Method and apparatus for editing a film strip

Claim 1

An apparatus for editing an elongated film strip composed of a series of closely spaced photographic negatives such that the film strip is adapted to automatically control various operations in a printing machine as the film strip is passed therethrough, said apparatus comprising a frame, delivery spool means carried on said frame for mounting a roll of the film strip, take-up spool means carried on said frame and spaced from said delivery spool means for winding the film strip into a roll such that the film strip may be withdrawn from said delivery spool means and received on said take-up spool means, guide means positioned on said frame between said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means for guiding the film strip therebetween and defining a viewing station to permit the negatives of the film strip to be sequentially viewed by the operator of the apparatus, said guide means including a channel extending horizontally along said frame ans defining a first end adjacent said delivery spool means and a second end adjacent said take-up spool means, a first laterally translatable roller mounted adjacent said first end of said channel such that the film strip delivered from said delivery spool means passes at least partially about said first roller and into said channel, and a second laterally translatable roller mounted adjacent said second end of said channel such that the film strip received from said channel passes at least partially about said second roller and onto said take-up spool means, and means carried by said frame for placing an indicium on the film strip at a predetermined location with respect to each of only those negatives selected by the operator to be printed as they are sequentially viewed at said viewing station such that the indicia are adapted to selectively operate the printing machine to print only those negatives selected to be printed and to control the location at which each negative selected to be printed is positioned in the printing machine during the printing operation, said indicium placing means comprising a framing plate carried by said frame ans overlying said guide means at said viewing station, said plate including an opening corresponding to the configuration of the negative to be printed in the printing machine, and means for manually translating the film strip for a limited distance in either direction along said guide means to permit the operator of the apparatus to accurately align each negative with said opening in said framing plate, said means for manually translating the film strip including a manually operable control lever mounted to said frame for limited lateral movement, and means for operatively interconnecting said first and second rollers with said control lever such that they move concurrently, whereby the operator may laterally translate the film strip along said guide means by moving said control lever.

Claim 2

An apparatus for editing an elongated film strip composed of a series of closely spaced photographic negatives such that the film strip is adapted to automatically control various operations in a printing machine as the film strip is passed therethrough, said apparatus comprising a frame, delivery spool means carried on said frame for mounting a roll of the film strip, take-up spool means carried on said frame and spaced from said delivery spool means for winding the film strip into a roll such that the film strip may be withdrawn from said delivery spool means and received on said take-up spool means, guide means positioned on said frame between said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means for guiding the film strip therebetween and defining a viewing station to permit the negatives of the film strip to be sequentially viewed by the operator of the apparatus, said guide means including a channel extending horizontally along said frame ans defining a first end adjacent said delivery spool means and a second end adjacent said take-up spool means, a first laterally translatable roller mounted adjacent said first end of said channel such that the film strip delivered from said delivery spool means passes at least partially about said first roller and into said channel, and a second laterally translatable roller mounted adjacent said second end of said channel such that the film strip received from said channel passes at least partially about said second roller and onto said take-up spool means, and means carried by said frame for placing an indicium on the film strip at a predetermined location with respect to each of only those negatives selected by the operator to be printed as they are sequentially viewed at said viewing station such that the indicia are adapted to selectively operate the printing machine to print only those negatives selected to be printed and to control the location at which each negative selected to be printed is positioned in the printing machine during the printing operation, said indicium placing means comprising a framing plate carried by said frame ans overlying said guide means at said viewing station, said plate including an opening corresponding to the configuration of the negative to be printed in the printing machine, and means for manually translating the film strip for a limited distance in either direction along said guide means to permit the operator of the apparatus to accurately align each negative with said opening in said framing plate, said means for manually translating the film strip including a manually operable control lever mounted to said frame for limited lateral movement, and means for operatively interconnecting said first and second rollers with said control lever such that they move concurrently, whereby the operator may laterally translate the film strip along said guide means by moving said control lever.

Claim 4

The apparatus as defined in cliaim 2 wherein said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means each include adjustable tensioning means for resisting the free rotation of a roll of the film strip mounted thereon to thereby facilitate the operation of said means for manually translating the film strip.

Claim 5

The apparatus as defined in cliaim 2 wherein said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means each include adjustable tensioning means for resisting the free rotation of a roll of the film strip mounted thereon to thereby facilitate the operation of said means for manually translating the film strip.

