Film processing apparatus

Claim 1

A FILM STORAGE ELEVATOR COMPRISING AN UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS AND A LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS, MEANS FOR FIXEDLY MOUNTING SAID UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS AND FOR SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS FOR BODILY MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS, MEANS FOR LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS AT A REST POSITION, AT LEAST ONE SUPPLY FILM REEL MOUNTED FOR ROTATION, THE FILM ON SAID REEL BEING ADAPTED TO BE LOOPED OVER A FIRST ONE OF SAID UPPER ROLLERS TO A FIRST ONE OF SAID LOWER ROLLERS AND BACK UP TO THE NEXT OF SAID UPPER ROLLERS PROCEEDING IN ORDER FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER, THE FILM FEEDING CONTINUOUSLY FROM SAID SUPPLY REEL ALTERNATELY BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER ROWS OF ROLLERS, A TEMPORARY STOPPAGE OF FEEDING THE FILM INTO SAID ROWS OF ROLLERS CAUSING SAID LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS TO MOVE TOWARD SAID UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS TO CONTINUE THE PASSAGE OF FILM THEREFROM FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS FOR RETURN MOVEMENT BACK TO SAID REST POSITION AFTER TEH FILM STOPPAGE HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND FILM IS AGAIN FEEDING INTO SAID UPPER ROW OF ROLERS, SAID DRIVING MEANS INCLUDING AN OVERRUNING CLUTCH AND A FIXED SPEED OUTPUT MOTOR COUPLED THEREWITH FOR LIMITING THE RATE OF RETURN MOVEMENT TO PREVENT DAMAGE AND LOOSENING AND TANGLING OF THE FILM, A CLAMPING UNIT MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID REEL AND UPPER ROW OF ROLLERS AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF JAWS BETWEEN WHICH THE FILM PASSES, MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE JAWS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RELEASED POSITION AND A CLAMPING POSITION ENGAGING THE FILM, A SWITCH TO BE ACTUATED BY THE MOVAEMENT OF SAID LOWER ROW OF ROLLERS AWAY FROM SAID REST POSTION, SAID SWITCH BEING CONNECTED WITH SAID CLAMPING UNIT TO MOVE SAID JAWS TO SAID CLAMPING POSITION UPON BEING ACTUATED, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID JAWS FOR RETURN TO SAID RELEASED POSITION TO ALLOW FREE PASSAGE OF THE FILM THEREBETWEEN.