Step-and-repeat camera having an improved film indexing means

Claim 2

A step-and-repeat camera comprising, in combination: a housing, support means for supporting film in a focal plane, a lens for focusing an image to be photographed into an exposure frame in said focal plane, indexing means for securing said support means in a plurality of discrete lateral positions relative to said lens, controllable drive means including a motor secured to said housing, a movable member driven by said motor, and a resilient member, said resilient member having a first end secured to said movable member and a second end secured to said first frame, whereby said resilient member deflects from its normal position to a deflected position whenever said first frame is secured in one of said discrete positions and said motor drives said movable member, and control means responsive to said resilient member for deenergizing said drive means whenever said support means is in one of said discrete lateral positions.

Claim 3

The camera of claim 1 in which said lens is secured to said housing and said support means comprises a first frame movably mounted in said housing.

Claim 4

The camera of claim 2 in which said control means comprises a normally closed switch in series with said motor which is tripped to an open position whenever said resilient member is in its deflected position.

Claim 5

The camera of claim 3 in which said movable member comprises a threaded shaft and a follower nut and in which said threaded shaft is rotatably driven by said motor.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 4 in which said resilient member comprises a wire element having a first and second end, said nut includes an opening therethrough having a first section whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of said wire and having a second section whose diameter is substantially larger than the diameter of said wire, and in which said first end of said wire is secured in said first section of said opening and said second end of said wire is secured to said first frame beyond said second section of said opening.

Claim 7

The camera of claim 5 in which said indexing means comprises an indexing rack having a plurality of steps therein secured to one of said first frame and said housing and a pawl secured to the other of said first frame and said housing for controllably engaging said steps to secure said first frame in a desired one of said positions along said first direction.

Claim 8

The camera of claim 6 in which said rack is secured to said first frame and which further comprises a solenoid for controllably moving said pawl out of and into engagement with said steps in said rack.

Claim 9

The camera of claim 7 which further comprises: a second frame slideably mounted on said first frame for movement in a longitudinal direction relative to said lens, which longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to said lateral direction, a second motor secured to said first frame for moving said second frame in said longitudinal direction, a second threaded rod and follower nut, said second threaded rod being rotatably driven by said second motor, a second resilient member connected to said second frame from said second nut, a second indexing rack having a plurality of steps therein secured to said second frame, a second movable pawl secured to said first frame for engaging the steps in said second rack to secure said second frame in a plurality of discrEte longitudinal positions relative to said first frame, a second solenoid for controllably moving said second pawl out of and into engagement with said steps in said second rack, and a second normally closed switch responsive to said second resilient member for deenergizing said second motor whenever said second frame is in one of said discrete longitudinal positions.

Claim 10

The camera of claim 8 in which the surfaces which form steps in said rack and the surface of said pawl engaging said steps each forms a non-perpendicular angle with said lateral direction and the surfaces which form said steps in said second rack and the surface of said second pawl engaging said steps each forms a non-perpendicular angle with said longitudinal direction.

Claim 11

The camera of claim 9 which further comprises means for transporting film relative to said second frame in a direction parallel to said longitudinal direction.

Claim 12

The camera of claim 10 which further comprises an aperture plate the boundary of whose aperture defines said exposure frame.

Claim 13

The camera of claim 11 which further comprises: a platen, means for mounting said platen on said housing adjacent to said aperture plate but on the opposite side of the film in said camera than is said aperture plate, and controllable means for moving said platen towards said aperture plate to secure said film against said aperture plate.

Claim 14

The camera of claim 12 in which said controllable means is a third solenoid.

Claim 15

The camera of claim 13 which further includes orifices in the surface of said platen and means for connecting said orifices to a partial vacuum to hold said film flat against said platen.