US3900405A

US3900405A - Cassette opening mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3900405A
Application number: US512634A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred J Bartlett; Paul A Bevis; Iii Hazen L Hoyt; Francis T Mercer
Original assignee: Xerox Corp
Current assignee: Xerox Corp
Priority date: 1970-08-05
Filing date: 1974-10-07
Publication date: 1975-08-19
Anticipated expiration: 1992-08-19
Also published as: GB1362697A

Abstract

This application relates to a cassette opening and closing mechanism including rigidly mounted pins adapted to cooperate with grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover of the cassette to rotate the top cover between open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal of the cassette from a cassette-receiving station. Means are also provided to prevent rotational movement of the cassette base member as the top cover is being rotated between the open and closed positions.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Bartlett et al.

[ 1 Aug. 19, 1975 1 CASSETTE OPENING MECHANISM [75] inventors: Fred J. Bartlett, San Dimas; Paul A. Bevis, Pasadena; Hazen L. Hoyt, Ill, Glendora; Francis T. Mercer, Manhattan Beach, all of Calif,

[73] Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Stamford,

Conn.

[22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1974 [21] Appl, No: 512,634

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 310.305. Nov, 29, 1972, abandoned. which is a continuation of Ser, No. 61297, Aug. 5 1970. abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl. 250/468; 214/304; 250/481 [51] Int. Cl. G03b4l/l6 [58] Field of Search 250/315, 315 A, 468, 477,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,105,903 Sano 250/468 3,286.092 1 1/1966 Sames 250/477 1634,6187 [/1972 Somerset 250/468 3.650.620 3/1972 Hoyt 355/3 Primary Examiner-James W. Lawrence Assistant ExaminerC. E. Church Attorney, Agent. or FirmJames J. Ralabate; Terry J. Anderson; Irving Keschner [57] ABSTRACT This application relates to a cassette opening and closing mechanism including rigidly mounted pins adapted to cooperate with grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover of the cassette to rotate the top cover between open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal of the cassette from a cassette-receiving station. Means are also provided to prevent rotational movement of the cassette base member as the top cover is being rotated between the open and closed positions.

4! Claims, 7 Drawing Figures CASSETTE OPENING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This a continuation of application Ser. No. 310,305 now abandoned filed Nov. 29, 1972 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 61,297 filed Aug. 5, 1970, now abandoned.

This invention relates to the field of xerography and, more particularly, to a mechanism for opening and closing a cassette adapted to hold a flat xerographic plate. The cassette, and the associated opening and closing mechanism of the present invention, are particularly suited for use with an automated flat-plate xeroradiographic processing system.

In the xerographic process as described in Carlson U.S. Pat No. 2,297,691 a base plate of relatively low electrical resistance, such as metal, having a photoconductive insulator layer coated thereon is electrostatically charged in the dark. The charged coating is then exposed to a light image. The charges leak off rapidly to the base plate in proportion to the intensity of light to which any given area is exposed, the charge being substantially retained in non-exposed areas. After such exposure, the coating is contacted with electroscopic marking particles in the dark. When forming a positive image, these particles adhere to the areas where the electrostatic charges remain whereby there is formed a xerographic powder image corresponding to the latent electrostatic image. The powder image can then be transferred to a sheet of transfer material resulting in a positive print having excellent detail and quality. A1- ternatively, when the base plate is relatively inexpensive, as in the case of paper, it may be desirable to fix the powder image directly to the plate itself and thereby eliminate the image transfer operation.

The art of xerography, as briefly described above, is also amenable to recording X-ray patterns such as might be attained by passing X-rays through a body to be analytically examined. The art of X-ray recording by xerography, generally known as xeroradiography, relates to the recording of X-ray patterns and information by means of materials and devices whose electrical conductivity is altered by the action of X-rays reaching the recording medium. In xeroradiography, the plate or element exposed to the X-ray pattern usually comprises a metallic backing sheet having a photoconductive insulator layer or coating, for example vitreous selenium, on one surface thereof. It is conventional to cover or protect the photoconductive coating from ambient light by a slide plate, usually called a dark slide, spaced from the photoconductive surface. The plate or element is sensitized by applying a uniform electrostatic charge to the coating and thereafter the charged plate is exposed to sensitizing radiation with the object to be examined appropriately interposed between the radiation source and the sensitized plate. Under influence of the X-rays emanating from the source which are differentially absorbed by different areas of the test body, but which readily pass through the dark slide, the photoconductive coating becomes electrically conductive in those portions reached by the sensitizing radiation, thereby permitting portions of the electrostatic charge thereon to be selectively dissipated. Dissipation of the electrostatic charge is proportional to the amount of radiation absorbed by the test body with greater dissipation occurring in those portions of the coating shaded by less absorptive portions of the object being radiographed. In this manner, an electrostatic latent image of the test body is formed on the photoconductive element. The image may then be made visible with an electroscopic marking material which clings to the electrostatically charged portions of the latent image. Reversible, or negative, prints can also be developed by contacting the latent electrostatic image with marking particles of the same polarity. The xeroradiographic process is disclosed, for example, in Schaffert et a1 U.S. Pat No. 2,666,144.

It has previously been recognized that xeroradiography can be applied to the field of medical diagnostics. For example, the xeroradiographic process when utilized to examine extremities, such as hands and feet, has been characterized as being a valuable diagnostic technique since more information is recorded on the xeroradiogram than is recorded on a corresponding radiogram.

In recent years, the xeroradiographic technique has been utilized in the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer in women. The process, known as xeromammography, has been described as requiring less radiation than non-screen film radiology, and one which gives greater detail in the mammogram to be reviewed by the radiologist. Additionally, a most important advantage is in the increased ease and speed of in terpretation of the xeromammogram. Because they are easier to interpret and, accordingly, reduce the fatigue on the examining radiologist thereby increasing his overall effectiveness, the technique is believed to have application in screening techniques for the early detection of breast cancer.

