US3717079A

US3717079A - Arrangements for filmtransport, exposure locking and releasing, with flashlight-cube transport means and shutter locking means

Info

Publication number: US3717079A
Application number: US00150127A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Lange
Original assignee: Balda Werke Photographische Gerate und Kunststof GmbH and Co KG; GRUTA R KG
Current assignee: Balda Werke Photographische Gerate und Kunststof GmbH and Co KG; GRUTA R KG
Priority date: 1967-10-07
Filing date: 1971-06-04
Publication date: 1973-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-20
Also published as: DE1265570B; GB1213508A; FR1586023A

Abstract

In a camera with means for simultaneously locking and unlocking the film transport device and the exposure releasing mechanism, the disc-like transport handle has a plurality of tooth-shaped driver means which are engageable by a pin attached to a governing member for both the film transport device and the locking and unlocking device, further for the exposure-releasing mechanism and for means for a flash cube transport and for locking of the shutter of the camera, whereby the governing member has the shape of a linkage bar and is guided by the pin in a stationary guide cam having an operating circular section and a non-operating return section.

Description

[ 1 Feb. 20, 1973 United States Patent Lange A ARRANGEMENTS FOR [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FILMTRANSPORT, EXPOSURE LOCKING AND RELEASING, WITH FLASHLIGHT-CUBE TRANSPORT ll/l96l Tahchama................................95/3l MEANS AND SHUTTER LOCKING MEANS [75] Inventor:

3,416,424 12/1968 Harvey...............,......... 3,487,758

Karl l-leinze Lange, Westphalia, Germany FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Balda ,235,732 3/1967 Germany..................................95/3l Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr. Attorney-Sparrow and Sparrow Werke, Photographische Gerate und Kunststaif, R. Gruta Komlnanditgesellschaft, Bunde Westphalia, Germany June 4, 1971 57 ABSTRACT In a camera with means for simultaneously locking and unlocking the film transport device and the expo- [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 150,127

Related [1.8. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 762,753, Sept. 29,

sure releasing mechanism, the disc-like transport handle has a plurality of tooth-shaped driver means which l968,abandoned. are engageable by a pin attached to a governing member for both the film transport device and the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data locking and unlocking device, further for the expo- Oct. 7, 1967 G sure-releasing mechanism and for means for a flash 94865 cube transport and for locking of the shutter of the camera, whereby the governing member has the shape of a linkage bar and is guided by the pin in a stationary guide cam having an operating circular section and a non-operating return section.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 2 5

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INVENTORI i \ia.r\ Gina. Limag BY Sean-vow am! ArraQ ATTon as y g ARRANGEMENTS FOR FILMTRANSPORT, EXPOSURE LOCKING AND RELEASING, WITH FLASHLIGHT-CUBE TRANSPORT MEANS AND SHUTTER LOCKING MEANS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of copendnow abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to provide means in cameras for simultaneously locking and unlocking the film transport device and the exposure releasing mechanism in order to avoid double exposures and half or idle film advancing. Furthermore, it is known to lock simultaneously by a transport handle the shutter and to advance by corresponding intermediate means a so-called flash cube which usually contains four flash bulbs and which is angularly advanced after an exposure has been made and is eventually replaced after all four bulbs have been spent.

Considerable difficulties are caused by the fact that the photographic film is wound on a. spool which increases its effective diameter by the spooling so that for a given length of the film, for example, in instamatic cameras, determined by the perforations of the film, the angular advancement of the transport handle is changed, or is diminished progressively, respectively, and would cause a decreasing rotation of the flash cube and shutter-locking gear. Solutions of this problem have been proposed by using a special friction coupling but this has not been found to be entirely satisfactory in view of the higher costs and the rather large forces of friction and locking. The present invention refers to a solution which avoids the disadvantages of the prior constructions and is distinguished by its simplicity-and low costs in connection with improved results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to photographic cameras in general and to operating interlocking and releasing mechanisms for various functions of such cameras in particular.

