Film transporting apparatus

Claim 2

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said rolls, said film advancing means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means, said drive means being adapted to drive said film advancing means at least until said one film unit has been advanced to a position in which a portion of said film unit is located between said rolls; and disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls.

Claim 3

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means simultaneously and continuously drives at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means wheN said one film unit is in engagement with said rolls.

Claim 4

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including means drivingly connecting said film advancing means to one of said rolls.

Claim 5

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said film advancing means includes film engaging means and spring means biasing said film engaging means in a first direction into engagement with a film unit positioned for exposure within said container, said disenabling means, upon sensing the displacement of said rolls apart from one another by a film unit engaged therebetween, being operative to displace said film engaging means in a direction opposite to said first direction and in opposition to the force of said spring means.

Claim 6

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said disenabling means includes means for resiliently urging said rolls toward each other.

Claim 7

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for resiliently urging said rolls toward each other includes a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the apparatus, one end of said lever being in engagement with one of said rolls and the other end of said lever being biased in a direction to urge said rolls toward each other.

Claim 8

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means including a drive member mounted for movement toward and away from said rolls and film engaging means coupled to said drive member for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said rolls, said film advancing means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for simultaneously and continuously driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means when said one film unit is in engagement with said rolls; and disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film engaging means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for moving said film engaging means to a position out of contact with a film unit within said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls.

Claim 9

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means including a drive member mounted for movement toward and away from said rolls and film engaging means coupled to said drive member for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said rolls, said film advancing means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for simultaneously and continuously driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means when said one film unit is in engagement with said rolls; and disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film engaging means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for moving said film engaging means to a position out of contact with a film unit within said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls.

Claim 10

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 7 including spring means for biasing said film engaging means into contact with said one film unit during initial movement of said one film unit from said container.

Claim 11

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means including film engaging means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls, said film engaging means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls, said film engaging means having an inclined surface for contacting without moving said one film unit during movement of said film engaging means in a direction opposite to the direction of film movement by said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; and disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film Units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls.

Claim 12

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means including film engaging means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls, said film engaging means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls, said film engaging means having an inclined surface for contacting without moving said one film unit during movement of said film engaging means in a direction opposite to the direction of film movement by said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; and disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film Units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls.

Claim 13

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said film engaging means includes means for preventing the engagement and movement of more than one film unit at a time by said film engaging means.

Claim 14

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls, said film advancing means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls; and holding means for engaging and maintaining said disenabling means in a first position for disenabling said film advancing means to move another film unit during advancement of said one film unit between said rolls and release means for moving said holding means out of engagement with said disenabling means for releasing and allowing said disenabling means to move to a second position wherein said film advancing means is capable of moving a film unit from said container.

Claim 15

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls, said film advancing means being mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from said rolls; means mounting at least one of said rolls for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; disenabling means coupled with at least one of said rolls and with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of said rolls away from each other for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls; and holding means for engaging and maintaining said disenabling means in a first position for disenabling said film advancing means to move another film unit during advancement of said one film unit between said rolls and release means for moving said holding means out of engagement with said disenabling means for releasing and allowing said disenabling means to move to a second position wherein said film advancing means is capable of moving a film unit from said container.

Claim 16

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said apparatus includes a shutter actuator, said shutter actuator being coupled to said release means for releasing and allowing said disenabling means to move to said second position upon actuation of said shutter actuator.

Claim 17

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; disenabling means coupled with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of a film unit between said rolls for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls; and holding means for maintaining said film advancing means in a disenabled position until a succeeding film unit has been exposed.

Claim 18

In photographic apparatus including means for holding a container of stacked film units with one of said film units in position for exposure and a pair of juxtaposed rolls for engaging and moving a film unit through said apparatus, in combination: film advancing means for engaging one of a plurality of film units within a container and moving said one film unit from said container into engagement with said pair of rolls; drive means for driving at least one of said rolls and said film advancing means; disenabling means coupled with said film advancing means, said disenabling means being responsive to the movement of a film unit between said rolls for disenabling said film advancing means to move another of said film units from said container until at least said one film unit has been advanced from engagement with said rolls; and holding means for maintaining said film advancing means in a disenabled position until a succeeding film unit has been exposed.

Claim 19

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said holding means maintains said film advancing means out of engagement with a film unit until the next succeeding film unit has been exposed.