In application Ser. No. 874,834, filed Nov. 7, 1969 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,260, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is described an automated flat-plate xerographic processing system including charging means for placing a uniform electrostatic charge on the photoconductive surface of a xerographic plate, means for holding a light-tight cassette into which the xerographic plate can be inserted, means for opening the cassette, means for inserting the charged xerographic plate therein without exposing the charged plate to actinic electromagnetic radiation, means for receiving the xerographic plate-holding cassette after imaging exposure, the xerographic plate having thereon a latent electrostatic image suitable for subsequent development, means for opening the cassette, means for withdrawing the latent electrostatic image suitable for subsequent development, means for opening the cassette, means for withdrawing the latent electrostatic image-bearing xerographic plate from the eassette without further exposure of the xerographic plate to actinic electromagnetic radiation, means for developing the latent electrostatic image to form a reproduc' tion thereof suitable for visual examination, and means for advancing the xerographic plate to the developing means without disturbing the latent electrostatic image thereon. In this system, exposure of the uniformly charged xerographic plate takes place outside of the xerographic processing apparatus. This feature enables the radiologist, when considering medical examination, to selectively position a patient, and particularly those portions of the patients body being examined, with respect to the radiation source and the xerographic plate. To permit such exposure outside the processing apparatus, the processing system described in the aforementioned co-pending application includes a light-tight cassette into which the uniformly charged xerographic plate is inserted and through the top cover thereof imaging exposure is made. To complete the xerographic processing cycle. the toner image on the photoconductive surface of the xerographic plate is transferred to a suitable support member. This is generally achieved by withdrawing a single support sheet from a supply tray, transporting it to a point where it is in registration with the xerographic plate having the powder image thereon, transferring the powder image to the support sheet, and transporting the support sheet with the powder image thereon to fuser means from which the xerographic reproduction is advanced into a receiving tray. When using a nonreusable photoconductive element (such as zinc oxide coated paper), the need to transfer the powder image to a further support sheet is, eliminated.

In the aforementioned co-pending application, the means for holding and opening the cassette are shown in FlGS. 19-21 thereof. As the cassette is inserted into the opening mechanism, fingers adjacent the front wall of the cassette depress latch members whereby the top cover of the cassette is no longer locked to the base member. Simultaneously. the rounded, upper edge between the front wall and the top wall of the top cover seat against the slightly rounded, downwardly extending portions on each upper guide member. Continued movement of the cassette into the opening mechanism causes the rotation of the top cover into the open position under the guidance of the two pivot arms pivoting about two pivot points on opposed sides of the cassette. The mechanism described in the aforementioned FIGS. 19-21, though generally sufficient to perform its specitied function, is relatively complex, requires many parts and, accordingly, is more expensive to produce than is desired.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for opening and closing a cassette adapted to hold a flat xerographic plate.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a much simplified cassette opening and closing mechanism.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cassette opening and closing mechanism which has no moving parts, other than the cassette itself.

It is further object of the present invention to provide relatively simple means for opening and closing a cassette by the cooperation thereof with associated portions of the cassette.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, in combination, a flat xerographic plate-holding cassette of particular side wall structure and improved, simplified means for opening and closing the cassette.

These and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and still further objects of the present invention are achieved, in accordance therewith, by providing a cassette, adapted to hold a flat xerographic plate therein, having a top cover rotatably hinged to a base member adjacent the rear walls thereof, and a cassettereceiving station having cassette opening and closing means associated therewith. The cassette opening and closing means, on opposed sides of the cassetereceiving station parallel to the direction of cassette travel, comprise, generally, a substantially vertical guide plate, a substantially horizontal bar or rail adapted to cooperate with the base member of the cassette to retain the base member in the position in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving station, and a rigidly mounted pin adapted to cooperate with a slanted groove in the adjacent side wall of the top cover of the cassette to rotate the top cover between open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving station.

In each cassette-receiving station, a substantially horizontal bar or rail, generally supported by the adjacent guide plate, cooperates with the side walls of the base member to hold the base member in the position in which the base member is inserted into the cassettereceiving station. This is generally horizontal though the structure and operation of the present invention are not limited to this particular orientation. Movement of the base member is prevented as the bars cooperate with horizontal grooves in the side walls of the base member, the top surface of the side walls of the base member, or a channel in the side walls of the cassette defined by partial grooves in the upper and lower surfaces of the side walls of the base member and the top cover, respectively. Thus, the only portion of the cassette permittted to rotate is the top cover which is caused to rotate, as set forth below, under the influence of the rigidly mounted pins as the cassette is inserted into the cassette-receiving station.

In the automated xerographic processing system described in the aforementioned co-pending application Ser. No. 874,834, there are two separate processing units each of which has a cassette-receiving station. As described therein, the top cover of the cassette is rotated upwardly to the open position in the unit where the electrostatic charge is uniformly deposited on the photoconductive surface of the xerographic plate and the top cover is rotated downwardly to the open position in the unit where the latent electrostatic image on the xerographic plate is converted to a corresponding xerographic powder image. The cassette opening and closing mechanism in each unit are the same, one is merely in an inverted condition. The cassette, however, must also be inverted when it is utilized with an inverted opening mechanism. the structure of the cassette, particularly, the grooved side walls of the eassette, remaining the same.

The grooves which cause rotation of the top cover are angled, from the ends thereof which first receive the rigidly mounted pins, in a direction opposite to the direction in which the top cover is rotated toward the open position. That is, when the top cover is to be rotated upwardly to reach the open position, the rotationcausing grooves are angled downwardly and, when the top cover is to be rotated downwardly to reach the open position, the grooves are angled upwardly, from the ends thereof which first receive the rigidly mounted pins. Of course, the downward rotation of the top cover is achieved in practice merely by inverting both the cassette and the cassette opening and closing mechanism.

Accordingly, for the purposes of this specification. the cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention and the cassette will be described with reference to the orientation where the top cover is rotated upwardly into the open position. It follows that the rotation-causing grooves in the side walls of the top cover will be referred to as downwardly depending grooves which, in cooperation with the rigidly mounted pins, cause the top cover to be rotated upwardly. It should be understood, however, that the same mechanism, without modification, can be utilized to rotate the top cover in the downward direction merely by inverting the mechanism and the cassette as the cassette is inserted therein.

Returning to a more complete discussion of the invention, which will be described in accordance with the orientation set forth above, the side walls of the top cover, on each lateral side of the cassette, have grooves which depend downwardly generally from the upper front portion of the side wall to the lower rear portion thereof. Each such downwardly depending groove cooperates with the rigidly mounted pin adjacent thereto, in the cassette-receiving station, to open and close the cassette upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving station. Thus, as the cassette is inserted into the cassette-receiving station, the rigidly mounted pins enter the upper portions of the downwardly depending grooves. Since each pin is rigidly mounted and thus incapable of changing vertical elevation, the top cover of the cassette, upon continued insertion, is caused to rotate, about the hinges adjacent the rear wall of the cassette, toward the fully opened position as the rigidly mounted pin contacts that surface of each groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of the top cover. The top cover of the cassette reaches the fully opened position when the rigidly mounted pins reach the bottom of the downwardly depending groove or an intermediate portion thereof when the cassette is fully inserted into the cassettereceiving station.

