Cinematographic cartridge projector apparatus

Claim 2

In a cinematographic projector including a film take-up device and a film gate in optical alignment with a projector lens, the improvement comprising: a. a support member for supporting a plurality of film supply reels; b. reel advancing means for moving said support member intermittently to locate different ones of said supply reels supported thereon at a predetermined projection position; c. film engaging means engageable with an elongate strip of film wound on a supply reel so located at said projection position for withdrawing the leading end of said film from said reel; d. film threading means for threading the leading end of said film so withdrawn from said reel through said gate and into engagement with said take-up device; e. film advancing means for transferring film from said supply reel to said take-up device through said gate as images of the portion of said film in said gate are projected by said lens; f. film rewinding means for rewinding said film onto said supply reel; and g. a control system for operating automatically each of said means in predetermined coordination with the operation of the other of said means.

Claim 3

In a cinematographic projector including a film take-up device and a film gate in optical alignment with a projector lens, the improvement comprising: a. a support member for supporting a plurality of film supply reels; b. reel advancing means for moving said support member intermittently to locate different ones of said supply reels supported thereon at a predetermined projection position; c. film engaging means engageable with an elongate strip of film wound on a supply reel so located at said projection position for withdrawing the leading end of said film from said reel; d. film threading means for threading the leading end of said film so withdrawn from said reel through said gate and into engagement with said take-up device; e. film advancing means for transferring film from said supply reel to said take-up device through said gate as images of the portion of said film in said gate are projected by said lens; f. film rewinding means for rewinding said film onto said supply reel; and g. a control system for operating automatically each of said means in predetermined coordination with the operation of the other of said means.

Claim 4

In a cinematographic projector including a film take-up device and a film gate in optical alignment with a projector lens, the improvement comprising: a. a support member for supporting a plurality of film supply reels; b. reel advancing means for moving said support member intermittently to locate different ones of said supply reels supported thereon at a predetermined projection position; c. film engaging means engageable with an elongate strip of film wound on a supply reel so located at said projection position for withdrawing the leading end of said film from said reel; d. film threading means for threading the leading end of said film so withdrawn from said reel through said gate and into engagement with said take-up device; e. film advancing means for transferring film from said supply reel to said take-up device through said gate as images of the portion of said film in said gate are projected by said lens; f. film rewinding means for rewinding said film onto said supply reel; and g. a control system for operating automatically each of said means in predetermined coordination with the operation of the other of said means.

Claim 5

a film transfer phase during which film on a reel in said projection position is engaged with said film advancing means,

Claim 6

a film transfer phase during which film on a reel in said projection position is engaged with said film advancing means,

Claim 7

a film gate,

Claim 8

a film gate,

Claim 9

a disengaged relation in which said spindle member is rotatable independently of rotation of said driving member,

Claim 10

a disengaged relation in which said spindle member is rotatable independently of rotation of said driving member,

Claim 11

a frictionally engaged relation in which rotation of said driving member is imparted frictionally to said spindle member, and

Claim 12

a frictionally engaged relation in which rotation of said driving member is imparted frictionally to said spindle member, and

Claim 13

a rotatable film take-up spool, and

Claim 14

a rotatable film take-up spool, and

Claim 15

a projection phase during which said film so engaged with said film advancing means is thereby advanced through said gate and wound onto said take-up spool,

Claim 16

a projection phase during which said film so engaged with said film advancing means is thereby advanced through said gate and wound onto said take-up spool,

Claim 17

The invention defined by claim 1 in which said support member is adapted to support a plurality of film reels individually removable therefrom, said member and said reels so supported thereby being removable from said projector as a unitary structure.

Claim 18

The invention defined by claim 1 in which said support member comprises means for receiving a plurality of film magazines of the type adapted to substantially enclose a reel and adapted for removAl from said support member independently of other corresponding magazines supported thereby.

Claim 19

a rewind phase during which said reel so located in said projection position is rotated by said rewind means to rewind film thereon, and

Claim 20

a rewind phase during which said reel so located in said projection position is rotated by said rewind means to rewind film thereon, and

Claim 21

film advancing means for advancing a strip of film through said gate and winding said film onto said take-up spool; b. a reel support member for supporting a plurality of film supply reels each hearing an elongate strip of film wound thereon; c. reel advancing means for moving said reel support member to locate successive ones of said reels at a projection position; d. film transfer means for engaging the leading end of the strip of film wound on a reel located at said projection position and feeding said strip into operative engagement with said film advancing means; c. rewind means for rotating said reel at said projection position to rewind film thereon; f. a control mechanism for operating the foregoing means in timed relation to effect successive complete operating cycles of said projector, each of said cycles comprising in sequence,

Claim 22

film advancing means for advancing a strip of film through said gate and winding said film onto said take-up spool; b. a reel support member for supporting a plurality of film supply reels each hearing an elongate strip of film wound thereon; c. reel advancing means for moving said reel support member to locate successive ones of said reels at a projection position; d. film transfer means for engaging the leading end of the strip of film wound on a reel located at said projection position and feeding said strip into operative engagement with said film advancing means; c. rewind means for rotating said reel at said projection position to rewind film thereon; f. a control mechanism for operating the foregoing means in timed relation to effect successive complete operating cycles of said projector, each of said cycles comprising in sequence,

Claim 23

a positively engaged relation in which rotation of said driving member is imparted positively to said spindle member; and d. clutch operating means actuated by said control system for selectively adjusting said clutch means in predetermined sequence.

Claim 24

a positively engaged relation in which rotation of said driving member is imparted positively to said spindle member; and d. clutch operating means actuated by said control system for selectively adjusting said clutch means in predetermined sequence.

Claim 25

The invention defined by claim 1 including a rotatable member engageable with a reel located at said projection position and adapted to rotate said reel so located in a rewinding direction.

