US1897903A - Automatic control for photographic recording machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1933. R. s. HOPKINS 1,397,903

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 52 Roy Sffoplvzms,

0 50 l VW I Feb. 14, 1933. R. s. HOPKINS 1,897,903

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29, 1928 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 gwuewtor, Roy SHO JimS,

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 PATIENT OFFICE BOY S. HOPKINS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YO YORK, ASSIGNOR T EASTMAN KODAK BK, A coaroaa'rron ormw roar:

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOB. PHOTOGRAPHIO RECORDING MACHINES Application filed December 29, 1928. Serial No. 329,145.

This invention relates to recording machines and particularly to automatically controlled photographic recording machines. One object of my invention is to provide a machine of the type in which separate documents are fed to a conveyor, moved into the focal plane of a photographing apparatus, and then moved from the focal plane of the apparatus, and to provide a control which will prevent the operation of this machine except at suc'li'times as when film is properly positioned in the camera for exposure. Another object of my invention isto provide a controlling device which will prevent the operation of the conveyor in movingv documents into the focal plane of the recording apparatus when film is not. properly positioned for exposure. Still another object of my invention is to provide a means for antomatically preventing the operation of any part of the machine until film is properly positioned for exposure, and other objects will appear from the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

Coming now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote throughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a recording machine equipped. with an automatic control constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig.2 is an enlarged detail partly in section showing a preferred type of switch.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the switch mounting shown in Fig. 1 on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of a switch-operating lever with the parts in position for operating the machine.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the switch and switch-operating members shown in Fig. 1.

I" Fig. 6 is a View similar to' Fig. 4 with the parts in an inoperative position and,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic showingof a photographic recording machine which may be equipped with my invention.

F Inmy' copending application, Serial No. 237,467 for document photographing appalike parts ratus, filed December 3, 1927 a complete lay-out of a machine of a type which may be used with the present invention as shown. In this application, however, a slightly different type of film carrier is used, although the mechanism in the gear box of the present invention is the same as that shown in the above mentioned application.

Other'features of the photographic recording apparatus for which my automatic control was particularly designed are shown in two other applications filed herewith, Serial N 0. 329,143 for document conveying and photographing machine, filed Dec. 29, 1928, and Serial No. 329,144 for photographic camera and magazine construction, filed Dec. 29, 1928.

Since all of the'details of a photographic recording machine are shown in the above identified patent application and in the two applications filed herewith, I have shown in the present drawings only such parts as are necessary for a complete understanding of the automatic control.

Referring to Fig. 7 where there is 8. diagrammatic showing of a machine of the type described in my other patent applications, a conveyor 1 'is used to move documents from a document-directing means 2 into the focal plane 3 of a recording apparatus. This apparatus is shown broadly at 5 and is of a photographic type having an objective 6 and a" film holder 7.

The motor 8 supplies power and is constantly rotated when a switch 9 is closed providing film is properly positioned for exposure. If, however, the film magazine 7 is not in place or if the film has become exhausted, a lever 10 may operate a switch 11 to break the circuit, causing themotor 8 to stop.

A gear box 12 is provided with gears for intermittently moving a shaft 13 which drives suitable sprockets and which, through chains 14 and 15 operate the conveyor and therecording machine.

In Fig. 1 a recording apparatus is provided with a support 16 having a seat 17 for a film magazine 18, the magazine being adapted to slide into position upon a guiding post 19 and being located by a short 6st 120. This construction is fully describe 1n my copending application, Serial No. 329,144 above referred to.

The magazine may be held in operative position by means of a clamp 119 and may e equipped with a film supply spool 20 and a take-up spool 21, the film passing through suitable driving mechanism from the lower roll 'to the top roll, this latter roll' 'being preferabl driven through a power drive consisting o a pulley 22, belt 23 and second pulley 24, which drives a shaft 25 meshing with a shaft in the film ma azine. This structure is also fully describe in my above referred to copending application.

In order to automatically control the motor8, the following mechanism is employed. On one side of the magazine 18 there is provided a controlling segment 26, this member being mounted on a shaft 27 passing through shown by the arrow 6 p the casing and having an arm 28 on the inside of the casing with a roller 29 on the end of the arm.