In the embodiment specifically described herein, the downwardly depending groove is connected to the front wall of the top cover by a first horizontal groove and to the rear wall of the top cover by a second horizontal groove. Thus, as the cassette is inserted into the cassette-receiving station, each rigidly mounted pin initially enters the first horizontal groove adjacent thereto. With continued insertion, the pins enter the downwardly depending grooves and cause the top cover of the cassette to be rotated toward the fully opened position. In this specific embodiment, the top cover reaches the fully opened position only when the cassette is fully inserted into the cassette-receiving station. After the top cover has been initially rotated up wardly by the action of the rigidly mounted pins and the downwardly depending groove, the second horizon tal grooves are no longer horizontal and, as the pins move therein, cause continued upward rotation of the top cover with continued insertion of the cassette into the cassette-receiving station. Since the rigidly mounted pins are approaching the hinges adjacent the rear walls of the cassette, upward rotation of the top cover is accelerated. The pins are so positioned, with respect to the hinges, that the desired opening at the front of the cassette is achieved. This will vary depending upon the application to which the present invention is made; however, for the purposes of inserting or withdrawing a xerographic plate from the cassette, an opening on the order of about 4 has been found sufficient. Accordingly. the angle of the downwardly depending grooves and the positioning of the rigidly mounted pins are selected to achieve that particular opening.

During the time when the top cover is in the fully opened position, a flat xerographic plate can be inserted into, or withdrawn from, the cassette by further means adjacent to the cassette-receiving station.

Upon withdrawal of the cassette from the cassettereceiving station, the process described above is reversed. That is, as the rigidly mounted pins are caused to move upwardly in the downwardly depending grooves, they cooperate with that surface of each groove most closely adjacent the front Wall of the top cover to rotate the top cover toward the fully closed position. Total closure is achieved when the rigidly mounted pins leave the grooves associated with the top cover or, in the embodiment specifically described herein, when the rigidly mounted pins reach the intersection of the downwardly depending groove with the first horizontal groove extending toward the front wall of the cassette. In the fully closed position, the top cover is latched to the base member by means associated therewith for that purpose.

Comparison of the cassette opening and closing mechanism described herein with the mechanism described in FIGS. l921 of the aforementioned copending application will clearly show that the former achieves the same results with much simplified struc ture. Specifically, the somewhat unreliable and expensive to produce linkage mechanism which previously had been adapted to cooperate with the top surface and front wall of the cassette has been entirely eliminated and replaced with a pair of rigidly mounted pins and, of course, the cooperating grooves in the side walls of the top cover of the cassette. It is thus apparent that the improved cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention functions without the need for moving parts (excluding from consideration the manual or automatic insertion and/or withdrawal of the cassette itself) whereby the opening and closing mechanism is rendered virtually maintenance free over prolonged periods of use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature of the invention will be more easily understood when it is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a cassette-receiving station showing, on opposite sides of the direction of cassette travel, the improved cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view looking into the cassettereceiving station of FIG. 1 from the input side, the cassette per se being shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view, taken along ling 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing, in phantom, the initial entry position of the cassette and, in full side sectional illustration, the cooperation of the bar and the rigidly mounted pin with the grooved side walls of the cassette;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view, taken along line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the top cover of the cassette in the fully opened position when the cassette is completely inserted into the cassette-receiving station;

FIG. 5 is side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of a grooved side wall of a cassette suitable for use in the practice of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top view of one corner of the leading edge of the cassette, this Figure showing in partial cut-away a latch member for holding the top cover of the cassette in the locked position; and

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the latch mechanism of FIG. 6 taken along line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is seen a cassettereceiving station 10 adapted to have a cassette 12 manually inserted therein and withdrawn therefrom. On opposed sides of the cassette-receiving station, there are vertical supports 14 adapted to support the cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention. Vertical supports 14 have

horizontal portions

16 and 18 adapted to be rigidly mounted on the main frame (not shown) of the automated xerographic processing unit in which this mechanism is placed. Hori' zontal guide means 20, on each side of the cassettereceiving station, have downwardly flared portions 22 adapted, in combination with vertical guide plates 14, to guide the cassette into the input end of the cassettereceiving station. Each guide means has a flat portion 24 upon which the base member of the cassette is supported when it is within the cassette-receiving station. The base member of the cassette is also supported by flat, horizontal member 26 extending between the opposed sides of the cassette-receiving station.

Each guide member 20 has an upwardly extending portion 30 terminating in an inwardly extending bar or rail 32. As will be described hereinbelow, rail 32, on each side of the cassette, cooperates with some portion of the side wall of the base member to hold the base member in the position in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving station. Thus, as the top cover is rotated into the open or closed position, the base member will be maintained in its inserted plane without rotational movement.

Also mounted on each vertical guide plate 14 is a cylindrical pin 34 which cooperates with grooves in the side walls of the top cover to rotate the top cover between the open and the closed positions. This will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Also extending between the opposed sides of the eassette-receiving station is a second flat, horizontal member 36 for supporting the leading edge of the cassette as it is progressively advanced, in a direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, into the cassette-receiving station. Flat guide member portions 24 and horizontal support 36 are at the same vertical level whereby the leading edge of the cassette rides smoothly over the junctions therebetween. Continued insertion of the cassette brings the leading edge of the base member into contact with upwardly extending lip 38 at the innermost end of horizontal support 36. Supported by vertical lip 38 and downwardly extending cut-out portions 40 of horizontal support 36 are a pair of springs 42 which will urge an unlatched plate toward the input end of the cassette-receiving station. In the fully inserted position, a notch 44 in the bottom wall of the base member will be aligned with latch member 46 passing through circular hole 48 in support 36. If there is no xerographic plate positioned within the cassette, the latch member, which is normally urged upwardly, will lock the cassette in the fully inserted position, for example as shown in FIG. 4. An empty cassette will remain in the latched position, with the top cover in the open po sition, until a xerographic plate is inserted therein by associated plate transporting means. If, however, reed switch 50 senses the presence of a xerographic plate in the cassette by sensing a magnet in the adjacent side rail, solenoid 52 will be actuated thereby causing latch member 46 to be displaced downwardly. The cassette, unable to remain in the locked position, will be ejected slightly toward the input end of the cassette-receiving station under the action of spring 42, which pass through openings 54 in horizontal support 36 and operare on the leading edge of the base member.

in the fully inserted position, the base member of the cassette depresses microswitch 60 passing through rectangular opening 62 in horizontal support 36. When this microswitch is depressed and reed switch 50 does not sense a xerographic plate within the cassette, the plate advancing mechanism is operable, upon appropriate command from the operator, to withdraw a xerographic plate from the storage magazine, pass it beneath corona charging means to place a uniform electrostatic charge on the photoconductive surface of the xerographic plate, and insert the uniformly charged xerographic plate into the cassette. At that time, reed witch 50 will sense the presence of the magnet in the adjacent side rail of the xerographic plate id, as indicated above, will cause latch member 4a: to be displaced downwardly whereby the cassette will be slightly ejected from the cassette-receiving station under the action of loaded springs 42. The cassette can now be withdrawn from the cassette-receiving station by the operator and, as the cassette is being withdrawn, the top cover will be automatically rotated into the closed position by the mechanism of the present inven tion. The cassette, with the xerographic plate held therein in a light-tight environment, is ready for manual transportation through an external exposure station to the printing unit, wherein the latent electrostatic image created in the exposure station will be developed into a corresponding reproduction thereof, generally a xerographic powder image, suitable for visual examination.

