Eastman-kodak Company

Other

Joseph A Watkins

Duane B Kirk

Michael L DeCecca

Mark D Garlock

Thomas A Sisson

Stephen M Reinke

James C Foote, Jr

Jude A SanGregory

Joseph E Yokajty

Dennis R Zander

William G Hoyt

Lyndon R Huttemann

Peter A Wacht

Thomas A Cipolla

David H Lancy

Thomas P Melanson

Matthew Stanzione

David C Smart

James G Rydelek

Douglas H Pearson

Jayson J Nelson

Thomas W Glanville

William C Lebbon

Jacob M Shmois

Robert F Allen

Dean B Campbell

James Edmund Fredell

Paul E Bailey

Robert L Huseby

Thomas E Stark

Robert F Zwaap

Lyndon R Hutteman

Stephen D Marra

Gerald A Vergari

Paul D Shallenberger

James J Parker, Jr

Robert J Blank

Willliam G Hoyt

William E Payment

A winding apparatus has a rotary element, such as a core, that is rotatable about a winding axis. A roller is disposed adjoining the rotary element. The roller and rotary element together define a nip. A guide shoe has a chute wall and a plenum. The chute wall is aligned with the nip. The chute wall has an inner end disposed between the roller and the rotary element and an outer end spaced from the roller. The chute wall has a plurality of bores communicating with the plenum. In use, gas blown through the bores propels a web to the nip in a fluid film. The free end of the web is guided from an outfeed end of the nip in a loop to a second position adjoining the inner end of the guide shoe. During the guiding, the rotary element is rotated against the loop. This continues until the web overlaps and is cinched.

Winding apparatus having Bernoulli guide shoe leading into roller-core nip and method

A registration mechanism has a datum unit and a bolster movable toward and away from the datum unit. First, second, and third pins are mounted to the bolster. At least one spring resiliently biases the pins outward from the bolster. A pallet is supported by the pins between the bolster and datum unit. The pallet has first, second, and third sockets aligned with respective pins. The pallet has a registering face-facing the datum unit. The registering face is disposed opposite the sockets. The pallet is movable by the bolster toward the datum unit from a lowered position. In the lowered position, the registering face is spaced from the datum unit and respective pins and sockets are spaced apart. In a first intermediate position, the registering face is spaced from the datum unit, and the sockets rest freely on respective pins. In a second intermediate position, respective sockets and pins are pressed together in partial counteraction of the resilient biasing. In a raised position, the registering face and datum unit are clamped together and the sockets are immobilized relative to the pins.

Registration mechanism and method

In a camera frame assembly, a frame includes a film return chamber, a film roll chamber spaced apart from the film return chamber, and a midsection extending between the chambers. The midsection has a pair of film guide surfaces that define a film path between the chambers. A holdfast is joined in fixed relation to the midsection adjacent the film roll chamber. The holdfast extends outward from the midsection toward the film path. The holdfast is fully outside the film path. A film unit has a film holder and a filmstrip. The film holder is seated in the film return chamber. The filmstrip has a leading portion having a free end and a grip adjoining the free end. The filmstrip has a main portion adjoining the leading portion. The filmstrip is movable between a first position in which the grip engages the holdfast and a second position in which the main portion occupies the film path and extends from one of the chambers to the other. A camera and transportable camera intermediate likewise have a holdfast and grip.

Camera having a filmstrip holdfast spaced apart from a film path and transportable camera intermediate

In a film camera production method, a leading portion of a filmstrip is draped across a midsection of a camera frame. The camera frame has a film roll chamber joined to the midsection. A free end of the leading portion is lodged in the film roll chamber and a retention zone of the filmstrip is placed in engagement with a retention structure mounted to the frame. The retention zone adjoins the free end. The retention structure is fixed in position on the frame. The engagement of the retention zone and retention structure locks the leading portion against longitudinal travel toward the film roll chamber. The frame is transported and, during the transporting, the engagement of the retention zone and retention structure is maintained. Following the transporting, the retention zone is pulled off the retention structure.

One-time use camera assembly process having filmstrip anchored during camera frame assembly transport

A partially assembled one-time-use camera includes a film section that longitudinally extends from a rotatable film winding spool in a film cartridge and that is engaged with a rotatable metering sprocket, and a separate rear cover part that is to be placed over the film section and the film cartridge and is constructed to prevent the film section from retracting out of engagement with the metering sprocket. The film winding spool is rotatable in a film winding direction to wind the film section into the film cartridge. If the film cartridge is allowed to rotate in the film winding direction before the rear cover is placed over the film section and the film cartridge, the film section will retract out of engagement with the metering sprocket. Consequently, a cartridge retention piece is positioned against the film cartridge to prevent the film cartridge from being rotated in the film winding direction. This prevents the film section from retracting out of engagement with the metering sprocket when the rear cover part is not placed over the film section and the film cartridge.