Claim 14

An apparatus for editing an elongated film strip composed of a series of closely spaced photographic negatives such that the film strip is adapted to automatically control various operations in a printing machine as the film strip is passed therethrough, said apparatus comprising a frame, delivery spool means carried on said frame for mounting a roll of the film strip, take-up spool means carried on said frame and spaced from said delivery spool means for windiNg the film strip into a roll such that the film strip may be withdrawn from said delivery spool means and received on said take-up spool means, said take-up spool means including a take-up spool, an electric motor, and clutch means for selectively interconnecting said electric motor and spool to rotate the spool and disengating said electric motor and spool while holding the spool against rotation, guide means positioned on said frame between said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means for guiding the film strip therebetween and defining a viewing station to permit the negatives of the film strip to be sequentially viewed by the operator of the apparatus, means carried by said frame for placing an indicium on the film strip at a predetermined location with respect to each of only those negatives selected by the operator to be printed as they are sequentially viewed at said viewing station such that the indicia are adapted to selectively operate the printing machine to print only those negatives selected to be printed and to control the location at which each negative selected to be printed is positioned in the printing machine during the printing operation, said indicium placing means comprising a framing plate fixedly carried by said frame, said plate including an opening overlying said guide means at said viewing station and corresponding to the configuration of the negative to be printed in the printing machine, indicium applying means mounted on said frame a fixed distance from said opening and adjacent said guide means, and means for manually translating the film strip for a limited distance in either direction with respect to said opening and applying means to permit the operator of the apparatus to accurately align each negative with said opening, manually operable indicium switch means for actuating said indicium applying means, manually operable advancing switch means for selectively actuating said clutch means to cause said spool to rotate and thereby advance the film strip from said delivery spool means onto said take-up spool means, and means for automatically arresting the advance of the film strip upon the next sequential negative being postioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said framing plate and including means for selectively actuating said clutch means such that the spool is held against rotation, and means for sensing the unexposed line between the sequential negatives, said sensing means including a. a light source positioned adjacent said guide means such that the light therefrom passes through the film strip, b. two laterally spaced apart fiber optic light sensors positioned adjacent said guide means so as to monitor the light passing through the film strip from said light source, said light sensors being laterally spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of the negatives in the film strip, and c. means operatively controlled by said light sensors for actuating said film strip arresting means when either of said light sensors sense an unexposed line between the sequential negatives, whereby the arresting means will be actuated upon the next sequential negative being positioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said framing plate even when two sequential negatives overlap and thus have no unexposed line therebetween.

Claim 15

An apparatus for editing an elongated film strip composed of a series of closely spaced photographic negatives such that the film strip is adapted to automatically control various operations in a printing machine as the film strip is passed therethrough, said apparatus comprising a frame, delivery spool means carried on said frame for mounting a roll of the film strip, take-up spool means carried on said frame and spaced from said delivery spool means for windiNg the film strip into a roll such that the film strip may be withdrawn from said delivery spool means and received on said take-up spool means, said take-up spool means including a take-up spool, an electric motor, and clutch means for selectively interconnecting said electric motor and spool to rotate the spool and disengating said electric motor and spool while holding the spool against rotation, guide means positioned on said frame between said delivery spool means and said take-up spool means for guiding the film strip therebetween and defining a viewing station to permit the negatives of the film strip to be sequentially viewed by the operator of the apparatus, means carried by said frame for placing an indicium on the film strip at a predetermined location with respect to each of only those negatives selected by the operator to be printed as they are sequentially viewed at said viewing station such that the indicia are adapted to selectively operate the printing machine to print only those negatives selected to be printed and to control the location at which each negative selected to be printed is positioned in the printing machine during the printing operation, said indicium placing means comprising a framing plate fixedly carried by said frame, said plate including an opening overlying said guide means at said viewing station and corresponding to the configuration of the negative to be printed in the printing machine, indicium applying means mounted on said frame a fixed distance from said opening and adjacent said guide means, and means for manually translating the film strip for a limited distance in either direction with respect to said opening and applying means to permit the operator of the apparatus to accurately align each negative with said opening, manually operable indicium switch means for actuating said indicium applying means, manually operable advancing switch means for selectively actuating said clutch means to cause said spool to rotate and thereby advance the film strip from said delivery spool means onto said take-up spool means, and means for automatically arresting the advance of the film strip upon the next sequential negative being postioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said framing plate and including means for selectively actuating said clutch means such that the spool is held against rotation, and means for sensing the unexposed line between the sequential negatives, said sensing means including a. a light source positioned adjacent said guide means such that the light therefrom passes through the film strip, b. two laterally spaced apart fiber optic light sensors positioned adjacent said guide means so as to monitor the light passing through the film strip from said light source, said light sensors being laterally spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of the negatives in the film strip, and c. means operatively controlled by said light sensors for actuating said film strip arresting means when either of said light sensors sense an unexposed line between the sequential negatives, whereby the arresting means will be actuated upon the next sequential negative being positioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said framing plate even when two sequential negatives overlap and thus have no unexposed line therebetween.