Negative film accumulating apparatus

Disclosed herein is a negative film accumulating apparatus for accumulating therein a plurality of negative films successively fed from a photographic printer or the like. The negative films fed from the previous process such as the photographic printer or the like are placed on a supporter employed in the negative film accumulating apparatus. The rear end of each of the negative films is pressed in the film thickness direction by a pressure block. Each of the negative films thus pressed is accumulated in a holder. The pressure block presses against the negative films each time the negative films are successively delivered. It is therefore possible to accumulate the rear ends of the negative films in the holder in a stack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a negative film accumulating apparatus for 
accumulating therein negative films delivered from equipment such as a 
printer, an automatic developing apparatus, etc. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
After an elongated negative film is fed to a printer and a process for 
printing the film has been carried out by the printer, an operator takes 
out the negative film from an outlet of the printer and hitches the same 
on a hook or the like. Therefore, it is necessary for the operator to take 
out each of a plurality of negative films each time a film printing 
process is finished when the negative films are supplied to the printer. 
Accordingly, the negative films are not automatically accumulated. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
With the foregoing in view, it is therefore an object of the present 
invention to provide a negative film accumulating apparatus for 
automatically accumulating therein negative films successively fed from a 
printer or an automatic developing apparatus without causing damage to a 
surface on which an image is formed. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 
negative film accumulating apparatus for accumulating therein a plurality 
of films fed in consecutive order, comprising supporting means for placing 
the films thereon in a stack so as to support the same thereon, and 
holding means disposed on the supporting means, for holding therein both 
sides of respective delivery rear ends of the films placed on the 
supporting means so as to accumulate the films therein. 
According to the above-described construction of the present invention, the 
negative films successively fed from the printer or the automatic 
developing apparatus are placed on the supporting means. Then, delivery 
rear ends of the negative films placed on the supporting means are held in 
a stack within the holding means. Therefore, a bundle of the negative 
films thus accumulated can be delivered to the following process by simply 
taking out the holding means from the supporting means with all the films 
being still in an accumulated state. 
The present invention constructed as described above can bring about an 
excellent effect in that the negative films to be delivered in order from 
the printer or the automatic developing apparatus can automatically and 
successively be accumulated. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become apparent from the following description and the 
appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in 
which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of 
illustrative example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a negative film accumulating apparatus 10. In the 
negative film accumulating apparatus 10, a negative film F after a 
printing process has been completed by a printing unit 12 passes through a 
pair of nip-type feed rollers 14, 15, a sensor 16 and a pair of nip-type 
feed rollers 18, 19 all of which are disposed at the rear end of the 
printing unit 12 and is delivered toward a desired position. A support 
table 22 is disposed on the downstream side of the rollers 18, 19. The 
negative film F can be moved downstream while being guided by guides 22A, 
22B which are provided upright on both sides of the support table 22. An 
end of the support table 22 located on the upstream side thereof serves as 
a slanted portion 22C gradually slanted in a downward direction, whereas 
the leading end of the support table 22 on the upstream side thereof is 
placed below the roller 19. 
Mounted on the slanted portion 22C is a holder 24 serving as a film holding 
means. As shown in FIG. 4, the holder 24 is made from a plate-like member 
bent into a U-shape. Fabric tapes 26 are applied on the inner opposed 
surfaces of the vertically-bent side plates 24A, 24B of the holder 24. The 
space between the fabric tapes 26 on the inner opposed surfaces of the 
side plates 24A, 24B is identical to the width of the negative film F or 
slightly wider than the width thereof. The fabric tapes 26 have a 
plurality of interlocking lugs 28 protruding in an opposing relationship 
therefrom. As the interlocking lugs 28, for example, either slender fabric 
lines whose leading ends are bent and made of synthetic resins or looped 
slender fabric lines whose both ends are fixed to the fabric tapes 26 and 
which are made of synthetic resins can be used. Both edges of the negative 
film F are interposed between opposed adjacent interlocking lugs 28 so as 
to hold the negative film F in the holder 24. When the negative film F is 
held in a stacked state between the opposed fabric tapes 26, it can be 
moved in the longitudinal direction thereof by a relatively small force 
but cannot easily be moved in the thickness direction thereof. 