One-time-use camera with cartridge retainer to ensure film-on-sprocket retention during camera assembly

In a production method and system, a set of camera frame assemblies are partially assembled and a film unit is loaded. Each camera frame assembly is disposed on a pallet. Each pallet has a unique machine-readable designator. Defects are found in one or more members of the set of camera frame assemblies and a record is made of the respective designators of the pallets bearing the camera frame assemblies having defects. Assembly of the camera frame assemblies is then concluded. Afterward, camera frame assemblies on pallets having designators in the record of defects are culled. The assembly has the pallets, a transporter, a plurality of assembly devices, a series of defect inspectors, and an alteration unit that prepares for culling film rolls of camera frame assemblies having defects. The alteration unit transmits camera frame assemblies that are free of the defects without the preparing.

Camera film loading with delayed culling of defective cameras

A registration mechanism has a datum unit and a bolster movable toward and away from the datum unit. First, second, and third pins are mounted to the bolster. At least one spring resiliently biases the pins outward from the bolster. A pallet is supported by the pins between the bolster and datum unit. The pallet has first, second, and third sockets aligned with respective pins. The pallet has a registering face facing the datum unit. The registering face is disposed opposite the sockets. The pallet is movable by the bolster toward the datum unit from a lowered position. In the lowered position, the registering face is spaced from the datum unit and respective pins and sockets are spaced apart. In a first intermediate position, the registering face is spaced from the datum unit, and the sockets rest freely on respective pins. In a second intermediate position, respective sockets and pins are pressed together in partial counteraction of the resilient biasing. In a raised position, the registering face and datum unit are a clamped together and the sockets are immobilized relative to the pins.

A transfer apparatus has a table having a sequence of datum units. A transporter is aligned with the table. The transporter is incrementally advanceable past each datum unit. The transporter can carry pallets. A rigid bolster, that moves separately from the transporter, is aligned with the transporter and table. The bolster is movable relative to the table between a lowered position and a raised position to the lift and lower the pallets. The bolster is synchronized with the transporter so that the pallets can be lifted and lowered in each of a sequence of stations. A plurality of locating units are joined to the bolster. Each locating unit is aligned with a respective datum unit. The bolster lifts the pallets on the locating units and clamps the pallets against the respective datum units. A manufacturing system includes the transfer apparatus, pallets, a series of manufacturing stations, and a conveying system for moving the pallets through the manufacturing stations and transfer apparatus.

Dark box-transfer apparatus and manufacturing system

Method and apparatus for testing wind and trip in camera units for use with photographic film. Each camera unit encloses and defines a film path and includes a film driven preset member and a film spindle. The preset member extends into the film path. In the method, the film spindle of the camera unit is wound; and, in tandem with the winding, a film surrogate is propelled along the film path from a position upstream from the preset member to a position downstream from the preset member. During the propelling, the film surrogate is maintained in the film path.

Camera wind and trip testing methods and apparatus

A method and apparatus for assembling a camera. In the method, a film cartridge is positioned in a cartridge chamber of a camera frame assembly having a rear opening, a thumbwheel, and an active light lock closer. A spool of the cartridge and a film advance are engaged. A leading portion of a filmstrip is advanced out of the cartridge. The spool of the cartridge is turned in a rewind direction for the cartridge. Withdrawal of the leading portion of the filmstrip back into the cartridge, is prevented during the turning.

Spool repositioning apparatus for camera assembling and methods

A camera frame assembly, for use with a roll of photographic film. The camera frame assembly has a frame having a film take-up chamber, a film roll chamber, and an intermediate section between the chambers. The film roll chamber defines a cylindrical film space. The film roll chamber has a throat exterior to the film space and a pair of opposed ends. A guard partially occludes the throat. The guard has a gate portion and a stem portion. The gate portion faces the intermediate section. The stem portion is joined in fixed relation to the throat. The stem portion has a pair of opposed margins. The margins are inset from the ends of the film roll chamber. The margins and the film roll chamber define at least one accessway extending through the throat and communicating with the film space.

One-time use camera having guarded film roll chamber

Method and apparatus for loading a filmstrip. The method includes the steps of: propelling the filmstrip into a cylindrical film space; curling the filmstrip into a film roll within the film space; during the curling, constraining the roll between a pair of opposed contact surfaces; and during the constraining, rotating the contact surfaces about a pivot axis transverse to a film roll axis.

Rotating hook film loader and method

A camera frame assembly for use with photographic film. The camera frame assembly has a pair of path subenclosures. Each subenclosure has a platen subunit and an intermediate section subunit joined in fixed relation to the platen subunit. The path subenclosures are joined together with the platen subunits in alignment and the intermediate section subunits in alignment, such that the platen subunits form a platen for the photographic film and the intermediate section subunits form an intermediate section overlying the platen.

Camera frame assembly having monolithic subenclosures

A method for forming a film scroll and assembling the film scroll into a non-lighttight camera body begins in a darkroom by winding a filmstrip into a film feed roll from a filmstrip source, such as a stockroll onto a winding quill after attaching a formed leading portion thereto. According to the present invention, an outer end of the film feed roll is attached to a film spool of a film cartridge to form a prewound scroll and cartridge assembly for loading into respective chambers of the non-lighttight camera body section. A cover is then fixed to the camera body section to make the camera lighttight.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Joseph A Watkins