INTRODUCTION(Sanitized) MODEL E-80 HIGH SPEED PRECISION COORDINATOGRAPH]

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A001700010001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 7, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: REPORT

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I. INTRODUCTION
A. General
proposes to execute a small study program directed toward signifi-
cant improvement in the marking system used in the odel E-80 High
Speed Precision Coordinatograph. Early operating experience with the present pen and
ink system has indicated the desirability for a'somewhat different design compromise and
combination of features than the present system provides. Accordingly the program here
proposed included a more detailed study of other types of marking systems and further
evaluation in the light of present experience.
Following this initial introductory section, this proposal is divided into three more
sections as described in the following paragraphs.
B. Requirements
Section II of this proposal discusses the requirements for a marking system as they were
understood during the development of the system and as they are presently understood.
While most of the original requirements remain, an improved capability for small symbols,
faster "drying" and less tendency to spill and spatter have. turned out to be more important
characteristics than the ability to make mines that are entirely independent of writing
speed. In addition to discussing these prime requireimnents, Section II reiterates the other
basic requirements for a successful marking system.
C. Present Alternatives
Section III of this proposal discusses the present state of the marking system as a back-
ground for the proposed study. While many of the marking systems mentioned are obvi-
ously not applicable to the present system, it is useful to review them in order to note
their various features and to insure that no desirable system is overlooked. Available
marking systems include types which mark the paper mechanically, types which use
liquid ink, and other types, largely these which use some form of radiation or conducted
heat to mark the paper.
. See proprietary statement on title page.
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D. Proposed Study Program
Section IV of this proposal presents the plan of the study program which we believe will
most economically result in an improved marking system. It is shown that the most dif-
ficult part of such a program is deciding in advance where the study should end since it
is obvious from the beginning that at any point in the Study more study will bring better
results. We propose, however, a limited study including the testing of only a few actual
breadboard types of marking system. It is expected that the system selected on the basis
of these tests show sufficient improvement over the present system to be entirely satis-
Factory.
Price and Delivery
Section V presents our price proposal for the program outlined in the earlier sections of
the proposal.
Il. `REQUIREMENTS
A. General
In the development of the~Mocel E-80 high-speed coordinatograph primary em-
phasis was placed upon the design and construction of the overall instrument and its
control system. While it was recognized that the marking system was a potential source
of operating difficulty, two important factors prevented any extensive development of a
marking device. First, difficulties in other areas of the system delayed construction to
the extent that no time was available for such development. Second, since the success
of a marking system is intimately dependent upon the actual types of operation of the
equipment, no effective experimental work could be done prior to the accumulation of
some operating experience. The pen system was accordingly designed on the basis of the
best information available. It has subsequently become` evident that this particular ap-
plication requires a somewhat different approach, as yet not clearly defined.
In order to assist in arriving at a clearer definition of the total marking system require-
ment, this section of the proposal discusses briefly the background of the present pen, and
then the overall marking system requirements as they are now understood.
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B. Background
The basic requirements for the E-80 pen system were a combined dotting and line-drawing
capability, the generation of diazo-reproducible copy from a roll supply of blank material,
and the ability to operate for significant periods of tiri,e reliably without any manual at-
tention or intervention.
In meeting these basic requirements Were were other characteristics which had to be given
consideration, in the final system choice. For economy, procurement convenience, and
.ease of. handling it was desirable to use standard drafting paper as 'the blank material. For
speed in operation, it was desirable to use a single marking device for both dotting and
line work. ' It was clearly desirable to use a system which did not require-any development,
stabilization, or fixation after a plot was made. Finally, it was clear that some quality
criteria would be important in assessing the final success of the system, though no definite
statement of such criteria was formulated.