One leg of each of a pair of L-shaped protrusions 32 is fixedly mounted on 
the respectively corresponding side plates 24A, 24B. Another leg of each 
of a pair of L-shaped protrusions 32 have through holes 34 defined 
therethrough. Each of the through holes 34 is used to insert an 
interlocking pin 36 which projects from the slanted portion 22C 
therethrough. Accordingly, the holder 24 can easily be positioned and 
fixed to the support table 22. Further, a tongue 38 projects from a 
longitudinally-extending end of the holder 24. When the holder 24 is 
detached from the support table 22 together with the negative film F, it 
can be hitched on an unillustrated hook so as to be held in place with the 
longitudinal direction of the negative film F being turned to upward and 
downward directions. 
As shown in FIG. 2, a pressure block 42 is disposed above the support table 
22. Guide posts 44, which extend upright from the support table 22, extend 
through the pressure block 42. The pressure block 42 can be moved upward 
and downward along the guide posts 44, and is normally placed in the state 
shown in FIG. 3A in which it has been withdrawn to an upward position by 
an urging force of compression coil springs 47. 
An eccentric cam 48 is disposed on the top face of the pressure block 42, 
which is placed in an opposing relationship to the surface of the negative 
film F. A rotatable shaft 49 fixed to the eccentric cam 48 is coupled to 
an output shaft of a motor 51. Thus, when the motor 51 is energized, the 
eccentric cam 48 is activated to lower the pressure block 42 as shown in 
FIG. 3B against the urging force of the compression coil spring 47, 
thereby accumulating a delivery rear end of the negative film F within the 
holder 24 in the thickness direction thereof. 
The operation of the present embodiment will now be described below. 
The printed leading end of a negative film F which has been subjected to a 
printing process by the printing unit 12 passes through the nip-type feed 
rollers 14, 15, the sensor 16 and the nip- type feed rollers 18, 19 and is 
delivered onto the support table 22. While sliding on the support table 
22, the leading end of the negative film F is moved toward an end of the 
support table 22 on the downstream side thereof so as to hang down as 
shown in FIG. 1. When the printed rear end of the negative film F passes 
through the sensor 16, the motor 51 is energized to rotate the eccentric 
cam 48. As a result, the eccentric cam 48 presses the pressure block 42 
down, which, in turn, presses the rear end of the negative film F into the 
holder 24. When the pressure block 42 is lowered at this time in a state 
in which the rear end of the negative film F is being brought into contact 
with the roller 19 as illustrated in FIG. 3B, there is produced a force 
for pressing the rear end of the negative film F in a downward direction 
by the rotation of the roller 19, thereby making it possible to reliably 
carry out a process for accumulating the negative film F. 
Thus, the pressure block 42 serves to place the rear end of the negative 
film F on the support table 22 each time the negative film F is delivered 
from the printing unit 12. Therefore, printed rear ends of a plurality of 
negative films F are held in the holder 24 in a stacked state. When a 
predetermined number of negative films F have been accumulated in the 
holder 24, each of the L-shaped protrusions 32 is pulled from the 
interlocking pin 36 to take out the holder 24 from the support table 22, 
after which the holder 24 is hitched on a hook or the like using the 
tongue 38, thereby making it possible to carry out a process for holding 
the holder 24 in place. 
Next, FIGS. 5 through 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention. 
In the present embodiment, a line that is tangent between nip-type feed 
rollers 18 and 19 slopes downward. A negative film F delivered under this 
condition is slightly oriented downward and guided into slits 56, 57 
defined in opposed faces of guide blocks 54, 55 respectively. The slits 
56, 57 accommodate both edges of the negative film F therein, and hence an 
image portion formed in a transversely-extending central portion of the 
negative film F is brought into a non-contact state. 
The guide blocks 54, 55 respectively have guide shafts 58, 59 disposed 
along the transverse direction of the negative film F and extend 
therethrough. In addition, the guide blocks 54, 55 can be moved toward and 
away from each other. A pair of compression coil springs 62 mounted on the 
guide shafts 58, 59 respectively urges the guide blocks 54, 55 in the 
direction in which they approach each other. 
Then, opposed faces of the guide blocks 54, 55 at upper ends thereof are 
shaped in the form of tapered faces 54A, 55A. An upwardly and downwardly 
movable bracket 66 is interposed between the tapered faces 54A and 55A. 
The bracket 66 has opposed outer surfaces held in face-to-face contact 
with the tapered faces 54A, 55A, and upper ends bent in the horizontal 
direction, onto which a pair of sleeves 67 is fixedly mounted. The sleeves 
67 can be moved in upward and downward directions along a pair of guide 
posts 68 vertically disposed on a support table (not shown). In addition, 
the sleeves 67 are urged upward by a pair of compression coil springs 69. 
