Slide Mounter With Film Curl Accommodator

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to photographic slide mounting apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Photographic slides are produced by mounting a photographic film transparency in a slide mount frame so that the image of the photographic transparency is aligned with the aperture of the frame. A variety of different types of mounting frames and mounting apparatus have been developed.

One particularly advantageous type of photographic slide mount is the Pakon slide mount, which is a one-piece plastic slide mount sold by Pako Corporation, the assignee of the present application. The film transparency is mounted by opening a film insertion slot in the slide mount by means of mounting equipment. The transparency slides into the mount and the mount is closed. The spring-like properties of the plastic slide mount material provides a safe and tight fit of the transparency in the slide mount without the need of welding or sealing.

U.S. patents showing slide mounts and slide mounting apparatus of this general type include the following patents:

Florjancic et al.--U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,960

Mundt et al.--3,470,642

Mundt et al.--3,478,456

Mundt et al.--3,524,299

Mundt et al.--3,562,074

Mundt--3,570,342

Mundt et al.--3,614,854

Florjancic 3,788,031

Mundt et al.--3,807,121

Mundt et al.--3,943,029

Mundt et al.--3,977,280

Urban--4,004,340

Urban et al.--4,135,343

Automatic and semi-automatic slide mounters have been developed for mounting photographic film transparencies in Pakon slide mounts. In general, these slide mounters perform five functions. First, the slide mount is flexed to widen an insertion slot in the slide mount. Second, a film web is advanced and partially inserted through the insertion slot into the mount. Third, the transparency is severed from the remainder of the film web. Fourth, the transparency is inserted completely into the slide mount. Fifth, the mounter ejects the mounted slide.

The Mundt et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,614,854 and 3,807,121 show apparatus which perform these functions. In the Mundt et al patents, a gripper grips the severed transparency and pulls the transparency into the mount to complete the insertion of the transparency into the mount.

In the Urban et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,343 a guide rail is provided which engages the trailing end of the severed transparency to insert the transparency completely into the slide mount as the slide mount is being advanced away from the film insertion and severing station.

The slide mounting apparatus of the present invention is an improvement to slide mounters of the type in which a leading end of a photograhic web is partially inserted into a slide frame, a transparency is cut from the film web, and the severed film transparency is then engaged and fully inserted into the slide frame. The present invention is based upon the recognition that photographic film typically has a curl or bow due to the presence of an emulsion layer on one side of the film. This curl can cause the leading edge of the transparency to hang up and prevent full insertion of the transparency into the slide frame. In the apparatus of the present invention, the slide frame is bowed by an amount sufficient to match the curl or bow of the transparency as the transparency is fully inserted in the slide frame.

FIGS. 1 through 3 are perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the photographic slide mounter of the present invention at various stages in an operating cycle.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating operation of the slide mounter of FIGS. 1-3 at three different stages during an operating cycle.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the curl accommodator of the slide mounter of FIGS. 1-3.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views illustrating the operation of the curl accommodator.

In FIGS. 1-3, an operating cycle of a photographic slide mounter utilizing the present invention is illustrated. Slide magazine 10 contains stack 12 of photographic slide mounts 14, which are preferably Pakon slide mounts.

During each operating cycle, lowermost slide mount 14 in magazine 10 is ejected by ejector 16, and is pushed along slide track 18. As slide mount 14 is ejected from magazine 10 by ejector 16 and pushed to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, cover portion 14a and base portion 14b of mount 14 are separated along one edge to create an insertion opening into which a leading end of the film web 20 is inserted.

After slide mount 14 is in a position to receive film web 20, slide ejector 16 is retracted, movable knife blade 22 is lifted, and film web 20 is advanced through the insertion opening into slide mount 14, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Once film web 20 has been advanced so that the desired location for severing transparency 20a from web 20 is aligned with knife blade 22, advancement of web 20 is stopped. Movable blade 22 is then driven downward to sever transparency 20a from the remainder of web 20. Since the severing of transparency 20a from web 20 occurs outside of slide mount 14, transparency 20a is not yet fully inserted into slide mount 14. As illustrated in FIG. 2, leading edge 22 of transparency 20a is visible through aperture 24 in slide mount 14. The insertion of transparency 20a the remaining distance into slide mount 14 is achieved during the next portion of the operating cycle which is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this portion of the cycle, ejector 16 begins to push the next slide mount 14' out through the bottom of magazine 10 and into slide track 18. Slide mount 14' pushes previous slide mount 14 along track 18 toward collecting basket 26. As slide mount 14 advances away from the film inserting and cutting station, film insertion lever 28 is pivoted about shaft 30 to engage trailing edge 32 of transparency 20a and push transparency 20a the remaining distance into slide mount 14. FIGS. 1 and 2 are broken away to illustrate the normal position of insertion lever 28, and FIG. 3 is broken away to illustrate the actuated position of lever 28 as it drives transparency 28 the remaining distance into slide mount 14.

The operation of insertion lever 28 is further illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows slide mount 14, transparency 20a, and insertion lever 28 at three different positions. The three positions of slide mount 14 are labeled A, B and C; the three corresponding positions of transparency 20a are labeled A', B', and C'; and the three corresponding positions of insertion lever 28 are labeled A", B" and C".