Marking systems useable on ordinary tracing paper which we have either tested or used in
STAT
equipment include graphite pencils, hall-point pens, ribbon-percussion
devices, and capillary ink pens. Each of these preserits problems of some magnitude for
an application such as the E-80 system. Pencils provide highly reliable operation, but
at the expense of essentially uncontrolled line width and density. Ball-point pens present
an apparently unavoidable tendency to skip, they do riot print successive dots, and they
have relatively unreliable starting characteristics. Ribbon percussion devices are excel-
lent for dotting and point-printing but essentially unuseable for line work. Capillary-ink
pens provide good density and line width control, excellent starting characteristics, and
good line performance only at the expense of slow drying and the ever-present probability
of spills, runs, and smears. Of these systems, the capillary-ink pens provide the greatest
flexibility in terms of the widest selection of inks, pens, paper, etc. to meet the specific
needs of any application.
For the E-80 coordinatograph, it was decided to install a capillary-ink system. Two types
of pen were studied and tested; one was a standard drafting pen of the Rapidograph type,
the other was the special-purpose EAI plotter pen. The latter was selected principally
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because it is much better suited to the extremely rapid up and down action required
in this application. Half a dozen types of ink were tested for tendency to clog the
pen, low enough viscosity to make essentially equal density lines at all writing
speeds, dotting capability, etc. The suggested ink was the one which provided the
best all-round capability in our tests. Its low viscosity` resulted in some tendency to
drip, its unusually low surface tension caused it to spread rapidly if the pen tip was
in contact with a free drop, and its slow drying characteristic was undesirable. Other
inks which avoided some of these troubles, however, flowed too slowly to make good
lines, dried so fast as to clog the pen overnight, or exhibited other equally serious
faults. The extended-capacity reservoir, constant-head ink feed was therefore
designed for the suggested low viscosity ink.
Subsequent experience with the system has shown that a very frequent mode of operation
involves the generation of small symbols, figures, and similar marks in which the pen
is making many short strokes, often crossing previous lines still very wet, or stopping
on a wet spot. As a result, an undesirable amount of blotting, smearing, and dripping
occurs. It is therefore necessary to re-evaluate various marking systems to see if a
more optimum solution to the actual operating problem exists.
Present Requirements
Initial operating experience now allows us to re-examine marking system characteristics
and to state operating requirements in more detail than was possible heretofore.
In the first place, the basic requirement for diazo-reproducible copy remains firm.
Further, the copy material must be supplied from a roll and the system must operate
reliably when unattended.
Work consists of dots, Iines and symbols made up of a number of short Iines which
may cross and overlap.
While economy is still important, quality of work should take precedence over low
cost of materials. Similarly, working speed should not be compromised to achieve
low material cost.
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Post-plot development, fixation, or stabilization remain undesirable. If the work
is immediately visible on the plotter, however, an automatic dry-to-dry stabilization
operation would be acceptable if such a process would yield superior quality work.
Adequate quality remains the most difficult characteristic to measure in any quantitative
way or to evaluate in terms of its cost in other desirablefeatures. Some qualitative
statements may be made, however, about each class of work.
Dots are made by a momentary operation of the marking device at a time when the
carriage is stationary. Each such operation must have a-high probability (on the order
of 0. 99 or higher) of leaving an observable mark on the plot medium. Preferably the
dots should be highly uniform in size, shape, and density.
Lines are made by operating the marking device with the carriage stationary and then
keeping it in operation while the carriage moves to a new location and again stops.
Lines should start clearly at the beginning point and run _ continuously to the ending
point. Line width and density should be uniform and independent of the travel speed
of the carriage. Lines should cross each other without spreading or skipping at the
intersections. It should be possible to initiate or terminate a line on another without
spreading or skipping.
Symbols combine the requirements for lines and dots since they consist of a number of
brief operations of both marking device and carriage closely spaced in time and
overlapping in geometry.
Beyond these specific requirements are a number of fairly obvious general requirements.
Operating experience has shown that it is unrealistic to expect the vacuum system to eliminate
all bulges from the paper. Hence the marking system must be capable both of drawing continu-
ous I ines across or along bulges and of not marking the paper when crossing bulges in
the off condition. The system should avoid catastrophic (conditions such as cutting through
the paper. A less important desirable characteristic wou'd be the capability of over-
running the edge of the paper accidentally and returning: without damage to either
paper or marking device. It should not be necessary to maintain an unusual environment
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in the plotter room, as high humidity or total darkness, for example. Materials and
by-products may not be unpleasant or toxic to handle, nor may they be unusually
inflammable or otherwise dangerous in use or in storage.
