US3601335A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Film cartridge
Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1970-02-02
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Granted: 1971-08-24
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Expires: 1990-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A film cartridge in which the rotation of spools on which supply and takeup rolls of film in the cartridge are wound is restrained to cause controlled, uniform advancement of the film and to maintain compact supply and takeup rolls. In one embodiment, a central spindle of the spools is rotatably mounted within a hub that comprises spring fingers arranged as a segmented cylindrical bearing. The spindle is larger in diameter than the bore through the segmented cylindrical bearing, so that the spindle slightly displaces the spring fingers from their normal position. As a result, the spring fingers exert a pressure on the spindle that restrains rotation of the spool. In a preferred embodiment, supply and takeup rolls of film are reliably attached to the spools by placing an aperture in the ends of the film over a tab on the spools'' film-winding surface that has a dimension in the film-winding plane that is larger than the aperture.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles W Dopkins
- 👤 Richard Alan Devries
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:29
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B17/00; G03B17/26; G03B17/265
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
208 words
A film cartridge in which film is stored in compact supply and takeup rolls and advanced from the supply roll to the takeup roll in uniform controlled intermittent movements, the cartridge comprising: a. molded plastic parts that mate together to provide a lighttight compartment having two parallel large area sidewalls and edgewalls enclosing supply and takeup rolls of film, b. supply and takeup spools on which the supply and takeup rolls of film are wound, each spool comprising a cylinder providing a film-winding surface, a spindle coaxial with the cylinder, and means connecting the cylinder to the spindle, and c. supply and takeup hubs for rotatively mounting the supply and takeup spools, the hubs extending from a sidewall of the lighttight compartment on generally parallel spaced axes, either the hub or spindle comprising a set of spring fingers extending generally perpendicularly to the sidewalls of the lighttight compartment and located equidistant around a central axis so as to form a segmented cylindrical bearing, and the other of the hub and spindle mating with the segmented cylindrical bearing so as to displace the spring fingers from their normal position to develop a spring pressure acting on the other of the hub and spindle to restrain rotation of the spools.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
208 words
A film cartridge in which film is stored in compact supply and takeup rolls and advanced from the supply roll to the takeup roll in uniform controlled intermittent movements, the cartridge comprising: a. molded plastic parts that mate together to provide a lighttight compartment having two parallel large area sidewalls and edgewalls enclosing supply and takeup rolls of film, b. supply and takeup spools on which the supply and takeup rolls of film are wound, each spool comprising a cylinder providing a film-winding surface, a spindle coaxial with the cylinder, and means connecting the cylinder to the spindle, and c. supply and takeup hubs for rotatively mounting the supply and takeup spools, the hubs extending from a sidewall of the lighttight compartment on generally parallel spaced axes, either the hub or spindle comprising a set of spring fingers extending generally perpendicularly to the sidewalls of the lighttight compartment and located equidistant around a central axis so as to form a segmented cylindrical bearing, and the other of the hub and spindle mating with the segmented cylindrical bearing so as to displace the spring fingers from their normal position to develop a spring pressure acting on the other of the hub and spindle to restrain rotation of the spools.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
105 words
supply and takeup hubs for rotatively mounting the supply and takeup spools, the hubs extending from one sidewall on generally parallel spaced axes, either the hub or spindle comprising a set of spring fingers extending generally perpendicularly to the sidewalls of the lighttight compartment and located equidistant around a central axis so aS to form a segmented cylindrical bearing, and the other of the hub and spindle mating with the segmented cylindrical bearing so as to displace the spring fingers from their normal position to develop a spring pressure acting on the other of the hub and central spindle to restrain rotation of the spools.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
105 words
supply and takeup hubs for rotatively mounting the supply and takeup spools, the hubs extending from one sidewall on generally parallel spaced axes, either the hub or spindle comprising a set of spring fingers extending generally perpendicularly to the sidewalls of the lighttight compartment and located equidistant around a central axis so aS to form a segmented cylindrical bearing, and the other of the hub and spindle mating with the segmented cylindrical bearing so as to displace the spring fingers from their normal position to develop a spring pressure acting on the other of the hub and central spindle to restrain rotation of the spools.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
