ILFORD Reflex Printer (Copycat by Miles Aircraft Company Ltd)

An early form of Xerox copier developed by the Miles Aircarft Company Ltd. Pictures courtesy of Emma Fuell.
   

   

 

   

   

The image, left, by courtesy of Ken Fostekew, Reading Museum.
Below is a transcript of an e-mail message from Peter Amos (Miles Aircraft)
routed via Ken to Emma Fuell (14th September 2017)

Miles Copycat

of Woodley, Reading, Berks. Telephone: Reading Sonning 2211. Cables: "Hawk, Reading". London office at 335 Putney Bridge Road, SW15

 

Little is known about the Miles Copycat photocopiers. They were originally invented by the Miles technicians to copy the huge amount of technical drawings needed when manufacturing aircraft, a great improvement over the old 'blueprints'. They used the same electrostatic principles later patented by Xerox.

 

1947 British Industries Fair Advert as Manufacturers of the Copycat Non-optical Facsimile Copying Machines, complete developing process and print driers. No dark room. "Copylith" Reflex copying dyeline prints and preparation of Lithographic Plates (Office Appliances Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. B.1461).

 

In November 1947, Miles Aircraft ceased trading. There were many reasons for the financial problems, not all of them of the company's making and questions remain about the behaviour of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, the company's bank and certain of its financial advisors. In fact, when the company was restructured, many non-aircraft activities prospered in other hands, notably the Biro pen, the Copycat photocopier and its range of electric actuators.

 

1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Photographic Plates, Papers, Films, Accessories, Apparatus, Chemicals, X-Ray Films, Paper, Intensifying Screens, X-Ray Accessories, Apparatus, Materials and Apparatus for document Copying, Materials for Cathode Ray Recording, Glazing and Drying Machines. (Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. E.1783).
   
The further images below are taken from a Sept/October 2024 eBay auction (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134150788053) with the seller being Mike Brinkworth. I acknowledge his Copyright and will be happy to delete these images if he requests me to do so.
   

   

   

   


This end gives light bulb access.
   

   

   

This page last modified: 20th October 2024 (previously 20th September 2017)