Method of and apparatus for copying photographic originals

Claim 1

A method of copying originals, particularly photographic originals, comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a band having a succession of originals along a predetermined path, said band including a plurality of coherent strips each of which has a leading and a trailing end and contains at least one of said originals, and the trailing ends of said strips being connected to the leading ends of adjoining strips at respective junctions between said strips; (b) measuring the densities of said originals in a first zone of said path; (c) copying said originals in a second zone of said path downstream of said first zone, the copying step including controlling the exposures of said originals as a function of the density values obtained during the measuring step; (d) accumulating said originals in a third zone of said path intermediate said first and second zones; and (e) synchronizing the measuring and copying steps so that the density values obtained from a selected strip are employed for exposure control of the originals constituting part of said selected strip, the synchronizing step including (i) arresting one of said junctions at a first location of said path upstream of said third zone so that the portion of said band upstream of said first location is prevented from advancing, said one junction being situated at one of the ends of said selected strip, (ii) withdrawing originals from said third zone while arresting said one junction, said withdrawing being performed until the portion of said band between said first location and a second location downstream of said third zone has a preselected length, (iii) releasing said one junction when the portion of said band between said first and second locations reaches said preselected length, (iv) measuring the length of the portion of said band which advances by said second location, said length measurement being initiated upon release of said one junction and continuing at least until the measured length substantially equals said preselected length, (v) sensing said band at said second location, and (vi) assigning the density values obtained from said selected strip for exposure control of the originals thereof upon detecting said one junction at said second location at such time as said measured length substantially equals said preselected length.

Claim 2

A method of copying originals, particularly photographic originals, comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a band having a succession of originals along a predetermined path, said band including a plurality of coherent strips each of which has a leading and a trailing end and contains at least one of said originals, and the trailing ends of said strips being connected to the leading ends of adjoining strips at respective junctions between said strips; (b) measuring the densities of said originals in a first zone of said path; (c) copying said originals in a second zone of said path downstream of said first zone, the copying step including controlling the exposures of said originals as a function of the density values obtained during the measuring step; (d) accumulating said originals in a third zone of said path intermediate said first and second zones; and (e) synchronizing the measuring and copying steps so that the density values obtained from a selected strip are employed for exposure control of the originals constituting part of said selected strip, the synchronizing step including (i) arresting one of said junctions at a first location of said path upstream of said third zone so that the portion of said band upstream of said first location is prevented from advancing, said one junction being situated at one of the ends of said selected strip, (ii) withdrawing originals from said third zone while arresting said one junction, said withdrawing being performed until the portion of said band between said first location and a second location downstream of said third zone has a preselected length, (iii) releasing said one junction when the portion of said band between said first and second locations reaches said preselected length, (iv) measuring the length of the portion of said band which advances by said second location, said length measurement being initiated upon release of said one junction and continuing at least until the measured length substantially equals said preselected length, (v) sensing said band at said second location, and (vi) assigning the density values obtained from said selected strip for exposure control of the originals thereof upon detecting said one junction at said second location at such time as said measured length substantially equals said preselected length.

Claim 19

An apparatus for copying originals, particularly photographic originals, comprising: (a) conveying means for conveying a band having a succession of originals along a predetermined path, the band including a plurality of coherent strips each of which has a leading and a trailing end and contains at least one of the originals, and the trailing ends of the strips being connected to the leading ends of adjoining strips at respective junctions between the strips; (b) density measuring means for measuring the densities of the originals in a first zone of said path; (c) copying means for copying the originals in a second zone of said path downstream of said first zone, said copying means including an exposure control device for controlling the exposures of the originals as a function of the density values obtained by said density measuring means; (d) magazine means of variable capacity for accumulating the originals in a third zone of said path intermediate said first and second zones, said conveying means including a first conveying device upstream of said third zone, and a second driven conveying device downstream of said third zone; and (e) synchronizing means for synchronizing said density measuring means and said copying means so that the density values obtained from a selected strip are employed for exposure control of the originals constituting part of the selected strip, said synchronizing means including (i) first sensing means upstream of said third zone for detecting the junctions between adjoining strips, said first sensing means being arranged to arrest said first conveying device in response to detection of a selected junction which is situated at one of the ends of the selected strip so that the selected junction is arrested at a first location of said path upstream of said third zone and the portion of the band upstream of said first location is prevented from advancing, said second conveying device being designed to withdraw originals from said magazine means during arrest of said first conveying device, (ii) second sensing means at a second location of said path downstream of said third zone for detecting the junctions between adjoining strips, (iii) length measuring means for measuring the length of the portion of the band travelling by said second location, and (iv) switch means designed to activate said length measuring means and to release said first conveying device when the number of originals withdrawn from said magazine means during arrest of said first conveying device is such that the portion of the band between said first and second locations has a preselected length, said second sensing means and said length measuring means being designed in such a manner that the density values derived from the selected strip are assigned for exposure control of the originals thereof upon detection of the selected junction by said second sensing means at such time as said length measuring means has measured a length substantially equal to the preselected length.

Claim 20

An apparatus for copying originals, particularly photographic originals, comprising: (a) conveying means for conveying a band having a succession of originals along a predetermined path, the band including a plurality of coherent strips each of which has a leading and a trailing end and contains at least one of the originals, and the trailing ends of the strips being connected to the leading ends of adjoining strips at respective junctions between the strips; (b) density measuring means for measuring the densities of the originals in a first zone of said path; (c) copying means for copying the originals in a second zone of said path downstream of said first zone, said copying means including an exposure control device for controlling the exposures of the originals as a function of the density values obtained by said density measuring means; (d) magazine means of variable capacity for accumulating the originals in a third zone of said path intermediate said first and second zones, said conveying means including a first conveying device upstream of said third zone, and a second driven conveying device downstream of said third zone; and (e) synchronizing means for synchronizing said density measuring means and said copying means so that the density values obtained from a selected strip are employed for exposure control of the originals constituting part of the selected strip, said synchronizing means including (i) first sensing means upstream of said third zone for detecting the junctions between adjoining strips, said first sensing means being arranged to arrest said first conveying device in response to detection of a selected junction which is situated at one of the ends of the selected strip so that the selected junction is arrested at a first location of said path upstream of said third zone and the portion of the band upstream of said first location is prevented from advancing, said second conveying device being designed to withdraw originals from said magazine means during arrest of said first conveying device, (ii) second sensing means at a second location of said path downstream of said third zone for detecting the junctions between adjoining strips, (iii) length measuring means for measuring the length of the portion of the band travelling by said second location, and (iv) switch means designed to activate said length measuring means and to release said first conveying device when the number of originals withdrawn from said magazine means during arrest of said first conveying device is such that the portion of the band between said first and second locations has a preselected length, said second sensing means and said length measuring means being designed in such a manner that the density values derived from the selected strip are assigned for exposure control of the originals thereof upon detection of the selected junction by said second sensing means at such time as said length measuring means has measured a length substantially equal to the preselected length.