With these requirements in mind we can go on in the next section to examine some
of the characteristics of available marking systems.
A. General
Marking systems today are many and marvelous. Yet thlrre is no obvious candidate
which combines the characteristics which are required in the E-80 system. This section
considers a number of the systems which offer some promise of being useful in the present
equipment. Generally these systems fall into three brood categories; systems which
employ some mechanical action to mark the medium, systems which deposit a liquid, and
systems which use electric current, light, heat, or other form of energy to create a
visible change in the medium. These three groups are discussed in the following para-
graphs.
B. Mechanical Systems
Mechanical marking systems rely upon mechanical force or friction to transfer pigment
from a source to the paper or to so modify the surface of the paper as to have a visible
trace.
The simplest mechanical marking device is a wax or plastic pencil containing graphite
or other pigment. Systems using pencils have good marking characteristics, write dry,
hence never generate drips and smears, and work well With ordinary paper. Unfortunately
they are fragile, hence subject to unpredictable catastrophic failure, and they do not
generate lines and dots of uniform width and density.
A more complex mechanical system employs a hard stylus to effect a transfer or
modification of pigment from an intermediate ribbon or sheet. The simplest case of
this type system uses a full size sheet of carbon paper over the work. The writing stylus
merely presses the carbon paper against the work wherever marks are desired. A similar
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effect is achieved with so-called carbonless carbon paper in which a coating on the
work sheet changes color when a treated overlay sheet is pressed against it. In either
case the work is not visible until the overlay sheet has been removed. A more complicated
use of this principle uses a ribbon of overlay material carried by the marking device.
? While such a system is ideal for dotting, in order to beusable for lines a rather complicated
rotating ribbon feed system must be provided. While such systems can mark ordinary paper,
they use relatively large quantities of the intermediatematerial which may be expensive
and is always inconvenient.
A third class of mechanical system relies upon the mechanical alteration of the surface
of the work sheet to create a visible line. Many such systems employ a pigment which
is trapped in minute opaque corpuscles in the coating of the sheet and released when the
corpuscles are broken by mechanical pressure, or a continuous pigment which is normally
covered by an opaque scattering layer of wax or other crystals and exposed when the
mechanical pressure of the stylus removes or compresses the wax crystals. These systems
suffer two serious disadvantages. First, the pigment is uniformly present over the entire
sheet initially, hence the material is usually quite opaque to start with. Diazo reproduction
tends to be less than satisfactory. Second, the materials are expensive.
Other forms of pressure-sensitive materials use a two reagent system in which one colorless
reagent is released into the paper to activate the other L,nd cause a color change as a
result of the passage of a pressure stylus. These systems. can provide good lines and dots
relatively insensitive to tracing speed and they make good diazo copies. On the other
hand, they remain sensitive to scratches, folds, etc. and hence deteriorate with usage.
C. Liquid-Ink Systems
The widest variety of marking devices rely upon the transport of a liquid ink from a
reservoir to the paper to form the visible trace. The following paragraphs discuss some
of these systems but cannot be considered an exhaustive, survey.
The simplest liquid ink system is the capillary pen. This system employs a narrow tube
to convey liquid ink from a reservoir to the paper. Wh@n the tube is in contact with
the paper ink flows into or onto the paper but when the :tube is I ifted, surface tension
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at the tip prevents the ink from drippinc. A very wide Variety of paper-pen-ink
systems are available, but all share certain common chcracteristics. Once the ink is
on the paper it is necessary that it cease flowing and become "dry" as rapidly as possible.
