Long play film cartridge

Claim 1

In a continuous long play projector cartridge, the combination of: a base cartridge housing structure; a cover for said base housing structure; a film holding rotor rotatably mounted in close proximity to said base housing and disposed beneath said cover; said film holding rotor being generally circular and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis of rotation; said rotor having a peripheral portion; drive means on said rotor adapted for rotatably driving said film holding rotor relative to said base housing structure and said cover; said film holding rotor having a generally disc-shaped upper side adapted to hold an endless spiral roll of film thereon; said disc-shaped upper side of said film holding rotor having a centrally located upstanding generally annular hub; said upper side of said rotor having a generally circular array of film holding ribs; each rib being of a generally spiral shape and each of said ribs having an inner end directed towards said hub; each of said ribs extending in a direction away from said hub and outwardly in a generally spiral direction toward said peripheral portion of said film holding rotor; said ribs having upper edges declined relative to the horizontal in a direction toward said hub of said film holding rotor; first film elevating means disposed adjacent said hub; said elevating means having film engaging surface portions spaced above said ribs and above said spiral roll of film thereon; said film engaging surface portions disposed and adapted to lift said film above said spiral roll in closely adjacent relation to said hub; said film holding rotor having a direction of rotation about said axis of rotation; outer ends of said ribs being adjacent to said periphery of said rotor and spirally trailing behind said inner ends of said ribs in said direction of rotation; said cartridge having second film guide means adjacent said periphery of said film holding rotor; said second film guide means disposed and adapted to guide film onto said film holding rotor at a location substantially spaced radially from said hub thereof; a spiral roll of film on said rotor; said spiral roll of film comprising spiral convolutions, said spiral roll having a periphery disposed at said location; said spiral roll of film being a continuous and endless loop and comprising a projector related film portion disposed outside said cartridge and between said first and second film guide means; said film being a thin, flat, flexible film having opposite edges and opposite sides; said opposite sides being contiguous in said spiral roll on said film holding rotor.