Abstract: The original documents of A4 or A3 format are selectively read by a scanning apparatus which is integrated into a system for producing and transmitting images. The originals of A4 format are normally positioned on a fixed exposure surface and the originals of A3 format are introduced into a separate device for transporting documents, which is adjacent to the fixed exposure surface. A carriage with lamps is slidable below the exposure surface to illuminate the A4 original while to illuminate the A3 original the carriage is positioned into a fixed position corresponding to the separate reading device where the original A3 is slid with respect to the carriage past an exposure zone. The reflected images of the originals are passed by means of mirrors mounted on the carriage to a lens which reflects them on to a photodetector device which converts the light rays into digital electrical signals.

Abstract: The apparatus for reading and digital processing of color images comprises groups of CCD sensing elements for reading the individual pixels forming the image. Each group of the sensing elements is associated with one primary color, for generating corresponding reading signals, which control a color indication circuit generating a color indicatory signal for indicating the presence of any color in the image. The colour indicator signal is derived from a table of zones of colours which is recorded in a ROM and can be addressed by the reading signals of the various colours, input from corresponding reading elements via compensation circuits. The colour signal is capable of controlling second selective scanning of document for recording the reading signals for all the primary colours of the image. The ROM is also capable of providing an indication of the mixture of colours of each pixel, which is compared to a predetermined mask for the purposes of suppressing a particular mixture of colours from the recording.

Abstract: A device for reading graphic symbols impressed on a sheet, comprising light sources for illuminating the sheet, an optical reading system and an array of photo-electric sensors for generating electrical reading signals. The device is compact in structure and of small dimensions, so as to allow it to be mounted upon the head-carrying carriage of a printing machine or typewriter. The device makes it possible to create, in a particularly simple form, reading apparatus for facsimiles or for optical character recognition (OCR) reading apparatus for memorizing signatures, graphical symbols and drawings or mathematical symbols, or apparatus for copying documents.

Abstract: A trichromatic photosensor scans an image to be reproduced repeatedly to generate, for each elementary area scanned, signals indicative of the chromatic characteristics of this elementary area. The photosensor is connected to a trichromatic printer controlled by the signals produced by the photosensor for printing corresponding colored dots on the paper. During successive scanning operations, the photosensor is moved relative to the color image and the printer is moved relative to the paper. These relative movements are coordinated with each other so that the photosensor and the printer act simultaneously on corresponding regions of the color image and of the paper. In one embodiment the printer is stationary and is capable of printing in parallel the dots of one line. The paper circulates along a closed path to be sequentially printed according to the various color components. In another embodiment the printer is of the serial type.

Abstract: The carriage of a digital document reader is shifted by means of a pair of worms rotatable in the frame and engaging two nuts borne by the carriage. The worms are rotated simultaneously, e.g. by a single stepping motor and a toothed belt engaging a pulley or by two separate stepping motors. For the purpose of reducing inertia, each worm is formed together with the driving pulley by moulding a layer of plastics material on a metal core tube which is formed with a shallow groove of coarse pitch to anchor the plastics layer. Each nut, also of plastics material, is formed with a series of axial notches which define an equal number of elastic sectors which allow any play on the worm due to wear to be taken up.

Abstract: In a reproducing machine the photoconductive member, in the form of an endless belt, and the developing station are carried in a container or cartridge removably mounted on the machine. The photoconductive belt surrounds a support structure integral with the cartridge. The support structure includes a resilient portion engaging the photoconductive belt to keep it under tension around the structure. A magnetic belt of tubular form, fixed within the cartridge, is surrounded by a sleeve of non-magnetic material. The magnetic belt is so magnetized as to form a regular distribution of pairs of magnetic poles of opposite polarity. The toner adheres by magnetic action on the external surface of the sleeve to form a magnetic brush of the developing station.

Abstract: The method enables images recorded with different definitions to be printed by the same printer, and the information to be printed with maximum print definitions. For this purpose, the print definitions (dots per mm) is a common multiple of the possible recording definitions. The information to be printed is extracted from a signal generator with a frequency corresponding to the recording definition, and is repeated in accordance with the multiple. For example with a print definition of 24 dots/mm defined by a row and column grid L1, L2, etc., C1, C2, etc., a character definition of 8 dots/mm is obtained by printing each dot three times in each row and repeating each row a further two times. The printer, which is therefor suitable for various purposes, for example as a word processor printer and as a facsimile printer, repeatedly prints each dot, along the horizontal and/or along the vertical, for a number of times corresponding to the multiple, to provide a line continuity and an improved image resolution.

Abstract: A platen for a typewriter, is rotated intermittently by pulsing a winding to establish flux between poles of a stator and a rotor, which rotates through a fixed angle and then back to a datum position under the action of a spring. The magnetic flux also engages an electro magnetic clutch formed by the rotor and a part rotationally fast with the platen so that the platen is rotated only during the forward rotation of the rotor. The stator, rotor and said part are all coaxial with the platen and may be housed inside the platen.