On the other hand, it should not become viscous or solid in the pen tip under indefinitely
long exposure with the tip off the paper or stationary on the paper. Two methods of
compromising these requirements are used with traditional volatile-solvent inks. One
uses a low-volatility solvent such that the ink doesn't d!y either in the pen tip or on
the paper. This type of ink is formulated with a low surface tension and best used with
absorptive paper. The ink then penetrates the paper rapidly and thereby resists smearing
and offset even though not really dry. Because of their high wetting characteristic such
inks tend to drip, splash, and spread. It is this approach which is presently used in the
E-80 system. The other approach is to use a more volatile solvent so that the ink does
truly dry on the paper and then to equip the pen with some device to resist clogging
when the ink dries in the pen tip. Drafting pens of the Leroy and Rapidograph type use
a fine wire insert within the tubular pen tip. When the pen is off the paper the wire
protrudes slightly, then when the pen is lowered, the mdtion of the wire back up the
pen tip opens an adequate ink passage. This type of system can work with inks of higher
surface tension and therefore which tend less to drip and run. On the other hand, their
anti-clogging characteristics are less than complete. When used with low-volatility
inks these pens show no apparent advantage over simple tubular pen tips. A recent new
form of capillary pen employs a pigmented wax for its inc. The ink reservoir and pen
tip are heated electrically so that the wax is molten. Upon contacting the cooler paper
it cools to a solid state rapidly and is thereafter construdtively dry. We have not been
able yet to determine the spill characteristics of this ink as yet. Whatever ink system
is used in a capillary pen, the viscosity of the ink is anther critical parameter. Overly
viscous inks will tend to write narrower lines or skip at higher writing speeds while inks
of too low a viscosity tend to run out along intersecting c,nd connecting lines and drip
and run back at the ends of lines.
Another class of liquid-ink pen employs an ink of very high-viscosity and uses a
mechanical system to apply the ink and impress it into surface interstices of the paper.
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There are two types of such system in use. The commonest is the ball-point pen. In
the ball-point pen a small hard ball is mounted so that bne side is in the ink reservoir
and the other is in the open and the Bali can rotate in its mounting. The ink is a
gelatinous mix of very low volatility and high viscosityand wetting ability. When the
pen is moved over the paper, the surface of the rolling Lall becomes coated with ink
when in the reservoir and transfers the ink and presses it into the porous surface of the
paper as it rolls over the paper. The ink appears "dry" immediately since its free
surfaces lie generally below the surface of the paper fibers. Runs and drips are impossible
since only motion of the ball surface can transfer ink o6t of the reservoir. On the other
hand, since no ink is transferred without ball rotation, the system cannot deposit dots
reliably. Similarly skips occur when the writing direction changes, as well as at
other random intervals. The gelatinous nature of the ink seems to make ink supply to
the ball somewhat unreliable, especially if reservoirs become larger.
The other type of pen system using high-viscosity ink is`a recent development of the
Brush Instruments Division of the Clevite Corporation. iln this system a conventional
tubular pen similar to a capillary pen is supplied with High viscosity, low volatility
ink under pressure from a simple pump at the reservoir. The pen tip is carefully lapped
to the surface of a relatively heavily coated paper and?tip pressure is adjusted high
enough so that an effective seal is formed between the pen tip and the paper. As the
pen moves, the hydrostatic pressure of the ink forces itinto the surface irregularities
of the paper where it remains as a visible line after the pen has passed. Again, while
the ink remains fluid it appears "dry" since its liquid surfaces are protected by the higher
surfaces of the paper fibers and coating particles. If the pen is lifted, it is necessary to
remove the pressure or the ink flows.freely from the pen tip. The practicality of this
system for the E-80 application depends heavily upon whether a satisfactory means for
controlling ink pressure in synchronism with pen up and down motions can be devised.
D. Other Systems ? `
In addition to the above marking systems which basically depend upon the mechanical
transfer of a pigment or activator from a reservoir to the working medium there is a
variety of marking systems in which the color of a component of the working medium is
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changed by the action of electrical current, heat, radiant energy or the like.
The most familiar of these are, of course, photographic emulsions. The conventional
silver halide emulsion has the capability of producing extremely high quality copy
but the serious disadvantages of requiring chemical development, a dark operating
environment, and of providing no immediately visible record of action.
There are so-called "printing-out" papers using silver halide emulsions which provide
immediately visible images of lines drawn with very intense light. These systems forego
a power-amplification factor of 106 or more provided by the chemical development of
more conventional materials. It is common practice to make up some of the loss by
means of an over-all "flash" exposure or the material. Unfortunately, all exposure
to actinic ambient light during the writing of a plot forms a part of the flash exposure,
hence control is difficult unless the plot is made in semi`-darkness or under light of
limited spectral energy distribution. The records so formed are transient unless a
stabilization or fixation step is applied to the finished plot.
