System for making multiple original holograms or copies of a hologram and method

In a system for making multiple copies of an original hologram on successive segments of a continuous length of blank holographic film by means of optical printing utilizing a visible beam of light, a support assembly comprising:

• (a) a first arrangement for maintaining said original hologram in a predetermined planar position extending substantially vertically, said arrangement including
• (i) first and second light transparent plate members fixedly located on the front and back sides of and in confronting relationship with the front and back faces of said hologram, respectively, said plate members having the same index of refraction,
• (ii) first and second layers of light transparent liquid substance having substantially the same index of refraction as said plate members and respectively extending entirely across and contiguous with the confronting faces of said hologram and said plate members, and
• (iii) means for sealing said first and second layers in position between said hologram and said plate members;
• (b) a second arrangement including
• (i) means for supporting said continuous length of blank holographic film along a path, a section of which extends substantially vertically across the back face of said second plate member, and
• (ii) means for providing predetermined intermittent movement of said film along said path, said movement including successive dwell periods during which said segments of blank film are successively positioned generally along said path section;
• (c) means for successively maintaining said film segments in a fixed position laterally with the back face of said second plate member during said dwell periods and during movement of said film along said path section between said dwell periods, said position maintaining means consisting essentially of a continuous layer of preselected liquid substance which has an index of refraction at least approximately equal to the index of refraction of said plate members and which extends entirely across and contiguous with the confronting faces of said second plate member and said film during said dwell periods and as said film moves between dwell periods for maintaining said lateral position while having a viscosity which at the same time allows the film to move along said path section at a predetermined speed said liquid layer remaining static during portions of said dwell periods;
• and
• (d) a container of said preselected liquid substance for providing said last mentioned layer, said container being located in a predetermined position near the bottom of said path section such that said film passes into the liquid substance within said container prior to moving into said path section.

In a system for making multiple copies of an original hologram on successive segments of a continuous length of blank holographic film by means of optical printing utilizing a visible beam of light, an assembly for supporting said blank film comprising:

• (a) a fixed support plate located behind said original hologram;
• (b) means for moving said film along a path, a section of which extends generally along the back face of said plate;
• and
• (c) means for maintaining said film in a predetermined position laterally with respect to said back face as said film passes through said path section, said maintaining means consisting essentially of a preselected liquid substance which is maintained entirely across and contiguous with said film and said back face and which in and by itself maintains said film in said lateral position during said movement.

A method of making multiple copies of a given image bearing film on successive longitudinal segments of a continuous length of blank film, said method comprising:

• (a) producing a beam of light radiation capable of passing through and interacting with said given image bearing film and said blank film during predetermined exposure periods when the two are held in predetermined positions relative to one another for copying the image from the given film onto the blank film;
• (b) supporting said image bearing film in a predetermined planar position in front of a plate member such that the latter is fixedly located behind and in confronting relationship with the back face of said image bearing film, said plate member having a predetermined index of refraction and being transparent to said beam of light to allow passage of the latter therethrough;
• (c) providing intermittent movement of said continuous length of blank film along a path, a section of which extends across the back face of said plate member, said movement including successive dwell periods including said exposure periods during which said longitudinal segments of said blank film are successively positioned generally along said path section;
• (d) maintaining said segments in a fixed position laterally with the back face of said plate member during at least portions of said dwell periods, including said exposure periods substantially solely by means of layers of a preselected liquid substance which has an index of refraction approximately equal to the index of refraction of said plate member and which extends entirely across and contiguous with the confronting faces of said film segments and said plate member during the exposure period of its corresponding dwell period, said liquid substance remaining static during the exposure periods of said dwell periods;
• and
• (e) directing said beam onto the front face of said image bearing film during said exposure periods for providing said multiple copies.

In a system for making original holograms or copies of an original hologram on successive longitudinal segments of a continuous length of blank film during predetermined exposure periods, an arrangement for supporting said film comprising:

• (a) a plate member fixedly located in a predetermined position;
• (b) means for providing intermittent movement of said continuous length of blank film along a path, a section of which extends across the back face of said plate member, said movement including successive dwell periods including said exposure periods during which said longitudinal segments of said blank film are successively positioned generally along said path section;
• (c) means for successively maintaining said segments in a fixed position laterally with the back face of said plate member during at least the exposure periods of said dwell periods, said position maintaining means consisting essentially of a layer of a preselected liquid substance which has an index of refraction at least approximately equal to the index of refraction of said plate member and which extends entirely across and continuous with the confronting faces of each film segment and said plate member during the exposure period of a corresponding dwell period for maintaining each of said segments in said fixed lateral position during the exposure period of its corresponding dwell period, and
• (d) means for providing each of said layers of liquid substance.