Tray for storing and classifying slides and a viewer for slides disposed in such trays

Claim 2

A tray for storing and classifying slides, said tray comprising: parallel, plane, top and bottom members held in fixed relationship to each other, said parallel, plane, top and bottom members being provided with corresponding facing sets of transverse, slide-receiving grooves, said tray being symmetrical about a longitudinal plane passing through the mid points of both sets of grooves and having open left and right sides via which slides may be inserted in or removed from the tray, and two, symmetrically disposed, independently movable side flaps pivotably mounted on at least one of said top and bottom members, each side flap having a first, open position in which it allows slides to be inserted or removed via its side of the tray, and a second, closed position in which it prevents insertion or removal of slides.

Claim 3

A tray according to claim 1, for operative association with a slide viewer including a tray support with said tray support further including flap-operating means, said tray being further provided with a push rod which extends through the bottom member of said tray and which operatively engages a flap and being positioned on said tray so as to be engageable by said flap-operating means provided in the viewer's tray support.

Claim 4

A tray according to claim 2, wherein the tray support comprises a stud and a permanent magnet, and said tray further comprises first and second positioning means for locating the tray on the viewer's tray support, said first positioning means comprising a co-operating stud-receiving socket for coarse positioning of said tray; and said second positioning means comprising a co-operating metal plate mounted to the bottom member and positioned so as to overlay the permanent magnet for holding the tray firmly on the support against the play inherent in the stud and socket.

Claim 5

A viewer for reading slides disposed in trays employed in storing and classifying slides, each of said trays comprising parallel, plane, top and bottom members held in fixed relationship to each other, said parallel, plane, top and bottom members being provided with corresponding facing sets of transverse, slide receiving grooves, each of said trays being symmetrical about a longitudinal plane passing through the midpoint of both sets of grooves and having open left and right sides via which said slides may be inserted or removed from the tray, and two symmetrically disposed, independently movable side flaps pivotably mounted to at least one of said top and bottom members, each side flap having a first, open position in which it allows slides to be inserted or removed via its side of the tray, and a second, closed position in which it prevents insertion or removal of said slides, said viewer including oprical means, two carriages, each of said carriages accommodating one tray, said carriages being mounted for movement in translation along two parallel paths disposed on either side of said optical means, said viewer further including means for removing the slides from the trays and for moving said slides horizontally past the optical means, from one tray to the other, together with means for moving the optical system vertically past the slide.

Claim 6

A viewer for reading slides disposed in trays employed in storing and classifying slides, each of said trays comprising parallel, plane, top and bottom members held in fixed relationship to each other, said parallel, plane, top and bottom members being provided with corresponding facing sets of transverse, slide receiving grooves, each of said trays being symmetrical about a longitudinal plane passing through the midpoint of both sets of grooves and having open left and right sides via which said slides may be inserted or removed from the tray, and two symmetrically disposed, independently movable side flaps pivotably mounted to at least one of said top and bottom members, each side flap having a first, open position in which it allows slides to be inserted or removed via its side of the tray, and a second, closed position in which it prevents insertion or removal of said slides, said viewer including oprical means, two carriages, each of said carriages accommodating one tray, said carriages being mounted for movement in translation along two parallel paths disposed on either side of said optical means, said viewer further including means for removing the slides from the trays and for moving said slides horizontally past the optical means, from one tray to the other, together with means for moving the optical system vertically past the slide.

Claim 7

A viewer according to claim 4, wherein said means for horizontally moving a slide includes two rotatable roller rows, means for driving at least one of said rotatable roller rows, means for mounting said rotatable roller rows relative to said trays such that said two rotatable roller rows straddle a slide in the neighbourhood of its upper edge, and a stationary horizontal slideway in which the lower edge of the slide is engaged during slide movement horizontally past said optical means.

Claim 8

A viewer according to claim 5, wherein said rotatable roller rows comprise rotatable rollers, and said viewer further comprising means for moving the rotatable rollers of said rotatable roller rows apart to terminate movement of a slide and to facilitate viewing of the slide by said optical means.