US3417934A - Mat processing registration device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1968 e. u. PALM MAT PROCESSING REGISTRATION DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1966 INVENTOR. GEORGE U. PALM A TTORNE YS United States Patent 3,417,934 MAT PROCESSING REGISTRATION DEVICE George U. Palm, San Jose, Calif., assignor to Mark Systems, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. Filed Oct. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 589,442 5 Claims. (Cl. 242-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A system for simultaneous positive-negative processing of a film of the Bimat type in which separately metered sprocket holed mat and film materials are fed under tension through synchronized, separate, spaced-apart sprockets to obtain sprocket hole registry of the mat and film and thence are fed in a converging angle for mating in sprocket hole registration onto a processing reel.

This invention relates to a processing machine for use with Bimat type film and mat materials and is more specifically related to a processor for use in perforated motion picture type film.

Eastman Kodak and possibly others have developed a film process by which a film carrying a photographic emulsion is processed to render an independent negative and a positive of the image photographed. The process is referred to as the Bimat type process of Eastman Kodak and generally comprises the use of a mat of film carrying an emulsion which is soaked in a processing solution. Processing of the initial negative and the rendition of a positive are accomplished by mating the emulsion side of the negative film with the emulsion side of the developer fluid carrying mat. When the film and the mat are compressed together, processing occurs by causing the relatively unexposed portions of the exposed film to be transferred onto the mat and the relatively exposed portions of the emulsions to be retained on the film. There is, of course, a gradation of control which provides the more or less continuous tone image characteristic of the ordinary contrast of standard photographic materials. After processing, both the mat and the film must be separated which is accomplished by rewinding the two materials on separate reels.

When the film and the mat are joined together, they are conventionally done so on a spool with the emulsion side of the mat and the film being in face to face relation. The two materials, of necessity, on a spool result in the outer of the two materials having a greater linear length per revolution than the inner because the outer film is wrapped on a wider peripheral base. In some processing, the aforesaid error results in a smaller variation in image size and poses no particular problem; however, in the case of motion picture film Which is formed with sprocket holes in which the frames are in registration with the holes, the aforesaid factor becomes an acute problem because the sprocket holes on the outer wrap cannot retain registration with the frames. The problem is also amplified due to the fact that the error is accumulative and increases with each convolution.

The object of this invention is to provide a device which will register the mat and the film in sprocket hole registration immediately prior to the two materials being joined and wound onto the processing reel and to maintain the registration throughout the processing.

In the present invention, the mat and the film materials are referenced to sprocket holes and, thereafter, while in registration, are maintained each under sufficient tension to cause the two materials to be differentially stretched into a registered position on the takeup or processing spool.

A feature and advantage of this invention lies in the 3,417,934 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 fact that all error of registration on the takeup spool is eliminated. Furthermore, any eror that might result from an initial misalignment of the mat and film cannot accumulate.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sprocket hole registering device in which the film and the mat are fed from synchronized sprockets in which a braking force is applied to the sprockets of sufiicient intensity to cause both the mat and the film to be wound onto the takeup or processing spool under tension.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view.

In the developing of mat film material, the mat and film are joined together with emulsions in pressure contact onto a takeup or processing spool. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film is mounted on a partially braked supply spindle 16 and the mat 17 is mounted on its partially braked supply spindle 18. Both the film and the mat are provided with respective sprocket holes 20. A sprocket hole registering device A is arranged to register the film 15 and mat 17 by virtue of a sprocket 22 having sprocket teeth 23 engaged with sprocket holes of film 15 and sprocket 24 having sprocket teeth 23 arranged to engage the sprocket holes 20 of mat 17. The two sprockets 22 and 24 are mounted on shafts 26 and 27 which are in turn interconnected by gears 28 and 29. Gears 28 and 29 provide positive synchronization of the two sprockets 22 and 24 so as to insure the maintenance of frame registration between the two materials. Film 15 and mat 17 are then wound onto the takeup spool or drum assembly B. Pressure roller 30 is arranged to compress the mat and film together at the point of tangential contact onto the takeup spool 31 of the takeup spool assembly B. Takeup spool 31 is driven on a shaft 33 which is driven by a motor of conventional design indicated schematically by arrow 34. Pressure roller 30 is biased by a spring mechanism 38 to provide controlled pressure to force the two emulsion sides of film 15 and mat 17 into compressed relationship at their point of tangency on spool 31. The sprocket guide mechanism is further provided with an idler roller 40 which guides film 15 into positive engagement with sprocket 22 and a pressure roller 41 is provided to maintain the film in engagement with sprocket 22 until discharged. A similar idler roller 43 and pressure roller 44 is arranged in conjunction with sprocket 24 for mat 17.