According to the invention the construction of the camera provides the handle (or wheel) of the film transport device with a plurality of drivers engageable by a pin of a governing member which is common for the means for locking the film transport, and exposure releasing mechanism and also for advancing of the flash cube. The coupling of the flash cube is effective by a stationary guide cam containing an operating section extending over a certain angle of rotation and a nonoperating return section. By this construction a particular friction coupling with its inherent difficulties is avoided, and all parts can be very closely assembled. Furthermore, the parts of the construction arrangement can be produced simply and inexpensively by punching or stampingof sheet metal.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention and will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and illustrates merely by way of example an embodiment of the device of the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the entire arrangement of the mechanism in the film transport starting position after releasing of the shutter of the camera (viewed from below);

FIG. 2 is a similar view as shown in FIG. 1, but for a position of the mechanism during the return stroke of the governing member;

FIG. 3 is a section of the arrangement taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of FIG. 1 concerning the hearing of the film transport wheel, taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section of the arrangement taken along line VV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a detail of the locking mechanism in FIGS. 1 and 2, taken during the operation of the exposure.

FIG. 7 shows in an exploded view, the operating members of the mechanism as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 shows in an exploded view, a part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7 a mounting plate 2 fastened in a camera housing 1 at

points

3,4,5,6, and 7 in a manner not shown in more detail. A slidable retainer body 8 (FIGS. 3,4, and 7) is fitted slidably into a pocket-like, dovetailed recess 9 of housing 1 in such manner that it is firmly attached to the latter and that the axis 10 of a pick-up sleeve 11 is coaxial with the spool of the film of the camera (not shown in the drawing). Sleeve 11 has several keys 12 on the outside thereof which cooperate with corresponding recesses 13 of the film transport wheel 14, forming an axially shiftable coupling. Transport wheel 14 has a bearing collar 15 rotatably supported in a corresponding bore of retainer 8, and has external gear teeth 16 on the periphery thereof for operating it and for stopping the film transport. There is further a first set of internal gear teeth 17 for locking the return stroke and a second set of internal gear teeth 18 for the operation of the cocking of the shutter of the camera (not shown in the drawing) and for the indexing gear of the flash cube on the camera (also not shown in the drawing).

Sleeve 11 is supported in recesses 13 and further with the shaft-like extension 19'thereof in a bore 20 of a cam plate 21. Extension 19 carries a disc 22 on its upper end which is operable by a conventionally known mechanism (not shown in the drawing) for engaging and disengaging sleeve 11 with the film spool against the force of a spring 23. Cam plate 21 is firmly fastened on plate 2 and has a guiding cam track 24 thereon on the side facing transport wheel 14. Cam track 24 comprises substantially two sections. A section 25 of cam track 24 starts at point 24 (in FIG. 2) which is circular and coaxial with the center of transport wheel 14, and ends at point 26, where it continues into a return section 27. Cam track 24 cooperates with the end 28a of a guide pin 28 which is fixedly aggached to one end of a governing bar member 29, while the other end 28b of pin 28 cooperates with the second set 18 of internal gear teeth of transport wheel 14.

The other end 30 of bar member 29 is pivotally connected with the arm 31 of the shutter cocking wheel 32. A resilient arm 33 which may consist of a plastic material may be integrally moulded with arm 33. The flash cube socket 36 is moved with shutter cocking wheel 32 by arm 33 and by a system of

dogs

34,35. Transport wheel 14 is further located at 37 (FIG. 2 at the center of circular section 25 of cam track 24. A hook-like abutment 38 is provided near the center of bar member 29 (FIGS. 1,7), which is arranged to cooperate with a face 39 of a feeler and stop slide member 40. The angularly bent-off end 31 (FIG. of slide member 40 feels" and engages the perforation 42 of the film 43 for stopping the film transport.

Slide member 40 has an angular flange 44 near the edge of face 39 and an opening 45. Furthermore slide member 40 has a third arm 46 with a bent-off end 47 having an operating edge 48. Slide member 40 is guided on three places, that is, in a slot 49 of housing 1, in a slot 50 in plate 2 and in a slot 51 of a bent-off flange 52 of plate 2 (FIGS. 5 and 8). A catch lever 53 is cooperating with hole 45 in slide member 40 (FIGS. l,2,5,8). Catch lever 53 is pivotally located at 54 and has a nose 55 which can engage hole 45 in a proper position of slide member 40 by the force of a spring 56. An arm 57 of catch lever 53 engages the rounded end 59 of bar member 29 which is operated by a spring 60.