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in position A slide mount 14 is receiving the leading end of film web 20, which includes transparency 20a. Position A' is the position of transparency 20a when web 20 has completed advancement into slide mount 14, but has not yet been cut by knife 22. After transparency 20a has been severed from web 20 slide mount 14 begins to be pushed by the next slide mount 14', as illustrated in FIG. 3. As slide mount 14 reaches position B, insertion lever 28 engages trailing edge 32 of transparency 20a, and being to pivot about shaft 30 to drive transparency 20a the remaining distance into slide mount 14, so that the scene contained in transparency 20a is properly aligned with aperture 24. The pivoting of insertion lever 28 from position B" to position C" occurs as slide mount 14 continues to be driven from position B to position C. Once insertion lever 28 reaches position C", it is retracted to its normal rest position out of the path of slide mount 14.

The slide mounter of the present invention further includes curl accommodator apparatus 34, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, and in further detail in FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B. Curl accommodator 34 bows slide mount 14 in a direction transverse to the movement of transparency 22 as film insertion lever 28 drives transparency 20a the remaining distance into slide mount 14.

Photograhic film 20 and transparency 20a typically has photographic emulsion layers on one side. As a result, film 20 and transparency 20a exhibit a transverse bow or curve which is concave on the side having the emulsion layers. This curl or bow can cause leading edge 22 of transparency 20 to catch or hang up on an edge of aperture 24 as insertion lever 28 attempts to drive transparency 20a the remaining distance to slide mount 14. This can result in improper alignment of transparency 20 with respect to aperture 24, and in some cases can damage transparency 20a.

Curl accommodator 34 of the present invention permits the operator of the slide mounter to bow slide mount 14 so as to match the curl or bow in transparency 20a. As a result, leading edge 22 of transparency 20a has a bow which matches that of slide mount 14, and passes the edge of aperture 24 without hanging up.

In the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the Figures, curl accommodator 34 includes mounting block 36 which is positioned along one edge of slide track 18. Mounting block 36 provides guide tracks 38 and 38a for edge 14c of slide mount 14. The bowing of slide mount 14 is provided by upper arms 40 and 42 and lower arm 44, which form a variable bow guide track between guide tracks 38 and 38a. One end of upper arm 40 is pivotally connected to mouting block 36 by pivot pin 46, and the opposite end of arm 40 is pivotally connected by pivot pin 48 to movable deflector block 50. Upper arm 42 is pivotally connected at one end to mounting block 36 by pivot pin 52, and is pivotally connected at its opposite end by pivot pin 48 to movable deflector block 50. Lower arm 44 is pivotally connected at one end to mounting block 36 by pivot pin 54 and is pivotally connected to movable deflector block 50 by pivot pin 56.

Movable deflector block 50 is positioned in recess 53 within mounting block 36, and is movable in a vertical direction by adjusting screw 58. As best illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, adjusting screw 58 is threaded through block 50, so that rotation of screw 58 in one direction (by turning adjusting knob 60) causes block 50 to move upward, and rotation of adjusting knob 60 and screw 58 in the opposite direction causes block 50 to move downward. Adjusting screw 58 is mounted by means of mounting bracket 62, which is connected to mounting block 36 by screws 64. Retaining rings 66 and curved spring washer 68 hold screw 58 in position with respect to brackets 62.

As illustrated in FIG. 6A, when movable block 50 is in its uppermost position, pivot pin 48 is at an elevation above pivot pins 46 and 52. Similarly, pivot pin 56 is at an elevation above pivot pin 54. As a result, the center of slide mount 14 is pressed upward by lower arm 44, thereby causing a concave down bow of slide mount 14. This is useful when transparency 20a has its emulsion side down, so that transparency 20a is also bowed in a concave down fashion.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, when movable block 50 is in its lowermost position, the trailing ends of top arm 40 and the leading end of top arm 42 press downward on the center portion of slide mount 14 as it is advanced from guide slot 38 to guide slot 38a. This is because movable block 50 has moved pivot pin 48 to an elevation which is below pivot pins 46 and 52. Similarly, movable block 50 has moved pivot pin 56 to an elevation below pivot pin 54, so that the leading end of lower arm 44 applies an upward force to the trailing edge of slide 14. The effect is a concave up bowing of slide mount 14. This is useful when transparency 20a has its emulsion side up, so that transparency 20a is also bowed in a concave up fashion.

It should also be noted that the leading and trailing edges of arms 40, 42 and 44 are beveled. As illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, these beveled surfaces permit slide mount 14 to move from guide track 38 to between arms 40 and 44 smoothly without hanging up on a sharp corner, regardless of the position of arms 40 and 44. Similarly, the tapers of arms 40, 42 and 44 permit a smooth transition of slide mount 14 from between arms 40, 42 and 44 to track 38a, regardless of the positions of arms 40, 42 and 44.

In conclusion, the curl accommodator of the present invention provides a simple adjustable device for accommodating and adjusting for the film curl which is typically present in photograhic film transparencies being mounted in slide mounts. The curl accommodator prevents misalignment and possible damage to film transparencies which can otherwise be caused by the natural tendency of the film transparencies to curl.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.