That is, the bracket 66 is normally urged in the direction in which it is 
pulled out from between time guide blocks 54 and 55. 
An eccentric cam 48 is disposed in confronting relation on an upper end 
face of a pressure bracket 54 fixedly mounted in the bracket 66. The 
eccentric cam 48 has a rotatable shaft 49 coupled to a motor 51 via a 
reduction gear train 72. Thus, when the motor 51 is energized, the 
eccentric cam 48 lowers the pressure bracket 64 and the bracket 66 so as 
to move the guide blocks 54, 55 away from each other and release the 
negative film F from between the tapered faces 54A and 55A to be pressed 
in the downward direction, thereby enabling the negative film F to be 
accommodated in a holder 24 disposed downwardly. 
The operation of the present embodiment will now be described below. 
A negative film F which has been subjected to a printing process passes 
through the nip-type feed rollers 18, 19 and is fed between the guide 
blocks 54 and 55. In this condition, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the guide 
blocks 54, 55 are placed under restraint in approaching to each other 
because the bracket 66 has been interposed between the tapered faces 54A 
and 55A. In addition, both edges of the negative film F are inserted into 
the corresponding slits 56, 57. When the sensor 15 detects that a printed 
rear end of the negative film F has passed therethrough, the motor 51 is 
energized to rotate the eccentric cam 48. Therefore, the pressure bracket 
64 and the bracket 66 are lowered to widen the guide blocks 54, 55 under 
pressure. As a result, both edges of the negative film F are released from 
restraint, and the negative film F is pressed in the direction of the 
thickness thereof by the bracket 66 and inserted into the holder 24. 
Further, when the motor 51 is energized, the bracket 66 is elevated again 
to return to the state shown in FIG. 6, thereby enabling the next negative 
film F to be delivered into the holder 24. Since the next negative film F 
thus delivered does not slide on the negative film F which has already 
been accommodated in the holder 24, no damage is inflicted on the surface 
of an image. Thus, a plurality of negative films F are successively 
superimposed on one another in a stack. The holder 24 is taken from the 
support table in the same manner as described above in a state in which 
the rear ends of the negative films F have been accumulated in the holder 
24, thereby making it possible to carry out the following process. 
The second embodiment describes a case in which the guide blocks 54, 55 are 
moved toward and away from each other. However, the guide blocks 54, 55 
may be moved toward and away from each other by making use of links, 
gears, screws, etc. as means other than the cam for holding the bracket 66 
in engagement with the tapered faces 54A, 55A. The guide blocks 54, 55 
employed in the second embodiment may be disposed, as a means for guiding 
an intermediate portion of the negative film F, on a horizontal region of 
the support table 22 employed in the first embodiment. At this time, the 
guide blocks 54, 55 for guiding the intermediate portion of the negative 
film F may simply be moved toward and away from each other. Further, since 
the pressure block 42 is activated to press the negative film F in its 
thickness direction so as to accommodate the same in the holder 24, it is 
not always necessary that the pressure bracket 64 and the bracket 66 shown 
in FIG. 6 be provided. It is simply necessary to use a mechanism for 
moving the guide blocks 54, 56 toward and away from each other. 
A third embodiment will now be described. The same elements of structure as 
those employed in the second embodiment are hereinafter identified by like 
reference numerals and the description of the elements will therefore be 
omitted. 
In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a line that is tangent between 
nip-type feed rollers 18 and 19 slopes downward in a manner similar to the 
second embodiment. A negative film F delivered under this condition is 
slightly oriented downward and guided into slits 56, 57 defined in opposed 
faces of guide blocks 54, 55 respectively. 
The guide blocks 54, 55 are fixed in a negative film accumulating 
apparatus. A length L of each of the guide blocks 54, 55, which extends 
along the longitudinal direction thereof (i.e., along the longitudinal 
direction of a negative film F), is slightly longer than a length M of a 
pressure block 82, which extends along the longitudinal direction thereof. 
The pressure block 82 has an upper end onto which a horizontal flange 82A 
is formed and a pair of sleeves 67 is fixed. The sleeves 67 can be moved 
upward and downward along vertically-disposed guide posts 68 and urged 
upward by a pair of compression coil springs 69. 
The guide posts 68 and the compression coil springs 69 have intermediate 
portions which extend through-holes 71 defined in the guide blocks 54, 55, 
respectively. The guide blocks 54, 55 and the guide posts 68 do not 
interfere with one another, and the guide blocks 54, 55 and the 
compression coil springs 69 do not interfere with one another. 
