Apparatus for and method of splicing photographic films

Claim 2

A film splicing apparatus for sorting a plurality of photographic films by ordering instructions of customers and for splicing the sorted photographic films together, comprising: a plurality of magazines for accommodating respective first photographic films therein according to ordering instructions, said first photographic films each being a single photographic film or a plurality of spliced photographic films; first conveying means for pulling a second exposed photographic film from a film cartridge so as to convey the same along a predetermined conveying path; reading means for reading ordering instructions of said second photographic film; selecting means for selecting a magazine corresponding to the ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means; second conveying means for guiding and conveying an outermost peripheral winding rear end of a first photographic film accommodated in said selected magazine toward said predetermined conveying path; splicing means for splicing together the leading end of said second photographic film placed in said conveying path and the rear end of said first photographic film; and winding means for winding said first photographic film joined to said second photographic film by said splicing means into said magazine.

Claim 3

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ordering instructions include at least one of frame size employed in a photographic camera, enlargement size at the time of printing and the kind of surface of printing paper at the time of printing.

Claim 4

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, further including envelope sorting means for sorting envelopes for delivering photographic films between each user and a photofinisher according to said ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means.

Claim 5

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as code information in an order column applied to each of the envelopes for delivering the photographic films between each user and the photofinisher.

Claim 6

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as optical information on said second photographic film in advance.

Claim 7

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as magnetic information on said second photographic film in advance.

Claim 8

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, further including determining means for determining whether or not the ordering instructions of said second photographic film placed on said conveying path coincide with those of said first photographic film before the leading end of said second photographic film and the rear end of said first photographic film are spliced together.

Claim 9

A film splicing apparatus for sorting a plurality of photographic films by ordering instructions and splicing the sorted photographic films together, comprising: a plurality of magazines for accommodating respective first photographic films therein according to ordering instructions, said first photographic films each being a single photographic film or a plurality of spliced photographic films; first conveying means for pulling a second exposed photographic film from a film cartridge so as to convey the same along a predetermined conveying path; stopping means for detecting the leading end of said second photographic film and for stopping the same at a splicing position; reading means for reading ordering instructions of said second photographic film; selecting means for selecting a magazine corresponding to the ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means; determining means for determining whether or not the outermost peripheral winding rear end of a first photographic film accommodated in said selected magazine is located at said splicing position; second conveying means for guiding and conveying the outermost peripheral winding rear end of said first photographic film accommodated in said selected magazine toward said splicing position; splicing means for splicing together the leading end of said second photographic film and the rear end of said first photographic film at said splicing position; and winding and accommodating means for winding and accommodating said first photographic film joined to said second photographic film by said splicing means within said magazine; third conveying means for conveying envelopes for delivering photographic films between each user and a photofinisher; sorting means for sorting said envelopes according to ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means; and a plurality of stackers for accommodating the envelopes therein which were sorted by said sorting means, said stackers being identical in number to said magazines.

Claim 10

A film splicing apparatus for sorting a plurality of photographic films by ordering instructions and splicing the sorted photographic films together, comprising: a plurality of magazines for accommodating respective first photographic films therein according to ordering instructions, said first photographic films each being a single photographic film or a plurality of spliced photographic films; first conveying means for pulling a second exposed photographic film from a film cartridge so as to convey the same along a predetermined conveying path; stopping means for detecting the leading end of said second photographic film and for stopping the same at a splicing position; reading means for reading ordering instructions of said second photographic film; selecting means for selecting a magazine corresponding to the ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means; determining means for determining whether or not the outermost peripheral winding rear end of a first photographic film accommodated in said selected magazine is located at said splicing position; second conveying means for guiding and conveying the outermost peripheral winding rear end of said first photographic film accommodated in said selected magazine toward said splicing position; splicing means for splicing together the leading end of said second photographic film and the rear end of said first photographic film at said splicing position; and winding and accommodating means for winding and accommodating said first photographic film joined to said second photographic film by said splicing means within said magazine; third conveying means for conveying envelopes for delivering photographic films between each user and a photofinisher; sorting means for sorting said envelopes according to ordering instructions which have been read by said reading means; and a plurality of stackers for accommodating the envelopes therein which were sorted by said sorting means, said stackers being identical in number to said magazines.

Claim 11

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ordering instructions include at least one of frame size employed in a photographic camera, enlargement size at the time of printing and the kind of surface of printing paper at the time of printing.

Claim 12

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as code information in an order column applied to each of the envelopes.

Claim 13

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as optical information on said second photographic film in advance.

Claim 14

A film splicing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ordering instructions to be read by said reading means, are recorded as magnetic information on said second photographic film in advance.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 13, wherein said ordering instructions include at least one of frame size employed in a photographic camera, enlargement size at the time of printing and the kind of surface of printing paper at the time of printing.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 13, wherein said step (a) includes reading ordering instructions while conveying at least one of said second photographic film and an envelope for delivering photographic films between a user and a photofinisher.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 15, wherein said step (a) includes reading order information which has been recorded as code information in an order column applied to said envelope while said envelope is being conveyed.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 13, wherein said step (a) includes reading order information which has been previously recorded as ootical information on said second photographic film while said second photographic film is being conveyed.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 13, wherein said step (a) includes reading order information which has been previously recorded as magnetic information on said second photographic film while said second photographic film is being conveyed.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 13, further including, after said step (c), a step (d) for accommodating said first photographic film joined to said second photographic film in said magazine.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 13, further including, after said step (a), a step (e) for sorting envelopes for delivering photographic films between each user and a photofinisher according to the ordering instructions which have been read in said step (a).