Still camera with a film transport system

Claim 2

A camera comprising a housing with means therein for storing and for winding a roll of perforated film, rotary means cooperating with said perforations and drivingly connected to a first locking element, a second locking element biased into engagement with the first locking element and limitedly displaceable on engagement therewith by an abutment surface of the first locking element to index a counting element, said rotary means having teeth that engage the perforations of the film for turning the rotary means by the linear movement of the film during winding thereof, said second locking element cooperating with said first locking element to lock the rotary means against turning upon the winding of a given lengtH of film, thereby preventing further winding of the film, and release means selectively operable to release the locking action of said first and second locking elements to allow further winding of the film.

Claim 3

A camera according to claim 1, wherein the rotary means cooperating with the film perforation is a pair of spaced sprockets on a shaft having an axial extension to which is fixedly secured a disc cam constituting said first locking element and having a radial abutment surface.

Claim 4

A camera according to claim 1, wherein the second locking element is an axially displaceable and pivotable lever carrying a finger biased into engagement with teeth on the periphery of a counting wheel whereby axial displacement of the lever by the action of the first locking element causes said finger to index the counting wheel.

Claim 5

A camera according to claim 1, wherein the displacement of the second locking element is limited by a projection on the housing, which projection extends into an elongated slot formed in the second locking element.

Claim 6

A camera according to claim 1, wherein the housing consists of integrally moulded synthetic plastics material.

Claim 7

In a camera, the combination comprising a film transport means operable to advance perforated film along a path extending from a fresh film storage zone to an exposed film storage zone and present the film one frame at a time in succession at an exposure zone located between said storage zones, locking means coupled to said film transport means for response to the film advancement thereby and operable to lock said film transport means against further film advancement when a full frame length of fresh film is presented at the exposure zone, and release means disposed for cooperation with said locking means and independently operable from outside the camera to release the locking action of said locking means upon the film transport means to allow the advancement thereby of fresh film constituting the next frame of film presented at the exposure zone, said locking means including a rotor having teeth that engage the perforations of the film for turning the rotor by and in accordance with the advancement of the film, and locking elements that cooperate to lock the rotor against further turning when a full frame length of film is presented at the exposure zone.

Claim 8

In a camera, the combination comprising a film transport means operable to advance perforated film along a path extending from a fresh film storage zone to an exposed film storage zone and present the film one frame at a time in succession at an exposure zone located between said storage zones, locking means coupled to said film transport means for response to the film advancement thereby and operable to lock said film transport means against further film advancement when a full frame length of fresh film is presented at the exposure zone, and release means disposed for cooperation with said locking means and independently operable from outside the camera to release the locking action of said locking means upon the film transport means to allow the advancement thereby of fresh film constituting the next frame of film presented at the exposure zone, said locking means including a rotor having teeth that engage the perforations of the film for turning the rotor by and in accordance with the advancement of the film, and locking elements that cooperate to lock the rotor against further turning when a full frame length of film is presented at the exposure zone.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 6 including a counter coupled to said locking means for indexing thereby to count the number of frames of film presented at the exposure zone.