Apparatus for storing, transporting and exposing photosensitive film for camera

Claim 1

Apparatus for use in combination with a camera having an object plane and an image plane comprising: a. an elongated table coupled to the camera having a top surface parallel to the image plane of the camera; b. a film transport section slidably carried on the table at one end thereof; c. a light tight cassette on the transport section; d. a supply of imaging film in said cassette; e. means carried by the transport section to advance at least a portion of the imaging film from the cassette on to the table; f. a transparent platen carried by the table to receive light directed through the camera from the object plane; g. an elongated flexible sheet of light filtering material yieldably secured at one end within the transport section and adapted to be extended from said transport section along the table to overlie the platen; h. control means to advance the imaging film across the table and beneath the light filtering material to overlie the platen; i. a vacuum bar carried by the table adjacent the platen and beneath the elongated flexible sheet; j. an elongated groove between the platen and the vacuum bar; k. a fitting to couple a vacuum source to said groove; l. valve means to control the vacuum source to evacuate air from the space between the flexible sheet and the platen to first create a pressure differential across the said flexible sheet in the area above the elongated groove to bring the film into contact upon the platen in said area and thereafter squeegee the remaining air out of the space between the flexible sheet and the platen; and m. means, including said valve means, to interrupt the vacuum source and release the atmospheric pressure against the flexible sheet and the film.