predetermined relationship with respect to that window;

said template has locating orifices at a predetermined location with respect to said windows;

said means for mounting said template comprises locating members adapted to enter said locating orifices and means mounting said locating members for movement between an exposure position with the window associated with the locating orifices located at said exposure station, and a preview position with the positive image corresponding to the window associated with the locating orifices positioned at the exposure station at the position in which the window is located when the locating members are in their exposure position; and

said device includes means coupled between said means mounting said flash lamp for movement and said means for mounting said template for positioning said locating members in said preview position when said flash lamp is in its normal position, and for positioning said locating members in said exposure position when said flash lamp is in its expose position.