Claim 26

a reel advancing phase during which said reel advancing means moves said reel support member to locate a successive one of said reels at said projection position, and g. sensing elements associated with said control mechanism to coordinate the initiation of each of said phases by said control mechanism with the completion of the respective preceding phase as detected by said sensing elements.

Claim 27

a reel advancing phase during which said reel advancing means moves said reel support member to locate a successive one of said reels at said projection position, and g. sensing elements associated with said control mechanism to coordinate the initiation of each of said phases by said control mechanism with the completion of the respective preceding phase as detected by said sensing elements.

Claim 28

The invention defined by claim 1 further comprising a spindle member adapted to extend through successive central holes in supported reels as said support member is moved in a direction parallel to the common axis of said spindle member and said reels, said spindle member including a rotatable head portion receivable within the central holw of the reel located in said projection position and adapted to transmit rotational movement to that reel.

Claim 29

The invention defined by claim 1 including: a. manually actuated override means for disabling said reel advancing means to allow manual movement of said support member, and b. interlock means associated with said control system for selectively preventing actuation of said override means

Claim 30

The invention defined by claim 1 in which said film rewinding means comprises: a. a rotatable driving member; b. a rotatable spindle member engageable with a supply reel located at said projection position for imparting rotation of said spindle member to said reel so engaged thereby; c. clutch means selectively adjustable to establish between said driving member and said spindle member,

Claim 31

The invention defined by claim 1 in which said control system includes: a. a camshaft: b. camshaft driving means for rotating said camshaft intermittently through a plurality of successive unidirectional rotational movements comprising each complete revolution thereof; c. a plurality of cams mounted on said camshaft and operatively connected to corresponding ones of said reel advancing, film engaging and film rewinding means to effect movement thereof in response to rotational movement of said camshaft; d. electrical sensing means for monitoring operations performed by said projector in response to rotational movement of said camshaft; and c. electrical timing means controlled by said sensing means for initiating successive incremental movements of said camshaft.

Claim 32

The invention defined by claim 8 wherein: a. said timing means includes solenoid means for initiating each successive rotational movement of said camshaft; and b. said sensing means includes a rotary multiposition electrical switch operated by said camshaft and adapted to establish electrical contact between said solenoid and different elements of said sensing means as a function of the rotational position of said camshaft.

Claim 33

A cinematographic projection apparatus comprising in combination: a. an elongate spindle supported at one end and provided at its opposite end with a rotatable head member; b. reel support means for supporting in generally coaxial relation to one another and to said spindle a plurality of received film supply reels provided with respective central holes adapted to receive said spindle; c. reel advancing means for intermittently moving received reels in unison while so supported to advance successive ones thereof onto said spindle; d. reel engaging means for rotatively engaging said head member with a received reel aligned therewith along said spindle; e. driving means for rotating said head member and thereby the received reel engaged therewith; f. stripping means adJacent said head member and engageable with the end portion of an elongate strip of film wound on the received reel so engaged with said head member for withdrawing said end portion of said film from that reel; g. a projector unit including a film gate, a light source, a projector lens, and film advancing means for advancing film through said gate in optical alignment with said lens and said light source; and h. threading means for directing the free end of said film so withdrawn from the received reel so engaged into engagement with said film advancing means.

Claim 34

A cinematographic projection apparatus comprising in combination: a. an elongate spindle supported at one end and provided at its opposite end with a rotatable head member; b. reel support means for supporting in generally coaxial relation to one another and to said spindle a plurality of received film supply reels provided with respective central holes adapted to receive said spindle; c. reel advancing means for intermittently moving received reels in unison while so supported to advance successive ones thereof onto said spindle; d. reel engaging means for rotatively engaging said head member with a received reel aligned therewith along said spindle; e. driving means for rotating said head member and thereby the received reel engaged therewith; f. stripping means adJacent said head member and engageable with the end portion of an elongate strip of film wound on the received reel so engaged with said head member for withdrawing said end portion of said film from that reel; g. a projector unit including a film gate, a light source, a projector lens, and film advancing means for advancing film through said gate in optical alignment with said lens and said light source; and h. threading means for directing the free end of said film so withdrawn from the received reel so engaged into engagement with said film advancing means.

Claim 35

The invention defined by claim 10 including: a. positioning means adapted to releasable retain said reel support means at a position in which a reel supported thereby is so engaged with said head portion of said spindle; and b. control means for operating automatically each of said reel advancing means, said driving means, said stripping means, said threading means and said positioning means in predetermined coordination with the operation of the other of such means.

Claim 36

A cinematographic projector including: a. a projector unit comprising

Claim 37

A cinematographic projector including: a. a projector unit comprising

Claim 38

The invention defined by claim 12 in which said control mechanism includes: a. a camshaft movable through successive angular increments corresponding respectively to said phases for effecting operation of said means; b. an electromechanical transducer adapted to initiate each successive movement of said camshaft upon energization of said transducer by one of said sensing elements electrically connected therewith, and c. a switch device operated by said camshaft for electrically connecting said transducer with different ones of said sensing elements in response to movement of said camshaft to corresponding predetermined angular positions.

Claim 39

The invention defined by claim 12 in which one of said sensing elements includes means for detecting the presence of film at said gate.

Claim 40

The invention defined by claim 12 in which one of said sensing elements includes means for sensing the tension of said strip of film between said reel in said projection position and said film advancing means during said projection phase.

Claim 41

The invention defined by claim 12 in which one of said sensing elements includes means for sensing the presence of a film roll at said projection position.

Claim 42

The invention defined by claim 12 including manually operable disabling means for disabling said control mechanism at the completion of a complete operating cycle during which such disabling means are operated.