This arm is spring ressed in the direction (Fig. 1) so that the roller will be ke t lying against the outer convolution o film F on the supply reel. On the outside of the casing, shaft 27 carries a pointer arm 30. This arm may move past a scale 31 which indicates the film footage on reel 20. The position of segment 26 is regulated by the position of the arm 28.

As will appear obvious from Fi 1, the. magazine 18 may be slid to and om its support 16 without in any way altering the position of the indicating device and controllin segment 26 above described.

, he support 16 has downwardly extending-arms 32 in which there are bearings 33 as best shown in Fig.3. In these bearings there are a pair of studs 34. These studs have shoulders 35 upon which levers 36 may freely turn, levers 36being normally thrust in the direction shown by the arrow by means of springs 37 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The lower ends 38 of levers 36 contact with a shaft 39 which is supported fixedly in a block 40 by means of the lock nuts 41.

The inner ends 42 of the studs 34 form bearings upon which a yoke 43 may turn. v This yoke supports the block40.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the block 40 is grooved at 44 and is provided with a pair of apertures 45. Lying in the groove 44 is a mercury switch 46 of a known type, this switch having a pair of terminals 38 and 38a.

When the mercury M covers both terminals as shown in Fig. 2, the circuit is made and when, as shown in Fig. 5, the mercury covers one terminal only, the circuit is broken.

As will be seen from Fig. 3, the switch may be swung upon its pivots 42 by means of the .lever 36, it may contact with the shaft 39. Levers 36 may be moved by studs 47 which lie in the path of the segments 26 and the position of these segments controls the zinc is used, a segment 26 is provided on.one

sideso that botlf' arms 36 may be used to control the mercury switch.

Referring to Fig. 4, if the full magazine is slid into position on the support 16, the

segment 26 will present a rounded periphcry 49 to the stud 47 of arm 36 and this lever will be.- swung against the force of spring 37 into position shown in Fig. 4. This will hold the mercury switch substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the contact is made.

To operate the machine it is then only necessary to close switch 9. This will cause the motor 8 to run and will cause the conveyor 1 and the photographing machine 5 to be intermittently operated.

As the film is gradually used up, the film will permit the controlling disc. 49 to turn until the stud 47 rides up the inclined surface 50 until the osition shown in Fig. 6 is reached at which thrust so far to the right of the supporting stud 34 that the mercury switch 46 will be moved to the full line position of Fig. 5 in which the circuit is broken. Surfaces 49 and 50 form a cam with'which stud 47 contacts.

As will be indicated in Fig. 5, two

59 arate means are provided for-operating d;

switch 46. In this figure it should be noticed that the lower end 38 of lever 36 does not contact with the shaft 39, since this shaft has been moved from member 38 by meansp a disc 56 pivoted at 57 to a bracket 58 supported by the top 59 of the recording machine.

Disc 56 may be moved into three positions. The position shown in Fig. 1 is the normal operating position. In this position the spring latch 60engages a notch 61 in the.

position the shaft 39 is periphery of the disc. When, however, the I disc is turned to an oif position notch 62 is engaged by the spring latch 60.

' The third position is for causing the machine to be operated continuously and this is accomplished through holding the handle 64 as far to the right (Fig. 1) as is possible.

This merely holds the switch 46 in a position in position to break the circuit, this being the position that is obtained by thrusting the handle 64 as far to the left possible, so that the spring latch 60 will engage notch 62. When the switch member 64 is moved to the position shown in Fig. l in full lines, the switch block 40 is permitted to swing back to the position shown in a dash and dot line (Fig. 5 in which position the movement is stopped y means of pin 35 coming into contact with arm 38 of lever 36.

With the mechanism above described, it will be evident that placing the film magazine 18 in the recording mechanism and seating the magazine in its seat 17 .causes the. controlling disc 26 to contact with the stud 47 of arm 36 and thus position the switch 46 for operation.

If there is sufiicient film in the magazine, the switch 46 will beheld in an operative position to make the circuit providing the magazine is properly seated. If it is not properly seated, the switch cannot be move to an operative position.

