Impulse drive system

An impulse drive device comprising

• an X stator and a Y stator, each being generally planar and each including means for producing a plurality of regions of magnetic field extending substantially perpendicularly from a first stator surface, said regions being regularly spaced apart in the plane of said stator, the regions of said X stator being parallel to the Y direction and the regions of said Y stator being parallel to the X direction, said X and Y stators being supported in planar parallel relationship;
• a generally planar movable member disposed intermediate said stators for movement in a direction parallel thereto, said movable member including a plurality of electrically conductive segments on each surface, the segments on each surface being distributed substantially parallel to each other and to said regions of magnetic field on the facing stator, the segments of each plurality being electrically connected and having a spacing between immediately adjacent segments substantially equal to the spacing of said regions of magnetic field;
• X pulse sequence generating means for generating sequences of X-drive current pulses and for delivering the same to the electrically conductive segments facing the X stator so that the passage of current pulses through each of said plurality of segments interacts with adjacent ones of said plurality of X stator regions of magnetic field to generate motion of said movable member parallel to the plane of said X stator from any of a plurality of predetermined initial positions of said movable member with respect to said stator to any of a plurality of predetermined final positions of said movable member with respect to said stator;
• and
• Y pulse sequence generating means for generating sequences of Y-drive current pulses and for delivering the same to the electrically conductive segments facing the Y stator so that the passage of current pulses through each of said plurality of segments interacts with adjacent ones of said plurality of Y stator regions of magnetic field to generate motion of said movable member parallel to the plane of said Y stator from any of a plurality of predetermined initial positions of said movable member with respect to said stator to any of a plurality of predetermined final positions of said movable member with respect to said stator.

In a photocomposition apparatus comprising a light source, a media exposure station, an optical path between said light source and said exposure station, a type font transparency supportd in said optical path, and means for moving said transparency to bring individual type font characters of said transparency to the axis of said optical path,

• the improvement wherein said means for moving said transparency are an impulse drive device comprising
• an X stator and a Y stator, each being generally planar and including means for producing a plurality of regions of magnetic field extending substantially perpendicularly from a first stator surface, said regions being regularly spaced apart in the plane of said stator, the regions of said X stator being at an angle to the regions of said Y stator, said X and Y stators being supported in planar parallel relationship;
• a generally planar movable member disposed intermediate said stators for movement in a direction parallel thereto, said movable member including a plurality of electrically conductive segments on each surface, the segments on each surface being distributed substantially parallel to each other and to said regions of magnetic field on the facing stator, the segments of each plurality being electrically connected and having a spacing between immediately adjacent segments substantially equal to the spacing of said regions of magnetic field;
• pulse sequence generating means for generating sequences of X-drive current pulses and sequences of Y-drive current pulses and for delivering the same to the electrically conductive segments facing the X stator and the Y stator, respectively, so that the passage of current pulses through each of said plurality of segments interacts with adjacent ones of said plurality of regions of magnetic field to generate motion of said movable regions of magnetic field to generate motion of said movable member in a direction parallel to the plane of said stator from any of a plurality of predetermined initial positions of said movable member with respect to said stator to any of a plurality of predetermined final positions of said movable member with respect to said stator;
• and
• means for sensing the position of each said plurality of electrically conductive segments relative to the adjacent plurality of regions of magnetic field and providing output signals relating thereto;
• said pulse sequence generating means including a pulse generator and a controller, said controller being connected to receive said output signals as an input and to cause said pulse generator to generate the current pulses of the sequence at the times of predetermined registration of each of said electrically conductive segments with one of said regions of magnetic field.

An impulse drive device comprising

• a generally planar stator including means for producing a plurality of regions of magnetic field extending substantially perpendicularly from a first stator surface, said regions being regularly spaced apart in the plane of said stator;
• a generally planar movable, member supported adjacent parallel to and perpendicularly displaced from said first stator surface for movement in a direction parallel thereto, said movable member including a plurality of electrically conductive segments distributed substantially parallel to each other and to said regions of magnetic field, said segments being electrically connected and having a spacing between immediately adjacent segments in the plane of said movable member substantially equal to the spacing of said regions of magnetic field;
• pulse sequence generating means for generating sequences of current pulses and for delivering the same to said plurality of electrically conductive segments, and
• means for controlling the timing, polarity and width of each pulse in said sequence.

In a photocomposition apparatus comprising a light source, a media exposure station, an optical path between said light source and said exposure station, a type font transparency supported in said optical path, and means for moving said transparency to bring individual type font characters of said transparency to the axis of said optical path,

• the improvement wherein said means for moving said transparency are an impulse drive device comprising
• an X stator and a Y stator, each being generally planar and including means for producing a plurality of regions of magnetic field extending substantially perpendicularly from a first stator surface, said regions being regularly spaced apart in the plane of said stator, the regions of said X stator being at an angle to the regions of said Y stator, said X and Y stators being supported in planar parallel relationship;
• a generally planar movable member disposed intermediate said stators for movement in a direction parallel thereto, said movable member including a plurality of electrically conductive segments on each surface, the segments on each surface being distributed substantially parallel to each other and to said regions of magnetic field on the facing stator, the segments of each plurality being electrically connected and having a spacing between immediately adjacent segments substantially equal to the spacing of said regions of magnetic field;
• pulse sequence generating means for generating sequences of X-drive current pulses and sequences of Y-drive current pulses and for delivering the same to the electrically conductive segments facing the X stator and the Y stator, respectively, so that the passage of current pulses through each of said plurality of segments interacts with adjacent ones of said plurality of regions of magnetic field to generate motion of said movable member in a direction parallel to the plane of said stator from any of a plurality of predetermined initial positions of said movable member with respect to said stator to any of a plurality of predetermined final positions of said movable member with respect to said stator;
• and
• means for sensing the position of each said plurality of electrically conductive segments relative to the adjacent a plurality of regions of magnetic field and providing output signals relating thereto;
• said pulse sequence generating means including a pulse generator and a controller, said controller being connected to receive said output signals as an input and to cause said pulse generator to generate the current pulses of the sequence at the times of predetermined registration of each of said electrically conductive segments with one of said regions of magnetic field, and
• wherein characters on said type font transparency are disposed in spaces between adjacent conductive segments.