Film sheet load magazine

• US 5,145,163 A
• Filed: 11/24/1989
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medrad Incorporated Kappa Manor II
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Uber, Arthur E. III, Cowan, Kevin P., Reilly, David M., Lewandowski, Stanley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bollinger, David H.
• Application Number:
  US07/441,004
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 271/161, 271/117, 271/118, 271/114, 271/116, 271/124, 271/125, 271/121, 271/145, 271/157, 271/162, 271/167, 271/171, 221/197, 221/198, 221/287, 221/6, 221/4, 221/213
• US Class Current: 271/161
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/00 Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated carriers used for associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/531 Cleaning parts of handling machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/30 Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2515/70 Electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. electric power or current
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/22 Magnetic detectors, e.g. Hall detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0684 on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/04 responsive to absence of articles, e.g. exhaustion of pile B65H7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A film sheet load magazine is adapted to hold a stack of superimposed films with at least central portions of the films in a curved configuration and leading ends of the films adjacent a film separator mechanism. The curvature of the films is such that they retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independent of the orientation of the films with respect to gravity. When a top cover of the magazine is opened, floating primary feed rollers are raised by spring-biasing assemblies to facilitate loading of the films under the rollers, and when the top cover is subsequently closed, the rollers are moved into feeding engagement with an innermost film, and the films are held in position by leaf biasing springs. A cleaning mechanism removes contaminants from the primary feed rollers, which feed each film to secondary feed rollers driven at a faster speed than the primary feed rollers. A number-of-films-remaining mechanism, which may be of a mechanical or electrical type which is adjustable for films of different thicknesses, and which is automatically preset to the number of films in the magazine upon closing of the cover, is responsive to downward movement of the primary feed rollers as each innermost film is fed from the stack. A system also is provided for indicating if enough films remain in the magazine for a particular film processing operation and to inhibit operation of an associated device if insufficient films remain. The magazine may be self-driven or driven from an associated device.

Claims

1. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity; and

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot.

2. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature and the length of the arc are such that the frictional resistance between the innermost sheet and the next adjacent sheet is less than the frictional resistance between the other sheets independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity.

3. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein the sheet curving means includes a stop means for engaging opposite second end portions of the sheets.

4. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 3, wherein the stop means is mounted on a cover member of the enclosure which is movable between open and closed positions.

5. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 3 wherein:

separator means are provided in the enclosure adjacent the feed-out slot for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time; and

the sheet curving means includes resilient means for biasing the first and second end portions of the sheets against the separator means and the stop means, respectively.

6. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 5, wherein the resilient means includes a curved leaf spring mechanism.

7. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding means includes power driven rollers for engaging and feeding the curved sheets.

8. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 7, wherein the feeding of each of the superimposed sheets by the sheet feeding means is accomplished solely by the power driven rollers engaging only edge portions of the sheet.

9. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 7, wherein the power driven feed rollers have roughened peripheral surfaces.

10. The sheet feeding mechanism as recited in claim 1, which further comprises:

separator means in the enclosure adjacent the feed-out slot for preventing more that one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time.

11. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet retaining means retains the sheets in the enclosure without any substantial reverse-bending of the sheets.

12. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, which further comprises means in the enclosure for supporting and biasing the superimposed first end portions of the sheets to cause successive movement of the superimposed first end portions relative to the feed-out slot in response to the feeding of each innermost sheet through the feed-out slot, to bring the next innermost sheet into position for feeding through the feed-out slot.

13. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet feeding means includes feed roller means mounted so as to engage the first end portion of each successive innermost sheet while the first end portion of the sheet is superimposed on the other sheets, for feeding of the sheet through the feed-out slot.

14. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein the length of the arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets is at least 180 degrees.

15. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot;

means for opening and closing the enclosure; and

means responsive to the opening-and-closing means for moving the sheet feeding means into and out of a sheet-feeding position.

16. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 15, wherein the moving means is a slidably mounted spring-biased mechanism connected at one end to the sheet feeding means and engageable at an opposite end with the opening-and-closing means.

17. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the sheet; and

means for cleaning the feed roller means as the feed roller means rotates.

18. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 17, wherein the sheet feeding means further includes:

a rotatable drive shaft;

a floating rotatable shaft, the roller means being supported on the floating rotating shaft;

means for supporting the floating shaft for pivotable movement about the rotatable drive shaft; and

means for driving the floating shaft and the roller means from the drive shaft.

19. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 18, which further comprises:

a second floating shaft, the roller cleaning means being supported on the second floating shaft;

means for supporting the second floating shaft for pivotable movement on the drive shaft; and

means for driving the second floating shaft from the drive shaft.

20. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 19, wherein the first and second floating shafts are supported on the drive shaft by the same support means.

21. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 17, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are rotatable members.

22. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 21, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are brushes.

23. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 22, wherein the feed roller means are rollers provided with peripheral grooves to facilitate the cleaning action of the brushes.

24. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 17, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are members formed of a material which causes contaminants to adhere to the members.

25. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 17, wherein the feed roller means includes means for engaging and penetrating a surface of each of the sheets.

26. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 17, wherein the feed roller means are rollers having roughened peripheral surfaces.

27. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

means for indicating the number of sheets remaining in the enclosure as the sheets are fed by the sheet feeding means, the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means being preset automatically to indicate the number of films in the enclosure in response to loading of the enclosure.

28. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 27, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicator means is adjustable for sheets of different thickness.

29. The sheet feeding mechanism as recited in claim 27, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means includes a scale and a pointer.

30. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 27, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is an electrical indicating means.

31. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 30, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is responsive to movement of the sheet feeding means, and includes means for converting the movement of the sheet feeding means to an electrical signal.

32. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 30, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means further includes means for indicating when an insufficient number of sheets remain for a particular operation by an associated device upon which the magazine is mounted.

33. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 30, wherein the number-of-sheet-remaining indicating means also inhibits operation of the associated device.

34. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 30, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor.

35. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including primary feed rollers and secondary feed rollers, the primary rollers feeding the sheets to the secondary rollers and being driven slower than the secondary rollers, with the primary rollers being free to roll at the speed of the sheet when the sheet is being driven by the faster secondary rollers.

36. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

separator means in the enclosure for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time, the separator means comprising a roller and a screw-threaded rigid pin adjustably mounted opposite the roller to define a variable gap between the roller and the pin.

37. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

separator means in the enclosure adjacent the feed-out slot for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time, the separator means comprising first and second counter rotating rollers having a gap therebetween, the first rollers engaging the sheet to be fed and urging the sheet forward, and the second roller contacting other ones of the sheets which tend to breach the gap and urging these sheets backward, with the frictional force which the second roller exerts on the sheet to be fed being less than that exerted by the first roller.

38. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding each of the sheets from the enclosure through the feed-out slot;

movable separator means in the enclosure adjacent the feed-out slot for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time; and

control means for controlling opening of said movable separator means so that feeding means feeds only one sheet at a time through the feed-out slot.

39. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 38, wherein said control means opens the separator means to define a gap essentially corresponding to the thickness of a single sheet, and subsequently recloses the separator means, to permit said feeding means to cause the feeding of only one sheet at a time through the feed-out slot.

40. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a stack of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with adjacent portions at one end of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independent of gravity, and such that an innermost sheet and each subsequent innermost sheet tend to be ejected from the stack so as to be self-feeding; and

means for controlling the feeding of the sheets from the magazine one at a time.

41. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 40, wherein the length of the arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets is less than 180 degrees.

42. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot, the enclosure being adapted to receive a plurality of sheets which are in superimposed relationship with leading end portions of the sheets in touching engagement adjacent the feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for causing each of the sheets to feed from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

separator means in the enclosure adjacent the feed-out for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time, the separator means including opposed members for defining a gap through which the sheets feed one at a time to the feed-out slot.

43. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot;

means for opening and closing the enclosure; and

means responsive to the opening-and-closing means for moving the sheet feeding means into and out of a sheet-feeding position.

44. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazines independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets; and

means for cleaning the feed roller means as the feed roller means rotates.

45. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 44, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are rotatable members.

46. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 45, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are brushes.

47. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 46, wherein the feed roller means are rollers provided with peripheral grooves to facilitate the cleaning action of the brushes.

48. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 44, wherein the feed roller cleaning means are members formed of a material which causes contaminants to adhere to the members.

49. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets;

a rotatable drive shaft;

a floating rotatable shaft, the roller means being supported on the floating rotatable shaft;

means for supporting the floating rotatable shaft for pivotable movement about the rotatable drive shaft; and

means for driving the floating rotatable shaft and the roller means from the rotatable drive shaft.

50. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 49, which further comprises:

means for engaging and cleaning the feed roller means as the feed roller means rotates;

a second floating shaft, the roller cleaning means being supported on the second floating shaft;

means for supporting the second floating shaft for pivotable movement on the drive shaft; and

means for driving the second floating shaft from the drive shaft.

51. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 50, wherein the first and second floating shafts are supported on the drive shaft by the same support means.

52. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets;

means for opening and closing the enclosure; and

spring-biased means responsive to the opening-and-closing means for moving the feed roller means into and out of a sheet-feeding position.

53. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets; and

gear rack means for driving the feed roller means.

54. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 53, wherein the gear rack means is driven by a rod from an associated device upon which the sheet feeding magazine is mounted.

55. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity; and

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets and the roller means including means for engaging and penetrating a surface of each of the sheets.

56. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including roller means for engaging and feeding the curved sheets; and

means for indicating the number of sheets remaining in the enclosure as the sheets are fed from the enclosure by the sheet feeding means.

57. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 56, wherein the feed roller means is pivotably mounted and the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is responsive to the degree of pivotable movement of the feed roller means.

58. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 57, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means includes a scale and a pointer.

59. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 57, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining means includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor.

60. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity; and

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including primary feed rollers and secondary feed rollers, the primary rollers feeding the sheets to the secondary rollers and being driven slower than the secondary rollers, with the primary rollers being free to roll at the speed of the sheet when the sheet is driven by the faster secondary rollers.

61. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheet and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity; and

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot, the sheet feeding means including a feed roller means and at least one one-way clutch for operating the feed roller means, and further including means for operating the one-way clutch independently of an associated device upon which the magazine is mounted.

62. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot;

means for moving the sheet feeding means into and out of a sheet-engaging feeding position for the feeding of each sheet; and

means for continuously driving the sheet feeding means.

63. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

sheet separator means including a roller and a screw-threaded rigid pin adjustably mounted opposite the roller to define a variable gap between the roller and the pin.

64. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

sheet separator means including first and second counter rotating rollers having a gap therebetween, the first rollers engaging the sheet to be fed and urging the sheet forward, and the second roller contacting other ones of the sheets which tend to breach the gap and urging these sheets backward, with the frictional force which the second roller exerts on the sheet to be fed being less than that exerted by the first roller.

65. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

separator means adjacent the feed-out slot for preventing more than one sheet from feeding through the feed-out slot at a time, the separator means being controllably opened to feed one sheet at a time.

66. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed sheets, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with first end portions of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions of the sheets and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independently of the orientation of the magazine with respect to gravity;

means in the enclosure for engaging and feeding an innermost one of the curved sheets, each subsequent innermost sheet and a last sheet from the enclosure through the feed-out slot; and

means for indicating the number of sheets remaining in the enclosure as the sheets are fed from the enclosure by the sheet feeding means.

67. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 66, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is preset automatically to indicate the number of films in the enclosure in response to loading of the enclosure.

68. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 66, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicator means is adjustable for sheets of different thickness.

69. The sheet feeding mechanism as recited in claim 66, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means includes a scale and a pointer.

70. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 66, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is an electrical indicating means.

71. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 70, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means is responsive to movement of the sheet feeding means, and includes means for converting the movement of the sheet feeding means to an electrical signal.

72. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 70, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means further includes means for indicating when an insufficient number of sheets remain for a particular operation by an associated device upon which the magazine is mounted.

73. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 72, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicator means also inhibits operation of the associated device.

74. The sheet feeding magazine as recited in claim 70, wherein the number-of-sheets-remaining indicating means includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor.

75. A sheet feeding magazine, which comprises:

an enclosure adapted to receive a stack of sheets which are in superimposed relationship, the enclosure including a wall having a sheet feed-out slot;

means in the enclosure for retaining at least central portions of the superimposed sheets in a curved essentially semi-circular configuration within the enclosure, with adjacent portions at one end of the sheets adjacent the feed-out slot, and with a radius of curvature of the curved portions and the length of an arc encompassed by the curved portions of the sheets being such that the sheets retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independent of gravity, and such that an innermost sheet and each subsequent innermost sheet is self-feeding so as to be ejected from the stack without any supplemental feed mechanism; and

means for controlling the feeding of the sheets from the magazine one at a time.