Camera and film magazine therefor

Claim 2

In a camera assembly suitable for operation by an operator having minimal photographic skills, the camera assembly including a housing to be mounted above an object to be photographed, said housing being arranged to receive a removable film magazine carrying a film supply spool and a film wind-up spool; said camera assembly comprising: lens means mounted on said housing and being aimed downwardly therefrom; a magazine receiving compartment having: aperture means disposed above said lens means, a door selectively openable to expose the interior of said compartment and permit generally horizontal insertion of said film magazine into said compartment; said door including manually operable first drive means rotatably connectible with the wind-up spool of an installed magazine, and spring means for retaining said magazine in proper alignment relative to said aperture means, means for selectively uncovering said lens including: an actuator manually shiftable between a cocked position and a triggering position, and second drive means drivingly connectible to the wind-up spool of the installed magazine for shifting said actuator to a cocked position in response to rotation of said first drive means; metering means drivingly connected so as to be driven in response to advancement of said film; said metering means including stop means automatically shiftable to a safety position in response to predetermined advancement of said film to prevent further film advancement; and manually operable synchronizing means for releasing said stop means from its safety position to permit further advancement of said film in the event of premature movement of said stop means to said safety position.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a film magazine including flanges insertable into said compartment aperture means; and said spring means comprising a pair of Spring strips fixed to a stationary wall of said compartment and arranged to bias said flanges into said aperture means.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first drive means comprises a film advance knob rotatably mounted on said door.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second drive means comprises shaft means rotatably connectible with sprocket wheel means; pawl means engageable with said sprocket wheel means to allow only one-way rotation of said sprocket wheel means, said sprocket wheel means being drivingly connected to a pair of lugs which are selectively receivable in a channel in said actuator for longitudinally shifting said actuator in response to rotation of said knob.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said lugs are carried by a rotatable clutch wheel that is spring biased into frictional driving engagement with said sprocket wheel means.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said metering means comprises a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted in said compartment and being receivable within drive apertures of said film; said sprocket wheel being rotatably connected to a metering wheel; a stop arm being pivotally mounted and including: a projection arranged to enter a slot in said metering wheel when properly aligned therewith, a foot arranged to engage said sprocket wheel means, and spring means for biasing said stop arm such that when said film is advanced by a predetermined amount to bring said slot into engagement with said projection, said projection is biased into said slot and said foot engages said sprocket wheel means to prevent further advancement of said film.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said stop arm includes a release bar engageable by said actuator when said actuator is in a cocked position so as to keep said projection displaced from said slot; and said synchronizing means comprises a manually rotatable cam engageable with said release bar for affording manual release of said projection from said slot to permit further film advancement.

Claim 9

A film magazine comprising: a base element including: a pair of spaced pockets, a first of said pockets carrying a supply of film housed in a substantially light-tight cassette, and a second of said pockets carrying a wind-up spool, said second pocket having: pairs of spaced wall portions defining recesses at the ends of said second pocket for receiving end flanges of said wind-up spool, spaced side wall portions defining a side recess along an outer side of said second pocket, and a strip of resilient material disposed along an inner side of said second pocket to underlie film extending between said cassette and said wind-up spool; an intermediate film guiding portion located between said pockets, said film guiding portion including: a light access opening surrounded by downwardly projecting flanges, and a secondary opening spaced from said light access opening and operable to receive a portion of a rotatable sprocket wheel of a camera; photographic film extending between said cassette and said wind-up spool, said film including a row of spaced apertures arranged in overlying relationship to said secondary opening; a cover element positionable atop said base element and including end sections arranged to overlie said pockets, and an intermediate section arranged to overlie the film guiding portion of said base element; the end section of said cover element which overlies said second pocket including a lip extending across an outer side of such end section and being received in said side recess of said second pocket; said intermediate section of said cover element including a series of ribs extending downwardly to press against said film, and a transverse wall disposed above said strip of said resilient material to press the film thereagainst; connecting means for releasably attaching said cover element to said base element; and means defining handles for manipulatIng the magazine into and from a camera.

Claim 10

A film magazine comprising: a base element including: a pair of spaced pockets, a first of said pockets carrying a supply of film housed in a substantially light-tight cassette, and a second of said pockets carrying a wind-up spool, said second pocket having: pairs of spaced wall portions defining recesses at the ends of said second pocket for receiving end flanges of said wind-up spool, spaced side wall portions defining a side recess along an outer side of said second pocket, and a strip of resilient material disposed along an inner side of said second pocket to underlie film extending between said cassette and said wind-up spool; an intermediate film guiding portion located between said pockets, said film guiding portion including: a light access opening surrounded by downwardly projecting flanges, and a secondary opening spaced from said light access opening and operable to receive a portion of a rotatable sprocket wheel of a camera; photographic film extending between said cassette and said wind-up spool, said film including a row of spaced apertures arranged in overlying relationship to said secondary opening; a cover element positionable atop said base element and including end sections arranged to overlie said pockets, and an intermediate section arranged to overlie the film guiding portion of said base element; the end section of said cover element which overlies said second pocket including a lip extending across an outer side of such end section and being received in said side recess of said second pocket; said intermediate section of said cover element including a series of ribs extending downwardly to press against said film, and a transverse wall disposed above said strip of said resilient material to press the film thereagainst; connecting means for releasably attaching said cover element to said base element; and means defining handles for manipulatIng the magazine into and from a camera.