A portion of the xerographic plate transporting mechanism is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Drive shaft 56 passes through apertures in the lower portion of vertical supports 14 into the hollow portion between support 14 and the portion of the main frame (not shown) of the xerographic unit, Each end of the drive shaft is connected to a sprocket wheel, the periphery of which is in contact with a drive chain which passes thereabout. The plate transporting mechanism for inserting a uniformly charged xerographic plate into the eassette, or withdrawing a latent electrostatic imagebearing xerographic plate from the cassette, is operatively connected to the drive chains and is advanced thereby. A suitable plate transporting mechanism is shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 68,098 filed Aug. 3 1, i970 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Portions of said co-pending application which are necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention, or to provide sufficient disclosure to understand the overall coope ation of the eassette. the xerographic plate transporting mechanism, and the cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention operable therewith are incorporated hereby reference. The exact nature of the grooves in the side walls of the cassette and the cooperation thereof with the improved cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention are more particularly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is seen cassette 12 having top cover 64 hinged.

about hinges 66, for rotational movement relative to base member 68. Each side wall of the base member has a partial groove formed therein. These partial grooves are defined by the upper surface 70 of the side wall and the upwardly curved end 72 of surface 70 adjacent hinge 66. Adjacent the leading edge of the base member, the side wall is sloped outwardly to define a surface 73 adapted to guide the adjacent rail onto upper surface 70.

The opposed side walls of the top cover have a first horizontal groove 74 having a flared opening 76 adjacent the upper leading edge of the cassette. The end of horizontal groove 74 most closely adjacent the rear wall of the cassette is connected to a downwardly depending groove 78 connected, at its end most closely adjacent the rear wall of the cassette, to horizontal groove 80 defined by the upper surface 82 of the groove, the downwardly depending surface 84 at the end of the groove most closely adjacent hinge 66, upper surface 70 of the side wall of the base member of the cassette and upwardly extending surface 72. At the lower edge of the side wall most closely adjacent the front wall of the top cover, there is a further groove 85 extending from the end of downwardly depending groove 78 most closely adjacent the front wall to the leading edge of the cassette. There is thus defined by first horizontal groove 74, flared opening 76, downwardly depending groove 78 and groove 82 an island 84, the surfaces of which guide the rigidly mounted pins when they are adjacent thereto during the cassette insertion and withdrawal operations. Optionally, as shown, the lower surface 86 of island 84 can be angled upwardly toward the front wall of the top cover to thereby define a somewhat flared opening to ensure that rail 32 will be properly received upon insertion of the cassette into a cassette-receiving station.

The initial entry position of the cassette into the eassette-receiving station is shown in phantom in the lefthand portion of FIG. 3. The bar on each side of the eassette-receiving station is caused to enter into groove 85 between island 84 and top surface 7 of the side wall of the base member. With continued insertion, rigidly mounted pins 34 enter flared opening 76 and traverse horizontal groove 74. Since horizontal grooves 74 are at the same level as the rigidly mounted pins, no rotational movement of the top coiver is made until the rigidly mounted pins enter downwardly depending grooves 78. When the rigidly mounted pins 34 enter the downwardly depending groove and traverse the groove along upper surface 86, the top cover, which is free to rotate about hinges 66, is so rapidly rotated into a partially opened condition that the latch member of FIGS. 5 and 6 are urged to the rear of the cassette thereby releasing the top cover for rotational movement. This partially opened position is shown in the righthand portion of FIG. 3. With further continued insertion, the cassette reaches the fully inserted position as shown in FIG. 4. Each groove 80, which was initially horizontal when the top cover was in the closed position, becomes angled with respect to the horizontal as the rigidly mounted pins traverse groove 78 and cause further rotation of the top cover as the rigidly mounted pins come in contact with upper surfaces 82. Since, with continued insertion, the distance between the hinges adjacent the rear walls of the cassette and the rigidly mounted pins is decreasing, upward rotation of the top cover is accelerated as the cassette is inserted further into the cassette-receiving station. Accordingly, the pins are so positioned, with respect to the hinges, that the desired opening at the leading edge of the cassette is achieved.

During the period when the rigidly mounted pins have been cooperating with

grooves

74, 78 and 80 on each side of the top cover, rails 32 have been holding base member 68 in the position (i.e., horizontal) in which the base member was inserted into the cassettereceiving station. Thus, only the top cover is permitted to rotate about hinges 66 into the open or closed positions.

When the top cover is in the fully opened position, a flat xerographic plate can be inserted into, or withdrawn from, the cassette by further means adjacent the cassette-receiving station. For a discussion of suitable means to insert or withdraw the xerographic plate, reference should be made to aforementioned application Ser. No. 68,098.

As the cassette is withdrawn from the cassettereceiving station, the rotational process described above is reversed. That is, as the cassette is withdrawn, the rigidly mounted pins traverse

grooves

80, 78 and 74 in such a manner that not only is the top cover returned to the closed position but, because of the angle of groove 78, the top cover is rotated with increased force whereby the latch members shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are moved toward the rear of the cassette. The top cover is thereby permitted to attain the fully closed position whereafter the movable latch members reset themselves to lock the cassette in the fully closed position. At the same time, the base member is held in the horizontal position by the action of rails 32 acting on the upper surfaces of the opposed side walls of the base member.

As indicated above, when reed switch 50 senses the presence of a xerographic plate within the cassette, solenoid 52 is actuated whereby latch member 46 is moved downwardly thereby freeing the cassette for movement out of the cassette-receiving station. This partially closes the top cover of the cassette although the primary, and total, closing is achieved when the cassette is manually withdrawn from the cassettereceiving station.

