Coulter Systems Corporation

The Mead Corporation

Eotron Corporation

Richard Equipment Company, Inc.

John C Butler

Lysle D Cahill

John A Lawson

John F Keane

Ronald J Duke

Kenneth D Fraser

John L Tibbits

E Raymond Thomas

George H Kramer

Stanley C Harting

Theodore A Kessis

Gary L Frank

Manfred R Kuehnle

Lawrence J Bassuk

Richard Sutera

Timothy H Archer

Joseph D Knox

Danny Potts

Richard P Bell

Paavo Loosberg

Karl F Rill

Lawrence C Calhoun

Ernest Warren Drumm

Robert G Wolfe

Arnold Leroy Fife

Larry E Price

Vincent James Paul, Jr

A light beam scanning device and method comprises a first input source for providing a scanning light beam and a flat stationary scanning surface to be scanned by the beam. An f sine theta lens system focuses the light beam onto the flat stationary scanning surface. A galvanometer mirror provides for repetitively scanning the light beam across the flat stationary scanning surface in a first fast scan direction while a pivoting mirror provides for receiving the light beam and scanning it onto the galvanometer mirror in a second slow scan direction perpendicular to the first direction. The cooperative operation of the galvanometer mirror and the pivoting mirror raster scan the light beam onto the flat stationary scanning surface. A second light source generates a reference light beam which is directed onto a rear mirror surface of the galvanometer mirror from which it is directed to a nonlinear grating having line spacing proportional to 1/(sine theta) for defining the position of the scanning beam in the first direction. The grating is scanned by the reference beam as is reflected from the galvanometer mirror and passes from the grating to a detector for generating a control signal representative of the position of the scanning light beam in the first direction. The grating may be reciprocally moved relative to the galvanometer mirror to compensate for distortion of the image scanned in the flat stationary scanning surface.

Flat stationary field light beam scanning device

An electrostatic image of binary data representing elements if formed on a particular electrophotographic member disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,339. The electrostatic image is toned and the toned image is transferred to a storage medium. The storage medium is in the form of an extended length of dual-layer transparent synthetic resin material. One of the layers has a softening range of temperature less than the substrate. At the transfer, the one layer is heated and the toned image is pressed into the one layer. The storage medium carrying the toned image then is wound up on a storage or take-up spool while fresh medium is fed from a supply spool. The two spools are carried by a housing and the housing, spools and medium form an optical mass memory cassette. Reading of the data occurs by deflecting rays of light across the medium and the light that is transmitted through and blocked by the medium is sensed in bar sensors, one for each ray. The rays are deflected across the medium in a pattern similar to the pattern used for imaging the electrophotographic member. The electrical signals from the sensors are used to produce binary data representing the data stored on the medium.

Method and device for reading digital data in an optical mass memory

Sequential scanned scaled density data representing a varying tone image is electronically screened to form binary element data that when imaged to form an array of orthogonally arranged binary elements on a member produces screened color separation plates of that original image suitable for use as the printing plates in a lithographic printing press. Screening occurs by comparing sequential density data with selected screen matrix data contained in a memory. The matrix data is ordered with density values increasing outwardly from the matrix center to the corners and edges. The matrix data is selected from matrix locations related to the desired screen frequency and angle with the selected matrix locations being determined by the application of fundamental right triangle trigonometric relationships to the matrix. Screening and imaging occurs sequentially with two density data being compared to matrix data simultaneously. The binary elements of the several plates are produced in one pass across the surface of the member.

Method and apparatus for half-tone reproduction of a varying tone

An electrostatic image of binary data representing elements is formed on a particular electrophotographic member disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,339. The electrostatic image is toned and the toned image is transferred to a storage medium. The storage medium is in the form of an extended length of dual-layer transparent synthetic resin material. One of the layers has a softening range of temperature less than the substrate. At the transfer, the one layer is heated and the toned image is pressed into the one layer. The storage medium carrying the toned image then is wound up on a storage or take-up spool while fresh medium is fed from a supply spool. The two spools are carried by a housing and the housing, spools and medium form an optical mass memory cassette. Reading of the data occurs by deflecting rays of light across the medium and the light that is transmitted through and blocked by the medium is sensed in bar sensors, one for each ray. The rays are deflected across the medium in a pattern similar to the pattern used for imaging the electrophotographic member. The electrical signals from the sensors are used to produce binary data representing the data stored on the medium. The data stored in the optical memory cassette is unaffected by magnetic and electric fields and light energy, a tremendous quantity of data can be stored on a relatively small length of storage medium, and the storage medium is inexpensive so that it may be discarded when the data is obsolete.

