Agfa-gevaert Ag

Agfa-gevaret Aktiengesellschaft

Friedrich Hujer

Wolfgang Zahn

Berthold Fergg

Klaus Weber

Volker Weinert

Ferdinand Schaner

Erich Nagel

Bernd Payrhammer

Helmut Zangenfeind

Harald Fengler

Walter Knapp

Friedbert Freitag

A photographic roller copying apparatus for processing films of different sizes includes a scanning device for determining a size of the film to be processed, an illuminating device, a film-supporting platform having at least one aperture adjustable to the size of the film to be processed by a pivotable plate provided on the illuminating device, and two projection systems interchangeably movable into a path of light from the illuminating device. One of the projection systems includes a pair of porroprisms for rotating the image of an original positioned in the image aperture by 90.degree..

Photographic roller copying apparatus

A deformable container for sections of developed photographic roll films and for prints of images on such film sections has a square or rectangular base sheet of paper, cardboard or the like and a cover sheet of paper or synthetic plastic material. The sheets overlie each other and are bonded to one another along three marginal sections and a median section to define a narrower film compartment and a wider print compartment. Both compartments are open at those ends which face the fourth marginal sections of the sheets. One or more fold lines are provided between the two compartments to allow for folding of one compartment over the other compartment. Several containers form a strip of coherent containers, and the containers of the strip can be formed with one or more rows of perforations to facilitate automatic transport in a photographic processing laboratory wherein the film sections and the prints are introduced into the respective compartments by automatic equipment. The open ends of compartments can face a marginal portion of the base sheet or the closed ends of compartments of the adjacent container. Slots or similar markers are provided adjacent to partitions between the compartments. Such markers serve to allow for stoppage of the strip when the compartments of a container are ready to receive film sections and prints, and/or to initiate separation of the foremost container from the next-following container of the strip.

Container for photographic films and prints

Apparatus for exposing a gray sample onto the unexposed perforated marginal portion of a web of photographic film has a drum over which the web is trained while moving lengthwise, and a device which monitors the web and generates a signal on detection of successive or selected perforations. Such signals are delayed for an interval of time which insures that a field which is to be provided with a test exposure and is located at a predetermined distance from the perforation which has caused the generation of a signal is located in the range of an imaging system operating with a flash unit to expose the sample onto the aforementioned field. The delay can be effected by a computer which receives the aforementioned signals and which further receives signals denoting incremental advances of the web through distances of selected unit length. The test exposures are used in the copying machine for comparison with a color chart to insure proper selection of intervals during which the film frames are exposed to light of various colors.

Apparatus for making test exposures on marginal portions of photographic

A photographic copying machine of the type in which exposure radiation is transmitted through a transparent original onto a photosensitive medium. Arranged in the exposure radiation path is an array of multitudinous controllable-transmissivity elements, the individual transmissivity values of which are individually controllable. A control electronics, preferably incorporating a computer and multiplexer, controls the transmissivity values of the multitude of controllable-transmissivity elements of the array. The transmissivity values to which the multitude of elements are set can be equal, but in accordance with the present invention are not; instead, the array is employed to establish a two-dimensional controllably non-uniform distribution of exposure radiation onto the photosensitive medium. This is done to implement non-uniform density and/or color correction during printing, or to superimpose onto the image projected onto the photosensitive medium images of symbols, text, or the like, which are to be appear on the final copy, or to implement border effects, by way of example.

Photographic copying machine with means for varying exposure across the

Webs of customer films and webs of related prints are transported in synchronism vertically downwardly toward a severing unit which subdivides the films into sections each of which includes several film frames and which simultaneously subdivides the web of prints into discrete prints. The film sections and the related discrete prints are gathered in separate magazines immediately below the severing unit and are automatically transferred into neighboring compartments of a pocket below the magazines when one of the magazines collects all sections of a customer film and the other magazine collects all related prints. Two closely adjacent windows are provided above the severing unit side-by-side to allow for simultaneous observation of film frames and related prints.

Apparatus for processing developed photographic prints and films

The strip of originals to be copied is transported, prior to copying, through an evaluation station. There, the originals are evaluated with respect to density, color, copiability, or the like. A discrete strip-shaped information carrier is connected to the strip of originals and runs along the length of the strip of originals. The connection is effected either upstream of the evaluation station or at the evaluation station. Information derived from the evaluations performed at the evaluation station is entered upon the information carrier alongside the associated ones of the originals.

