GB2060934A - A holder for photographic material - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for photographic material comprises a support member 1 for mounting on a printing or processing machine and a container 14 for the material P detachably mounted on the support member. The support member includes means such as a roller 5 for guiding the material as it moves into or out of the container. The container preferably includes a shutter 18 biassed normally into a closed position by a spring 22. The shutter opens and closes an opening 16 in the container when the container is located and removed respectively from the support member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A holder for photographic material The invention relates to a holder for photographic material and Is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a holder for undeveloped photographic paper strip used in producing prints from photographic negatives.

Containers or cassettes for storing undeveloped photographic paper have been proposed hitherto and normally have a slit-like opening in a wall through which the paper strip passes. Obviously it Is essential to prevent light entering the opening when the filled cassette is being loaded on to a processing machine or being carried from one place to another and it is usual to provide a shutter for that purpose.

However, the shutter Is not always effective because the edges defining the opening often become damaged or worn as a result of repeated loading of the cassette onto the printing and processing machines.

Furthermore, known cassettes for such a purpose are expensive because they contain a guide roller assembly for guiding the film towards or away from a core inside the cassette.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder for photographic material which reduces the foregoing disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the Invention, there is provided a holder for photographic material comprising a support member to be mounted on a printing or processing machine and a container for the material detachably mounted on the support member, said support member including means for guiding the material as It moves into or out of an opening in the container. With such an arrangement, only one support member per Inlet and or outlet for paper on a machine Is necessary. Also the containers themselves do not contain the guide means and can therefore be made relatively easily and cheaply while allowing the direct transfer of exposed paper from the printing machine to the processing machine.

The opening In the container is preferably closable by means of a shutter which Is held In its open position by means on the support member when the container is mounted on the support member. The shutter is preferably biassed towards Its closed position by resilient means so that when the container Is removed from the support member. the shutter automatically moves Into the closed position. The container simply locates in the support member so that the opening in the container does not have to engage any inlet or outlet member for paper on the machine and there Is therefore less chance of the opening becoming damaged. As a result. a more reliable shutter action is achieve.

The support member Is preferably in the form of a cradle In which the container locates. Preferably the cradle has walls which include guides for the container so that, on loading the container into the cradle. the container is constrained to follow d predetermined path relative to the cradle. Means may be provided to effect relative movement between the container and shutter as the container moves along the path. In that way, the shutter is effectively withdrawn from the opening during location of the container in the cradle.

Suitable sealing means may be disposed between the support member and the container to prevent light entering the opening.

According to another aspect of the Invention there is provided a container for photographic material for use in combination with a support member so as to form a holder as defined in any of the four immediately preceding paragraphs.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a support member for use in combination with a container adapted to hold photographic material so as to form a holder as defined above.

A holder for photographic material in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa sectional side elevation of one form of support member of a holder in accordance with the invention for use on a printing machine for photographic paper strip.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the holder of Figure 1 with the container for the photographic paper removed, Figure 3 is a cross section through a preferred form of container for use with the support members shown in Figures 1 and 7, Figure 4 is a cross section of the container shown in Figure 3 on the line IV - IV of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the container adjacent openings therein drawn to a larger scale, Figure 6is a view of another portion of the container looking In the direction of Arrow VI In Figure 3 and illustrating a spring post on a shutter and Figure 7 Is a sectional side elevation of a further support member of a holder In accordance with the invention for use on a processing machine.

A cradle 1 constituting the aforesaid support member) has a base plate 2 adapted to be mounted on a photographic processing machine leg a highspeed printer the paper outlet of which Is Indicated at A In Figure 1. The base plate 2 carries a support 3 which defines a curved paper guide 4 and carries a roller 5. The cradle 1 has side walls 6 and an end wall 7, the latter defining a slot 8 through which the outlet A projects. The cradle also has an upper wall 9 curved about center C and which defines an aperture 10, adjacent the roller 5, and an elongate openinq 12 through which projects a tongue 13. The drcudte upper wail 9 is provided with a layer F of felt or other suitable type of sealing material and the nside face of each side wall 6 may also have a layer of sirnilar sealing material thereon. Similar sealing maternal G Is provided on the wall 7 around slot 8 to seal against the outlet A.

