Drive interface system

Claim 2

A film driving system for selectively driving a supply of film between a pair of film reels comprising: a film cassette including a pair of film reels each mounted for rotation about an axis of a reel hub; drive interface means provided on each reel and accessible from the exterior of said cassette, said interface means comprising an abutment member extending axially from each hub and defining a drive shoulder and a camming shoulder extending in an axial external direction from the associated hub, with the drive shoulder and camming shoulder arranged to converge on each hub; and an external driving system for engaging said drive interface means to selectively rotate said reels and thereby transport film between said reels, said system including rotatable driving heads adapted to engage said drive shoulders on said interface means to rotate said reels in a selected direction, means to shift said driving heads with respect to said reel hubs between a driving position in engagement with said drive shoulders and a retracted position disengaged from said drive shoulders and driving means for rotating each of said driving heads in a seLected direction at a selected speed, whereby said drive interface means assures positive engagement between said drive heads and drive shoulders when said heads are shifted toward said driving position.

Claim 3

A film driving system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said driving heads include axially projecting driving surface means engageable with the drive shoulders on the associated drive interface means to rotate said reels in response to the rotation of said heads, and further wherein said driving heads include cam surface means engageable with the camming shoulders on the associated drive interface means to cam said driving surface means toward the associated drive shoulders as said heads are shifted into said driving position.

Claim 4

A film driving system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said driving means drives one of said reels with a relatively low torque force and the other of said reels with a relatively high torque force, and further wherein said driving head associated with said high torque reel includes a plurality of axially projecting drive surfaces and camming surfaces for engagement with the associated drive interface means.

Claim 5

A film driving system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means to shift said driving heads axially comprises movable cam means arranged to cam said heads through a selected distance between said driving and retracted positions.

Claim 6

A film driving system in accordance with claim 4 including biasing means urging said heads toward said driving position and wherein said cam means is arranged to overcome the force of said biasing means to shift said heads to said retracted position.

Claim 7

A film driving system in accordance with claim 5 including stop means engageable with said biasing means defining the limit of movement of said heads toward said driving position to thereby minimize the friction load in said external driving system.

Claim 8

A film driving system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said cam means comprises a cam bar laterally shiftable between a first position which permits said biasing means to move said heads to said driving position, and a second position which retains said heads in said retracted position.

Claim 9

A film driving system in accordance with claim 7 including crank means to selectively move said cam bar between said first and second positions.

Claim 10

A film driving system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said drive means for rotating each of said drive heads comprises a spur gear connected for rotation with each of said heads, with said spur gears located in substantial alignment, and a drive gear in meshing engagement with each of said spur gears, and further wherein the width of said drive gear exceeds the width of said spur gears by at least said selected axial distance through which said drive heads are shifted, so that the spur gears remain in full meshing engagement with said drive gear as said heads shift between said driving and retracted positions.

Claim 11

In a cassette for retaining a supply of film including a housing for protecting said film, a supply reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a supply hub within said housing and arranged to receive a coil of said film, and a take-up reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a take-up hub within said housing and arranged to receive said film from said supply reel, the improvement comprising: drive interface means provided on each of said reels and accessible from the exterior of said housing for releasable engagement with external drive means which rotate said reels and thereby transport said film between said reels, said drive interface means comprising an abutment member extending axially from each hub and defining a drive shoulder extending externally in an axial direction from the associated hub and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, the drive shoulder on one of said hubs being arranged to drive the associated reel in a clockwise direction and the drive shoulder on the other hub being arranged to drive the associated reel in a counter-clockwise direction, each abutment member further defining a second shoulder extending externally in an axial direction from the associated hub and converging with the associated drive shoulder, whereby said converging shoulders assure that the external drive means positively engages said drive shoulders to transport said film.

Claim 12

In a cassette for retaining a supply of film including a housing for protecting said film, a supply reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a supply hub within said housing and arranged to receive a coil of said film, and a take-up reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a take-up hub within said housing and arranged to receive said film from said supply reel, the improvement comprising: drive interface means provided on each of said reels and accessible from the exterior of said housing for releasable engagement with external drive means which rotate said reels and thereby transport said film between said reels, said drive interface means comprising an abutment member extending axially from each hub and defining a drive shoulder extending externally in an axial direction from the associated hub and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, the drive shoulder on one of said hubs being arranged to drive the associated reel in a clockwise direction and the drive shoulder on the other hub being arranged to drive the associated reel in a counter-clockwise direction, each abutment member further defining a second shoulder extending externally in an axial direction from the associated hub and converging with the associated drive shoulder, whereby said converging shoulders assure that the external drive means positively engages said drive shoulders to transport said film.

Claim 13

A film driving system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said drive shoulders on said interface means and said driving surface means on said driving heads are arranged to drive one of said reels in a clockwise direction and further arranged to drive the other of said reels in a counter-clockwise direction.

