Continuous photographic apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING A CONTINUOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF LINEARLY ARRANGED OBJECTS OR SURFACES LYING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE TRAVEL PATH OF A VEHICLE MOVING LINEARLY UPON A SUPPORTING LAND SURFACE, A WHEELED LAND VEHICLE ADAPTED TO HAVE ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID SUPPORTING LAND SURFACE, A PHOTOGRAPHIC STRIP CAMERA CARRIED BY SAID VEHICLE INCLUDING LENS MEANS FOR FOCUSING AN IMAGE UPON A FILM STRIP THROUGH A SLIT ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY TO THE FILM STRIP AND HAVING ITS OPTICAL AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO AND INTERCEPTING A LINE ACROSS SAID OBJECTS OR SURFACES WHICH IS TRANSVERSE TO SAID TRAVEL PATH AND REPRESENTS THE IMAGE OF SAID OBJECTS OR SURFACES FOCUSED UPON SAID FILM STRIP, MEANS ADAPTED TO HAVE ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID SUPPORTING LAND SURFACE FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE OPERATION OF SAID CAMERA WITH THE TRAVEL SPEED OF SAID VEHICLE WHEREBY SAID FILM STRIP IS MOVED AT A SPEED AND DIRECTION EQUAL TO THAT OF THE IMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE LINEAR TRAVEL OF SAID VEHICLE RELATIVE TO SAID OBJECTS OR SURFACES, MEANS FOR STABILIZING SAID CAMERA WHEREBY ITS OPTICAL AXIS REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORTING LAND SURFACE, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID VEHICLE FOR DIRECTING A BEAM OF LIGHT TO SAID OBJECTS OR SURFACES LYING IN THE OPTICAL PATH OF SAID CAMERA IN A COMMON PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE OPTICAL AXIS AND AT A SUBSTANTIALLY GRAZING ANGLE OF INCIDENCE TO THE LINE OF SAID OBJECTS OR SURFACES INTERCEPTED BY THE OPTICAL AXIS.