GB1388579A - Apparatus for counting and pricing photographic prints - Google Patents

Abstract

1388579 Counting apparatus EASTMAN KODAK CO 17 April 1972 [16 April 1971] 17630/72 Heading G4D The Specification is concerned with the arrangement of a photo-finishers desk for maximum efficiency. In producing photographic prints negative film strips are spliced into a continuous length and prints are made by machine on to a continuous roll of paper. The roll of prints is subsequently inspected and faulty prints are suitably marked. In the arrangement described the roll also has printed on it marks indicating the position of each print and each customer's order on the roll. The invention concerns an arrangement for cutting and counting the prints and for displaying the number of prints in an order. The print roll 24 and the negative roll 40 are mounted on the desk. The prints are intermittently advanced to a cutter 26 by means 86 which senses the individual print marks. A solenoid operated device (not shown), rejects faulty prints to a viewing position 28 in response to the marks thereon while the rest of the prints are stacked at 35. In synchronism the negative roll is fed to a cutter (as described in Application 17633/72), and is cut into strips of four negatives; the strips are stacked and retained at 41. Negative cutting is stopped when a splice is reached. Print cutting is stopped when an order mark is detected on the print roll. As each print is cut a binary counter 118-120 is stepped. When an order is complete, i.e. when automatic cutting stops the operator takes the pile of prints and the bundle of negative strips 41 and places them in an envelope from a dispenser 20. Removal of the negatives operates a switch 14 producing a signal E which shifts the value in the counter to a memory 124-126 and then a signal F which resets the counter and restarts the cutting operation. The memory is read by a binarydecimal decoder 128 and a respective numeral is illuminated on a display 46. The latter is provided with an overlay 48 on which prices are marked, so that the price of the print order is automatically indicated and can be marked on the envelope containing prints and negatives. Whenever a print is rejected a signal reaches a second binary-decimal decoder 182 which illuminates one of lamps 42 to indicate which negative strip in the bundle has to be reprinted.