Camera with automatic film advance

Claim 1

In a camera capable of being operated either automatically to make a series of exposures or manually to make individual exposures at the option of the operator, film-advancing means for advancing film in the camera, electric motor means operatively connected with said film-advancing means for operating the latter, shutter means for exposing film, shutter-cocking means operatively connected between said shutter means and said motor means to be operated by the latter for cocking said shutter means in preparation for an exposure, shutter-release means operatively connected with said shutter means for releasing the latter, after it is cocked, to make an exposure, automatic shutter-tripping means operatively connected with said motor means to be driven thereby and cooperating with said shutter-release means for automatically tripping the latter to release said shutter means, manual shutter-tripping means operatively connected with said shutter-release means for manually tripping the latter to release said shutter means, and electrical circuit means operatively connected with said electric motor means for automatically energizing the latter upon completion of an exposure to drive said film-advancing means and shutter-cocking means for advancing the next unexposed film frame into a position for exposure and for cocking said shutter means in preparation for the next exposure, said circuit means including a manually operable switch means capable of being placed by the operator either in a continuous position or in a single-exposure position, said switch means when placed in said continuous position thereof controlling said circuit means for operating said electric motor means to actuate said automatic shutter-tripping means and when in said single exposure position thereof placing said circuit means in a condition requiring operation of said manual shutter-tripping means to trip the shutter-release means, said circuit means automatically actuating said electric motor means, upon displacement of said switch means from said continuous to said single-exposure position thereof, to stop operating only after actuating said film advancing means to advance the next unexposed film frame to an exposure position and said shutter-cocking means to cock the shutter means, so that immediately upon ending of operation in a continuous mode, said manual shutter-tripping means is available for tripping the shutter-release means and making an exposure, said electrical circuit means including a timing circuit means for controlling the interval from one exposure to the next when said manually operable switch means is in said continuous position thereof, and said manually operable switch means having two continuous positions in addition to said single-exposure position, said timing circuit means being effective in one of said continuous positions of said manually operable switch means, and said electrical circuit means including a bypass circuit means for bypassing said timing circuit means when said manually operable switch means is in the other of said continuous positions for making a series of exposures without said timing interval from one exposure to the next.