Calcomp Inc.

Calcojmp Inc.

Paul D Cary

Jeff T Stapleton

In a pen plotter having a plotting head carrying one half of a pen exchanging mechanism including a holding plate pivotally attached to a plotting head for pivotal movement to raise and lower a pen gripped therein and carried thereby a spring-biased gripping finger pivotally carried by the holding plate for releasably holding a pen, this is a dual-function sensing apparatus for providing a single output signal indicating pen presence and pen up/down position. There is an optical sensor comprising a light source and a light detector separated from the light source by a space and having a sensing surface upon which a beam of light impinges and wherein the level of signal output is a function of the amount of light impinging on the sensing surface. There is a light blocking blade for selectively blocking portions of the beam of light and an activation linkage connected between the gripping finger and the light blocking blade for selectively blocking portions of the beam of light with the light blocking blade so that with no pen being held the signal output from the light detector is a first possible value, with a pen being held in a lowered position the signal output is a second possible value, and with a pen being held in a raised position the signal output is a third possible value.

Dual function sensor for a pen plotter

This invention is directed to a method and associated apparatus for allowing the carriage shafts of a pen plotter to be mounted and aligned quickly and accurately without the introduction of any bending stresses or intra-shaft misalignment. The shafts have conical indentations in the ends thereof. Laterally slidable end caps are bolted over the shaft ends and bolted in place in proper alignment with the shafts. An end cap on one end of the shafts has conical projections in the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. An end cap on the other end of the shafts has bolts with conical ends threaded through the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. The bolts through the end cap are tightened to hold the shafts in place. An alignment fixture holds the shafts in proper alignment while the end caps are aligned and tightened.

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Orange, CA, United States of America

Paul D Cary