Abstract: A material transport for conveying photographic materials in a light tight environment from a typesetter to a material processor. The transport is supported in a shroud which is connected to the processor by a pair of slides. The transporter includes at a delivery end a gasket member in compression with a material receiving slot in the processor. The transporter is supported along an axis adjacent said processor for pivotal movement to a service position. The shroud and transporter are thereby slidable to a service position, permitting access to one side of a typesetter.

Abstract: A film sheet storage cassette. A channel mounting bracket supports a rectangular enclosure in position to receive cut film sheets. The enclosure includes a top flange which is slidable into the channel and held in position to receive through an entrance slot the paper film sheets. A spring biased door is supported for movement in the plane of the flange to cover and uncover said slot. The channel includes camming slots which receive upstanding camming tabs. Insertion of the cassette flange into said channel forces said camming tabs along said camming slots moving the door to its open position.

Abstract: Apparatus for reproducing photographic images by diffusion transfer. A first path is provided for receiving an image-carrying photographic sheet of the diffusion transfer type, for developing. A lower guide in the first path includes a plurality of irregularly spaced protrusions which cooperate with vertically extending flexible blades. The material to be developed passes between the flexible blades and the lower arcuate guide member during processing. While the first path is processing the image-carrying sheet, a sheet of print material is being advanced simultaneously through a second path, the first and second paths having a common exit aperture. Disposed at the common exit aperture is a means for laminating the print medium and developed image-carrying sheet. The laminated structure exits onto a receiving tray for temporary storage during the diffusion phase, prior to delamination of the sheets to reveal the transferred positive image.

Abstract: A color photoprinter having a scanning light source and automatic control of contrast excursion limits and exposure level is disclosed. The printer is particularly well suited to contact printing with opaque image receiving materials. A prescan of the original photographic transparency, only, is made to determine the initial exposure level and contrast excursion limits to be expected on the opaque receiving material, and to establish the required automatic exposure and dodging control signals. The original is rescanned to generate signals which represent an unsharp, luminous, contrast controlling mask. These signals are retained in a memory, such as an image storage tube. The opaque image receiving material is then moved into intimate contact with the original for the actual exposing scan, which takes place with the unsharp luminous mask electronically superimposed on the scanning light source, in order to provide automatic contrast and exposure level control of the image during the printing step.

Abstract: A picture taking apparatus is provided which accurately positions a camera lens with respect to the object being photographed. The apparatus comprises in part an element which is supported on and moves along a track. The track has equally spaced parallel pins extending in one direction therefrom and complementary indicator marks located on one face thereof. The element has a carriage which slides horizontally along a shaft of the element which is parallel to the track. The carriage has a cam-operated plate which slides vertically in said carriage to engage and disengage said pins. When the cam-operated plate engages a pin, the carriage is "fixed". This provides a "coarse" adjustment for the position of the camera lens. For the "fine" adjustment, the element is still free to move along the track. The element can be moved along the track to "fine tune" the position of the camera with respect to the object to be photographed.

Abstract: A conveying mechanism and flexible carrier for transporting a planar printing plate and flexible overlying mask from a flat loading station to a precisely-curved cylindrically-shaped scanning station, and back to the flat loading station, is disclosed. The vacuum carrier used is rigid in one axis and flexible in a second axis, and has a pair of reference strips which define a neutral bending axis for the plate and mask when the latter are wrapped around a pair of precisely machined cylindrical discs. By locating the flexible mask and printing plate outside the neutral axis of bending, both are placed in tension when wrapped around the discs. This maintains uniform contact between the plate and mask and prevents wrinkling of the mask as it overlies the plate.The carrier and discs support the plate and mask within a precise and uniform cylindrical plane for scanning with focussed beams of radiation.

Abstract: Automatic incremental control of the exposure of a photosensitive image-receiving material during contact or projection printing is achieved by the use of a scanning exposing light beam, such as that from a cathode ray tube, wherein both the beam intensity and its rate of deflection can be varied in response to signals derived from a photodetector which views the scanning light after its passage through each incremental area of the transparency being reproduced.Embodiments capable of combined control of the intensity and velocity, or the dwell time, of the scanning light beam are disclosed, together with means for controlling exposure level and contrast.

Abstract: A hollor tubular shaft containing optical elements for a laser-type facsimile transceiver employing helical scanning is horizontally supported by air bearings, and translated along its major axis by means of a piston and pneumatic cylinder coaxial with the shaft. An integral reaction-powered air motor provides shaft rotation, and a fail-safe automatic control and braking system prevents damage to the scanning mechanism in the event of interruption of the pneumatic or electrical supplies by permitting physical shaft-to-bearing contact only in the absence of shaft rotation and translational motion. The apparatus finds particular utility in the production of printing plates for use in the Graphic Arts.

Abstract: A hollow tubular shaft, containing optical elements for use in a helical scanning facsimile transceiver, is supported horizontally by air bearings and translated linearly along its major axis through cylindrical reading and writing stations by means of a pneumatic cylinder and piston coaxial with the shaft. An integral reaction-powered air motor provides shaft rotation, and laser beams perform the reading and writing operations, both of which may take place within the same apparatus or either one of which may be executed at a location remote from that of the other.The reading station contains an optical encoding pattern enabling continuous control of the position of the radiation beams relative to the indicia being read, and an electronic memory facilitates the temporary storage and manipulation of information to be recorded by the writing station. A fail-safe system prevents damage to the scanning mechanism in the event of interruption of the pneumatic or electrical supplies.

Abstract: A thermoplastic plate, for example one of polypropylene or nylon, fabricated so it has an open-cell structure, has a radiation transparent cover sheet applied to one face thereof. The cover sheet has an energy absorbing coating (e.g. of carbon and nitrocellulose) in intimate contact with the plate. A modulated laser beam is then transmitted through said cover sheet to selectively transfer some of the energy absorbing material to the plate according to the configuration required to define the areas of relief desired in the plate. The cover sheet is then removed except for the portion of the energy absorbing coating transferred to the plate. The entire surface of the plate is then exposed to infra-red rays.

Abstract: This is a lithographic printing plate blank adapted to be processed by applying a beam of laser radiation through a radiation transparent sheet to transfer selected portions of a combustible coating material on the sheet onto a lithographic surface; the lithographic surface provides a hydrophilic background on which oleophilic printing areas are provided by the transferred material. In the composite blank the coated sheet is held electrostatically in intimate contact with the lithographic surface, which is a grained surface, so that the coated surface and lithographic surface are maintained in intimate contact in spite of the generation of gases therebetween due to the laser initiated combustion which would ordinarily tend to separate the surfaces and reduce resolution. The coated sheet is provided with an electrostatic charge during manufacture of the composite sheet, either by manually inducing the charge or by building the charge into the sheet to make it an electret.