Slide member 40 is moved by one end 62 of a twoarm lever 63 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 64, while the other end 65 thereof cooperates with the end 66 of a release slide 67, which is pivotally mounted on a release rocker 70 for the release movement at

link points

68,69. Rocker 70 is rotatably supported in

stationary bearings

71,72 in the flanges 2a of plate 2 (FIG. 8). A release rod 74 is pivotally mounted at point 73. Rod 74 is connected with the actual release member of the camera shutter (not shown in the drawing). A release Key 75 is connected with release slide 67. Key 75 has a locking nose 76 which operates on the locking edge 77 of the bell crank arm 77a of a locking lever 78 (FIGS. 4 and 6), which is swingably mounted on a pivot 79 at retainer body 8 and is moved by a spring 80. The

other arm of locking lever 78 has an angularly: arranged end 82 which engages the gear teeth 16 of transport wheel 14 by the action of operating edge 48 of bent-off end 47 of slide member 40 for stopping the film transport. A return-checking lever 86 is mounted on a pivot 85 at body 8 (FIGS. 4 and 7). Lever 86 is kept in the checking position by a spring 87 against internal gear teeth 17, thus preventing transport wheel 14 from being rotated in the reverse direction.

Springs

80 and 87 may be combined into one spring only by giving levers 78 and 86 a correspondingly convenient shape because both levers are mounted on retainer body 8.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

By rotating film-transport wheel 14 in the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 1,2, and 4 (clockwise), end 28b of guide pin 28 (FIG. 3) which is fixedly attached on governing bar member 29, engages the teeth 18 of the internal gear of wheel 14 and thereby moves bar member 29. Thereby flash cube socket 36 is rotated through 90 by the linkage connection at 30 at the other end of bar 29 and by arm 31, and further by resilient arm 33 which is connected with bevel gear 32. Arm 33 passes through a cut-out 33a in plate 2 and moves one of the four

dogs

34,35 of flash cube socket 36. At the same instant the shutter of the camera is cocked by bevel gear 32.

The other end 28a of guide pin 28 is guided in cam track 24 of cam plate 21 (FIG. 3). When pin end 28a has passed through point 26 (FIG. 7) and pin-end 28b has left internal gear teeth 18 of transport wheel 14, tension spring 60 tends to pull bar member 29 back to the starting position thereof. However this is only partly performed on account of nose 38 of bar member 29 abutting against slide member 40 (FIG. 2). The short return movement of bar member 29 is sufficient for pressing with rounded edge 59 against arm 57 of catch lever 53 and to rotate the latter about pivotal point 54.

Slide member 40 is thereby released by nose 55- of catch lever 53, and slide member 40 abuts film 43 with its bent-off end 41 under the pulling force of spring 61. When rotating of transport wheel 14 is continued, bentoff end 41 (the feeler finger) will engage a perforation hole 42 of film 43.

Together with this operation the following actions take place simultaneously:

1. Nose 38 of governing bar member 29 is unlocked by slide member 40 and bar 29 returns to its starting position by the force of tension spring 60.

2. Catch lever 53 returns to its starting position by the force of spring 56 but without engaging hole 45 in slide member 40 by nose 55 of lever 53.

3. Locking lever 78 is rotated about pivot 79 by operating edge 48 of bent-off end 47 of slide member 40 (FIG. 2);

a. Thereby angular end 82 of locking lever 78 enters the area of teeth 16 of external gear on transport wheel 14, locks the latter and thus locks the further transport of the film.

b. Simultaneously, locking lever 78 unlocks the release key 75 from locking nose 76 by means of bell crank arm 77a. The camera can now be operated.

When the exposure is released, that is, by pressing down release key 75, release slide 67 which is firmly attached to said release key, moves to the right (in FIG. 5). The following actions will simultaneously occur as a result of this operation.

1. (ref. FIG. 5)

Release rocker 70 which is pivotally mounted on release slide 67 at link points 68, 69, rotates in

bearings

71, 72 of flange 2a of plate 2. Thereby pivot point 73 where release rocker 70 and shutter release rod 74 are connected, rotates in

bearings

71,72 and pushes shutter release rod 74 downward. The shutter (not shown in the drawing) is thereby released.

