Abstract A malleable exposure slit for continuous strip photographic printing to achieve automatic dodging as the print is being exposed. The film being printed is moved past a light source which passes through a slit transverse to the direction of movement of the film and exposes a positive material positioned against the film and moving therewith. The light passing through the film and positive material strikes equally spaced photoelectric cells positioned above the film and positive material to produce electrical energy in direct ratio to the light reaching the photo-electric cell. Each photo-electric cell is connected through an amplifier to an electro-mechanical piston with the piston arranged to underlie the film with the same transverse spacing as the photo-electric cells. A flexible membrane extends completely along one side of the slit to form one edge of the slit with the electro-mechanical piston engaged thereagainst. Movement of the pistons in a direction toward the slit pushes the flexible membrance into the slit to reduce the overall size of the slit at the point underlying the photoelectric cell controlling the specific piston. The flexible membrance is pressed into a harmonious curve to increase and decrease the area permitted for the light to pass in the slit in accordance with the light reaching the photo-electric cells.
Inventors
👤 D Craig
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-28 23:43
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/72; G03B27/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A malleable exposure aperture slit for strip printers of the type including a source of light and means for moving a film and positive mateerial sandwich thereby to be exposed by the light comprising a flexible membrane supported in opposition to a wall in said printer to form an exposure slit extending completely across said sandwich for the light from said source of light, means controlled by the light passing through portions of said film and said positive material extending completely across said film and said positive material for moving corresponding portions of said flexible membrane toward said wall in direct ratio to the light passing through said corresponding portions of said film and said positive material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A malleable exposure aperture slit for strip printers of the type including a source of light and means for moving a film and positive mateerial sandwich thereby to be exposed by the light comprising a flexible membrane supported in opposition to a wall in said printer to form an exposure slit extending completely across said sandwich for the light from said source of light, means controlled by the light passing through portions of said film and said positive material extending completely across said film and said positive material for moving corresponding portions of said flexible membrane toward said wall in direct ratio to the light passing through said corresponding portions of said film and said positive material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of photo-electric cells are included in said means controlled by the light and extend across the width of said film and said positive material for receiving light passing through spaced portions of said film and said positive material for controlling the spacing of said flexible membrane with respect to said wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means controlled by the light includes a plurality of electro-mechanical pistons individually controlled by a corresponding one of said photo-electric cells and individually presses a corresponding portion of said flexible membrane toward said wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein a plurality of spring bars supports said flexible membrane with each of said spring bars being engaged by one of said electro-mechancial pistons.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flexible membrane may be bodily adjusted toward said wall to vary the over all light passing through said aperture slit.