Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.

Hisashi Negoro

Masayuki Kojima

Takuya Yamamoto

Shigeru Masuda

Yutaka Kiyonaga

Yasunobu Shimamura

Keigo Arimoto

Shinji Fukushima

Mitsuji Kawashima

Yoshifumi Nakamura

Tsukasa Nakano

Yoshiyuki Minakata

A leader-less type photographic film automatic developing apparatus is described which provides for a maximally narrowed spacing between the centers of the development lines for respective films which can develop a plurality of kinds of film having different widths such as a 135 size film and an APS film. The apparatus includes a first development line for drawing a 135 size film from a film cartridge or the like and developing it, and a second development line for drawing an APS film from a special magazine and developing it. These lines are arranged in parallel to each other. The film cartridge and the special magazine are mounted on a common container holding table which is movable along a direction normal or oblique to the direction of the development lines.

Photographic film automatic developing apparatus

Automatic developer for photosensitive material

A film cartridge case which holds and carries therein a group of film cartridges for feeding sheets of undeveloped film loaded in their respective film cartridges to the development unit of an automatic photographic film development processor apparatus includes a plurality of cartridge pockets. Each pocket has a mispositioning preventing projection provided on one side of an inner wall thereof for engaging with a barcode readout window in the film cartridge upon the film cartridge being placed in the cartridge pocket in a correct orientation. The case includes holding members for detachably holding the film cartridges in their respective cartridge pockets. A conveyor element is arranged to be engaged by a conveying device. Film sheets can be loaded to and unloaded from respective film cartridges installed in the cartridge pockets.

Film cartridge case

An automatic film development apparatus includes a cartridge case for carrying a group of film cartridges loaded with undeveloped films. A feeder unit stores a plurality of the cartridge cases and delivering them one by one to an unloading station for unloading sheets of undeveloped film from respective film cartridges in the cartridge case. The undeveloped film sheet is rewound at a rewinding station into a takeup cartridge. A splicer unit joins one end of the undeveloped film sheet from the takeup cartridge to a short film leader supplied from a film leader supply unit for feeding short film leaders one at the time. A development unit developes the undeveloped film sheet joined to the short film leader. A separator unit separates a developed film sheet from the short film leader. The developed film sheet separated from the short film leader is loaded at a loading station back into its film cartridge. A conveying means conveys the cartridge case filled with film cartridges unloaded of film from the unloading station to the loading station. A leader receiver unit collects short film leaders separated from respective developed film sheets.

Automatic film development apparatus

A method and apparatus for attaching and detaching a filmstrip to a film cartridge having a take-up spool rotatably mounted therein. The cartridge has an access opening for allowing film to be inserted or removed from within. The apparatus includes means for positioning the film cartridge in a predetermined position. An attachment tool is rotatably mounted to the mechanism for movement about a pivot point. The attachment tool has a generally arcuate guide member. A mechanism is provided for moving the attachment tool from a non-engaged position to a first engaged position such that a portion of the attachment tool extends into the access opening for engaging the filmstrip to the attachment tool and for moving the tool to a second engaging position for allowing the filmstrip to engage the spool. The mechanism is further provided for moving the attachment tool in a radial direction while the attachment tool extends into the access opening.

Method and apparatus for attaching or detaching a filmstrip to a film

Extra printing is made possible during a set of ordinary processing operations such as film development and printing. A film is developed and dried while being fed by a leader attached thereto. After cutting the leader from the film, it is fed to the printing unit to print the images on the film onto photographic paper. A plurality of film stocking units are provided in a path from the film drying unit to the printing unit. Each stocking unit can selectively stock a single film or allow it to pass without stocking. A second film stocking unit can move laterally to change the film track. If a film requiring a long exposure time is present in the printing unit, the subsequent films that have been developed and dried can be stocked in the other film stocking units. Thus, continuous film developing operations are not interrupted.

Photographic processing machine

The leader attached to a web of film is cut from the film while processing the film in a photographic processing machine. Before feeding the film to the printing unit, the leader is separated from the film. At a turning point where the film feed direction extending from the film drying unit to the printing unit changes, the film is fed straight ahead and the leader is cut off the film by a cutter. The film is fed back in a reverse direction and its end is turned up by a guide. When the printing unit gets vacant, the film without the leader is fed into the printing unit.

Method and means for separating leader from film in photographic

The films are developed and printed continuously and automatically even if the film feed direction in the film processor and the one in the printer are not in the same vertical plane. A film stocking unit is provided downstream of the film driving unit. The film stocking unit is movable to a position aligned with the film feed path extending to the printing unit. This increases the freedom or flexibility in arranging the film processor and the printer.

A photographic processing apparatus capable of printing films having different widths. An exposure unit for printing film images on photographic paper has a negative mask to guide the movement of the films. The negative mask is provided with a plurality of film guide paths which correspond to widths of the films. A transfer unit is provided to move the negative mask in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction of the film. Along the film feed path toward the negative mask are provided sensors to detect the film size. Printing is carried out in such a manner that after the film size has been detected by the sensors, the transfer unit is controlled by the signal from the sensors to bring one of the film guide paths which corresponds to the film size into alignment with the exposure axis.

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Wakayama, Japan

Hisashi Negoro