Photographic apparatus for successively presenting a sequence of film units to an exposure station and then processing the film units

Claim 2

A photographic cassette for holding a stack of film units of the type having pods of processing fluid at one end so that the film units stack at progressively greater angles relative to a first film unit in a stack as the number of film units in the stack is increased, comprising wall means forming a housing for receiving a stack of such film units, means forming a framing aperture in said housing adapted to register with a first film unit in a stack in said housing, force-receiving means adapted to be engaged by an external force-applying member, means mounting said force-receiving means in said housing for movement toward and away from said framing aperture, a pressure plate adapted to engage the last film unit in a stack in said housing, and means pivotally mounting said pressure plate on said force-receiving means for rotation about an axis normal to the direction of movement of said force-receiving means so that said pressure plate assumes a position parallel to the last film unit in a stack in said housing when a force directed toward said framing aperture is applied to said force-receiving member.

Claim 3

The cassette of claim 1, further comprising means forming an exit slot in said housing adjacent said framing aperture through which a film unit in registry with said framing aperture can pass, and means forming an aperture in said housing adapted to receive an implement for forcing a film unit in registry with said framing aperture out through said exit slot.

Claim 4

Photographic apparatus, comprising a container, means forming a framing aperture in said container, a dark slide in said container in registry with and coveRing said framing aperture, a stack of film units in said container each having a pod of processing fluid at one end and extending from a first film unit in registry with said dark slide to a last film unit through a sequence of film units stacked at progressively greater angles to said first film unit, said container comprising wall means guiding said film units for movement toward said framing aperture, means forming an exit slot in said container adjacent said framing aperture and adapted to admit said dark slide and said film units one at a time for successive removal from said container, a pressure plate in said container, and means mounting said pressure plate for translation in said container toward and away from said framing aperture along a predetermined path and for rotation about an axis normal to said path, said pressure plate engaging said last film unit and being responsive to an applied force to urge said stack toward said framing aperture while remaining parallel to said last film unit as successive film units are removed through said exit slot.

Claim 5

Photographic apparatus, comprising a container, means forming a framing aperture in said container, a dark slide in said container in registry with and coveRing said framing aperture, a stack of film units in said container each having a pod of processing fluid at one end and extending from a first film unit in registry with said dark slide to a last film unit through a sequence of film units stacked at progressively greater angles to said first film unit, said container comprising wall means guiding said film units for movement toward said framing aperture, means forming an exit slot in said container adjacent said framing aperture and adapted to admit said dark slide and said film units one at a time for successive removal from said container, a pressure plate in said container, and means mounting said pressure plate for translation in said container toward and away from said framing aperture along a predetermined path and for rotation about an axis normal to said path, said pressure plate engaging said last film unit and being responsive to an applied force to urge said stack toward said framing aperture while remaining parallel to said last film unit as successive film units are removed through said exit slot.

Claim 6

A photographic cassette for holding a stack of thin, essentially flat rectangular units of the type having pods of processing fluid at one end and thus tending to stack at progressively greater angles relative to a first film unit in a stack as the number of film units in the stack is increased, comprising means forming a housing having orthogonal pairs of parallel walls defining a guide channel or rectangular cross section complementing the major dimensions of such film units and adapted to receive a stack of the film units for guided translation along the longitudinal axis of said channel, said housing further comprising means forming an end wall normal to said parallel walls and adapted to engage a first film unit in a stack in said housing, means forming a rectangular framing aperture in said end wall to facilitate the exposure of a film unit in registry with said end wall, means forming an exit slot in one of said parallel walls adjacent said end wall to admit film units in registry with said end wall for successive removal from said housing, guide means, means mounting said guide means in said channel for translation along said axis, a pressure plate, means mounting said pressure plate on said guide means for rotation about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis in position to engage the last film unit in a stack in said housing counting from said end wall, whereby force applied to said guide means by an external force-applying member will urge said pressure plate into parallel engagement with the last of a stack of film units in said housing counting from said end wall and said parallel engagement will be maintained as film units are successively removed through said exit slot.