The pressure block 82 is inserted into a space S defined between the guide 
blocks 54 and 55. Namely, an eccentric cam 48 is correspondingly disposed 
on an upper end surface of the pressure block 82. The eccentric cam 48 has 
a rotatable shaft 49 which is coupled to a motor 51 via reduction gear 
train 72. When the motor 51 is energized to rotate the eccentric cam 48 by 
one rotation, the pressure block 82 is inserted into the space S from a 
position above the guide blocks 54, 55. Accordingly, the pressure block 82 
is moved upward and downward along a locus defined between a position 
above the guide blocks 54, 55 and a holder 24, which is located below the 
guide blocks 54, 55. 
Thus, a negative film F which is guided into the slits 56, 57 of the guide 
blocks 54, 55 and placed on the traveling locus of the pressure block 82, 
is pressed toward the holder 24 by the downward motion of the pressure 
block 82. 
At this time, the film F is bent along its transverse direction so as to 
produce flexion as seen in the longitudinal direction thereof. Therefore, 
the flexion of the film is canceled immediately after the film F is 
separated, i.e., disengaged, from the slits 56, 57 so that the film F is 
held in the holder 24 (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). 
The operation of the third embodiment will now be described below. 
When a negative film F which has been subjected to a printing process 
passes through the nip-type feed rollers 18, 19 and is fed between the 
guide blocks 54 and 55, both edges of the negative film F are inserted 
into the corresponding slits 56, 57. When a sensor- 15 detects that a 
printed rear end of the negative film F has passed therethrough, the motor 
51 is energized to rotate the eccentric cam 48 by one rotation. Therefore, 
the pressure block 82 is lowered (i.e., moved downward) from the state 
shown in FIG. 9 so as to enter the space S between the guide blocks 54 and 
55 (see FIG. 10A). Since the negative film F is pressed by the pressure 
block 82, the negative film F is bent along its transverse direction to 
produce flexion as seen in the longitudinal direction thereof. Both ends 
of the negative film F which extend in the transverse direction thereof 
are disengaged from the slits 56, 57 by the flexion (see FIG. 10B). 
As soon as both ends of the negative film F are disengaged from the slits 
56, 57, the negative film F is released from the flexion, so that both 
ends of the negative film F extending in the transverse direction thereof 
are held in the holder 24. Namely, the third embodiment is not constructed 
in such a manner that the guide blocks 56, 57 are moved toward and away 
from each other as in the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, the 
negative film F is bent along the transverse direction thereof so as to be 
separated from the slits 56, 57. Therefore, the negative film F is held in 
either the slits 56, 57 of the guide blocks 54, 55 or the holder 24, so 
that the negative film F is not at any time temporarily released from 
restraint. Thus, even if torsion develops in either the leading end of the 
negative film F or the intermediate portion thereof, no variation occurs 
in the negative film F, thereby making it possible to reliably hold the 
negative film F in the holder 24. 
Next, the pressure block 82 is elevated (i.e., moved upward) again to be 
withdrawn from the space S between the guide blocks 54 and 55, thereby 
enabling the next negative film F to be inserted into the holder 24. Thus, 
a number of negative films F are successively superposed one on top of 
another. The holder 24 is taken out from the support table in the same 
manner as described in the first and second embodiments in a state in 
which the rear ends of the negative films F have been accumulated in the 
holder 24, thereby making it possible to carry out the following process. 
In the third embodiment, the length L extending in the longitudinal 
direction of each of the guide blocks 54, 55 is slightly longer than the 
length M extending in the longitudinal direction of the pressure block 82. 
The negative film F can therefore reliably be disengaged from the slits 
56, 57 by the pressure block 82. Thus, when the length in the longitudinal 
direction of the pressure block 82 is long, the guide blocks 54, 55 can be 
lengthened correspondingly. 
Further, each of discrete guide blocks may be disposed, as a means for 
guiding an intermediate portion of the negative film F, on a horizontal 
region of the support table 22. In this case, the guide blocks for guiding 
the intermediate portion of the negative film F may independently be moved 
toward and away from each other. It is preferable to move the guide blocks 
toward and away from each other in synchronism with the operation for 
pressing the negative film F in the film thickness direction to 
accommodate the negative film F in the holder 24. 
Having now fully described the invention, it will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made without 
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth herein.