The present invention has been described with reference to a cassette-receiving station wherein the top cover is rotated upwardly to the open position while the base member is held stationary in the horizontal position. The present invention can also be adapted to other configurations where the top cover and the base member are held in different orientations. For example, the cassette-receiving station, including the cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention, can be inverted whereby the top cover of an inverted cassette will be rotated downwardly to the open position while the base member is retained horizontally. The need to invert the cassette and the cas' sette-receiving station, in this particular instance, follows from the fact that the photoconductive layer is on the top side of the xerographic plate in the unit wherein the xerographic plate is uniformly electrostatically charged whereas, in the unit wherein the latent electrostatic image is converted into a corresponding xerographic powder image, it is desirable to have the photoconductive surface on the underside of the plate for most effective utilization of an associated powder cloud development system. The structure of the cassette and the cassette opening and closing mechanism remain the same, merely both elements have been inverted which, in actuality, retains the same relative orientation between the cassette and the cassette opening mechanism.

When using the cassette shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in the inverted mode, the top cover is free to rotate downwardly as the rigidly mounted pins completely traverse groove 78 and reach the portion thereof adjacent the end of island 84 most remote from the leading edge of the cassette. Since this is undesirable, guide means, such as an upwardly biased torsion spring, can be positioned in the inverted cassette-receiving station to limit the downward movement of the top cover and to urge the top cover toward the closed position as the cassette is withdrawn from the cassette-receiving station. Alternatively, the side walls of the top cover can be grooves as shown in FIG. 5 to limit the downward rotation of the top cover. Referring to FIG. 5, as with the embodiment described in FIGS. 3 and 4, horizontal groove 74 has a flared opening 76 adjacent the leading surface of the top cover. Groove 74 is connected, at its end most remote from the leading edge of the cassette, to angulated groove 78 which, in turn, is connected to horizontal groove 80' As opposed to the partial groove (i.e., one not having both upper and lower side walls) shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, groove 80 is of substantially U- shaped configuration such that surface 81, maintains the rigidly mounted pins within groove 80', when the cassette is in the inverted condition, and, thus, prevents the unrestrained downward rotation of the top cover. As the cassette is withdrawn from the cassettereceiving station, the rigidly mounted pins traverse

grooves

80', 78 and 74, in a similar manner as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, whereby the top cover is rotated upwardly to the closed, locked position.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that opening and closing of the cassette is achieved by the appropriate design of the grooves in the side walls of the cassette in combination with properly positioned, non-movable means such as the rigidly mounted pins and the horizontally positioned rails. Since there are no moving parts to the opening and closing meehanismper se, the mechanism is essentially maintenance free and has been so used during prolonged, accelerated testing periods.

While the mechanism of the present invention has been described with reference to an automated flatplate xerographic system, it should be understood that it is not limited solely to that application but can be used in other circumstances where it is desired to rotate a movable member between open and closed positions.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is seen a latch mechanism for holding the top cover of the cassette in the locked position.

Each latch 90, as shown in the cut-away portion, has a chamber 92, in which the movable latch member 96 resides. Spring 94 normally urges movable latch member 96 toward the inner surface 98 of the front wall 100 of the top cover. In its fully extended position V-shaped finger 102 seats against the V-shaped notch 104 in the front wall, as can best be seen in FIG. 6. The meshing of the V-shaped fingers and the V-shaped notches maintain the top cover in a locked position and prevent the cassette from being accidentally opened. In this position front wall 100 of top cover 64 has a downwardly depending tongue 106 extending into groove 108 in the front wall 110 of the base member, whereby a xerographic plate therein is maintained in a light-tight envi ronment.

The rapid lifting of the top cover as the rigidly mounted pins traverse grooves 78 cause the movable latch members 96 to be forced toward the rear of the cassette thereby freeing the top cover from the locked position. When the cassette is being withdrawn from the cassette-receiving station, movement of the rigidly mounted pins through grooves 78 cause rapid rotation of the top cover toward the locked or closed position. The bottom surface of each tongue 106 contacts the upper, downwardly sloped surface of the V-shaped fingers on the movable latch members, forcing them toward the rear of the cassette whereby tongue 106 is permitted to seat in corresponding groove 108. As that happens, the V-shaped fingers once again seat in the corresponding V-shaped notches in the top cover, under urging of springs 94, whereby the top cover is held in the locked position and prevented from being inadvertently opened.

The remainder of the cassette is as shown in copending application Ser. No. 874,747 filed Nov. 7, 1969 now abandoned, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The cassette and cassette opening and closing mechanism of the present invention are used in conjunction with the automated xerographic processing system described in co-pending application Ser. No. 874,834, also filed Nov, 7, 1969, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Portions of said co-pending applications which are necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention, or to provide sufficient disclosure to understand the overall operation of the present invention are incorporated herein by reference.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material or structural design, to the spirit of the present invention without departing from its essential teachings.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanism adapted to rotate the cover of a cassette between open and closed positions, said mechanism comprising means to receive a cassette, guide means disposed on opposite sides of the cassettereceiving means for guiding the cassette into the eassette-receiving means, means for holding the base member of the cassette along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving means, and means rigidly mounted on each side guide means for cooperating with at least one groove in each adjacent side wall of the cover for rotating the cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means.

2. The mechanism of claim I wherein said means rigidly mounted on each of said guide means comprises a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of the cover adjacent thereto.

3. The mechanism of calim 1 wherein said rigidly mounted means comprises a cylindrical pin adjacent each of the grooved side walls of the cover, said pins being so positioned as to enter that end of the rotationcausing groove most closely adjacent the front wall of the cover.

4. The mechanism of claim I wherein the base member holding means comprises an elongated bar adjacent each of said gu de means said elongated bars cooperating with adjacent portions of the side walls of the base member for holding the base member along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassettereceiving means.

5. The mechanism of claim 1 further including means supported by said cassette-receiving means for latching an empty cassette in the fully inserted condition with the cover rotated to the fully opened position.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 further including spring means adjacent the leading edge of the base member of the cassette and means to deactuate said latch means, whereby the cassette will be partially ejected from the cassette-receiving means by said spring means upon deactuation of said latch means.

7. The mechanism of claim 1 further including means external to the cassette for limiting the downward rota tion of the cover when said mechanism and the cassette are utilized in the inverted condition such that, during opening, the cover is rotated downwardly.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 where said external means further functions to urge the cover toward the closed position as the cassette is withdrawn from the cassette-receiving means.

9. A cassette having a base member and a top cover hinged to said base member about the rear walls thereof for rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, said top cover having spaced side walls disposed parallel to the direction of cassette travel into and out of cassette-receiving station, each of said side walls having a cam surface comprising at least one groove adapted to coact with cam followers external to the cassette for rotating the top cover between the open and closed position; and. in combination with said cassette, cam followers mounted in the cassettereceiving station, said cam followers operatively associated with said grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover whereby the top cover is rotated between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassettereceiving station as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces, and means associated with the cassettereceiving station for holding said base member along the plane in which said base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving station.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said cam followers each comprise a cylindrical pin adjacent to a corresponding grooved side wall of said top cover, said pins being ofsufficient length to extend into the groove adjacent thereto.