Claim 7

A photographic cassette for holding a stack of thin, essentially flat rectangular units of the type having pods of processing fluid at one end and thus tending to stack at progressively greater angles relative to a first film unit in a stack as the number of film units in the stack is increased, comprising means forming a housing having orthogonal pairs of parallel walls defining a guide channel or rectangular cross section complementing the major dimensions of such film units and adapted to receive a stack of the film units for guided translation along the longitudinal axis of said channel, said housing further comprising means forming an end wall normal to said parallel walls and adapted to engage a first film unit in a stack in said housing, means forming a rectangular framing aperture in said end wall to facilitate the exposure of a film unit in registry with said end wall, means forming an exit slot in one of said parallel walls adjacent said end wall to admit film units in registry with said end wall for successive removal from said housing, guide means, means mounting said guide means in said channel for translation along said axis, a pressure plate, means mounting said pressure plate on said guide means for rotation about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis in position to engage the last film unit in a stack in said housing counting from said end wall, whereby force applied to said guide means by an external force-applying member will urge said pressure plate into parallel engagement with the last of a stack of film units in said housing counting from said end wall and said parallel engagement will be maintained as film units are successively removed through said exit slot.

Claim 8

Photographic apparatus, comprising means forming a housing having orthogonal pairs of parallel walls defining a guide channel of rectangular cross section, said housing further comprising wall means forming an end wall normal to said parallel walls, means forming a rectangular framing aperture in said end wall, a dark slide in registry with said end wall and covering said framing aperture, a stack of thin, essentially flat rectangular film units in said channel each having a pod of processing fluid at one end and extending from a first film unit in registry with said dark slide to a last film unit through a sequence of film units stacked at progressively greater angles to said first film unit, light-shielding means slidably mounted in said channel for translation along the longitudinal axis of said channel on the opposite side of said stack from said end wall, a pressure plate, means pivotally mounting said pressure plate on said light-shielding means between said light-shielding means and said last film unit for rotation about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis, said pressure plate being in engagement with said last film unit and assuming a position parallel to said last film unit by its rotated position About said second axis, and means forming an exit slot in said channel adjacent said end wall and adapted to receive said dark slide and said film units one at a time for successive removal from said housing.

Claim 9

Photographic apparatus, comprising means forming a housing having orthogonal pairs of parallel walls defining a guide channel of rectangular cross section, said housing further comprising wall means forming an end wall normal to said parallel walls, means forming a rectangular framing aperture in said end wall, a dark slide in registry with said end wall and covering said framing aperture, a stack of thin, essentially flat rectangular film units in said channel each having a pod of processing fluid at one end and extending from a first film unit in registry with said dark slide to a last film unit through a sequence of film units stacked at progressively greater angles to said first film unit, light-shielding means slidably mounted in said channel for translation along the longitudinal axis of said channel on the opposite side of said stack from said end wall, a pressure plate, means pivotally mounting said pressure plate on said light-shielding means between said light-shielding means and said last film unit for rotation about a second axis normal to said longitudinal axis, said pressure plate being in engagement with said last film unit and assuming a position parallel to said last film unit by its rotated position About said second axis, and means forming an exit slot in said channel adjacent said end wall and adapted to receive said dark slide and said film units one at a time for successive removal from said housing.

Claim 10

Photographic apparatus for successively presenting a sequence of film units to an exposure station and then processing the film units, comprising guide means for supporting a stack of film units with a first film unit in the stack at said exposure station, first film transport means operable to advance a film unit from a position at said exposure station to a position out of the stack, second film transport means for exerting a controllable pressure on a stack of film units supported in said guide means to urge the stack toward said exposure station, and means responsive to the pressure exerted by said second film transport means for controlling said second film transport means to keep said pressure substantially constant.

Claim 11

Photographic apparatus for successively presenting a sequence of film units to an exposure station and then processing the film units, comprising guide means for supporting a stack of film units with a first film unit in the stack at said exposure station, first film transport means operable to advance a film unit from a position at said exposure station to a position out of the stack, second film transport means for exerting a controllable pressure on a stack of film units supported in said guide means to urge the stack toward said exposure station, and means responsive to the pressure exerted by said second film transport means for controlling said second film transport means to keep said pressure substantially constant.