The cradle 1 supports a cylindrical container 14 shown in detail in Figures 3 to 6) the peripheral wall 15 of which Is of substantially complementary curvature to the upper wall 9. The wall 15 is formed with an opening 16 and supports an arcuate guide 17 which is spaced from the interior of the wall 15 and is formed with an opening 16'. An arcuate shutter 18 is freely slidable in the space between the wall 15 and guide 17 so that it can open and close the opening 16. The shutter 18 carries an operating pin 19 which extends through a slot 19' in the wall 15 and co-operates with the tongue 13 as described in detail below. The shutter 18 also carries a spring post 20 which locates one end of a tension spring 22. The post 20 extends through a slot 20' in the wall 15 (see Figure 6).

The other end of the spring locates on a further spring post 23 secured to the wall 15. The spring 22 biasses the shutter 18 towards its closed position in which it completely closes the opening 16. The container 14 is provided with a partial liner 24, which is fixed to the wall 15 by velcro strips 24'. The container 14 has a centre spindle 25 which carries a coaxial core 26 having a rubber flap or flaps 27 secured thereto for picking up and gripping paper fed in through the openings 16. 16 . The container has side walls 28. 29 in the form of removable lids which are each provided with locating studs 30, 31.

Lengths of sealing material L are attached to the inside of side walls 28, 29 to prevent light entering between the side walls and the wall 15. The studs locate in slots 32, 33 respectively In the side walls 6 of the cradle 1. The slot 32 has an Inlet section 32a with an arcuate terminal section 32b. The slot 33 is arcuate throughout Its length. The centre of curva ture of slots 32b and 33is C.

In use, the studs 30 are first placed at the lower ends of the Inlet sections, 32a of slots 32. The container Is then pivoted anticlockwise las viewed In Figure 1) untll the studs 31 locate In the upper ends of slots 33. In that position. the operating pin 19 of the shutter 18 rests against the right hand side of tongue 13. The container C is then rotated anticlock wise so that the studs 30, 31 move along the slot sections 32b and slots 33 and come to rest In the positions shown in chain dotted lines in Figure 1. On rotating the container, the shutter 18 remains fixed and the rotary movement moves the opening 16, 16' clear of the shutter and Into registry with the aperture 10 of the cradle. In order to prevent the spring 22 subsequently moving the container In a reverse sense. a hook 34 mounted on springs 35 Figures 1 and 2) Is provided. The springs 35 are secured to a bracket 36 on an end wall 37 of the cradle. The hook can be raised by means of a finger hook 38 so as to hook over a handle or catch 39 on the container 1. Spring tension appiied to the catch though the hook maintains the container in the Figure 1 position. Once correctly located In the cradle, the sealing layers prevent light entering the openings 16. 16' Also when In the Figure 1 position.

a driven drm 40 on the spindle 25 receives drive from a driving dog 44 to rotate the spindle when the holder Is used as a take-up device for the paper strip.

A carrying handle 41 ls provided on the container 14.

In use a cradle 1 with an empty container therein Is arranged at the outlet end of a printing machine so that exposed paper can be fed directly from the outlet A into the empty container. The paper llndl- cated at Pin Figures 1 and 21 is simply pushed between the guide 4 and roller 5 so that it passes through the aperture 10 and openings 16.16'. The flap or flaps 27 are rotated so as to pick up the paper and wind it around the core 26. Continued driving of the shaft 25 and core 26 takes up the paper strip as it issues from the printing machine. On completion of winding (the paper P then taking up the left hand position shown in Figure 11. the paper may be severed upstream of the outlet A or simply be allowed to run out to leave a "tail end". The container can then be removed from the cradle.

Removal is carried out by reversing the loading procedure described above. The hook 34 is released from the catch 39 and the container is turned clockwise. As soon as the operating pin 19 on the shutter disengages the tongue 13, the shutter 18 snaps shut under the influence of the return spring 22. The paper Is pinched by the shutter against a stop 43 on the container (see Figures 3 and 5) and the container can then be lifted clear of the cradle.

The leading end of the shutter 18 and the operative end of the stop 43 are covered with sealing material S such as velvet or felt to provide good light seal.