11. A cassette having a base member and a top cover hinged to said base member about the rear walls thereof for rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, said top cover having spaced side walls disposed parallel to the direction of cassette travel into and out of a cassette-receiving station, each of said side walls having a downwardly depending groove adapted to cooperate with means external to the cassette for rotating the top cover between the open and closed positions; and, in combination with said cassette, means rigidly mounted in the cassettereceiving station, said rigidly mounted means adapted to cooperate with said grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover for rotating the top cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the eassette-receiving station, and means associated with the cassette-receiving station for holding said base member along the plane in which said base member is inserted into the cassette receiving station.

12. The combination of claim 1] wherein said rigidly mounted means comprises a cylindrical pin adjacent each of said grooved side walls of said top cover, said pins being of sufficient length to extend into the downwardly depending groove adjacent thereto.

13. The combination of claim 11 wherein said rigidly mounted means comprises a cylindrical pin adjacent each of said grooved side walls of said top cover, each of said pins being so positioned with respect to said downwardly depending groove adjacent thereto that said pin first enters that end of said downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the front wall of said top cover.

14. The combination of claim 11 further including a first substantially horizontal groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said first horizontal grooves extending from the front wall of said top cover to that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent thereto.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein each of said first substantially horizontal grooves terminates, adjacent the front wall of said top cover, in a flared opening adapted to guide the rigidly mounted meand adjacent thereto into said first substantially horizontal groove.

16. The combination of claim 14 further including a second substantially horizontal groove or partial groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said second substantially horizontal grooves or partial grooves extending from that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of said cassette toward said rear wall and adapted to cooperate with said rigidly mounted means adjacent thereto to further rotate said top cover between the open and closed Positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of said cassette from the cassettereceiving station.

17. The combination of claim 16 further including a third substantially horizontal groove or partial groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said third grooves or partial grooves extending from that end of the downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of said cassette to the front wall of said cassette, whereby there is defined by said first and third substantially horizontal grooves or partial grooves and said downwardly depending groove an island therebetween.

]8. The combination of claim ll further including a first substantially horizontal groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said first horizontal grooves extending from the front wall of said top cover to that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent thereto, a second substantially horizontal groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said second substantially horizontal grooves extending from that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of said cassette toward said rear wall and adapted to cooperate with said rigidly mounted means adjacent thereto to further rotate said top cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of said cassette from the cassette-receiving station, said grooves being of substantially U-shaped configuration such that those portions of said rigidly mounted means extending into said grooves limit the downward rotation of said top cover when said combination is utilized in the inverted condition where, during opening, said top cover is rotated downwardly.

19. The combination of claim 11 wherein said cassette further includes at least one movable latch means adapted to permit rotation of said top cover as said rig idly mounted means traverse said downwardly depending grooves upon insertion of said cassette into the eassette-receiving station and adapted to permit the locked closing of said top cover as said rigidly mounted means traverse said downwardly depending grooves upon withdrawal of said cassette from the cassette receiving station.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein each of said movable latch means comprises at least one movable latch member mounted on said base member having a substantially V-shaped finger at the end thereof most closely adjacent the inner surface of the front wall of said top cover, said inner surface having a substantially V-shaped notch therein, spring means normally urging said substantially V-shaped finger into said substantially V-shaped notch, said front wall further including a tongue at the lower inner edge thereof, said tongue adapted to seat in an adjacent groove in the upper surface of the front wall of said base member, said tongue further adapted during rotation of said top cover toward the closed position to contact one surface of said substantially V-shaped finger and thereby move said movable latch member toward the rear wall of said cassette against the action of said spring whereby, upon insertion of said cassette into the cassette-receiving station, said movable latch member is moved toward the rear wall of said cassette thereby freeing said top cover for rotational movement toward the open position and upon withdrawal of said cassette from the cassettereceiving station, said tongue moves said \/-shaped finger toward the rear wall of said cassette and, after said tongue seats into said adjacent groove in said base member, said substantially V-shaped finger re-engages said substantially V-shaped notch in the inner surface of said front wall of said top cover whereby said top cover is securely locked to said base member.

2|. The combination of claim 20 wherein there are a pair of movable latch members.

22. The combination of claim ll wherein said grooves in the side walls of said top cover are of substantially U-shaped configuration such that those portions of said rigidly mounted means extending into said grooves limit, at all times during the insertion and withdrawal operations, the rotation of said top cover between the open and closed positions.

23. [n a processing apparatus in which a plate mem ber is to be inserted into an initially closed cassette, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit insertion of said plate member therein comprising:

means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus,

means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means for supporting a first portion of said cassette in a substantially uniform planar orientation as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus, and

camming means for rotating a second portion of said cassette away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting insertion of said plate member into said cassette and for rotating said second cassette portion towards said first portion as the eassette is removed from said processing apparatus, said camming means comprising cam followers mounted to said cassette receiving means and a cam surface formed on adjacent sidewalls of said second cassette portion, said second portion rotating away and towards said first cassette portion as said cassette is received and withdrawn, respectively, from said cassette-receiving means as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces.

24. The processing apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein each cam surface comprises .li least one groove in each adjacent sidewall of said second cassette portion.

25. The processing apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said cam followers comprise a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of said second cassette portion adjacent thereto.

26. [n a processing apparatus in which a plate member supported within a closed cassette is inserted into the processing apparatus for processing, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit withdrawl of said plate member therefrom comprising:

means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus,

means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means and engageable with grooves formed on adjacent side walls of a second portion of said cassette for rotating said second portion of the cas sette to a first position away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting withdrawal of said plate member from said cassette, said rotating means being rigidly mounted in said cassette receiving means.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein said rotating means is engageable with said grooves as the eassette is removed from said processing apparatus whereby said second portion of said cassette is rotated to a second position against said first portion of said cassette.

28. Apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein said plate member comprises a photoconductive insulator layer overlying a conductive substrate.

29. In a processing apparatus in which a plate memher is to be inserted into an initially closed cassette, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit insertion of said plate member therein comprising:

means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus,

means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means and engageable with grooves formed on adjacent sidewalls of a second portion of said cassette for rotating said second portion of said cassette to a first position away from said first eassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting insertion of said plate member into said cassette, said rotating means being rigidly mounted on said cassette receiving means.

30. Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said rotating means is engageable with said grooves as the eassette is removed from said processing apparatus whereby said second portion of said cassette is rotated to a second position against said first portion of said cassette.

