Apparatus for storing photographic films and prints

Claim 2

Apparatus for storing in separate first and second compartments of containers exposed and developed photographic customer films which form a web of interconnected films and prints which are reproduced from such films and form a strip of prints, comprising first severing means for subdividing a web of interconnected films into discrete films; first inserting means for introducing successively severed films into the first compartemnts of successive containers; second severing means for subdividing a strip of prints into groups of shorter sections; and second inserting means for introducing the thus obtained groups of shorter sections into the second compartments of containers for the respective films.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising first and second advancing means for respectively transporting said web and said strip along first and second predetermned paths, said first and second severing means being respectively adjacent to said first and second paths.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first inserting means comprises winding means for converting successive films of said web into rolls of convoluted film which are thereupon inserted into the first compartments of successive containers.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a source of sheet-like synthetic plastic material and molding means for converting successive lengths of such plastic material into empty containers.

Claim 6

Apparatus for storing in separate first and second compartments of containers exposed and developed photographic customer films which form a web of interconnected films and prints which are reproduced from such films and or a strip of prints, comprising means for conveying containers along a predetermined path; first severing means for subdividing a web of interconnected films into discrete films; first inserting means for introducing successively severed films into the first compartments of successive containers, said first inserting means comprising winding means for converting successive films of said web into rolls of convoluted film and for inserting the thus obtained rolls into the first compartments of successive containers in a predetermined portion of said path, said winding means comprising an indexible carriage having a plurality of rotary winding mandrels movable seriatim between a film receiving station at which the mandrels are connected with the leaders of successive films of said web and a second station, means for rotating the mandrels at said film receiving station so that the respective films are convoluted thereon, and means for transferring the convoluted rolls of film from such mandrels into the first compartments of containers occupying said predetermined portion of said path; second severing means for subdividing a strip of prints into shorter sections; and second inserting means for introducing the thus obtained shorter sections into the second compartments of containers for the respective films.

Claim 7

Apparatus for storing in separate first and second compartments of containers exposed and developed photographic customer films which form a web of interconnected films and prints which are reproduced from such films and or a strip of prints, comprising means for conveying containers along a predetermined path; first severing means for subdividing a web of interconnected films into discrete films; first inserting means for introducing successively severed films into the first compartments of successive containers, said first inserting means comprising winding means for converting successive films of said web into rolls of convoluted film and for inserting the thus obtained rolls into the first compartments of successive containers in a predetermined portion of said path, said winding means comprising an indexible carriage having a plurality of rotary winding mandrels movable seriatim between a film receiving station at which the mandrels are connected with the leaders of successive films of said web and a second station, means for rotating the mandrels at said film receiving station so that the respective films are convoluted thereon, and means for transferring the convoluted rolls of film from such mandrels into the first compartments of containers occupying said predetermined portion of said path; second severing means for subdividing a strip of prints into shorter sections; and second inserting means for introducing the thus obtained shorter sections into the second compartments of containers for the respective films.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said carriage is a star-shaped carriage having a plurality of equidistant arms each of which supports one of said mandrels, said winding means further comprising a sleeve for each of said mandrels, each of said mandrels being movable with reference to the respective sleeve between an extended position at said film receiving station and a retracted position at said second station.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said mandrels are provided with slots for the leaders of films.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, further comprising slotted film-confining tubes movable into register with the mandrels at said film receiving station and means for directing the leaders of films into the slots of such tubes and thereupon into slots provided therefor in said mandrels.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said means for directing comprises baffle means defining a substantially funnel-shaped passage for transport of the leaders of films through the slots of tubes and into the slots of mandrels at said film receiving station.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said winding means further comprises sleeves for said mandrels, each of said mandrels being movable between an extended position at said film receiving station and a retracted position at said second station to thus transfer the respective roll of film into th registering tube, and further comprising holding means for said tubes, said holding means being arranged to open and to thus release a tube with a roll of film therein at said second station.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said holding means is arranged to open substantially simultaneously with the movement of a mandrel at said second station to the retracted position thereof.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said means for rotating said mandrels at said film receiving station is arranged to rotate the mandrels at said second station in a direction to unwind the respective film and to thus facilitate the withdrawal of mandrels from such film whereby the film roll is received only in the respective tube.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein each film of said web is provided wit customer data applied to the trAiling end thereof and said winding means is arranged to terminate the winding of said rolls of film when the data applied to the trailing end of a convoluted film extends outwardly from the slot of the respective tube at said film receiving station.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising advancing means for transporting said web along a predetermined path past said first severing means and detector means for scanning the connections between successive films of said web and for producing signals for actuation of said first severing means so that the latter severs the web when a connection between two successive films of the web is in register therewith.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the films of said web are spliced to each other end-to-end by adhesive-coated uniting bands and the web is provided with information encoded in the region of such uniting bands and being detectable by said detector means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a source of cover material for said containers and means for applying such cover material to successively filled containers to thus at least substantially seal the first and second compartments of such containers.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said source contains weldable sheet-like light-transmitting synthetic plastic cover material and said means for applying comprises electrode means for welding such weldable material to said containers.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising first and second advancing means for respectively transporting said web and said strip along first and second predetermined paths, said first and second severing means being respectively adjacent to said first and second paths and further comprising first and second detector means for scanning said first and second paths for the presence of films and prints therein and signal evaluating means operatively connected with said detector means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said second detector means comprises counter means for the prints in said second path and means for transmitting signals indicating the number of counted prints to said evaluating means, each film of said web being provided with customer data and further comprising additional detector means for scanning such data on films in the first compartments of filled containers.