Other photographic systems suffer approximately the same 106 loss of sensitivity compared
to conventional silver-halide systems and are not so readily sensitized by "flash"
exposure. Most also require some development processing. A potentially more
interesting class of radiation-sensitive materials are the.:thermographic papers. These
change color when heated, hence can be used with an intense beam of infra-red
illumination. Thermographic materials may be essentially insensitive to visible Iight,
or in some cases may be deactivated slowly by visible light and more rapidly by ultra-
violet. With such materials fixation occurs spontaneously in a lighted environment or
with the first pass through a diazo machine. Thermographic materials are very sensitive
to writing speed, the line becoming narrower at high speed and spreading at low speed.
It is therefore necessary to modulate the exposure lamp to offset this effect, and even
so very fine lines would be difficult to obtain.
Thermographic materials may also be used with a hot stylus, though there appears to
be no important advantage of a stylus over a sufficiently energetic infra-red light
beam.
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Another class of material can be exposed by light and fixed by heat. Typical is a
transparent film material tradenamed Kolvar. While the material produces excellent
and permanent copy, the copy is not visible until after the thermal development.
Another particular form of thermal recording uses an el4ctric spark to mark the paper.
Produced under the trade name Teledeltos, this material is widely used in facsimile
recording. It shares with the light-sensitive materials the advantage that marking can
be controlled electrically without any mechanical raising and lowering of pens or
styli. It suffers the disadvantage that recording is accompanied by a small amount of
smoke and a variable amount of radio frequency interference.
Closely related is an electrically sensitive material tradenamed Alfax also used in
facsimile recording. This paper turns brown when a low-voltage current is passed
through it from a steel stylus. Unfortunately the paper trust be damp enough to carry
electrical current in order to be marked. This latter requirement limits the use of
Alfax to systems which can be operated in an atmosphere with very high humidity.
IV. PROPOSED STUDY PROGRAM
A. General
In setting up a program to investigate a subject as rich In variety of approach and
engineering choice as that of marking paper, the primeproblem is to establish some
means of limiting the study. It seems clear that at any point in such a study, the
-results to date will be susceptible to improvement upon more study. For practical
reasons, however, it is necessary to place limits on the time and money cost of a
study, hence the technical goal must be I imited to such! general terms as "significant
improvement" over the present system. The following pbragraphs describe a proposed
program which we believe will lead to a significant improvement in marking system
most economically.
B. Outline of Program
The first step in the proposed program is to round out the summary of marking system
types discussed in Section III of this proposal with detailed I i bra ry. information,
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manufacturer's literature and samples of work. In the course of this study, it is
expected that other types and variations will also be uncovered.
The second step is to review the data and select a limifed number, preferably less
than four or five, of systems which show the best prospects of being effective in
the E-80 system. Samples of the selected systems will be purchased.
The.third step is to build test fixtures to permit tests of?Iine quality vs. writing
speed, dotting capability, total line capacity on one falling, diazo reproducibility,
etc. under controlled conditions.
The fourth step is to evaluate the results of the tests, to select the most promising
system, and prepare a report.
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C. Probable Results
It is expected that a program such as that outlined above will lead to the
recommendation that the present marking system be replaced with a different system;
or at least a different ink. The study will also produca a good evaluation of the
quality to be expected in the copy, and data on the cast of operating, materials and
supplies as wel I as a firm price for the system design and development so that a
meaningful economic evaluation can be made. In the unlikely and unexpected event
that only negative results are available from the test work, a recommendation will be
made for the direction which should be taken in future studies.
D. Estimated Cost
It is estimated that the program outlined above will require approximately two
man-months senior engineering staff effort and approximately one man-month each
of drafting, project technician and machinist effort and will require about
purchased materials. We are happy to quote a fixed price ofi
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for this program STAT
or we will undertake the program on the basis of time-and-material not to exceed
at the following rates:
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It is estimated that the program can be completed in approximately three months.
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