2. (ref. FIG. 1)

The other end 66 of release slide 67 is located at the other end 65 of two-arm lever 63 which is swingably supported by pivot stud 64. On the end 62 of two-arm lever 63, the angular flange 44 of slide member 40 is being held. When release slide 67 is moved downward by pressing release key 75, end 62 together with slide member 40 moves upward. This movement causes bent-off end 41 (the feeler finger) to be disengaged from perforation 42 of film 43, and slide member 40 is returned to its starting position in which nose 55 of catch lever 53 engages hole 45 in slide member 40 thereby latching the latter.

3. (ref. FIG. 6)

Where release key is pushed down, locking nose 76 thereof passes by locking edge 77 of bell crank arm 77a of locking lever 78, thereby preventing the return rotation of the latter and locking transport wheel 14 of the film by means of angular end 82. Furthermore, slide member 40 is disengaged with its operating edge 48 of third arm 46 thereof from locking lever 78 during the return movement of slide member 40 to the starting position thereof. However, the locking of the film transport must also be maintained when release key 75 is pressed. This is performed in the following manner.

When release key 75 has been unlocked and returned to its starting position, locking lever 78 is'unlocked by locking nose 76 and can be rotated back by spring 80 to its own starting position. Thereby locking lever 78 with its angular end 82 unlocks transport wheel 14 of the film and at the same instant locks release key 75 by bell crank arm 77a cooperating with locking nose 76. The cycle of operation can be started again with the operation of transport wheel 14 of film 43.

While the invention has been described. and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention What is claimed is:

1. A camera having a take-up spool for a photographic film, exposure means having a shutter cocking device, said camera comprising first means for transporting said film, second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means and for releasing said shutter cocking device, a film transport handle disposed for being rotated about a pivot and having a variable stroke for each picture taken by said camera, said stroke varying as a function of the effective diameter of said take-up spool, said effective diameter of said take-up spool being dependent on the amount of film wound on said take-up spool, and having a device governed by said handle for correctly controlling said stroke, a plurality of driving means on said film transport handle, said driving means disposed to be engaged by a follower-pin, a pivotally and slidably mounted governing bar member, said follower pin attached to said governing bar member for controlling the transport of said film and said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means and for cocking said shutter cocking device, a stationary guide cam for said follower-pin, said cam having a circular first section and a return-and-disengaging second section, said pivot of said handle located in the center of said circular first section, said driving means disposed concentrically about said pivot, said follower pin engaged by said driving means while being engaged in said first section of said cam and disengaged from said driving means while being engaged in said second section of said cam, and resetting first spring means on said follower pin, said first spring means urging said pin into said first section of said cam and into engagement with said driving means and said bar member performing said pivotal and shifting movement by having said pin engaged in said cam, said movement induced by said rotation of said film transport handle.

2. A camera according to claim 1, said camera further comprising a rotatable flash cube socket for attaching a flash cube to the camera and means for transporting said flash cube socket, said means being controlled by the slidably mounted governing bar.

3. A camera according to claim 2, and said governing member consisting of a bar member having two ends, having on oneend thereof said follower pin protruding from both sides of said bar member, one end of said pin engaging said driving means of said film transport handle and the other end of said pin engaging said stationary guide'cam, said driving means consisting of a gear and said film transport handle consisting of a wheel having gear teeth.

4. A camera according to claim 3, and a first arm and a resilient second arm on said shutter cocking device, said bar member being pivotally mounted at the other end thereof on said first arm performing a rotation of substantially of said shutter cocking device and simultaneously advancing said flash cube by said resilient second arm with each stroke of said bar member.

5. A camera according to claim 4, and a retainer body secured in said camera and a return locking lever on said body, said film transport wheel being supported by said body, said wheel having internal gear teeth, said return locking lever engaging said internal gear teeth for preventing the latter from being rotated in the reverse direction and said body forming a structural unit with said first means for transporting said film and said second means for unlocking and locking said exposure means.

6. A camera according to claim 5, and having a bearing inside said film transport wheel having said internal gear teeth, said bearing supporting said return locking lever.

7. A camera according to claim 4, and a gear having external teeth and said resilient second arm connected with said shutter cocking device and disposed for advancing said flash cube by said teeth of said gear.