The container is next loaded into another cradle 44 as shown in Figure 6 mounted at the Inlet end of a photographic developing machine. The cradle 44 is similar in many respects to the cradle 1 and will not be described in detail. The cradle has side walls 45 formed with slots 46, 47 having terminal sections 46a 47a curved about centre D and in which the studs 30, 31 of the container locate as shown. The container locates in the cradle 44 in the same way, the cradle 44 having a tongue 46 thereon which engages the operating pin 19 of the shutter. A layer of sealing material M is provided on the cradle adjacent an opening 147 in the cradle 44. A pair of rollers 48 is mounted beneath the opening 147 and a further roller 49 Is spaced therefrom. The rollers guide paper P' emerging from the container along an S-shaped path 50 towards an outlet 51. The outlet is positioned so that paper from the container can enter the Inlet (not shown) of the developing machine. The container Is locked In the cradle 1 by a hook 52 shown operative In chain dotted lines Identical to hook 34 and the machine withdraws the paper P' from the container. the spindle 25 being free to rotate.

A guard 53 Is also provided to prevent opening of the shutter by accidental knocking of pin 19 when the container Is being carried. The tongue 13 extends through a slot 54 in the guard 53.

The holder of the invention enabies a single cradle to be provided adlacent an outlet of a printing machine or an Inlet of a processing machine so that only the containers need to be dupiicated In large numbers for a given number of machines. The container does not include the relatively expensive roller assembly for guiding the paper and can be made far cheaper than the various tvpes of cassettes produced at present.

Claims (23)

1. A holder for photographic material comprising a support member to be mounted on a printing or processing machine and a container for the material detachably mounted on the support member, said support member including means for guiding the material as it moves into or out of an opening in the container.

2. A holder according to Claim 1 in which the opening in the container Is closable by means of a shutter which is held In its open position by means of the support member when the container is mounted on the support member.

3. A holder according to Claim 2, in which the shutter is biassed towards its closed position by resilient means so that when the container Is removed from the support member, the shutter automatically moves into the closed position.

4. A holder according to Claim 3, in which the support member is in the form of a cradle in which the container locates.

5. A holder according to Claim 4, in which the cradle has walls which include guldes for the container so that, on loading the container Into the cradle, the container is constrained to follow a predetermined path relative to the cradle.

6. A holder according to Claim 5, in which means is provided to effect relative movement between the container and shutter as the container moves along the path.

7. A holder according to Claim 6, in which the means for effecting relative movement between the cradle and the shutter comprises a projection on the cradle which prevents movement of the shutter relative to the cradle.

8. A holder according to any of Claims 5 to 7, in which the container Is cylindrical and the predeter mined path Is substantially arcuate.

9. A holder according to Claim 8. in which the walls of the cradle have slots therein which locate prolections on the container, the slots defining the said guides.

10. A holder according to Claim 8 or 9 In which the cradle has a base wall between the side walls which 5 part-cylindrical and of substantially complementary shape to the cylindrical container wall.

11. A holder according to Claim 10, In which the base wall Is formed with an opening which aligns with the opening In the container through which the photographic material passes when moving into or out of the opening of the container.

12. A holder according to Claim 11, In which the means for guiding the material within the support means as the material moves between the opening in the base wall and an inlet or outlet on the support member Includes a curved path defining member.

13. A holder according to Claim 11 or 12, In which said means for guiding the material includes rollers.

14. A holder according to any of Claims 8 to 13 in which the container has a coaxial rotary spindle around which the material winds when It enters the containers.

15. A holder according to Claim 14. n which the spindle Is provided with take-up flaps for picking up the material as It enters the container,

16. A holder according to any of Claims 3 to 15.

in which the shutter Is provided with a sealing material which prevents light from entering the containers when the container Is removed from the support means.

17. A holder according to Claim 16, in which the leading end of the shutter Is provided with the sealing material and co-operates with an abutment surface which is also provided with sealing material.

18. A holder according to any preceding claim, in which a sealing material is positioned between the container and the support means to prevent light entering the opening in the container when the container Is arranged on the support means with the shutter open.

19. A holder according to any preceding claim, in which securing means is provided for securing the container In the support means.

20. A holder according to Claim 19, in which the securing means is a hook which is resiliently mounted on the supporting means and is arranged to hook over a catch on the container so as to urge the container into the support means.

21. A container for photographic material for use in combination with a support member so as to form a holder according to any preceding claim.

22. A support member for use in combination with a container adapted to hold photographic material so as to form a holder according to any of Claims 1 to 20.

23. A holder for photographic material constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 6 or Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.