Film sheet load magazine

Abstract

A film sheet load magazine is adapted to hold a stack of superimposed films with at least central portions of the films in a curved configuration and leading ends of the films adjacent a film separator mechanism. The curvature of the films is such that they retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independent of the orientation of the films with respect to gravity. When a top cover of the magazine is opened, floating primary feed rollers are raised by spring-biasing assemblies to facilitate loading of the films under the rollers, and when the top cover is subsequently closed, the rollers are moved into feeding engagement with an innermost film, and the films are held in position by leaf biasing springs. A cleaning mechanism removes contaminants from the primary feed rollers, which feed each film to secondary feed rollers driven at a faster speed than the primary feed rollers. A number-of-films-remaining mechanism, which may be of a mechanical or electrical type which is adjustable for films of different thicknesses, and which is automatically preset to the number of films in the magazine upon closing of the cover, is responsive to downward movement of the primary feed rollers as each innermost film is fed from the stack. A system also is provided for indicating if enough films remain in the magazine for a particular film processing operation and to inhibit operation of an associated device if insufficient films remain. The magazine may be self-driven or driven from an associated device.