Film duplicator

Abstract

A duplicator for making copies of a microfiche master. The master is positioned at an exposure station and a supply of copy film stored on a roll is incremently advanced by a film drive located between the supply and the exposure station. During exposure the copy film is biased against the master by an overlying cover. Cutoff blades located immediately downstream of the exposure station sever each exposed segment of film after it is advanced past the exposure station. A single motor is used to sequentially advance, sever, and bias the film. The motor drives a rotatable element. A Geneva drive coupled to the rotatable element actuates the film drive; cam surfaces on the rotatable element displace a cam follower, the displacement of which is transmitted to a rotatable actuator element. The actuator element engages the film biasing cover and the cutoff blade. A tension roller between the roll of film and the film drive maintains the film taut, and upon advancement releases and reengages a brake to allow film to be unwound from the roll. The master is held at the exposure station on a transparent platen, and registered with respect to the platen by a retaining strip overlying an edge of the platen.