Pako Corporation

Warren J Osby

Armer J Willenbring

Gerald R Strunc

James W Gausman

A photographic film packing apparatus cuts film segments from a web of photographic film, partially overlaps the segments in a shingled manner, and conveys the segments in partially overlapping relationship into an insertion opening of a package, such as a customer order envelope. The apparatus advances the web a selected distance past a knife location, at which a knife assembly is located. The knife assembly severs a film segment from the web. The movement of the film segment is then reversed to cause a trailing edge of the film segment to be deflected downward out of the path of the leading edge of the web. The web is then advanced while the segment is maintained stationary until the web has overlapped the segment by a predetermined amount. The web and the film segment are then conveyed together toward the insertion opening until a desired cut location on the web is aligned with the knife location. The knife assembly then cuts another film segment from the web. As the apparatus continues to operate, additional film segments are partially overlapped in a similar manner until all segments corresponding to a customer's order are severed from the web. The film segments are conveyed in partially overlapping relationship into the insertion opening.

Photographic film packing apparatus

Cut lengths or segments of photographic strip material, particularly photographic film, are stacked as they are discharged from a photographic film cutter. The device for stacking the cut lengths includes a tray, an arm, a base, and a guide. The base is connected to the film cutter, and supports the film tray with the first end of the tray positioned closely to the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm is positioned in generally overlying position with respect to the tray and is pivotally connected to the tray at the second end of the tray furthest from the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm preferably has a 'W' shaped cross section which provides two lines of contact with the cut lengths of film which are deposited between the tray and the arm. The guide provides a guiding surface parallel to the path of the cut lengths along their front edges. The guide may take a plurality of positions to accommodate films of different widths. In addition, the tray may be mounted in a plurality of different positions with respect to the base to accommodate even further variation in film widths. Removal of the cut lengths of film is from the rear rather than from the front of the film tray assembly.

Film tray assembly for photographic film cutter

A film advancement system for use in a photographic film cutter includes a movable cursor which indicates, by its position, a desired feed length. A cursor position sensor senses the position of the movable cursor with respect to a reference position and provides a feed length signal indicative of the feed length desired. The film is advanced by a distance determined by the feed length signal.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Warren J Osby