Mechanism for operating the reflecting mirror of single lens reflex cameras

Claim 1

IN AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE REFLEX MIRROR WITHIN THE BODY OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA HAVING A SHUTTER, A SHUTTER AND FILM WINDING MEANS, AND SHUTTER RELEASE MEANS, THE COMBINATION OF A LEVER SYSTEM INCLUDING A FIRST LEVER, PIVOTED AT ONE END TO THE CAMERA BODY, AN INTERMEDIATE LINK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF THE FIRST LEVER AND AN ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF THE LINK, A ROTATABLE SHAFT, THE ARM BEING AFFIXED TO THE SHAFT, MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE SHAFT AND THE REFLEX MIRROR, A TENSION LEVER PIVOTED TO THE CAMERA BODY AT A REGION SPACED FROM THE PIVOT OF THE FIRST LEVER, A SPRING OF WHICH ONE END IS ANCHORED TO AN INTERMEDIATE REGION OF THE FIRST LEVER AND ITS OTHER END TO THE FREE END REGION OF THE TENSION LEVER, A PROJECTION AT AN INTERMEDIATE REGION OF THE TENSION LEVER FACING AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE PIVOTAL INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE INTERMEDIATE LINK AND THE ARM, A PRIMING LEVER INTERCONNECTED WITH THE SHUTTER WINDING MECHANISM AND HAVING ITS FREE END REGION AGAINST THE FREE END REGION OF THE TENSION LEVER, A MOVABLE STOP CONNECTED TO THE SHUTTER WINDING MECHANISM, THE PRINTING LEVER ON WINDING UP THE WINDING MECHANISM PREPARATORY TO MAKING AN EXPOSURE DEFLECTING THE TENSION LEVER TO TENSION THE SPRING AND ON MAXIMUM DEFLECTION OF THE TENSION LEVER IN THE SPRING TENSIONING DIRECTION TO STOP MEMBER MOVING INTO THE RETURN PATH OF THE TENSION LEVER TO PREVENT RETURN MOVEMENT OF THE TENSION LEVER TO ITS ORGINAL POSITION, THE PROJECTION AND THE PIVOTAL LINK-TO-ARM INTERCONNECTION BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER WHEN THE SPRING IS FULLY TENSIONED, A SPRING BIASED LATCHING PAWL PIVOTED TO THE CAMERA BODY, MEANS ON THE MIRROR ENGAGEABLE BY THE PAWL AND NORMALLY ENGAGED THEREWITH TO HOLD THE MIRROR IN THE LIGHT INTERCEPTING POSITION, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE PAWL AND THE SHUTTER RELEASE MEANS TO DISENGAGE THE PAWL FROM THE ENGAGEABLE MEANS ON THE MIRROR ON AN EXPOSURE ACTUATION OF THE SHUTTER RELEASE MEANS PERMITTING IMMEDIATE ROTATION OF THE MIRROR ON SUCH RELEASE TO ITS WITHDRAWN POSITION, WHILE ON REMOVAL OF THE MOVABLE STOP MEMBER FROM THE RETURN PATH OF THE TENSION LEVER THE TENSION OF THE SPRING CAUSES THE PROJECTION TO STRIKE AND ENGAGE THE PIVOTAL INTERCONNECTION OF ROTATE THE MIRROR TO ITS INTERCEPTING POSITION.