Optical mass memory system using electrophotography

Graphics and text data are combined selectively to discharge incremental areas of a charged electrophotographic member to form thereon a latent text and/or graphics image represented by the graphics and text data, the imaged member thereafter being toned and output from the system so that the toned image may be fused on the member and the member may be used as a printing plate in an offset lithographic printing press. The apparatus includes an optical system that may form a maximum of 22 individual rays which are deflected twice through a field flattening lens and then onto the charged member. The optical system further includes an optical scale or grating which provides electrical signals indicating the precise location of the individual rays along scan lines on the member. The apparatus further includes an electronic system which generates electrical signals from the graphics and text data to form the 22 individual rays. The text data is used to modulate signals produced by the graphics data, the result of the modulation being beam control signals used to form the 22 individual rays. The apparatus further includes a toning system that provides a vertical meniscus of toning fluid, the meniscus being essentially stationary with the electrophotographic member as the electrophotographic member is rotated past the toning station.

Digital plate maker system and method

A digital plate maker system to receive graphics and text data and selectively discharge incremental areas of a charged electrophotographic member to form thereon the latent images represented by the graphics and text data, the imaged member thereafter being toned and output from the system. Thereafter, the toned image may be fused on the member and the member being used in an offset lithographic printing press. The digital platemaker system includes an optical system which may form a maximum of 22 individual rays which are direct deflected twice through a field flattening lens and then onto the charged member. The optical system further includes an optical scale or grating which provides electrical signals indicating the precise location of the individual rays along scan lines on the member. The digital plate maker system further includes an electronic system which generates electrical signals to form the 22 individual rays. The text data is used to modulate signals produced by the graphics data, the result of the modulation being the beam control signals used to form the 22 individual rays. The digital plate maker system further includes a toning system which provides a vertical meniscus which is essentially stationary with the electrophotographic member as the electrophotographic member is rotated past the toning station.

Optical system for imaging an electrophotographic member

An automatic optoelectronic inspection device is located at a position downstream from a cigarette making machine and upstream from cigarette packaging machinery, and cigarettes are conveyed in groups to the inspection device where each group is inspected. The inspection device includes a plurality of photodetectors arranged so that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the position of a photodetector and the position occupied by each cigarette in a normally formed group. Each photodetector includes a light-emitting source for illuminating the end portion of a cigarette and a photoelectric transducer for sensing light reflected from the end portion of a cigarette in registration with the photodetector. The power to the light-emitting sources is controlled in such a way that the intensity of the light emanating from each light-emitting source is modulated at a high frequency. The signal produced by each photoelectric transducer is AC-coupled to circuitry for comparing each photoelectric transducer signal with a preset threshold signal, thereby substantially eliminating the effects of varying ambient light on the accuracy with which missing and improperly filled cigarettes are detected. If the intensity of reflected light is such that the photoelectric transducer signal is less than the threshold signal, the comparison circuitry indicates that a cigarette is missing from the group or is improperly filled, and the group of cigarettes is rejected. Other features are also disclosed.

Optoelectronic device for automatically inspecting a group of cigarettes

A scanning and printing system scans and digitizes graphical information for recording on magnetic tape and also prints graphical information previously stored in digital form on a magnetic tape. Scanning and printing is accomplished by directing a laser beam through a pinhole in an aperture plate and thence through a set of optics, which collimate the beam and scan it across the surface of a graphic medium. For operation as a printer the laser beam is addressed by an acousto-optic modulator, which is positioned between the laser and the aperture plate. The acousto-optic modulator causes a shifting of the laser beam in accordance with digitized data trains representing positive and negative areas in an image to be reproduced. The laser beam is normally blanked out by the aperture plate and is periodically shifted by the acoustic-optic modulator for direction through the pinhole.

Laser operated scanning and printing system

Growing community of inventors

Centerville, OH, United States of America

John C Butler