3]. Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said plate member comprises a photoconductive insulator layer overlying a conductive substrate.

32. A mechanism adapted to rotate the cover of a cassette having spaced side walls between open and closed positions, said mechanism comprising means to receive a cassette, guide means disposed on opposite sides of the cassette-receiving means for guiding the cassette into the cassette-receiving means, means for holding the base member of the cassette along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the eassette-receiving means, and camming means for rotating the cover between the open and closed position upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means, said camming means comprising a cam follower and cam surface operatively associated with said guide means and said cassette cover, said cassette cover rotating between the open and closed position upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively of the cassette from the cassettereceiving means as said cam follower and said cam surface coact.

33. The mechanism of claim 32 wherein a cam follower is mounted on each of said guide means and said cam surface comprises at least one groove in each side wall of said cassette cover.

34. The mechanism of claim 33 wherein said cam followers each comprise a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of the cassette cover adjacent thereto.

35. In a processing apparatus in which a plate member supported within a closed cassette is inserted into the processing apparatus for processing, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit withdrawal of said plate member therefrom comprising:

means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus,

camming means for rotating a second portion of said cassette away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting withdrawal of said plate member from said cassette and for rotating said second cassette portion towards said first portion as the cassette is removed from said processing apparatus, said camming means comprising cam followers mounted to said cassette receiving means and a cam surface formed on adjacent side walls of said second cassette portion, said second cassette portion rotating away and towards said first cassette portion as said cassette is received and withdrawn, respectively, from said cassette receiving means as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces.

36. The processing apparatus as defined in claim 35 wherein each cam surface comprises at least one groove in each adjacent side wall of said second cassette portion.

37. The processing apparatus as defined in claim 36 wherein said cam followers comprise a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of said second cassette portion adjacent thereto.

38. A mechanism adapted to rotate the cover of a cassette between open and closed positions, said mechanism comprising means to receive a cassette, guide means disposed on opposite sides of the cassettereceiving means for guiding the cassette in the cassettereceiving means, means for holding the base member of the cassette along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving means, said base member holding means comprising an elongated bar adjacent each of said guide means, said elongated bars cooperating with adjacent portions of the side walls of the base member for holding the base member along said plane, and means rigidly mounted on each of said guide means for cooperating with at least one groove in the adjacent side walls of the cover for rotating the cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means, each of said rigidly mounted means comprising a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of the cover adjacent thereto.

39. The mechanism of claim 38 further including means for advancing a xerographic plate into the cassette when the cover is in the open position.

40. The mechanism of claim 39 further including means supported by said cassette-receiving means for latching the empty cassette in the fully inserted condition with the cover rotated to the fully opened position, spring means adjacent the leading edge of the base member of the cassette and means to deactuate said latch means operable when a xerographic plate is inserted into the cassette, whereby the cassette will be partially ejected from the cassette-receiving means by said spring means upon deactuation of said latch means after a xerographic plate is inserted into the cassette.

4]. The mechanism of claim 38 further including means for withdrawing a xerographic plate from the cassette after a xerographic plate holding cassette has been inserted into the cassette-receiving means and the cover has been rotated into the open position.

Claims

1. A MECHANISM ADAPTED TO ROTATE THE COVER OF A CASSETTE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING MEANS TO RECEIVE A CASSETTE, GUIDE MEANS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CASSETTE-RECEIVING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE CASSETTE INTO THE CASSETTE-RECEIVING MEANS, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE BASE MEMBER OF THE CASSETTE ALONG THE PLANE IN WHICH THE BASE MEMBER IS INSERTED INTO THE CASSETTE-RECEIVING MEANS, AND MEANS RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE GUIDE MEANS FOR COOPERATING WITH AT LEAST ONE GROOVE IN EACH ADJACENT SIDE WALL

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said means rigidly mounted on each of said guide means comprises a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of the cover adjacent thereto.

3. The mechanism of calim 1 wherein said rigidly mounted means comprises a cylindrical pin adjacent each of the grooved side walls of the cover, said pins being so positioned as to enter that end of the rotation-causing groove most closely adjacent the front wall of the cover.

4. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the base member holding means comprises an elongated bar adjacent each of said guide means said elongated bars cooperating with adjacent portions of the side walls of the base member for holding the base member along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving means.

7. The mechanism of clAim 1 further including means external to the cassette for limiting the downward rotation of the cover when said mechanism and the cassette are utilized in the inverted condition such that, during opening, the cover is rotated downwardly.

9. A cassette having a base member and a top cover hinged to said base member about the rear walls thereof for rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, said top cover having spaced side walls disposed parallel to the direction of cassette travel into and out of cassette-receiving station, each of said side walls having a cam surface comprising at least one groove adapted to coact with cam followers external to the cassette for rotating the top cover between the open and closed position; and, in combination with said cassette, cam followers mounted in the cassette- receiving station, said cam followers operatively associated with said grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover whereby the top cover is rotated between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving station as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces, and means associated with the cassette-receiving station for holding said base member along the plane in which said base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving station.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said cam followers each comprise a cylindrical pin adjacent to a corresponding grooved side wall of said top cover, said pins being of sufficient length to extend into the groove adjacent thereto.

11. A cassette having a base member and a top cover hinged to said base member about the rear walls thereof for rotational movement between an open position and a closed position, said top cover having spaced side walls disposed parallel to the direction of cassette travel into and out of a cassette-receiving station, each of said side walls having a downwardly depending groove adapted to cooperate with means external to the cassette for rotating the top cover between the open and closed positions; and, in combination with said cassette, means rigidly mounted in the cassette-receiving station, said rigidly mounted means adapted to cooperate with said grooves in the adjacent side walls of the top cover for rotating the top cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving station, and means associated with the cassette-receiving station for holding said base member along the plane in which said base member is inserted into the cassette receiving station.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said rigidly mounted means comprises a cylindrical pin adjacent each of said grooved side walls of said top cover, said pins being of sufficient length to extend into the downwardly depending groove adjacent thereto.

16. The combination of claim 14 further including a second substantially horizontal groove or partial groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said second substantially horizontal grooves or partial grooves extending from that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of said cassette toward said rear wall and adapted to cooperate with said rigidly mounted means adjacent thereto to further rotate said top cover between the open and closed Positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of said cassette from the cassette-receiving station.

