Photographic apparatus having mechanical indexing means for a multi-lamp flash unit

Claim 2

Photographic apparatus for use with a multi-lamp flash unit of the type having a plurality of flash lamps disposed in a linear array, said photographic apparatus comprising: a housing; a fixed firing position on said housing at which any one of the lamps in a multi-lamp flash unit is adapted to be located for firing; a socket for receiving and supporting a multi-lamp flash unit, said socket being mounted on said housing for linear movement relative to said fixed firing position; and indexing means for incrementally moving said socket relative to said fixed firing position such that each of the lamps in a multi-lamp flash unit supported by said socket may be presented at said fixed position for firing.

Claim 3

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus has an optic axis and said socket is configured to support a multi-lamp flash unit on said housing such that the light output of the linear array of lamps will be directed in a direction that is substantially parallel to said optic axis, and said socket is mounted on said housing for linear movement in a direction that is substantially normal to said optic axis.

Claim 4

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including actuating means responsive to the operation of said apparatus for actuating said indexing means to incrementally move said socket relative to said fixed firing position.

Claim 5

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means includes a portion of a shutter mechanism.

Claim 6

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means includes a portion of means for recocking a shutter.

Claim 7

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means includes means for moving a film unit within said apparatus.

Claim 8

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means is responsive to withdrawing a film unit from said apparatus.

Claim 9

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing has a linear channel therein for receiving and supporting said socket for slidable movement along said channel relative to said fixed firing position.

Claim 10

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said indexing means includes means for biasing said socket for movement along said channel towards said fixed firing position, means including a row of teeth integrally formed with said socket, and an escapement member pivotally mounted on said housing such that it extends into said channel, said escapement member being pivotally mounted for movement between a first position wherein said escapement member engages one of said teeth in said row to hold said socket and thereby prevent motion of said socket by said biasing means and second position wherein said escapement member is out of engagement with said one tooth to permit said socket to be moved by said biasing means.

Claim 11

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 9 further including a second row of teeth on said socket for moving said escapement member from said second position to said first position in response to one increment of movement of said socket towards said fixed firing position.

Claim 12

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said biasing means includes a spring located within said socket, one end of said spring being coupled to said socket and the opposite end of said spring being coupled to said housing.

Claim 13

Photographic apparatus for use with a multi-lamp flash unit of the type including a plurality of flash lamps disposed in a coplanar array and an insulating lamp terminal board having a row of conductive lamp terminals thereon connected to the lamps such that electrical contact may be made to any lamp in the array by simultaneously contacting an individual lamp terminal and a common lamp terminal, said apparatus comprising: a housing; a lamp firing station mounted at a fixed position on said housing and including a pair of electrical contacts, forming part of a lamp firing circuit, to which an individual lamp terminal and the common terminal are adapted to be connected to couple an individual lamp in a coplanar array to the firing circuit; a socket for receiving and supporting a multi-lamp flash unit, said socket being mounted on said housing for linear movement relative to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station; conductive means associated with said socket for making simultaneous and individual electrical contact to all of the lamp terminals of a multi-lamp flash unit supported by said socket and for successively interconnecting each individual lamp terminal and the common lamp terminal to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station in response to incrementally and linearly moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts; and indexing means for incrementally moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts to successively couple each of the lamps in the linear array to said pair of contacts through its individual terminal, the common terminal, and said conductive means associated with said socket.

Claim 14

Photographic apparatus for use with a multi-lamp flash unit of the type including a plurality of flash lamps disposed in a coplanar array and an insulating lamp terminal board having a row of conductive lamp terminals thereon connected to the lamps such that electrical contact may be made to any lamp in the array by simultaneously contacting an individual lamp terminal and a common lamp terminal, said apparatus comprising: a housing; a lamp firing station mounted at a fixed position on said housing and including a pair of electrical contacts, forming part of a lamp firing circuit, to which an individual lamp terminal and the common terminal are adapted to be connected to couple an individual lamp in a coplanar array to the firing circuit; a socket for receiving and supporting a multi-lamp flash unit, said socket being mounted on said housing for linear movement relative to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station; conductive means associated with said socket for making simultaneous and individual electrical contact to all of the lamp terminals of a multi-lamp flash unit supported by said socket and for successively interconnecting each individual lamp terminal and the common lamp terminal to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station in response to incrementally and linearly moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts; and indexing means for incrementally moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts to successively couple each of the lamps in the linear array to said pair of contacts through its individual terminal, the common terminal, and said conductive means associated with said socket.

