US2423573A - Light-excluding seal for film packs - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1947.

T. M G. AIKEN EXCLUDING SEAL FOR FILM PACKS LIGHT- Filed Feb. 9, 1945 r jzzyezzfar' Patented July 8, 1947 LIGHT-EXCLUDING SEAL FOR FILM PACKS Thomas McGowan Aiken, Pittsburgh, Pa., as-

signor to Samuel Hornstein, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 9, 1945, Serial No. 577,079

7 Claims. 1

Photographic films are widely distributed in so-called packs which consist of little casings each containing a number of films that have tabs protruding through a slot in one edge of the casing; one film after another being brought into position for use through pulling out on these tabs. Although each tab is torn off after it has served its purpose, and a part still remains in the slot, light frequently enters the casing through the slot. Various means have been suggested to insure the effective sealing of these slots and, while some of them may be useful, I know of no means available for use with packs that do not have built in sealing devices.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple, novel, inexpensive and efficient sealing device for the slots in said film packs that maybe applied, not only in the factory, but by the user, and which may be used over and over again.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherem:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a film pack to which my invention has been applied, together with a holder or adapter that-has been onlypartially closed on the pack; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, showing only the pack; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sealing device removed from the pack; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the film pack with the sealingdevice thereon; Fig. 5 is a front view of the upper part of the film pack withithe sealing device in place; Fig. 6

is a section through the upper part of the film pack, with the sealing device in place, on a plane at right angles to the films; Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, a top view and a front View of the sealingdevice; and Fig. 9 is a section, on a still larger scale, on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing, l represents any usual or suitable fiat casing having in one edge, to which I shall refer as the top, a slot 2 that extends throughout practically the entire length of such edge and through which the tabs 3 of flexible strips attached to photographic films in the casing project. This film pack of itself is no part of the present invention, and neither is the holder or adapter 4, which is also old and well known. In accordance with my invention I provide a simple little sealing device that is laid on top of the casing, in front of and in contact with the tabs, and with a portion thereof extending down into the slot. When the holder or adapter 4 is closed on the film pack, as indicated i broken lines in Fig. 6, a wall or flange 5 on the latter overlies the sealing element and holds it in place.

In its simplest form the sealing device comprises an elongated composite member of T- shaped cross-section composed of a horizontal flange section, one-half portion of which consists of a suitable flexible sealing strip of material as, for example, felt which is adapted to be pressed against the foremost tab across the entire width of the latter. lThe other one-half portion of the horizontal flange section consisting of a horizontal metal portion of U -shaped cross-section provided with a depending stem section I adapted to enter the slot in the casing, the pressure of the tabs thereon will frictionally hold the device in sealing position until it is intentionally removed. In the arrangement shown, the sealing device of T-shaped cross-section is composed of two pieces, one piece 6 being a strip of felt or the like and the other piece comprising a pre-shaped member made of sheet metal or other suitable stiff sheet material. The stiff sheet material is bent or folded on parallel lines to produce the stem portion 1, which is simply a, long narrow vertically disposed strip, and a horizontally disposed portion 8 of U-shaped cross-section providing a channel that has its open side adjacent to the stem 1 and has a narrow lip 9 extending outwardly beyond the bend between the Vertical stem 7 and the horizontal u-shaped portion. The sealing strip 6 is frictionally secured along one side thereof within and-protrudes from the horizontal-U-shaped portion 8 to produce a structure which, as a whole, is T-shaped in cross section; the metal element, alone, being L-shaped. Or, viewed in another aspect, the device may be regarded as having a T-shaped cross-section comprising a stem 1 having at the upper long edge thereof two oppositely directed laterally aligned flange portions, one of which portions is stiff, as for example, the horizontal U-shaped portion 8, and the other flexible and compressible represented by the free section of the felt strip 6.

