Eastman-kodak Company

Gary L Erck

Richard J Federico

Michael Davis

Martin C Kaplan

Eric P Hochreiter

Franklin D Ehrne

A film transport apparatus for selectively advancing a film out of, or rewinding a film onto, a spool shaft of a cartridge. The apparatus has: a) a rotatable member which engages the spool shaft; b) a first drive assembly for pulling on film remote from the cartridge to assist in advancing the film out of the cartridge; c) a transmission assembly to thrust film from the spool shaft and rewind it onto the spool shaft, comprising: a rewind gear positioned to rewind the rotatable member, and a thrust gear positioned to advance the rotatable member through a directional clutch such that when film is pulled from the spool shaft by the first drive assembly the thrust gear will disengage from the rotatable member; and a gear train which selectively engages the thrust or rewind gear; and d) a drive to drive the first drive assembly and the gear train.

Film transport apparatus

A filmstrip holding apparatus for supporting a filmstrip having image frames to be scanned with reduced transverse curl is disclosed. The filmstrip holding apparatus includes a base defining a channel, the channel including a bottom surface having an aperature and two opposed parallel sides to accomodate the filmstrip lengthwise past the aperture; and a clamp having two opposed elongated clamping members and a support frame extending between the clamping members to hold them in their opposed relationship. The clamp is moveable between a rest position in which a lower surface of each clamping member is spaced from the base to allow lengthwise passage of the filmstrip past the aperture, and a clamping position in which the lower surface of each clamping member lies adjacent to the base to capture the filmstrip between the clamping members and the base at positions along the base on opposite sides of the aperture, said clamping members having a length equal to the length of the image frame and at least 1/2 the width of the channel.

Filmstrip holding apparatus and method

A linear light source for a film scanner is disclosed which includes an elongated light integrating cavity, formed within a solid illumination body, having diffusely reflective walls. Light is introduced into the cavity through an input port, and an output beam of diffuse light is produced through a slot which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the integrating cavity. In order to increase the efficiency of the light source, light is introduced into the cavity through a high collection non-imaging optical device formed as a hollow bore within the illumination body.

High efficiency linear light source

An arc-segment-shaped gate for a photographic film scanning apparatus has a six inch radius from a pivot shaft of the gate to the outermost surface at which the scanning of the film is to occur. The gate is pivoted around a pivot axis through an optical chassis of the scanning apparatus and is driven by a worm-gear segment arrangement via a reversible electric motor. The gate swings through an arc of approximately 61/2.degree. on each side of a vertical initializing position of the gate and has an aperture at which a frame of the film can be held against the gate by a clamping arrangement which is moved with the gate. The gate of the present invention is that the gate is mounted to be adjusted about a spherical bearing by the use of bearings mounted on eccentric shafts against which a wear plate on the gate is registered. Pins and biasing springs mounted on the gate and the gate system drive allow adjustment of the gate in .THETA. X and .THETA. Z directions for obtaining precise optical alignment.

Arc-segment-shaped gate for photographic film scanning apparatus

A film scanner is disclosed which comprises a dynamic film gate. The film gate includes a pair of capstans for supporting the film at an imaging station and a pair of belts which clamp the film against the capstans. The capstans are driven to advance the film through the imaging station. An integrating cylinder, located between the capstans, produces a line of light on the film, and light transmitted through the film in imaged onto a linear CCD image sensor. In order to provide a more efficient drive mechanism for the capstans, the drive shaft for the capstans is incorporated in the integrating cylinder.

Film scanner having a dynamic film gate and an integrating cylinder

A linear light source for a film scanner is disclosed which includes an elongated light integrating cavity having diffusely reflective walls. Light is introduced into the cavity through an input port, and an output beam of diffuse illumination is produced through a slot which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the integrating cavity. A baffle is disposed in the cavity along the longitudinal axis to prevent light from passing directly from the input port to the output slot. In order to provide a light source which can be positioned closely adjacent the film in a film scanner, the surfaces of the integrating cavity walls adjacent the output slot are generally linear and are disposed at an angle to the optical axis of the output beam.

Linear light source

An illumination system for image scanner apparatus that varies the amount of light in an object (film) plane as a function of field angle, to render irradiance at an image sensor relatively uniform with field angle. In a preferred embodiment, an optical converter regulates the irradiance in the object plane as a function of field angle by varying the power radiated along a line of diffuse light projected onto the object plane.

Growing community of inventors

Webster, NY, United States of America

Gary L Erck