Visual presentation projection apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for projecting a portion of a continuous integrated image transparency, randomly but deliberately selectable during projection comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light along a preselected path; means for mounting said transparency so a portion thereof is disposed in said preselected path, said mounting means including a frame for fixedly and removably securing therein said transparency; optical means disposed along said preselected path and positioned so said transparency is disposed between said illumination means and said optical means, said optical means for projecting said portion of said image of said transparency disposed in said path on a viewing surface; and means for selectively continuously moving said mounting means and therefore said transparency in at least four directions within said preselected path during projection at a designated and controlled speed continuously adjustable within a range of speeds for continuously selecting and projecting various selected portions of said transparency on said viewing surface, movement of said transparency causing the projection on said viewing surface to present a continuous moving integrated image, said moving means being capable of moving said transparency randomly, said moving means including a carriage carrying said frame, said carriage for moving said frame independently in perpendicular directions in a single plane, said carriage including a substantially planar support having a projection aperture disposed therethrough, a first pair of rails movably mounted on said support, said frame being fixedly secured to said rails, a second pair of rails being fixedly secured to a supporting surface and movably secured to said support, said first pair of rails being substantially perpendicular to said second pair of rails, means for driving said first pair of rails simultaneously to effect movement of said frame relative to said support, and means for driving said support along said second pair of rails to effect movement of said frame relative to said second pair of rails, said frame moving in a single plane, driving of said first pair of rails and said frame thereby aligning different portions of said transparency with said projection aperture, said projections aperture being in the path of said light beam.

Claim 2

An apparatus for projecting a portion of a continuous integrated image transparency, randomly but deliberately selectable during projection comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light along a preselected path; means for mounting said transparency so a portion thereof is disposed in said preselected path, said mounting means including a frame for fixedly and removably securing therein said transparency; optical means disposed along said preselected path and positioned so said transparency is disposed between said illumination means and said optical means, said optical means for projecting said portion of said image of said transparency disposed in said path on a viewing surface; and means for selectively continuously moving said mounting means and therefore said transparency in at least four directions within said preselected path during projection at a designated and controlled speed continuously adjustable within a range of speeds for continuously selecting and projecting various selected portions of said transparency on said viewing surface, movement of said transparency causing the projection on said viewing surface to present a continuous moving integrated image, said moving means being capable of moving said transparency randomly, said moving means including a carriage carrying said frame, said carriage for moving said frame independently in perpendicular directions in a single plane, said carriage including a substantially planar support having a projection aperture disposed therethrough, a first pair of rails movably mounted on said support, said frame being fixedly secured to said rails, a second pair of rails being fixedly secured to a supporting surface and movably secured to said support, said first pair of rails being substantially perpendicular to said second pair of rails, means for driving said first pair of rails simultaneously to effect movement of said frame relative to said support, and means for driving said support along said second pair of rails to effect movement of said frame relative to said second pair of rails, said frame moving in a single plane, driving of said first pair of rails and said frame thereby aligning different portions of said transparency with said projection aperture, said projections aperture being in the path of said light beam.

Claim 29

An apparatus for projecting the image of a transparency onto a viewing surface comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light through said transparency; variable focal length optical means for projecting said image of said transparency onto said viewing surface, said beam of light passing through said optical means after said transparency; variable masking means for masking varying sections of said transparency adjacent to the edges thereof, said masking means thereby dictating the size of the portion of said transparency which is projected, said variable masking means comprising a plate having a substantially rectangular window disposed therethrough, first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades disposed adjacent to said plate so as to form a rectangle adjacent to said rectangular window, and means for positioning said first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades to vary the size of the rectangle formed thereby, movement of said masking blades thereby effectively varying the size of said rectangular window, said positioning means including a pair of drive means, one of said drive means coupled to said first masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, the other of said drive means being coupled to the second masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, said pair of drive means simultaneously moving said blades and said vertexes toward or away from each other along a preselected diagonal line which runs through said vertexes; and means for coupling said variable focal length optical means to said variable masking means wherein variations in said focal length of said optical means and variations in said masking means are synchronized in a preselected proportion.