supply and takeup spools rotatably mounted within the main body portion and adapted to hold supply and takeup rolls of film, and
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
supply and takeup spools rotatably mounted within the main body portion and adapted to hold supply and takeup rolls of film, and
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
135 words
A film cartridge of claim 1 in which (a) the lighttight compartment includes a main body portion in which the supply and takeup rolls are stored and two parallel separated arms that project forwardly from the main body portion, each arm having a straight line film passage that opens on the space between the arms and is lineally aligned with the other passage, and (b) an idler roller is positioned within each arm at the inside end of the passage and tangential to the passage, whereby film in the cartridge travels from the supply roll around an idler roller in one forwardly projecting arm, then along the straight line film path through the space between the forwardly projecting arms, and then around an idler roller in the second forwardly projecting arm to the takeup roll.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A cartridge of claim 1 in which the hub is the segmented cylindrical bearing and the spindle on the spool fits within the segmented cylindrical bearing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
two idler rollers, one positioned within each forwardly projecting arm at the inside end of the passage and tangential to the passage, whereby film in the cartridge travels from the supply roll around an idler roller in one forwardly projecting arm, then along the straight line film path through the space between the forwardly projecting arms, and then around an idler roll in the second forwardly projecting arm to the takeup roller, improved spool and spool mounting means comprising
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
two idler rollers, one positioned within each forwardly projecting arm at the inside end of the passage and tangential to the passage, whereby film in the cartridge travels from the supply roll around an idler roller in one forwardly projecting arm, then along the straight line film path through the space between the forwardly projecting arms, and then around an idler roll in the second forwardly projecting arm to the takeup roller, improved spool and spool mounting means comprising
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
116 words
A cartridge of claim 1 in which the film in the cartridge is attached to at least one of the supply and takeup spools by location of an aperture in the film on a tab on the spool, the tab comprising a radially extending stub post joined to the film-winding surface of the spool carrying an enlarged head having a dimension in the plane of film wound on the spool larger than the diameter of the aperture in the film, the film-winding surface of the spool being depressed in the area of the tab whereby the radially outermost surface of the enlarged head is substantially coincident with the cylindrical plane defined by the spool''s film-winding surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
A cartridge of claim 1 in which the spindle of at least the takeup spool has a central bore and at least one of the parallel large area sidewalls of the lighttight compartment has an opening aligned with the bore in the spindle, whereby a spool-drive-pin in a camera may be drivingly engaged within the spool.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
58 words
A cartridge of claim 5 in which the spindle in both the supply and takeup spools has a central bore, and both the parallel large area sidewalls of the lighttight compartment have openings aligned with the bore in the spindles, whereby a spool-drive-pin may be drivingly engaged within either of the spools from either side of the cartridge.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
In a film cartridge comprising mating molded plastic parts that form
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
In a film cartridge comprising mating molded plastic parts that form
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A cartridge of claim 7 in which the hub is the segmented cylindrical bearing and the spindle on the spool fits within the segmented cylindrical bearing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
117 words
A cartridge of claim 7 in which the film in the cartridge is attached to at least one of the supply and takeup spools by location of an aperture in the film on a tab on the spool, the tab comprising a radially extending stub post joined to the film-winding surface of the spool and carrying an enlarged head having a dimension in the plane of film wound on the spool larger than the diameter of the aperture in the film, the film-winding surface of the spool being depressed in the area of the tab whereby the radially outermost surface of the enlarged head is substantially coincident with the cylindrical plane defined by the spool''s film-winding surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-23 | 1975-02-22 | 1975-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-23 | 1979-02-22 | 1979-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-23 | 1983-02-22 | 1983-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |