Photographic printer and associated processor

Claim 1

In combination with a photographic printer having a charging member for receiving a length of photographic paper, a pay-out assembly for intermittently paying-out a specified length of the photographic paper, a printing means for controllably exposing the photographic paper after movement of the paper by the pay-out assembly has stopped, a punching member operatively controlled by operation of the printing means to punch a hole at a predetermined location on the photographic paper, roller means for passing the photographic paper through the printer, removal means, including a take-out roller, for transporting said specific length of paper in response to the time required for a treatment of said photographic paper exteriorly of the printer, sensing means for sensing a hole punched in said paper to control the operation of said take-out roller, a cutting assembly responsive to said sensing means to cut a length of said photographic paper, and an assembly for removing the cut paper from the printer, a photographic paper accumulator comprising: a casing disposed within said printer for receiving a length of the photographic paper in randomly-formed loops, said loops not being subjected to external forces; a biased plate disposed within said casing for supporting the loops of photographic paper, said plate movable in responsive to the quantity of paper within said casing; a first switch located within said casing and responsive to a first position of said biased plate to control selected operations of said printer; and a second switch located within said casing and responsive to a position of said paper within said casing to control a second set of selected operations of said printer, said paper accumulator storing a length of photographic paper within said printer without subjecting said paper to stress or strain, and said first and second switches responsive to the position of said biased plate and the length of paper within the accumulator to control printer operation in response to the time required by another processing procedure performed on said photographic paper exteriorly of the printer.