So long as film remains on the supply roll, switch 46 will continue to make the circuit but when the film becomes exhausted, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 6 and the switch 46 is locked upon its pivotal support 42 breaking the circuit. This, by stopping the motor, not only stops the operation of the recording camera, but also stops the movement of the conveyor so that the documents can no longer be fed into the chute 2 and this will immediately call the attention of an operator to the fact that afresh supply of film is required. It is, therefore, impossible to continue to feed docu-' ments into the machine for recording under the impression that they are being photogra hed.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1; In a camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a removably mounted magazine adapted to carry film on supply and take-up spindles, connections between the power driven camera mechanism and the take-up spindle and means carried by the magazine and automatically cooperating wiih the camera through movement of the magazine into the camera for controlling the power drive.

2. In a camera including operative mech-- anism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a removably mounted magazine adapted to contain film on supply and take-up spindles, connections between the power driven camera mechanism and the take-up spin- (Fig. 1) as is' dle, a movably mounted controller carried by the magazine and adapted to move in accordance with the amount of film in the magazine, and means on the camera adapted to be automatically engaged by said controller through movement of the magazine into the camera and adapted to be regulated through the controller for controlling the powerdrive.

3. he camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a removably mounted magazine adapted to carry film on supply and take-up spindles, connections between the take-up spindle and the power driven .camera mechanism, a cam mounted on the magazine, a shaft supporting the cam passing through the magazine, connections between the shaft and the coil of film carried by the magazine for moving the cam, and means lying in the path of the cam adapted to be automatically engaged by-moving the magazine into the camera and adapted to be operated by said cam for controlling the power drive.

In a camera including an operative mechanism, a power drive for the operative mechanism of the camera, a removably mounted magazine adapted to carry film on supply and take-up spindles, connections between the take-up spindle and the power operated camera mechanism, a cam mounted on a shaft passing through the magazine, an arm carried by the shaft and means on the end of the shaft adapted, to contact with the film carried by the magazine, a swinging switch arm mounted on the camera and adapted to contact with the cam carried by the mag-- azine whereby the power drive may be controlled through the film in the magazine.

5. In a camera including operative mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated thereon and to contain a take-up and supply spindle and film attached thereto, a power drive for the camera mechanism, connections between the power driven camera mechanism and the take-up spool, a film contacting member adapted to move as film is moved relative to a spool, a controller operable through the film contacting member, a pivoted mercury switch included in a circuit controlling the power drive and means for moving the switch through the controller.

6. In a camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for the camera operating mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated on the camera and to contain film, a pair of film supports, means for moving one film support, connections between said movable film support and said power driven camera mechanism, a film contacting member adapted to be moved as the film is moved relative to the film supports, a controller operable through the film contacting member, a pivoted mercury switch included in a circuit controlling the power drive, and means for moving the switch through the controller,

a second means for moving the switch includ ing a handle adapted to be manually actuated, 7. In a camera including operative mecha= nism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated on i the camera and to contain film, film supports carried by the magazine, connections between i one film support and the camera mechanism adapted to be driven by power, a film contact- 19 ing member adapted to be moved as film is moved from one support to the other, a controller operable through the film contacting member, a pivoted mercury switch included in a circuit controlling the power drive, 35 means for moving the switch through the controller, a second means for moving the switch including a handle adapted to be manually actuated, the connections between the two means for moving the switch and the piv- 29 oted mercury switch being such that the second mentioned means is operable only whgn the controller is in position to be operate 8. In a camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated on the camera and to contain a coil of film, a pair Y of supports adapted to support the film, one support being adapted to be rotated by pow- 30 er, connections between the rotatable support and the power driven camera mechanism, a film contacting member adapted to be moved as film is'moved from one support to the other, a controller operable through the film contacting member, a pivoted mercury switch includediin a circuit controlling the power driving means for moving the'switch through the controller, a second means for moving the switch including a handle adapted to be man- 40 ually actuated at a lost motion connection between the second means for moving the switch and whereby the first switch operating means may move independently of the second switch operating means. Signed at Rochester, New York this 21st.

day'o'f December, 1928. V ROY S. HOPKINS. I

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