18. The combination of claim 11 further including a first substantially horizontal groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said first horizontal grooves extending from the front wall of said top cover to that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent thereto, a second substantially horizontal groove in each of said spaced side walls, each of said second substantially horizontal grooves extending from that end of each downwardly depending groove most closely adjacent the rear wall of said cassette toward said rear wall and adapted to cooperate with said rigidly mounted means adjacent thereto to further rotate said top cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of said cassette from the cassette-receiving station, said grooves being of substantially U-shaped configuration such that those portions of said rigidly mounted means extending into said grooves limit the downward rotation of said top cover when said combination is utilized in the inverted condition where, during opening, said top cover is rotated downwardly.

19. The combination of claim 11 wherein said cassette further includes at least one movable latch means adapted to permit rotation of said top cover as said rigidly mounted means traverse said downwardly depending grooves upon insertion of said cassette into the cassette-receiving station and adapted to permit the locked closing of said top cover as said rigidly mounted means traverse said downwardly depending grooves upon withdrawal of said cassette from the cassette-receiving station.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein each of said movable latch means comprises at least one movable latch member mounted on said base member having a substantially V-shaped finger at the end thereof most closely adjacent the inner surface of the front wall of said top cover, said inner surface having a substantially V-shaped notch therein, spring means normally urging said substantially V-shaped finger into said substantially V-shaped notch, said front wall further including a tongue at the lower inner edge thereof, said tongue adapted to seat in an adjacent groove in the upper surface of the front wall of said base member, said tongue further adapted during rotation of said top cover toward the closed position to contact one surface of said substantially V-shaped finger and thereby move said movable latch member toward the rear wall of said cassette against the action of said spring whereby, upon insertion of said cassette into the cassette-receiving station, said movable latch member is moved toward the rear wall of said cassette thereby freeing said top cover for rotational movement toward the open position and upon withdrawal of said cassette from the cassette-receiving station, said tongue moves said V-shaped finger toward the rear wall of said cassette and, after said toNgue seats into said adjacent groove in said base member, said substantially V-shaped finger re-engages said substantially V-shaped notch in the inner surface of said front wall of said top cover whereby said top cover is securely locked to said base member.

21. The combination of claim 20 wherein there are a pair of movable latch members.

22. The combination of claim 11 wherein said grooves in the side walls of said top cover are of substantially U-shaped configuration such that those portions of said rigidly mounted means extending into said grooves limit, at all times during the insertion and withdrawal operations, the rotation of said top cover between the open and closed positions.

23. In a processing apparatus in which a plate member is to be inserted into an initially closed cassette, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit insertion of said plate member therein comprising: means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus, means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means for supporting a first portion of said cassette in a substantially uniform planar orientation as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus, and camming means for rotating a second portion of said cassette away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting insertion of said plate member into said cassette and for rotating said second cassette portion towards said first portion as the cassette is removed from said processing apparatus, said camming means comprising cam followers mounted to said cassette receiving means and a cam surface formed on adjacent sidewalls of said second cassette portion, said second portion rotating away and towards said first cassette portion as said cassette is received and withdrawn, respectively, from said cassette-receiving means as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces.

24. The processing apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein each cam surface comprises at least one groove in each adjacent sidewall of said second cassette portion.

26. In a processing apparatus in which a plate member supported within a closed cassette is inserted into the processing apparatus for processing, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit withdrawl of said plate member therefrom comprising: means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus, means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means for supporting a first portion of said cassette in a substantially uniform planar orientation as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus, and means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means and engageable with grooves formed on adjacent side walls of a second portion of said cassette for rotating said second portion of the cassette to a first position away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting withdrawal of said plate member from said cassette, said rotating means being rigidly mounted in said cassette receiving means.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein said rotating means is engageable with said grooves as the cassette is removed from said processing apparatus whereby said second portion of said cassette is rotated to a second position against said first portion of said cassette.

29. In a processing apparatus in which a plate member is to be inserted into an initially closed cassette, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit insertion of said plate member therein comprising: means fOr receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus, means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means for supporting a first portion of said cassette in a substantially uniform planar orientation as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus, and means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means and engageable with grooves formed on adjacent sidewalls of a second portion of said cassette for rotating said second portion of said cassette to a first position away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting insertion of said plate member into said cassette, said rotating means being rigidly mounted on said cassette receiving means.

30. Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said rotating means is engageable with said grooves as the cassette is removed from said processing apparatus whereby said second portion of said cassette is rotated to a second position against said first portion of said cassette.

31. Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said plate member comprises a photoconductive insulator layer overlying a conductive substrate.

32. A mechanism adapted to rotate the cover of a cassette having spaced side walls between open and closed positions, said mechanism comprising means to receive a cassette, guide means disposed on opposite sides of the cassette-receiving means for guiding the cassette into the cassette-receiving means, means for holding the base member of the cassette along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving means, and camming means for rotating the cover between the open and closed position upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means, said camming means comprising a cam follower and cam surface operatively associated with said guide means and said cassette cover, said cassette cover rotating between the open and closed position upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means as said cam follower and said cam surface coact.

35. In a processing apparatus in which a plate member supported within a closed cassette is inserted into the processing apparatus for processing, apparatus for opening said cassette to permit withdrawal of said plate member therefrom comprising: means for receiving said cassette within said processing apparatus, means operatively associated with said cassette receiving means for supporting a first portion of said cassette in a substantially uniform planar orientation as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus, and camming means for rotating a second portion of said cassette away from said first cassette portion as the cassette is received into said processing apparatus thereby permitting withdrawal of said plate member from said cassette and for rotating said second cassette portion towards said first portion as the cassette is removed from said processing apparatus, said camming means comprising cam followers mounted to said cassette receiving means and a cam surface formed on adjacent side walls of said second cassette portion, said second cassette portion rotating away and towards said first cassette portion as said cassette is received and withdrawn, respectively, from said cassette receiving means as said cam followers coact with said cam surfaces.

38. A mechanism adapted to rotate the cover of a cassette between open and closed positions, said mechanism comprising means to receive a cassette, guide means disposed on opposite sides of the cassette-receiving means for guiding the cassette in the cassette-receiving means, means for holding the base member of the cassette along the plane in which the base member is inserted into the cassette-receiving means, said base member holding means comprising an elongated bar adjacent each of said guide means, said elongated bars cooperating with adjacent portions of the side walls of the base member for holding the base member along said plane, and means rigidly mounted on each of said guide means for cooperating with at least one groove in the adjacent side walls of the cover for rotating the cover between the open and closed positions upon insertion and withdrawal, respectively, of the cassette from the cassette-receiving means, each of said rigidly mounted means comprising a cylindrical pin of sufficient length to extend into the groove or grooves in the side wall of the cover adjacent thereto.

41. The mechanism of claim 38 further including means for withdrawing a xerographic plate from the cassette after a xerographic plate holding cassette has been inserted into the cassette-receiving means and the cover has been rotated into the open position.