Microfilm viewer

Claim 2

A microfilm viewing device for use under relatively bright ambient light conditions comprising: a housing means having a base and a hood, said hood having a top wall, opposite side walls, and an open front, projection means in the base for projecting an image of a microfilm frame upwardly into said hood; a reflecting beam splitter secured in inclined position in a front portion of the hood in the path of the projected image in a position to intercept the projected image and to angularly reflect a reflected image thereof rearwardly in the hood, and a reflex reflector screen secured in the hood in rearwardly spaced relationship to the beam splitter in the path of the reflected image in a position to intercept the reflected image and to reflect the same back toward the open front along the axis of image reflection and to and through the beam splitter and the open front to be viewed by an observer.

Claim 3

A microfilm viewing device as in claim 1, wherein the reflex reflector screen is removably secured in the hood so that it can be removed from the hood to provide an opening in the hood through which the reflected image is reflected onto a reflex reflector screen remote from the hood.

Claim 4

The film viewing device as defined in claim 1, wherein said beam splitter is disposed in a plane at an angle to the horizontal in determined spaced relation to the film frame to reflect a reflected image of said film frame at an acute angle to the axis of image projection; and wherein said reflex reflector screen is disposed in desired spaced relation to said beam splitter in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reflection.

Claim 5

The film viewing device as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for projecting an illuminated image of a film frame includes means for varying the intensity of the light radiation.

Claim 6

The film viewing device as defined in claim 1, wherein means are provided for magnifying the projected image of said film frame.

Claim 7

The film viewing device as defined in claim 1, wherein means is provided for varying the intensity of the light radiation in the projected image, said means including a low voltage lamp and means for regulating the amperage of the electric current energizing said lamp.

Claim 8

The film viewing device as defined in claim 6, wherein said low voltage lamp is a 6 volt lamp.

Claim 9

The film viewing device as defined in claim 6, wherein said low voltage lamp is a 12 volt lamp.

Claim 10

The film viewing device as defined in claim 1, wherein said film viewing device is completely self-contained and enclosed within a portable unitary housing.

Claim 11

A film viewing device comprising: a housing having a base portion, a hood portion fixed to said base portion, said base portion including side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, an orifice opening generally centrally through said top wall, a tubular housing means confined within said base portion and fitted to said top wall about said orifice, a lamp in said tubular housing adjacent the lower end thereof, a reflecting means disposed within and closing the lower end of said tubular housing, a collecting lens system disposed in said housing intermediate said lamp and said orifice, battery means confined within said base and connected to said lamp for illuminating said lamp, rheostat means for varying the current supplied to said lamp by said battery means to vary the intensity of illumination, switch means for controlling the supply of current to said lamp, said base portion being adjUstably pivotally mounted to a stand adapted to be placed upon the surface of a desk or table or the like so that said film viewing device may be adjustably tilted to different positions, a firm frame selectively adjustably disposed on said top wall of said base portion over said orifice, an objective lens means adjustably supported by a support arm over said orifice and above said film frame for projecting an illuminated and magnified image of said film frame upwardly, a beam splitter secured in an upper portion of said hood means at an angle to the horizontal and above said objective lens means such that the projected illuminated magnified image strikes the beam splitter at an acute angle and is reflected thereby in a generally horizontal direction, a reflex reflector screen in the upper back portion of said hood means in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reflection of the projected image reflected from said beam splitter so that said projected image is reflected back to and through said beam splitter for viewing by the eyes of an observer.

Claim 12

A film viewing device comprising: a housing having a base portion, a hood portion fixed to said base portion, said base portion including side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, an orifice opening generally centrally through said top wall, a tubular housing means confined within said base portion and fitted to said top wall about said orifice, a lamp in said tubular housing adjacent the lower end thereof, a reflecting means disposed within and closing the lower end of said tubular housing, a collecting lens system disposed in said housing intermediate said lamp and said orifice, battery means confined within said base and connected to said lamp for illuminating said lamp, rheostat means for varying the current supplied to said lamp by said battery means to vary the intensity of illumination, switch means for controlling the supply of current to said lamp, said base portion being adjUstably pivotally mounted to a stand adapted to be placed upon the surface of a desk or table or the like so that said film viewing device may be adjustably tilted to different positions, a firm frame selectively adjustably disposed on said top wall of said base portion over said orifice, an objective lens means adjustably supported by a support arm over said orifice and above said film frame for projecting an illuminated and magnified image of said film frame upwardly, a beam splitter secured in an upper portion of said hood means at an angle to the horizontal and above said objective lens means such that the projected illuminated magnified image strikes the beam splitter at an acute angle and is reflected thereby in a generally horizontal direction, a reflex reflector screen in the upper back portion of said hood means in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reflection of the projected image reflected from said beam splitter so that said projected image is reflected back to and through said beam splitter for viewing by the eyes of an observer.

Claim 13

A film viewing device comprising a base portion having side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, an orifice through said top wall, a tubular housing confined within said base portion and fitted to said top wall about said orifice, a lamp means disposed within said tubular housing, a reflector means disposed within said tubular housing below said lamp means, a collecting lens means disposed in said tubular housing above said lamp means and intermediate said lamp means and said orifice, an objective lens means adjustably carried above said orifice by a support arm mounted to said base, an upright standard carried by said base portion and extending vertically upwardly above said base, a hood means vertically and pivotally adjustably carried by said standard in predetermined spaced relationship from said base, a beam splitter secured within said hood for receiving a projected illuminated magnified image of the film frame and for reflecting said projected image to a reflex reflector sereen secured within said hood means and comprising a back wall of said hood means, said reflex reflector screen disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reflection of said projected image so as to reflect said projected image back to and through said beam splitter for viewing by the eyes of an observer, said reflex reflector screen being removable from said hood means to provide an opening in the back wall thereof through which the reflected projected image may be reflected to a remotely located reflex reflector screen.

Claim 14

A film viewing device comprising a base portion having side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, an orifice through said top wall, a tubular housing confined within said base portion and fitted to said top wall about said orifice, a lamp means disposed within said tubular housing, a reflector means disposed within said tubular housing below said lamp means, a collecting lens means disposed in said tubular housing above said lamp means and intermediate said lamp means and said orifice, an objective lens means adjustably carried above said orifice by a support arm mounted to said base, an upright standard carried by said base portion and extending vertically upwardly above said base, a hood means vertically and pivotally adjustably carried by said standard in predetermined spaced relationship from said base, a beam splitter secured within said hood for receiving a projected illuminated magnified image of the film frame and for reflecting said projected image to a reflex reflector sereen secured within said hood means and comprising a back wall of said hood means, said reflex reflector screen disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reflection of said projected image so as to reflect said projected image back to and through said beam splitter for viewing by the eyes of an observer, said reflex reflector screen being removable from said hood means to provide an opening in the back wall thereof through which the reflected projected image may be reflected to a remotely located reflex reflector screen.

Claim 15

A microfilm viewing device as in claim 11, wherein said reflex reflector screen is disposed in vertical position and normal to the axis of image reflection.