Robert N Wolfe

Title: Robert N. Wolfe and His Projection-Screen Invention

Introduction

Robert N. Wolfe was an inventor associated with Rochester, New York, and Eastman Kodak Company. His work addressed the optical design and manufacture of projection screens, with the goal of producing a more aesthetically refined screen and distributing projected light evenly across a defined audience area.

Latest Patents

Wolfe is credited with 1 patent: “Projection Screen and Apparatus for the Fabrication Thereof.” The invention describes a screen made up of rectilinear rows of precisely contoured optical microelements. Each microelement is designed to redistribute substantially all incident image light across a predefined audience angle with uniform luminance.

The patent also describes a fabrication method. A cutting stylus forms the microelements in a workpiece as it moves across the surface in parallel traverses. A predefined electrical waveform with a random frequency drives the stylus, and a memory element moving with the workpiece stores the signal. As each row is cut, a stationary pickup head reads that signal. Reusing the same recorded signal helps maintain an identical phase relationship between microelements in adjacent rows.

Career Highlights

Wolfe’s documented patent work reflects an intersection of optical engineering and precision manufacturing. The invention’s design sought to improve both the viewing characteristics and the aesthetic quality of projection screens, while its production method aimed to create consistent patterns across the screen surface.

Collaborations

Wolfe was associated with Eastman Kodak Company. His listed coworker was Harold F. Langworthy. The available information does not specify their respective roles in developing the patented invention.

Conclusion

Robert N. Wolfe’s projection-screen patent combined carefully designed optical microelements with a repeatable fabrication process to support uniform image brightness across a defined audience area.