Agfa-gevaert Ag

Werner Von Stein

Wolfgang Zahn

Berthold Fergg

Walter Knapp

Wilfried Rauskolb

A copier for making prints from photographic negatives has two copying stations arranged in series. A filmstrip is conveyed through the stations in succession, and each negative of the filmstrip is scanned upstream of the copying stations. The data obtained upon scanning is analyzed to calculate the amounts of copy light for the negatives and to determine whether the respective negatives are to be copied under standard conditions or nonstandard conditions. Masters requiring standard conditions are normally copied in the upstream copying station and pass through the downstream station without being copied. On the other hand, masters requiring nonstandard conditions are transported through the upstream station without being copied and are subsequently copied in the downstream station.

Copying of film under different conditions

A device for use in connection with an electronically controlled photographic printer is described which singles out from an advancing band of original copies those which are unsuitable for reproduction. The device includes a splice sensor for indicating the end or the beginning of an order, a sensor of individual pictures in each order, and a quality (sharpness) sensor. A resettable counter is connected to the splice sensor and to the picture scanner to produce an output pulse after a predetermined number of pictures or after the beginning or end of the order. The output pulse is applied to a selection logic circuit which has adjustable sensitivity levels. The selection logic circuit is controlled by the quality sensor to produce a 'print' or 'non-print' output pulse applied to the printer-controlling electronics. The output pulse from the counter is controlled by switching means to adjust the sensitivity level in the selection logic circuit so as to either ignore the signals from the quality sensor or to adjust the selection circuit to a lower sensitivity for responding to the quality signals.

Device for singling out non-reproducible copies fed in a photographic

A color print machine, which makes prints from developed color film, is provided with an automatic exposure control system. A memory stores control signals for adjusting the automatic exposure control system for predetermined differing color film types and is addressable for selecting the control signals to be furnished for the color film type involved. The color film is provided with machine-readable film-type identifying code markings prior to printing. A code-marking scanner performs machine-reading of the film-type identifying code markings and generates corresponding film-type signals. The memory is addressed, thereby selecting the control signals to be furnished to the automatic exposure control system for the particular color film type involved, in automatic response to the film-type signals.

Method and apparatus for making color prints in automatic dependence

Groups of several successive film frames of an exposed and developed photographic film are examined seriatim at an inspecting station which is located ahead of an encoding station or immediately ahead of the copying station in a photographic copying machine. An attendant examines the frames of a group at the inspecting station and actuates one or more buttons on a control panel in order to produce signals which are indicative of necessary adjustment of exposure controls for copying of certain frames. The buttons are actuated subsequent to depression of selected connecting knobs which form a row along the group of frames at the inspecting station and whose mutual spacing is less than the length of a frame; this insures that at least one knob is in register with each frame of a group at the inspecting station. The depression of a knob insures that the buttons on the control panel can transmit signals to the corresponding stage of a shift register. The stored signals are advanced through successive stages of the shift register, and the last stage transmits the signals to the encoding mechanism at the encoding station or directly to the exposure controls of the copying machine, always simultaneously with arrival of the corresponding film frame at the encoding or copying station.

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Werner Von Stein