Motion picture projector for use with film-containing cassettes

Claim 2

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about first and second axes between first and second positions, said first and second axes being respectively normal to the axes of said first and second reels; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens, said switching device having slot means for the passage of film therethrough; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of said reels, said slot means of said switching device having an outlet movable between a first position to register with one of said guide means in the first positions of said reels and a second position to register with the other of said guide means in the second positions of said reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching device; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; and means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position.

Claim 3

A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet registers with that guide means which is associated with the takeup reel receiving film from a supply occupying said viewing position.

Claim 4

A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said slot means has an open side for permitting expulsion of film from such slot means in response to each movement of said guide means between said first and second positions.

Claim 5

A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said switching device is pivotable about a predetermined axis to thereby move the outlet of said slot means between said first and second positions.

Claim 6

A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said predetermined axis is normal to the direction of movement of film through said slot means.

Claim 7

A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the minimum width of said slot means at least slightly exceeds the maximum thickness of a film and said slot means has an inlet which flares outwardly in a direction away from said outlet.

Claim 8

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about first and second axes between first and second positions, said reels being spaced apart from each other in at least one of said positions thereof and being coaxial in one of said positions thereof; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching devices; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; and means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position.

Claim 9

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about first and second axes between first and second positions, said reels being spaced apart from each other in at least one of said positions thereof and being coaxial in one of said positions thereof; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching devices; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; and means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position.

Claim 10

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about parallel first and second axes between first and second positions; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching device; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; and means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position.

Claim 11

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about parallel first and second axes between first and second positions; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching device; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; and means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position.

Claim 12

A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said takeup reels are spaced from each other in at least one of said positions thereof.

Claim 13

A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said guide means have portions located in parallel planes.

Claim 14

A combination as defined in claim 8, further comprising a gate located in said housing behind said projection lens, said threading mechanism comprising channel means for guiding two films in a substantially common plane while one of such films advances from a supply occupying said viewing position past said gate and into a passage of said switching device and the other film advances from the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device toward The supply occupying said rewinding position.

Claim 15

A combination as defined in claim 11, further comprising displacing means actuatable to move a film in said channel means sideways out of registry with said switching device in response to movement of the respective supply from said viewing position to said rewinding position.

Claim 16

A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said supplies is stored in a discrete cassette and said shifting means is arranged to move such cassettes with reference to said housing.

Claim 17

A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said rewinding means is arranged to return the film from one of said reels to the supply occupying said rewinding position while the film in the supply occupying said viewing position is being transported toward said switching device and is collected by the other reel.

Claim 18

A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said first and second axes are respectively normal to the axes of said first and second reels.

Claim 19

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; a gate located in said housing behind said projection lens; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about first and second axes between first and second positions; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching device, said film threading means comprising channel means for guiding two films in a substantially common place while one of said two films advances from a supply occupying said viewing position past said gate and into a passage of said switching device and the other of said two films advances from the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device toward the supply occupying said rewinding position; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position; and displacing means actuatable to move a film in said channel means sideways out of registry with said switching device in response to movement of the respective supply from said viewing position to said rewinding position, said displacing means including guide rail means movable transversely of said channel means.

Claim 20

In a cinematographic apparatus, a combination comprising a housing; a projection lens mounted in said housing; a gate located in said housing behind said projection lens; means for supporting on said housing a series of supplies of convoluted motion picture film; shifting means for moving said supplies stepwise so as to place successive supplies into a viewing position and thereupon into a rewinding position; first and second takeup reels rotatably supported by said housing and pivotable therein about first and second axes between first and second positions; a switching device mounted in said housing for guiding the film in such a way that the film registers with said projection lens; first and second film guide means respectively arranged to share the pivotal movements of said first and second reels so that said first and second guide means respectively register with said switching device and guide a film between said switching device and the respective reels in the first and second positions of such reels; film threading means arranged to transport the leader of film of the supply occupying said viewing position to said switching device and into the guide means which registers with said switching device, said film threading means comprising channel means for guiding two films in a substantially common place while one of said two films advances from a supply occupying said viewing position past said gate and into a passage of said switching device and the other of said two films advances from the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device toward the supply occupying said rewinding position; rewinding means for rewinding the film from the takeup reel associated with the guide means which is out of registry with said switching device onto the supply occupying said rewinding position; means for pivoting said reels on actuation of said shifting means so that said reels are pivoted between said positions whenever a fresh supply of film assumes said viewing position; and displacing means actuatable to move a film in said channel means sideways out of registry with said switching device in response to movement of the respective supply from said viewing position to said rewinding position, said displacing means including guide rail means movable transversely of said channel means.