8. A camera according to claim 7, said film having perforation holes, said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means comprising a slide member slidably disposed at right angles to the plane of said film from a locking position to an unlocking position of said film transport handle, a feeler on said slide member, said feeler engaging one of said perforation holes in said film when said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means is in the locked position, said slide member further having a hole,

spring means on said slide member for moving the same from the unlocked position to the locked position thereof, a spring-loaded catch lever having an arm and a nose thereon, said nose disposed for engaging said hole for returning said slide member in the unlocked position of said film transport handle, said catch lever further having an arm cooperating with said governing bar member for disengaging said catch lever from said slide member. when said follower pin has entered a second section of said guide cam, a hook-like abutment in the center part of said bar member, said abutment cooperating with a locking face of said slide member for preventing said bar member from returning to the starting position thereof and for releasing said catch lever until said slide member having reached said locking position of said film transport handle by said feeler having engaged one of such perforation holes of said film, and push means for returning said slide member to said unlocked position of said film transport handle against the force of said spring means during the operation of said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means.

9. A camera according to claim 8, and said governing bar member having a rounded end, said end disposed for cooperating with said arm of said catch lever.

'10. A camera according to claim 9, and a first angular flange on said slide member, said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means consisting of a release rocker, having a release slide with a bentoff end and having a release rod, a twoarm lever pivotally mounted in said camera, said two-arm lever having two ends, one of said ends disposed for pulling said first angular flange, the other one of said ends cooperating with said bent-off end of said release slide pivoted on said release rocker on which said release rod is also pivotally mounted, said rod leading to said second means for releasing said shutter cocking device of said camera, returning said slide member to said unlocked position of said film transport handle by said two-arm lever at said release of said shutter cocking device.

11. A camera according to claim 10, and a release key connected with said release slide, said release key having a locking nose, further a locking lever having a locking edge and a second end having a bent-off part, said locking lever supported by said retainer body, and a second spring driving said locking lever, said bent-off part engaging said teeth of said gear of said film transport wheel by the edge of said second bent-off end of said slide member for locking said film transport handle.

12. A camera according to claim 11, and a third spring on said return locking lever, said third spring operating said return locking lever, said second spring of said locking lever and said third spring of said return locking lever cooperating to provide a single resultant spring force. a

Claims

3. A camera according to claim 2, and said governing member consisting of a bar member having two ends, having on one end thereof said follower pin protruding from both sides of said bar member, one end of said pin engaging said driving means of said film transport handle and the other end of said pin engaging said stationary guide cam, said driving means consisting of a gear and said film transport handle consisting of a wheel having gear teeth.

4. A camera according to claim 3, and a first arm and a resilient second arm on said shutter cocking device, said bar member being pivotally mounted at the other end thereof on said first arm performing a rotation of substantially 90* of said shutter cocking device and simultaneously advancing said flash cube by said resilient second arm with each stroke of said bar member.

8. A camera according to claim 7, said film having perforation holes, said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means comprising a slide member slidably disposed at right angles to the plane of said film from a locking position to an unlocking position of said film transport handle, a feeler on said slide member, said feeler engaging one of said perforation holes in said film when said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means is in the locked position, said slide member further having a hole, spring means on said slide member for moving the same from the unlocked position to the locked position thereof, a spring-loaded catch lever having an arm and a nose thereon, said nose disposed for engaging said hole for returning said slide member in the unlocked position of said film transport handle, said catch lever further having an arm cooperating with said governing bar member for disengaging said catch lever from said slide member when said follower pin has entered a second section of said guide cam, a hook-like abutment in the center part of said bar member, said abutment cooperating with a locking face of said slide member for preventing said bar member from returning to the starting position thereof and for releasing said catch lever until said slide member having reached said locking position of said film transport handle by said feeler having engaged one of such perforation holes of said film, and push means for returning said slide member to said unlocked position of said film transport handle against the force of said spring means during the operation of said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means.

10. A camera according to claim 9, and a first angular flange on said slide member, said second means for locking and unlocking said exposure means consisting of a release rocker, having a release slide with a bent-off end and having a release rod, a two-arm lever pivotally mounted in said camera, said two-arm lever having two ends, one of said ends disposed for pulling said first angular flange, the other one of said ends cooperating with said bent-off end of said release slide pivoted on said release rocker on which said release rod is also pivotally mounted, said rod leading to said second means for releasing said shutter cocking device of said camera, returning said slide member to said unlocked position of said film transport handle by said two-arm lever at said release of said shutter cocking device.