Claim 15

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 12 further including actuating means for actuating said indexing means to incrementally move said socket relative to said pair of contacts.

Claim 16

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 12 further including an objective lens mounted on said housing, said objective lens having an optic axis, said socket being configured to support a multi-lamp flash unit such that the light output of the lamps is directed in a direction substantially parallel to said optic axis, said socket also being mounted on said housing for linear movement in a direction that is substantially normal to said optic axis.

Claim 17

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said lamp firing station is to one side of said optic axis.

Claim 18

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said indexing means is adapted to be actuated manually.

Claim 19

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said indexing means is adapted to be actuated in response to an operation of the apparatus.

Claim 20

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said operation includes terminating the exposure of a film unit within said housing.

Claim 21

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said operation includes moving film from an exposure position within said housing.

Claim 22

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said housing includes a linear channel therein and said socket includes a carrier configured to slideably move within said channel relative to said firing station.

Claim 23

Photographic apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said indexing means includes means biasing said carrier for movement in one direction along said channel, a plurality of teeth integrally formed along the length of said carrier, and an escapement member mounted on said housing so as to extend into said channel and cooperate with said teeth to alternatively stop and permit incremental movement of said carrier by said biasing means.

Claim 24

Photographic apparatus for use with a multilamp flash unit of the type including a plurality of flash lamps disposed in a coplanar array and an insulating lamp terminal board havinG a row of conductive lamp terminals thereon connected to the lamps such that electrical contact may be made to any lamp in the array by simultaneously contacting an individual lamp terminal and a common lamp terminal, said apparatus comprising: a housing; a lamp firing station mounted at a fixed position on said housing and including a pair of electrical contacts, forming part of a lamp firing circuit, to which an individual lamp terminal and the common terminal are adapted to be connected to couple an individual lamp in a coplanar array to the firing circuit; a socket for receiving and supporting a multi-lamp flash unit, said socket being mounted on said housing for linear movement relative to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station, said socket including conductive means therein cooperating with portions of said socket for releasably holding a multi-lamp flash unit in said socket and for making simultaneous and individual electrical contact to all of the lamp terminals of a multi-lamp flash unit supported by said socket and for successively interconnecting each individual lamp terminal and the common lamp terminal to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station in response to incrementally and linearly moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts; and indexing means for incrementally moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts to successively couple each of the lamps in the linear array to said pair of contacts through its individual terminal, the common terminal and said conductive means associated with said socket.

Claim 25

Photographic apparatus for use with a multilamp flash unit of the type including a plurality of flash lamps disposed in a coplanar array and an insulating lamp terminal board havinG a row of conductive lamp terminals thereon connected to the lamps such that electrical contact may be made to any lamp in the array by simultaneously contacting an individual lamp terminal and a common lamp terminal, said apparatus comprising: a housing; a lamp firing station mounted at a fixed position on said housing and including a pair of electrical contacts, forming part of a lamp firing circuit, to which an individual lamp terminal and the common terminal are adapted to be connected to couple an individual lamp in a coplanar array to the firing circuit; a socket for receiving and supporting a multi-lamp flash unit, said socket being mounted on said housing for linear movement relative to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station, said socket including conductive means therein cooperating with portions of said socket for releasably holding a multi-lamp flash unit in said socket and for making simultaneous and individual electrical contact to all of the lamp terminals of a multi-lamp flash unit supported by said socket and for successively interconnecting each individual lamp terminal and the common lamp terminal to said pair of electrical contacts at said firing station in response to incrementally and linearly moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts; and indexing means for incrementally moving said socket relative to said pair of electrical contacts to successively couple each of the lamps in the linear array to said pair of contacts through its individual terminal, the common terminal and said conductive means associated with said socket.