Evaluation and copying of originals arranged in a strip

Apparatus for uniting exposed photographic roll films into a continuous web which is already for transport through a developing machine has a housing which is lightproof and has two inlets, one for admission of cassettes which contains exposed films and the other for reception of exposed films. Successive cassettes which are introduced through the first inlet are conveyed into the range of a film removing mechanism which automatically removes the films, without breaking the respective cassettes, and the removed films are transported to a splicing device. If the position of roll film in a cassette is such that the film cannot be expelled by the removing mechanism in the housing, the cassette is opened in a darkroom and the film which is removed from the opened cassette is introduced though the second inlet. Such film is transported to the splicing device, preferably along a path a portion of which coincides with a portion of the path for transport of films from the film removing mechanism to the splicing device. One of the inlets is closed when the other inlet is open, and vice versa.

Apparatus for processing exposed photographic films and cassettes for

Prints of film frames forming part of relatively short film strips are made by attaching to each film strip a tab, inserting the strip and the tab into an envelope which bears information denoting the order number, the number of prints to be made, the type of prints, and customer identification, shipping or delivering the envelopes to a processing laboratory where the information which is borne by the envelopes is encoded on the respective tabs, grouping the envelopes and film strips according to the nature of prints to be made and the type of film strips, reproducing successive or selected film frames of a group of strips by imaging them onto a web of photographic paper in a copying machine without splicing the film strips together, subdividing the web into discrete prints, assemblihg the prints with the associated envelopes and film strips for delivery or shipment to customers, and calculating and recording the cost of each order.

Method and apparatus for making reproductions of photograhic copy

The density of neighboring portions of each of a plurality of successive originals is monitored. An original is copied only if the original is comprised of at least one pair of monitored neighboring portions differing from each other in density by an amount exceeding a reference value.

Apparatus for selecting originals for copying on the basis of image

A protected photographic film structure includes a strip of photographic film comprised of a series of frames, an information carrier strip secured to the strip of photographic film and running alongside the strip of film and bearing information concerning the printing order and/or the customer giving the printing order, and a pair of flexible protective strips each secured to the information carrier strip along the length of the information carrier strip at a respective one of the two faces of the information carrier strip. Each protective strip extends in direction from the information carrier strip towards the strip of photographic film and overlies and thereby protects a respective one of the two faces of the strip of photographic film. When the film strip structure travels along a predetermined path through a printing installation a device bends back the protective strips upstream of the printing station so that the strip of photographic film passes through the printing station uncovered by the protective strips.

Protecting strips of photographic film

Each correction factor can assume one of a plurality of values and the selected value is to be stored in the printing apparatus. A plurality of input keys is provided, each furnishing a selected value upon activation. Activation of the key applies the input signal signifying the chosen value to the storage inputs of a plurality of storages, one for each correction factor. Further, activation of each key advances a counter by one step. The counter output enables each of the storages in turn.

Photographic printing apparatus with reduced number of input means for

Apparatus for subdividing webs of photographic paper into discrete prints has a detector which scans marks applied to the web for the purpose of arresting the drive for the web at the exact moment when the central portion of a frame line between two successive images on the web is in register with the knives. The signals which are furnished by the detector can be used to arrest the drive only within a short interval of time which begins shortly or immediately before a mark reaches the detector. This prevents the detector from arresting the drive in response to detection of a flaw or a particle of foreign matter whose effect upon the detector is similar to that of a mark.

Apparatus for treating webs of photographic material or the like

A rectangular label wherein a rectangular central portion is disposed between two rectangular sections having their rear sides provided with coats of adhesive. The front side of the central label portion bears imprinted information pertaining to the cost of developing of photographic film, the number of prints to be made from film, the price per print, the nature of film and/or the size of each print. The adhesive-coated sections are partially separated from the central portion by rows of perforations so that the central portion can be completely separated from the sections while the sections adhere to an envelope in order to at least partially close an open end of the envelope. Additional information may be imprinted onto the front side of at least one section to remain on the envelope, either as a bill to the dealer or as a bill to the customer. At least one of the adhesive-coated sections is provided with a fold line so that it can be readily folded over the open end of an envelope.

Growing community of inventors

Grunwald, Germany

Friedrich Hujer