Photographic film cassettes

Claim 1

A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM CASSETTE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF CUP-SHAPED SHELLS HAVING OPPOSED ARCUATE SIDE MARGINAL ZONES TELESCOPED TOGETHER IN LAPPING RELATION WITH EACH PROVIDED WITH A CENTRALLY-APERTURED TRANSVERSE END WALL AND COOPERATIVELY SERVING AS A FILM ROLL HOUSING HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, MEANS ON SAID HOUSING DEFINING A FILM PASSAGE EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY TO THE CHAMBER, EACH OF SAID END WALLS HAVING ONE OF A PAIR OF OPPOSED AXIALLY INWARDLY-EXTENDING ANNULAR FLANGES ARRANGED ABOUT THE CENTRAL APERTURE THEREIN AND TERMINATING IN AN INNER END PROVIDED WITH AN AXIALLY INWARDLY-EXTENDING CIRCULAR EDGE CONTOURED TO PROVIDE ONLY A CIRCULAR LINE OF CONTACT AGAINST AN OPPOSED ANNULAR TRANSVERSE BEARING SURFACE, A FILM STORAGE SPOOL ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER HAVING TRANSVERSE ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING COAXIAL RECESS INTO WHICH ONE OF SAID ANNULAR FLANGES LOOSELY TELESCOPES WITHOUT SIDE WALL JAMMING AND DRAG WITH SAID RECESS HAVING THEREIN THE ANNULAR SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE BEARING SURFACE WITH WHICH THE INWARDLY-EXTENDING LINE CONTACT EDGE OF THIS ANNULAR FLANGE MAKES VIRTUAL LINE CONTACT WITH MINIMUM FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, SAID ANNULAR TRANSVERSE BEARING SURFACE OF SAID SPOOL END BEING FLANKED ON ONE RADIAL SIDE THEREOF BY A CIRCULAR RECESS SIDE WALL EXTENDING OUTWARD IN A GENERALLY AXIAL DIRECTION TO LIMIT A LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SPOOL END RELATIVE TO SAID LINE CONTACT EDGE, WITH CONTACT BETWEEN SAID INWARDLY-EXTENDING ANNULAR SHELL FLANGE AND THE COOPERATING SPOOL END BEING LIMITED TO SAID ANNULAR TRANSVERSE SURFACE BY APPRECIABLE ANNULAR SPACING BETWEEN SAID SHELL FLANGE AND RECESS SIDE WALL EXCEPT AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE LATTER WITH SAID ANNULAR TRANSVERSE BEARING SURFACE, SAID SPOOL BEING ROTATABLY CONFINED BETWEEN THE OPPOSED LINE CONTACT END EDGES OF SAID OPPOSED ANNULAR SHELL FLANGES COAXIALLY WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND SPACED INWARDLY ON ALL LATERAL SIDES FROM SAID HOUSING TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN AN ANNULAR FILM STORAGE SPACE, AND SPOOL-DRIVING MEANS LOCATED IN ONE OF SAID SPOOL END RECESSES ENGAGEABLE THROUGH THE ADJACENT HOUSING END WALL APERTURE BY CAMERA-SUPPORTED ROTARY DRIVE MEANS.