Eastman-kodak Company

William G Hoyt

Joseph A Watkins

Stephen M Reinke

James C Foote, Jr

Thomas A Cipolla

Susan L Light

David Lynn Patton

Edgar G Earnhart

Luke T Faulstick

Michael William Didas

William C Lebbon

Lyndon R Huttemann

Robert F Allen

Victoria Lynn Decker

David H Lancy

Dean B Campbell

Thomas E Stark

Lyndon R Hutteman

Paul E Bailey

Robert L Huseby

Thomas J VanNess

Alan E Hoak

Dennis L Segur

Richard N Palczyk

Nadine N Muehlbauer

Virginia M Moszkowicz

Thomas R Kolankiewicz

A computer-based method of determining a thermal exposure of a product disposed within a shipping container to determine whether a conditioned environment is required for shipping. A shipping route is defined from a first geographic location to a second geographic location. The thermal characteristics of the shipping container are provided, as is a historical weather database. Ambient temperatures, cloud cover and humidity from the historical weather database are retrieved which correspond to the shipping route. A system of mathematical equations are generated to correspond the retrieved ambient temperature to an ambient temperature within the shipping container and to the product temperature. The corresponding product temperature is compared to a thermal exposure profile for the product to determine if the corresponding product temperature is within the thermal exposure profile.

Method for determining thermal exposure of a product

A reusable container for a photographic film includes a body section having an open end, and a cap for covering the open end including an engagement portion for engaging the open end of the container body. According to the invention, the engagement portion of the cap includes a circumferential rib member for engaging a corresponding recess of the body for releasably securing the cap to the body, as well as a separately defined sealing surface having a radius which is larger than a corresponding sealing surface of the body in order to tightly seal and thereby prevent the significant passage of light, dust or moisture into the container when the cap is secured to the body of the container.

Film canister with independent sealing surfaces

A cartridge (10) of photographic medium includes a housing (14-24) having an interior volume (15); an exit slit (26) from the interior volume to an exterior of the housing; a photographic medium element (12) enclosed within the interior volume; an indicator (36-44) supported by one of the housing and the medium element, the indicator being responsive to a liquid reagent to change color and provide a visible indication of a status of the medium element; a source (46-52; 72-76; 90; 112) of the liquid reagent supported by the one of the housing and the medium element; and means (32, 34, 54-62; 778-86; 94-100; 22, 26, 28, 110) for causing flow of the reagent to the indicator upon movement of the medium element through the exit slit, whereby the indicator will change color and indicate the status. An indicator apparatus for mounting on a cartridge and a photographic medium supporting an indicator and source of reagent also are disclosed.

Photographic medium cartridge with chemically activated status indicator

A package system 10 for storing and transporting photographic film products in an environment substantially free of dirt, light and moisture has a support member 12 comprising a first portion 14, a medial portion and a second portion 16. The first and second portions 14,16 each comprise a plurality of spaced openings 24 for receiving a partial portion of the product in a substantially locked relation with the first and second portions 14,16, respectively to restrict translational movement of the product in the support member 12. A pair of spaced single foldable scored lines 17,19 in the medial portion of the support member 12 forms an end wall 20 therebetween that spatially separates the first portion 14 from the second portion 16. When product are nested in the first portion 14 of the support member 12 and the second portion 16 is brought into folded engagement with the an opposite portion of the nesting product, a container 30 is formed. The container 30 is then overwrapped and hermetically sealed with a flexible light shielding and moisture impervious barrier material to form the package 10.

Flexible photographic film package

A package structure 10 for storing and transporting photographic film magazines comprises a container 12 having a open end 24 and a base 14 supporting opposing end walls 16 and opposing side walls 20,24. Side walls 20,22 have a plurality of spaced apart recesses 32,34, respectively, forming chambers or receptacles 30, for frictionally receiving the end portion and the hub extending from the opposite end portion of the 135 photographic film magazines disposed therein. A lid member 26, made from a flexible opaque laminate material environmentally compatible with the container 12, is hermetically sealed to a flange member 42 formed in the top edge 28 of the end and side walls 16,20,22. The sealed package 10 protects the enclosed product from deleterious environmental effects, such as dirt, light and moisture, and is convenient to use.

Barrier package for photographic film products

First vacuum box (28a) receives web from supply roll (24) and passes web to drive sprocket (26) which feeds web to second vacuum box (28b) at rate demanded by winding station (12), thereby minimizing tension transients in web during windings. Vacuum shuttle (54) grips leading end (22b) of web in transversely curved configuration to stiffen the end for delivery to slot (20) in spool (14).

Apparatus for inserting leading end of web during spooling of strips of

An apparatus and method are provided for removing a very open shell (28) from a forming mandrel (76), the mandrel being configured so that when the shell is released from the mandrel, the shell springs to an open form. The apparatus includes a fixture (44) for receiving the shell from the mandrel after the shell has been formed and clamped in place, the fixture comprising a pair of spaced claw elements (308,310) having aligned openings (426) through which the mandrel and the shell can pass with the shell formed and clamped in place on the mandrel, the openings being sized to hold the shell in its open form due to the spring force of the shell, and a support (394) connected between the claw elements for maintaining the alignment of the openings. A universal mount (394,424) for the fixture enables it to be positioned accurately to receive the shell from the mandrel.

Apparatus and method for removing a very open shell from a forming

An apparatus and method are disclosed for forming a very open shell (28) having axially extending lips (20c,20t) spaced sufficiently far apart to permit a prewound spool of web material (10) to be inserted radially, laterally into the very open form shell, after which the shell is closed and end caps (24) are installed. Apparatus are disclosed for forming the very open form shell (40), transferring the shell to a mechanism for applying end caps (48), inserting a prewound spool of web material (56) into the very open shell, positioning the spool accurately within the shell (780-856), closing the shell about the spool (58) and staking the end caps in place (60).

Apparatus and method for forming and loading a magazine for prewound

Growing community of inventors

Churchville, NY, United States of America

William G Hoyt