Focal plane shutter blade arrangement and support

Claim 1

For use in a focal plane shutter, a shutter blade arrangement and support comprising; means defining an exposure aperture; a first group of shutter-opening shutter blades operable from an operative position closing the exposure aperture when the shutter is cocked to an operative position opening the exposure aperture for the taking of a photograph; a second group of shutter-closing shutter blades operable from an operative position spaced from the exposure aperture to an operative position jointly closing the exposure aperture subsequent to the opening of said exposure aperture; each group of shutter blades comprising a slit-forming shutter blade having a straight edge and actuated with said straight edge substantially normal to a plane transversely to the exposure aperture and transverse to the direction of movement of the slit-forming shutter blade and a plurality of other shutter blades; means mounting said first group of shutter blades; and means mounting said second group of shutter blades, each mounting means comprising a pair of actuating levers comprising a selectively driven operating main lever and an auxiliary lever, pivotal means pivotally connecting one end portion of the main and auxiliary levers to the slit-forming shutter blade on axes disposed in a line parallel to said straight edge, means pivotally connecting the auxiliary lever to the main lever intermediate the ends of both, means pivotally mounting the other end portions of both levers for pivotal movement about axes disposed in a line parallel to said straight edge and means mounting the remaining shutter blades in the group for sequential movement in response to the movement of said main lever.