It will be seen that when the sealing device is applied to the pack as indicated in Fig. 6, the protruding portion of the felt strip 6 does not simply make edge contact with the near tab but engages therewith face to face over substantially the whole area of one face of the exposed portion of the strip, thereby making certain that no light can seep down into the pack through gaps between the extended sealing strip portion and the tab. This results from the fact that the horizontal flange portion of the T is at least as wide as the top face or edge surface of the casing. While the felt flange portion extends far rearward from the slot in the casing, the stiff metal flange portion extends far from the slot in the forward direction, insuring that no light can enter into slot by passing underneath the stiff metal flange portion.

The stiff metal flange portion 8 is preferably provided at its upper long free edge with a lip 9 that extends throughout almost the entire length of the device; the lip being conveniently created by bending a narrow marginal portion of the upper wall portion of the flange portion 8 outwardly at an acute angle. This lip protrudes angularly beyond the plane of the stem 1 and can therefore serve as a presser foot to force the felt strip firmly against the near tab.

It will be seen that the sealer need not be discarded after a pack of films has been used, but may be retained for use with other packs. It will also be seen that not only is my improved device very useful, but it can be applied by any one with the assurance that it will serve its intended purpose effectively.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact details so illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for sealing the slot in the top of a photographic film pack casing through which protrude tabs attached to films housed in the casing, comprising an elongated sealing member of T-shaped cross-section adapted to be positioned on top of the casing with one edge of the horizontal flange portion of the member in pressure contact with the face of the front tab and with the vertical stem portion of the member disposed in said slot; that part of the flange portion along said edge being flexible.

2. A device for sealing the slot in the top of a photographic film pack casing through which protrude tabs attached to films housed in the casing, which consists of a long narrow flat stiff member containing a channel, a yieldable sealing element of substantial width securely fitted in said channel along a longitudinal portion thereof, and a thin elongated stem portion projecting downwardly from said member for insertion into said slot in front of the tabs; the parts being so proportioned that, upon assembling the device with a filled casing, said yieldable sealing element lies on the outside of the casing and is caused to bend upwardly and make face to face pressure contact with the adjacent tab.

3. A sealing device for sealing the slot in the top of a film pack casing which comprises an elongated member of T-shaped cross-section having a horizontal flange portion and a stem portion disposed perpendicularly to said horizontal flange portion, said flange portion consisting of a stiff flat member of U-shaped crosssection, a flat yieldable sealing element, said U- shaped member embracing a longitudinal portion of the sealing element and having a right-angularly bent integral portion for insertion in said slot and constituting said stem portion of said T-shaped cross-section.

4. A sealing device for the slot in the top of a film pack casing which comprises a long, thin, stiff strip adapted to be inserted in said slot and being provided at one long edge with a pair of horizontally aligned flange portions forming therewith a structure that is T-shaped in cross section, both of said flange portions being adapted to overlie the top of the casing, one of said flange portions being of U-shaped crosssection and the other flange portion being a strip of flexible material fixed in and protruding from said U-shaped portion.

5. A sealing device for the slot in the top of a film pack casing through which protrude tabs attached to films housed in the casing, said device comprising an elongated piece of sheet metal formed into a member of an L-shape cross-section, the part constituting the Vertical leg of the L being adapted to enter into said slot and the part constituting the horizontal leg being bent outwardly and back to create a channel between such bent portions, and a strip of sealing material frictionally held in and protruding from said channel, said horizontal leg and said sealing strip overlying the top of said casing with the free edge of said strip in contact with an adjacent tab while said vertical leg is positioned in said slot.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the marginal portion along the'free edge of said horizontal leg portion is bent angularly outwardly through an acute angle to provide said channel of said horizontal leg with an open side that is wider than the thickness of said sealing strip.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein there is at the long free edge of said horizontal leg a lip extending outwardly at an acute angle laterally over the strip of sealing material to serve as a presser foot against an upturning part of that strip when the device is applied to exert pressure against the protruding tabs of the film pack.

THOMAS McGOWAN AIKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PAIENTS Number Name Date 1,871,217 Klaus Aug. 9, 1932

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