CARD LOADING MECHANISM FOR A PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYING MACHINE

• US 3,822,024 A
• Filed: 11/07/1972
• Issued: 07/02/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles F. Shute, Dale S. Endter, Edwin E. Miller
• Original Assignee: Charles F. Shute, Dale S. Endter, Edwin E. Miller
• Inventors: Endter, Dale S., Miller, Edwin E., Shute, Charles F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, George F.
• Application Number:
  US05/304,446
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 214/304,309,8.5D,8.5A,1CM 271/11,20,90 221/226
• US Class Current: 414/796.6
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/50 with both developing and finishing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/64 Means for mounting individual pictures to be projected, e.g. frame for transparency

Abstract

A light tight cartridge containing aperture cards having unexposed microfilm inserts mounted therein is inserted into a card loading mechanism of a photographic camera. Upon actuation of the camera, the loading mechanism removes a cover from the cartridge by engaging the cover and pulling the cartridge away from the cover. The cover is then pivoted away from a vertical path of movement for the cartridge and the cartridge is raised along such path until checked by a stop plate. An opening in the stop plate allows a separable bottom of the cartridge and a card stack supported on such bottom to continue to be raised until the topmost card of the stack trips a card sensing switch. Card buckling fingers engage the topmost card and buckle it outwardly. A platen having suction cups then engages and removes the topmost card from the stack. Other such platens successively remove other topmost cards. The card sensing switch senses when the topmost card is too low for pickup by a platen and activates the elevator mechanism to raise the cartridge bottom and card stack to the proper position. To remove a partially or completely depleted cartridge, the elevator mechanism is lowered to reengage the cartridge bottom and body. The cover is then pivoted over the cartridge and the elevator mechanism raised to reseal the cover on the cartridge body. The elevator mechanism is then lowered to a discharge position for removal by the operator.

Claims

1. A mechanism adapted for use with a cartridge containing a stack of aperture cards having unexposed film sections mounted therein, the cartridge having a body, a cover and a bottom, the cover and bottom being separable from the body and the bottom being movable upwardly through the body when separated from the body, the cartridge bottom and cartridge cover having lips which engage lower and upper flanges, respectively, on the cartridge body to provide light-tight seals, the mechanism comprising:

a. means defining a cartridge receiving chamber;

b. means for separately engaging the cartridge cover, the cartridge body and the cartridge bottom of a cartridge in said chamber;

c. a stop member positioned relative to said chamber to limit movement of the cartridge body relative to said chamber;

d. elevator means connected to said cartridge bottom engaging means for raising and lowering said bottom engaging means;

e. card feeding means for individually dispensing aperture cards from the card stack; and

f. control means for sequentially (1) moving said elevator means in a first direction to separate the cartridge bottom and cartridge body from the cartridge cover, (2) then moving said cartridge cover engaging means and the cartridge cover to a storage position spaced from the cartridge body, (3) then moving said elevator means in a second direction opposite to said first direction to first move the cartridge body into engagement with said stop member and then to separate the cartridge bottom from the cartridge body and to move the cartridge bottom and aperture cards in the cartridge to a feeding position wherein cards can be removed from the stack, (4) again moving said elevator means in said first direction to reseal the lips of the cartridge bottom onto the lower flange of the cartridge body, (5) then moving said cartridge cover engaging means and the cartridge cover to a position overlying the cartridge body, and (6) moving said elevator means in said second direction to reseal the lips of the cartridge cover on the upper flange of the cartridge body.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 further comprising latch means mounted on said elevator means, said latch means being (1) moved To a first position to latch said body engaging means to said elevator means in response to movement of said elevator means in said first direction and (2) moved to a second position to unlatch said body engaging means from said elevator means in response to movement of said elevator means in said second direction.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes:

a. a first reversible motor coupled to said elevator means; and

b. a second reversible motor coupled to said cartridge cover engaging means.

4. Apparatus for picking up one or more of a stack of aperture cards having film inserts mounted therein, the aperture cards being contained in a cartridge of the type having a body and a separable cover, said cartridge loading mechanism comprising:

a. means for receiving a cartridge;

b. means movably mounted with respect to said cartridge receiving means for engaging and separating a cartridge cover from a cartridge body of a cartridge located in said receiving means;

c. vacuum operated card holding means operable to pick up a card, said holding means being indexable to a position overlying the cartridge body and subsequently movable towards and away from the card stack;

d. a plurality of fingers movable toward the card stack for buckling a card, said fingers when moved toward the stack being effective to engage the topmost card of the stack along opposed edges thereof thereby to buckle the center of such card outwardly, said fingers being moved in response to said holding means moving toward the card stack; and

e. control means for (1) rotating said holding means to a position overlying the card stack, (2) then moving said holding means toward the card stack so that said holding means can pick up the topmost card of the stack, and (3) then moving said holding means away from the card stack.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a. means for elevating the card stack along a path to bring the topmost card out of the cartridge; and

b. means for (1) sensing the arrival of the topmost card of the stack at a position along said path wherein the topmost card is engageable by said fingers and (2) providing to said control means a signal indicative thereof, said control means deactivating said elevating means in response to said signal.