A controlling brake mechanism is arranged with a gear 51 engaged with the teeth of gear 29 to provide a positive braking or restrictive force for the two gears 28 and 29. Brake mechanism 50 may be of the type having a constant drag or, preferably, can be formed to have a variable drag or load such as would be obtained by electrostatic or magnetic clutch arrangements so that the braking force for the two sprockets 22 and 24 can be controlled to meet the particular demands of the processing operation.

It is important in operation that the braking force applied to the film indicated as T accomplished by appropriately braking spindle 16 be sufiicient to maintain the film in taut condition at all times during the processing. The total braking force from the drag of spindles 16 and 18, as can be seen, will be the sum of T and T Therefore, the braking force applied by brake mechanism 50 must be great enough to maintain tension on film 15, otherwise the film would slacken and registration on takeup reel 31 would be lost.

As can be seen, mat 17 is arranged on the outer convolute of the mat and film pairs and thus must be stretched sufliciently to conform to the greater peripheral length required for registration on takeup spool 31. The stretching occurs because of the resistance or braking action atforded by sprocket 24. Thus sprocket 24 functions to restrict mat 20 to a point where it must stretch sufiiciently to allow the sprocket holes to register with the sprocket holes of film 15 as it is wrapped on takeup spool or drum 31. It is believed obvious that the film 15 and the mat 17 can be reversed and still maintain the same function.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole hearing film materials in face to face relation onto a common takeup spool with the sprocket holes of each of the film materials being in mutual registration on the takeu spool comprising: a pair of independently rotatable spindles, each adapted to eceive one of the two film materials; a pair of sprockets each arranged to receive one of the two film materials from the pair of spindles, said sprockets each having sprocket teeth adapted to engage the sprocket holes of the film materials, interlocking means interconnecting said sprockets to synchronize the rotational rate thereof to maintain the sprocket teeth of each of said sprockets in registration with each other, a takeup spindle adapted to receive the film material metered from said sprockets in face to face relation, means to rotate said takeup spindle, means to restrict rotation of said sprockets sufficiently to maintain at least some tension on each said film material against said sprocket as the film material is Wound onto the takeup spool on said takeup spindle, said sprockets being spaced to meter each of said film materials in spaced apart relation, roller means mounted tangentially against said takeup spool to compress said film materials together at the point said film materials are Wound on said takeup spool.

2. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials in face to face relation onto a common takeup spool with the sprocket holes of each of the film materials being in mutual registration on each of the takeup spools comprising: a pair of film metering means, each of said metering means engaged with one of the two film materials, means to rotate said takeup spool to draw the film material metered from said metering means onto the takeup spool, synchronizing means interconnecting said metering means to synchronize the metering of the two film materials in sprocket hole registration, and brake means connected to said metering means to retard the metering of said film materials against the pull therefrom by said takeup spool sufficiently to maintain tension on both of said film materials during the transfer from said metering means to said takeup spool to thereby maintain the sprocket hole registration of the two film materials on said takeup spool, said pair of metering means arranged in spaced apart relation to maintain said film materials in spaced apart relation When metered from said metering means, and said takeup spool being arranged to join said film materials in face to face touching relation at a point tangential of said spool.

3. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials in face to face relation onto a common takeup spool according to claim 2 and wherein said metering means comprises a pair of sprockets and said synchronizing means comprises a geared interconnection between the sprockets.

4. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials in face to face relation onto a common takeup spool according to claim 2 and wherein said metering means comprises a pair of sprockets, and said synchronizing means comprises a geared interconnection between the sprockets, and wherein said brake means is connected to said gear to equalize the drag between the two sprockets.

5. A method of synchronizing sprocket holes of two motion picture type film materials comprising the steps.

of: metering each film from a separate supply source,

registering both film materials metered from the supply source in sprocket hole registration while maintaining said film materials in spaced apart relation, metering both film materials at an equal rate after registration, joining said two film materials in face to face relation as the film is wound onto a common reel and retaining the sprocket hole registrations of the two film materials by maintaining tension on both of said film materials during metering from the supply source.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1966 Custin 242 X 8/1967 Hackey 24267.3 X

U.S. Cl. X.R. 24267.2, 67.3

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