Multiple film viewer and storage cabinet

Claim 1

Apparatus for storing and examining film transparencies, XRay films and the like comprising a housing having an upper storage section and a lower storage section, each storage section adapted to store film holding panel members in vertical parallel planes, an illuminator mounted in the housing between the upper and lower storage section, said illuminator having a viewing surface positioned in a plane parallel to the planes of the stored panels, a panel train having means to engage and carry the panels through the apparatus, said train having a horizontal movement system for moving the panels horizontally in each of the storage sections and a vertical movement system for transfering panels between the upper and lower storage sections and for sequentially superimposing individual panel members over the viewing surface, and means for driving the panel train including a reversible prime mover coupled to the vertical movement system and to the horizontal movement system; the vertical movement system including an endless lift chain belt having a front run and a rear run, said front run extending from the upper storage section to the lower storage section along a trackway in front of the viewing surface of the illuminator; and said rear run extending from the upper storage section to the lower storage section along a trackway behind the illuminator; means to connect the vertical movement system to the prime mover so that the movement direction of the lift chain belt will be reversed when the prime mover is reversed; the horizontal movement system including two endless traverse chain belts, one belt in the upper storage section and a second belt in the lower storage section, each traverse belt having an upper run that extends horizontally from a front portion to a back portion of the apparatus and forms a trackline for carrying the panels; means to connect the traverse chain belts in the upper and lower storage sections to the prime mover so that the trackline in the upper storage section and the trackline in the lower storage section move in opposite directions relative to one another and reverse their respective movement directions when the prime mover is reversed; the lift chain belt and the upper and lower traverse chain belts being mounted to move in paths that lie in parallel offset planes; the lift chain belt following a continuous path starting from and returning to a point on the front transfer trackway vertically aligned with the horizontal centerline of the viewing surface of the illuminator, said lift chain path having a vertical straight line run extending upwardly from the starting point to a first belt guide means positioned above the level of the trackline of the upper traverse belt without crossing the path of said trackline; at the first guide means the lift chain changes direction and extends downwardly in a run crossing, at a first point, a front portion of the path of the trackline of the upper traverse Belt and leads to a second belt guide means positioned inboard of the first belt guide means and below the level of the trackline of the upper traverse belt at which guide means the lift chain changes direction and extends upwardly on a run crossing, at a second point, a rear portion of the path of the trackline of the upper traverse belt and leading upwardly to a third belt guide means positioned above the level of the trackline of the upper traverse belt, at the third belt guide means the lift chain changes direction and runs to a fourth belt guide means positioned below the level of the path of the trackline of the lower traverse belt, in the run from the third guide means to the fourth guide means the lift chain does not cross the path of the trackline of the upper traverse belt but crosses, at a third point, a rear portion of the path of the trackline of the lower traverse belt, from the fourth guide means the lift chain changes direction and crosses, at a fourth point, a front portion of the path of the lower trackline of the lower traverse belt on a run that leads upwardly to the starting point to complete the circuit; each of the horizontal and vertical movement systems of the panel train having means adapted to engage and carry a panel member; said panel engaging and carrying means and the offset crossing paths of the vertical and horizontal panel movement systems enabling a panel carried by one of the movement systems to be directly transferred to and thereafter carried by the other movement system at each of the four points where the paths of the lift chain and the tracklines of the upper and lower traverse belts cross and also enabling the reversal of the direction of transfer between systems upon reversal of the prime mover.