Eastman-kodak Company

Duane J Farling

Steven M Bryant

R Winfield Trafton

Gary A Smith

Eric P Hochreiter

Thomas D Jensen

Paul L Taillie

Christopher T Mattson

Bonnie J Patterson

James E Novak

In a photographic film scanner having a film transport drive stepper motor, an illuminant head having a plurality of spectrally separate light source, a light sensor and data collection and transfer circuits, each operationally responsive to a programmed controller. The controller is provided with a common timer and is programmed with a plurality of lookup tables (LUT), each LUT is populated with a sequence of elements defining timing of an operating activity in a respective one of the illuminant head light sources, the stepper motor and the light sensor data transfer circuits. The program operates to use the common timer to step synchronously through the elements of the LUTs to output value states from the elements of each of the LUTs; to control the actuation timing of the respective light sources, stepper motor and data collection and transfer circuits.

Method and apparatus for controlling image scanning and data transfer in

A dual speed film drive apparatus to achieve high speed and low speed film drive employs a limited speed range stepper motor with pinion input drive gear, and an output driven gear connected to a film advance mechanism. High and low speed drive is achieved by use of a pivoted intermediate gear drive module having high speed and low speed gear set positions to interconnect the stepper motor input drive gear to the output driven gear. Shifting of the gear module between gear set positions is accomplished by a DC motor operated cam drive mechanism which pivots the gear module selectively between the high speed and low speed gear set positions. The cam drive mechanism includes a camming slot having dwell segments at each end of the slot. An open loop control gear mesh procedure includes is also described for meshing the high speed and low speed intermediate gear drives with the input drive gear and output driven gear. In this procedure, the cam drive mechanism initially drives the gears toward mesh and then reverses the cam drive by a limited amount. If the input drive gear properly meshed with the intermediate gear drive, the dwell segment prevents the gear from being unmeshed. If stubbing occurred, the cam drive is still in the drive segment of the cam and backs the intermediate gear drive away while the stepper is activated by a partial tooth pitch. The cam drive is then driven forward again to engage the intermediate gear with the input gear. The stepper motor is then driven forward and back by equal amounts to clear any stub condition that might still exist between the intermediate gear and output driven gear interface. The open loop control routine avoids the need for complex and costly active feedback mechanisms to detect and clear a gear stubbing condition during gear shifting.

Bi-directional, dual speed film transport gear drive apparatus with an

Film scanning apparatus having a film cartridge chamber for receiving a film cartridge containing photographic film having images to be scanned, a film takeup chamber and a film scan gate therebetween. The apparatus has an upstream nip roller set positioned between the film cartridge chamber and the film scan gate and includes at least one drive roller and pinch roller set in which the drive roller has a compliant film engagement surface. A downstream nip roller set is positioned between the film scan gate and the film takeup chamber and includes at least one drive roller and pinch roller set in which the drive roller has a compliant film engagement surface. The upstream nip roller set exerts constant tensioning force on film in the film scan gate buffering the film in the film scan gate against variable tensioning effects on the film caused by the film cartridge. A drive motor is directly connected to the downstream drive roller set and the downstream roller set is drivingly connected to the upstream drive roller set by an elastic drive belt. A differential compression force is exerted on the pinch rollers such that the force on the downstream pinch rollers is greater than on the upstream pinch rollers thereby causing a film speed differential between the upstream and downstream roller sets that maintains a desired degree of tension on film transported through the film scan gate.

Film drive apparatus for a photographic film scanner

A gimbaled load pad mounting arrangement in which a rigid load pad is detachably mounted on the spherical end of a spring-loaded mounting shaft. The load pad is provided on the side with flexible retention hooks with finger portions that engage the underside of the mounting frame to hold the load pad in position during assembly. Once the magnetic head is mounted in position, the pressure of the head against the load pad disengages the finger portions from contact with the underside of the frame thereby allowing the gimbaled load pad to assume its exact constraint position against the face of the magnetic head.

Magnetic head apparatus with gimbaled load pad

In photographic equipment for reading magnetically recorded data on a film strip, gradual degradation of the read data signal caused, for example, by material buildup on the magnetic read head is detected by monitoring the read data signal to indicate when the signal falls below a normal signal level but is still above a minimum threshold at which data loss would result. Apparatus useful for this purpose includes first and second comparators for sensing the decline of the data signal level into a range falling between a first predetermined normal signal level threshold and a second lower predetermined signal level preferably at or slightly above minimum detectable signal level. With such an arrangement, even though data is still capable of being read and decoded, the operator of the data read equipment is given advance warning of the incipient read data problem sufficiently in advance of read failure condition to allow corrective action, e.g. cleaning of the read head, before actual data read failures occur.

Monitoring of magnetically recorded data on film in photofinishing and

A compact developing apparatus that can quickly modify processing chemistries is disclosed. A web coated with a photograph emulsion or other photosensitive material forms one wall of a processing chamber and processing chemicals are introduced sequentially into the stationary chamber. The heating of the processing chemicals to their required temperatures is accomplished by applying microwave energy to the chemicals upstream of the chamber. The heating is controlled by a programmed digital computer to provide forward and backward feedback control of the microwave output in response to temperature and flow rate measurements.

Microwave-heated film processing apparatus

An apparatus for determining the sensitometric characteristics of a photographic emulsion is disclosed. The emulsion to be tested may be in its fluid state or it may be a solid or semi-solid disposed on a substrate. The apparatus can mix, spread, set, dry and incubate a photographic emulsion, then expose, develop and evaluate the emulsion in an integrated, single operation.

Apparatus for testing photographic emulsions

An apparatus for chilling, drying and incubating a photographic emulsion in an integrated process at a single locus includes a chamber, a platen and means for chilling and heating the platen and providing a flow of air of controlled temperature and humidity over the photographic emulsion.

Single unit apparatus for chilling, drying and incubating photographic

A liquids mixing and dispensing apparatus and method utilize a plurality of liquid supply modules to feed simultaneously charges of a plurality of admixable liquids at predetermined volume flow rates to a mixer to form a batch of a mixture of the liquids, such as a photographic emulsion mixture, in which the liquids are in a predetermined volume ratio. As it is formed, the mixture is delivered to a storage conduit connected to a dispenser, for later dispensing of a discrete volume thereof as a coating onto a moving web by feeding a purge liquid to the mixer. Each module has a piston and cylinder unit with an inlet and outlet (a cylinder port conduit) connected to one end of a tube having a volume at least as large as the maximum volume of the cylinder swept by its piston when driven by an associated motor. A valve selectively connects the other end of the tube either to a liquid source or to the mixer. The ratio of the intermediate or maximum volumes swept by the pistons when concordantly driven by their motors is selected to provide the desired volume ratio of the liquids in the mixture.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Duane J Farling