Claim 14

In a cassette for retaining a supply of film including a housing for protecting said film, a supply reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a supply hub means within said housing and arranged to receive a coil of said film, and a take-up reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a take-up hub means within said housing and arranged to receive said film from said supply reel, the improvement comprising: drive interface means provided on each of said reels and accessible from the exterior of said housing for releasable engagement with external drive means which rotate said reels and thereby transport said film beween said reels, said interface means comprising a hub wall on each of said hub means positioned transversely with respect to the associated hub axis, a central hub section projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall, abutment means projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall connected to the associated central hub and extending in a generally radial direction therefrom, each abutment means defining a drive shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in an axial plane and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, each abutment means further defining a cam shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in a plane inclined to said drive shoulder plane and converging outwardly with the associated drive shoulder, whereby said converging drive and cam shoulders provide each of said abutment means with a substantial base portion adjacent the hub wall to withstand a substantial driving torque from said external drive means and further provide said abutment means with an outward portion having a substantially reduced surface area which assures positive engagement between said external drive means and said drive shoulders.

Claim 15

In a cassette for retaining a supply of film including a housing for protecting said film, a supply reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a supply hub means within said housing and arranged to receive a coil of said film, and a take-up reel mounted for rotation about the axis of a take-up hub means within said housing and arranged to receive said film from said supply reel, the improvement comprising: drive interface means provided on each of said reels and accessible from the exterior of said housing for releasable engagement with external drive means which rotate said reels and thereby transport said film beween said reels, said interface means comprising a hub wall on each of said hub means positioned transversely with respect to the associated hub axis, a central hub section projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall, abutment means projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall connected to the associated central hub and extending in a generally radial direction therefrom, each abutment means defining a drive shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in an axial plane and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, each abutment means further defining a cam shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in a plane inclined to said drive shoulder plane and converging outwardly with the associated drive shoulder, whereby said converging drive and cam shoulders provide each of said abutment means with a substantial base portion adjacent the hub wall to withstand a substantial driving torque from said external drive means and further provide said abutment means with an outward portion having a substantially reduced surface area which assures positive engagement between said external drive means and said drive shoulders.

Claim 16

The invention in accordance with claim 12 wherein said drive interface means on each of said reels includes a plurality of said abutment means diametrically opposed about the associated central hub.

Claim 17

The invention in accordance with claim 12 wherein said drive shoulder on one of said hub means is arranged to drive the associated reel in a clockwise direction and the drive shoulder on the other hub means is arranged to drive the associated reel in a counter-clockwise direction.

Claim 18

A film driving system for selectively driving a supply of film between a pair of film reels comprising: a film cassette including a pair of film reels each mounted for rotation about an axis of a reel hub means; drive interface means provided on each reel and accessible from the exterior of said cassette, said interface means comprising a hub wall on each of said hub means positioned transversely with respect to the associated hub axis, a central hub section projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall, abutment means projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall connected to the associated central hub and extending in a generally radial direction therefrom, each abutment means defining a drive shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in an axial plane and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, each abutment means further defining a cam shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in a plane inclined to said drive shoulder plane and converging outwardly with the associated drive shoulder; and an external driving system for engaging said drive interface means to selectively rotate said reels and thereby transport film between said reels, said system including rotateable driving heads adapted to engage said drive shoulders on said interface means to rotate said reels in a selected direction, means to shift said drive heads with respect to said reel hubs between a driving position in engagement with said drive shoulders and a retracted position disengaged from said drive shoulders, and driving means for rotating each of said driving heads in a selected direction at a selected speed; whereby said converging drive and cam shoulders provide each of said abutment means with a substantial base portion adjacent to the hub wall to withstand a substantial driving torque from said external drive heads and further provide said abutment means with an outward portion having a substantially reduced surface area which assures positive engagement between said external drive heads and said drive shoulders.

Claim 19

A film driving system for selectively driving a supply of film between a pair of film reels comprising: a film cassette including a pair of film reels each mounted for rotation about an axis of a reel hub means; drive interface means provided on each reel and accessible from the exterior of said cassette, said interface means comprising a hub wall on each of said hub means positioned transversely with respect to the associated hub axis, a central hub section projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall, abutment means projecting axially outwardly from each hub wall connected to the associated central hub and extending in a generally radial direction therefrom, each abutment means defining a drive shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in an axial plane and engageable with the external drive means to rotate the associated hub and reel within said housing, each abutment means further defining a cam shoulder extending outwardly from the associated hub wall in a plane inclined to said drive shoulder plane and converging outwardly with the associated drive shoulder; and an external driving system for engaging said drive interface means to selectively rotate said reels and thereby transport film between said reels, said system including rotateable driving heads adapted to engage said drive shoulders on said interface means to rotate said reels in a selected direction, means to shift said drive heads with respect to said reel hubs between a driving position in engagement with said drive shoulders and a retracted position disengaged from said drive shoulders, and driving means for rotating each of said driving heads in a selected direction at a selected speed; whereby said converging drive and cam shoulders provide each of said abutment means with a substantial base portion adjacent to the hub wall to withstand a substantial driving torque from said external drive heads and further provide said abutment means with an outward portion having a substantially reduced surface area which assures positive engagement between said external drive heads and said drive shoulders.