Photographic camera

Claim 2

In a photographic camera, particularly in an instant-picture camera, a combination comprising a housing; transporting means, including a plurality of transporting elements for transporting a film; manually operable actuating means extending in part from said housing and mounted for movement relative to said housing from a starting position to an operating position to thereby operate said transporting means, and back to said starting position, said actuating means comprising an actuating portion which is engageable by the fingers of a user, a rack composed of at least two rack sections which are shiftable lengthwise of each other during said movement, and gear means driven by said rack and drivingly connected with said transporting means; and energy storing spring means connected to at least one of said rack sections and to a stationary part of the camera and operative for storing energy during said movement to the starting position, and to dissipate the stored energy during and thereby aid in the subsequent movement to the operating position.

Claim 3

A combination as defined in claim 1; further comprising means blocking relative shifting of said rack sections during a first part of said movement to the operative position, and means releasing said blocking means during a second part of the same movement.

Claim 4

A combination as defined in claim 2, said blocking means comprising a spring pawl, and said releasing means comprising an abutment engageable by said spring pawl.

Claim 5

A combination as defined in claim 1, said rack including a part which projects to the exterior of said housing when said rack is in said starting position.

Claim 6

A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said actuating portion is provided on said part of said rack.

Claim 7

In a photographic camera, particularly in an instant-picture camera, a combination comprising a housing; transporting means, including a plurality of transporting elements for transporting a film; manually operable actuating means including a slideable first member and a slideable second member, extending in part from said housing and mounted for movement relative to said housing from a starting position to an operating position to thereby operate said transporting means, and back to said starting position; energy storing spring means connected to said actuating means and operative for storing energy during said movement to the starting position, and to dissipate the stored energy during and thereby aid in the subsequent movement to the operating position, said spring means comprising a first and a second spring which are connected to said first and second members, respectively, to store energy during movement of the same to said starting position; and latch means normally latching said second member against movement to said operating position, but releasable during the terminal portion of the movement of said first member to said operating position so that the energy stored by said second spring is added to the energy stored by said first spring.

Claim 8

In a photographic camera, particularly in an instant-picture camera, a combination comprising a housing; transporting means, including a plurality of transporting elements for transporting a film; manually operable actuating means including a slideable first member and a slideable second member, extending in part from said housing and mounted for movement relative to said housing from a starting position to an operating position to thereby operate said transporting means, and back to said starting position; energy storing spring means connected to said actuating means and operative for storing energy during said movement to the starting position, and to dissipate the stored energy during and thereby aid in the subsequent movement to the operating position, said spring means comprising a first and a second spring which are connected to said first and second members, respectively, to store energy during movement of the same to said starting position; and latch means normally latching said second member against movement to said operating position, but releasable during the terminal portion of the movement of said first member to said operating position so that the energy stored by said second spring is added to the energy stored by said first spring.

Claim 9

A combination as defined in claim 6; further comprising means mounting said second member for sliding movement between said positions as well as for pivoting movement relative to said first member.

Claim 10

A combination as defined in claim 6; and further comprising means for preventing operation of said transporting means during movement of said actuating means to said starting position.