[54] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR
GENERATING A VARIABLE LINE WIDTH
[76] Inventors: Jonathan D. Sieber, 20 Clubhouse
La., Wayland, Mass. 01778; Joseph S.
Sieber, 31 Granville Rd., Cambridge,
Mass. 02138
[21] Appl. No.: 195,200
[22] Filed: May 18,1988
[51] Int. CI* G01D 15/16
[52] U.S. CI. 346/1.1; 33/18.1;
346/140 R
[58] Field of Search 346/140 R, 139 C, 139 R,
346/29, 62-64, 1.1; 33/1 M, 18.1
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
1,613,970 1/1927 Tanner 358/298
3,730,975 5/1973 Kono 358/303
4,183,030 1/1980 Kaieda 346/140
4,467,525 8/1984 Logan 33/18.1
4,607,265 8/1986 Onoda 346/139 R
4,736,211 4/1988 Sieber 346/139 R
Primary Examiner—Joseph W. Hartary
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hale and Dorr
[57] ABSTRACT
The invention is a method and a plotter for automated drawing and writing that provides a drawn line of variable width, where the width is independent of the motion of the plotter pen or the shape of the line drawn. The apparatus includes a plotter having a table for receiving the medium upon which the line will be drawn, a pen slider translatable with respect to the table parallel a first axis (nominally designated the "X" axis) and a pen holder for receiving the pen translatable with respect to the slider parallel a second axis (nominally designated the "Y" axis) that is perpendicular the X axis. The pen holder maintains the pen at a known angular orientation with respect to a third axis (nominally designated the "Z" axis) perpendicular the X and Y axes. The apparatus also includes a digital computer which controls the pen to apply ink of selectable and variable widths along a line, independent of line shape and orientation with respect to the X and Y axes. The computer controls both the angular orientation of the pen tip with respect to the paper and the pressure applied between the pen and the paper, thereby selectably controlling line width.
17 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
