Photographic film insertion apparatus

Claim 1

A photographic film inserting apparatus for inserting photographic film segments into an insertion opening of a multi-layer package strip and stacking the film segments into a film stack between a pair of the layers of the package strip, the apparatus comprising: means for separating layers of the package strip to form a film insertion opening at a film inserting and stacking station; film conveyor means for conveying cut photographic film segments along a film path into the film insertion opening; and means for driving any film segment not fully inserted into the multi-layer package strip a further distance into the insertion opening after the film conveyor means has completed conveying the film segments onto the film stack, by engaging a trailing edge of any film segment not fully inserted into the multi-layer package strip, the further distance being sufficient to avoid interference between the film conveyor means and the trailing edges of the stacked film segments as the multi-layer package strip with inserted stacked film segments is advanced away from the film inserting and stacking station, said means for driving comprising: pusher means for pushing the trailing edge of any film segment not fully inserted into the multi-layer package strip, the pusher means being rotatable angularly from a normal position out of the film path to a position in which the pusher means pushes the trailing edge and having a trailing edge engaging surface sufficiently large to compensate for variations in the position of the trailing edge; actuator means for rotating the pusher means to cause the pusher means to push the trailing edge; wherein the actuator means is actuated after all the film segments of a customer order have been conveyed by the film conveyor means and stacked in the film stack, and before the package strip and the stacked film segments are advanced away from the film inserting and stacking station.