Bell + Howell Company

Anacomp, Inc.

David Jagielski

Thomas J Persha

Paul Hanke

Wojciech Dabrowski

A reader printer apparatus includes a modular housing formed by structural foam molding which includes an integrally formed means for carrying the various components of a reader printer apparatus. By providing an integrally formed carrying means, the need for a separate metal chassis and brackets is eliminated, thus reducing the number of parts required. Additionally, this allows the weight of the machine to be reduced to a value less than the seventy pound limit to enable the machine to be shipped by relatively less expensive small package carriers. The reader printer apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a scanning assembly located relatively close to the object plane in order to reduce the overall size of the machine. Moreover, by locating adjacent scanning assembly adjacent to the object plane, the optical paths for the printing mode and the viewing mode are virtually independent, thus obviating the need for pivotally mounted viewing mirrors. The scanning assembly includes a pivotally mounted print mirror driven by a stepper motor synchronized to the speed of the print engine by a stepper motor, mechanically independent from the print engine. This reduces distortions in prints due to wear and voltage fluctuations relative to the print engine.

Reader printer

The inventive microfilm reader and reader-printer has a film gate which is anchored to the chassis of the reader or reader-printer and which is entirely separate from a light system, lens mount, and focusing system which float up and down with respect to the film gate and chassis. The floating system is mounted on an elevator mechanism which lifts or lowers it relative to the film gate to scan across the width of the film. A prism is included in the lens system to rotate and vertically align the projected image. A combination of the movements of the elevator mechanism and prism enables any vertical segment of the microfilm to be scanned, selected, and read in a vertical orientation.

Vertically scanning microfilm reader and reader printer

A microfilm reader has a film transport mechanism driven by separate forward and reverse motors. When the forward motor first starts, power may be applied, via a one way clutch, to a capstan in order to automatically thread the film into the reader. A film gate opens as the film approaches it and thereafter closes, after the film is captured therein. A manual override gate control may prop the film gate open, if film is manually fed through the system.

Microfilm transport with automatic threading

The inventive reel has two parts preferably made of plastic. One reel part comprises a first central hub section having a reel flange floatingly supported thereon, to move over the length of the first hub section between limits fixed by stops formed on opposite ends of the hub section. A parallel wire spring extends from the top of the first hub section to apply balanced forces against the floating flange, for biasing it to move toward the opposite reel flange. The second reel part comprises an integral flange and a second hub section upstanding thereon. A socket in the top of the second hub section seatingly receives the bottom of the first hub section. The reel is primarily designed for use with a tape or film strip which has a stiff leader which is slightly wider than the film itself. When the leader is placed between the two flanges, the floating flange must move against the urging of the wire spring to a spacing which securely captures the leader and loosely receives the tape or film between the flanges. The first reel, which has the floating flange, is removable from the assembly leaving the second reel which may be utilized in the threading of film which does not include a stiff leader required for automatic threading.

Growing community of inventors

West Bend, WI, United States of America

David Jagielski