Other

Slide Management Systems, Inc.

Owen L Lamb

William R Maclay

A computer-controlled slide projector tray unloader for use with a slide archival storage system. A slide magazine (10) is placed below a slide gate (7). A tray (9) is held above the slide gate such one of the compartments coincides with the slide gate. A transporting mechanism (30) at the slide gate (7) transports a slide from the selected one compartment of the tray such that the slide drops into the magazine (10). An advance mechanism is provided for advancing the tray to position a particular compartment to coincide with the slide gate. A Tray Table maintained by software running on the computer associates a unique location number for each one of the plurality of compartments of the tray with a previously assigned serial number, each serial number identifying a slide stored in a compartment of the tray. A Current location number generator operative in connection with the advancing mechanism generates a current location number which represents the unique location number of the slide compartment currently coinciding with the slide gate (7). The tray is advanced until the generated location number matches the location number in the Tray Table corresponding to the desired slide.

Method and apparatus for unloading slide projector trays

A computer-controlled slide previewer, sorter, projector tray loader and archiving system. Slides are held in a stack in a hopper in a known sequence. A slide release mechanism is provided to deliver one slide from the stack of slides to a position over one of a plurality of sorting bins or compartments of a projector tray. An accession number is derived for each slide either from a number read from a label affixed to the slide or from the relative position of the slide in the hopper. This accession number is transmitted to a sorting logic. In accordance with a sort algorithm using the accession number, the sorting logic positions the appropriate bin or compartment to receive the slide. The sorting logic then activates the release mechanism to deliver the slide into the bin or compartment positioned to receive the slide. The computer records the number of the bin or projector tray, the slide's accession number, and the relative position of the slide in the bin (or projector tray) for use in future retrieval of the slide.

Slide archival storage and retrieval system

A slide previewer/sorter/stack loader having a holder (18) which is adapted to receive two photographic slides in first and second receptacles at one end thereof. The holder is initially positioned at an angle above horizontal so that a first slide placed on a chute (16, 17) will drop into the first receptacle by force of gravity. When in the initial position, the slide in the holder is illuminated by a back light so that the slide can be previewed through a window in the holder and edited. The holder pivots in such a manner that the second receptacle can be positioned over a slide slot (28) above a projector. Means (26) are provided to restrain the slide in the first receptacle during transit from the initial viewing position to the position wherein the second receptacle is positioned over the slide slot. A second slide in the projector is forced upward by the projector slide lifter mechanism into the second receptacle in the holder, and is retained therein by a latch (52). The holder is then moved by the projector tray indexing mechanism (78) to position the first receptacle over the slide slot. The first slide in the first receptacle is then lowered into the projector by the projector slide lifter mechanism for projection. The holder is then returned to its initial position, and the second slide drops out of the second receptacle into a bin in a tray (29). The cycle is repeated to project successive slides.

Slide previewer, sorter, and stack loader

A slide previewer/tray loader having a holder which is adapted to receive a photographic slide at one end thereof. The holder is initially positioned at an angle above horizontal so that the slide will drop into the holder by force of gravity. When in the initial position, the slide in the holder is illuminated by a back light so that the slide can be previewed and edited. The holder pivots in such a manner that the slide can be moved to a vertical position over a slide tray slot. Means are provided to restrain the slide in the holder during transit from the initial viewing position to the position over the slide tray slot. The restraining means releases the slide to allow it to drop into the tray slot.

Slide previewer and tray loader

A slide viewer/sorter having a chute oriented at an incline to horizontal which is adapted to receive a photographic slide at one end. The slide drops by force of gravity to a viewing station where it is held by a detent. After viewing the slide the detent is actuated to release the slide which is transported by force of gravity to the lower end of the chute where it drops into a first receptacle. The first receptacle is rotatably mounted so that it can be moved out of the way, thus allowing the slide to drop further down into a second receptacle, having a number of bins. The second receptacle is mounted so that any bin can be positioned under the chute. This allows the operator of the viewer/sorter to sort the slides into two or more different stacks.

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Scotts Valley, CA, United States of America

Owen L Lamb