Claim 30

An apparatus for projecting the image of a transparency onto a viewing surface comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light through said transparency; variable focal length optical means for projecting said image of said transparency onto said viewing surface, said beam of light passing through said optical means after said transparency; variable masking means for masking varying sections of said transparency adjacent to the edges thereof, said masking means thereby dictating the size of the portion of said transparency which is projected, said variable masking means comprising a plate having a substantially rectangular window disposed therethrough, first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades disposed adjacent to said plate so as to form a rectangle adjacent to said rectangular window, and means for positioning said first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades to vary the size of the rectangle formed thereby, movement of said masking blades thereby effectively varying the size of said rectangular window, said positioning means including a pair of drive means, one of said drive means coupled to said first masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, the other of said drive means being coupled to the second masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, said pair of drive means simultaneously moving said blades and said vertexes toward or away from each other along a preselected diagonal line which runs through said vertexes; and means for coupling said variable focal length optical means to said variable masking means wherein variations in said focal length of said optical means and variations in said masking means are synchronized in a preselected proportion.

Claim 34

An apparatus for projecting a portion of a continuous integrated image transparency, randomly but deliberately selectable during projection comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light along a preselected path; means for mounting said transparency so a portion thereof is disposed in said preselected path; variable focal length optical means disposed along said preselected path and positioned so said transparency is disposed between said illumination means and said optical means, said optical means for projecting said portion of said image of said transparency disposed in said path on a viewing surface; variable masking means for masking varying sections of said transparency adjacent to the edges thereof, said masking means thereby dictating the size of said selected portion of said transparency which is projected, said variable masking means including a plate having a substantially rectangular window disposed therethrough, said variable masking means including first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades disposed adjacent to said plate so as to form a rectangle adjacent to said rectangular window, said variable mask means including means for positioning said first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades to vary the size of the rectangle formed thereby, the movement of said masking blades thereby effectively varying the size of said rectangular window, said positioning means including a pair of drive means, one of said drive means coupled to said first masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, the other of said drive means coupled to said second masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, said pair of drive means simultaneously moving said blades and said vertexes thereof toward or away from each other along a preselected diagonal line which runs through said vertexes; means for coupling said variable focal length optical means to said variable masking means wherein variations in said focal length of said optical means and variations in said masking means are synchronized in a preselected proportion; and means for selectively continuously moving said mounting means and therefore said transparency in at least four directions within said preselected path during projection at a designated and controlled speed continuously adjustable within a range of speeds for continuously selecting and projecting various selected portions of said transparency on said viewing surface, movement of said transparency causing the projection on said viewing surface to present a continuous moving integrated image, said moving means being capable of moving said transparency randomly.

Claim 35

An apparatus for projecting a portion of a continuous integrated image transparency, randomly but deliberately selectable during projection comprising: illumination means for directing a beam of light along a preselected path; means for mounting said transparency so a portion thereof is disposed in said preselected path; variable focal length optical means disposed along said preselected path and positioned so said transparency is disposed between said illumination means and said optical means, said optical means for projecting said portion of said image of said transparency disposed in said path on a viewing surface; variable masking means for masking varying sections of said transparency adjacent to the edges thereof, said masking means thereby dictating the size of said selected portion of said transparency which is projected, said variable masking means including a plate having a substantially rectangular window disposed therethrough, said variable masking means including first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades disposed adjacent to said plate so as to form a rectangle adjacent to said rectangular window, said variable mask means including means for positioning said first and second substantially L-shaped masking blades to vary the size of the rectangle formed thereby, the movement of said masking blades thereby effectively varying the size of said rectangular window, said positioning means including a pair of drive means, one of said drive means coupled to said first masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, the other of said drive means coupled to said second masking blade adjacent to the vertex thereof, said pair of drive means simultaneously moving said blades and said vertexes thereof toward or away from each other along a preselected diagonal line which runs through said vertexes; means for coupling said variable focal length optical means to said variable masking means wherein variations in said focal length of said optical means and variations in said masking means are synchronized in a preselected proportion; and means for selectively continuously moving said mounting means and therefore said transparency in at least four directions within said preselected path during projection at a designated and controlled speed continuously adjustable within a range of speeds for continuously selecting and projecting various selected portions of said transparency on said viewing surface, movement of said transparency causing the projection on said viewing surface to present a continuous moving integrated image, said moving means being capable of moving said transparency randomly.