Film tray assembly for photographic film cutter

Cut lengths or segments of photographic strip material, particularly photographic film, are stacked as they are discharged from a photographic film cutter. The device for stacking the cut lengths includes a tray, an arm, a base, and a guide. The base is connected to the film cutter, and supports the film tray with the first end of the tray positioned closely to the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm is positioned in generally overlying position with respect to the tray and is pivotally connected to the tray at the second end of the tray furthest from the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm preferably has a "W" shaped cross section which provides two lines of contact with the cut lengths of film which are deposited between the tray and the arm. The guide provides a guiding surface parallel to the path of the cut lengths along their front edges. The guide may take a plurality of positions to accommodate films of different widths. In addition, the tray may be mounted in a plurality of different positions with respect to the base to accommodate even further variation in film widths. Removal of the cut lengths of film is from the rear rather than from the front of the film tray assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to photographic processing equipment. In 
particular, the present invention relates to devices for stacking cut 
lengths of photographic strip material, such as photographic film. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In commercial photographic processing operations, very high rates of 
processing must be achieved and maintained in order to operate profitably. 
For that reason, many rolls of photographic film are typically spliced 
together for processing and printing purposes. After prints have been made 
from the photographic film, the individual customer's film must be 
separated from the large roll of film formed by the spliced-together film 
strips. Typically, the customer's film is cut into strips of several 
frames each so that the strips can be placed flat in an envelope together 
with the prints. 
Film tray assemblies have been developed in the past for use with 
photographic film cutters. These film tray assemblies receive the cut 
segments of photographic film and stack the segments which belong to each 
customer order. When all of the segments belonging to a particular 
customer order have been stacked, the operator removes the film from the 
film tray assembly and inserts the film segments into a customer order 
envelope. 
One type of film tray assembly which has been used in the past has a lower 
plate or tray and an upper plate or arm. The arm is pivotally connected to 
the tray at the end closest to the knife of the film cutter, or along the 
back edge of the tray and arm. The films are deposited between the tray 
and the arm. The film segments are removed from the front side of the 
assembly. 
This type of film tray assembly, however, has several disadvantages. First, 
the removal of the film by the operator has been somewhat awkward or 
inconvenient in practice. Second, many of the prior art film tray 
assemblies have been able to handle only a limited number of film widths. 
Third, some of the prior art devices have required springs which tend to 
break during use. Fourth, the stacking of the films by the prior devices 
has not been altogether satisfactory, the films are often staggered with 
respect to one another, and require alignment of their edges by the 
operator prior to insertion in the customer envelope. This, of course, 
reduces the efficiency of the entire process. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a device for stacking cut lengths of photographic 
strip material such as photographic film. The device includes a tray upon 
which cut lengths of photographic strip material are stacked, an arm 
positioned in generally overlaying position with respect to the tray, and 
connecting means for connecting the arm and tray. The first ends of the 
tray and the arm are positioned proximate the source of the photographic 
strip material, and the connecting means connects the arm and tray 
proximate their second ends. Removal of the stacked cut lengths is from 
the rear rather than the front of the assembly. 
In the preferred embodiments the arm has a generally "W" shaped cross 
section so that the arm contacts the cut lengths of photographic strip 
material on only two lines of contact. The connecting means connects the 
arm and the tray so that the arm may move away from the tray while 
maintaining the two lines of contact with the stacked cut lengths. 
The device of the present invention preferably further includes a base 
which underlies and supports the tray and guide means which are connected 
to the tray and the base for providing a guiding surface for the front 
edge of the cut lengths. The positions of the tray and the guide means 
with respect to the base are changeable to accommodate films of different 
widths.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In FIG. 1, photographic film cutter 10 is shown which utilizes a film 
stacking tray assembly 12 of the present invention. Film cutter 10 cuts 
individual lengths or segments of film from film strip 14, and the cut 
film segments are stacked in film tray assembly 12. In the embodiment 
shown in FIG. 1, both the top surface of film cutter 10 and film tray 
assembly 12 are inclined with respect to horizontal so that their front 
edges are lower than their rear edges. 
As shown in FIG. 1, film strip 14 is fed from supply roll 16, over roller 
18, bale arm 20, and arm 22 into a film track defined by rear film guide 
24 and front film guide 26. Rear guide 24 is fixed, while front guide 26 
is movable in direction transverse to the film path to accommodate various 
film widths. Front guide 26 has two slots 28 and 30 which allow movement 
of front guide 26. Thumb screws 32 and 34 secure front film guide 26 in 
the desired position. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, front guide 26 is 
adjustable to handle film sizes from 110 (i.e. ten mm) to seventy mm in 
sleeved or unsleeved form. 
Film strip 14 is driven by a stepper motor (not shown) through a bottom 
drive roller 36 (not shown and a corresponding top drive roller 36. When 
film strip 14 has been advanced sufficiently to align a desired cut 
location with rotary knife 38, knife 38 is actuated thereby severing the 
portion of film strip 14 extending beyond knife 38 into film tray assembly 
12. 
Mounted immediately beyond knife 38 is guard plate 40. The purpose of guard 
plate 40 is to prevent an operator from placing his fingers into a 
position where they could be cut by knife 38. 
Film tray assembly 12 receives film strip 14 as it is being driven past 
knife 38. When knife 38 cuts a film segment from film strip 14, the cut 
segment is held between tray 42 and arm 44 of tray assembly 12. Tray 42 is 
supported by mounting base 46. Guide 48 is connected to tray 42 and base 
46 by mounting screws 50 and 52, and provides a guiding surface for the 
front edge of film strip 14. 
Film tray assembly 12 is shown in further detail in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3, 4A and 
4B. FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and front side views of the entire assembly; 
FIG. 3 is a top view of film tray 42; and FIGS. 4A and 4B are top and end 
views of mounting base 46. 
As shown in FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 2A and 2B, arm 44 is connected to film tray 
42 by pivot pin 54 and connecting blocks 56 and 58. Pivot pin 54 is 
preferably welded to arm 44 at the end of arm 44 which is furthest from 
knife 38. 
Connecting blocks 56 and 58 are connected to tray 42 by screws 60 which 
project upward through slotted mounting holes 59 in tray 42 (best shown in 
FIG. 3) and into mounting blocks 56 and 58. Mounting blocks 56 and 58 are 
positioned at the end of tray 42 which is furthest from knife assembly 38. 
Mounting blocks 56 and 58 have elongated holes 62 in which the ends of 
pivot pin 54 are inserted. Washers 64 are preferably positioned at each 
end of pivot pin 54 between arm 44 and mounting blocks 56 and 58 to ensure 
free movement of pivot pin 54 in all positions. Holes 59 are slotted to 
permit adjustment of mounting blocks 56 and 58 to eliminate excessive side 
play of arm 44 and pin 54. 
The elongated shape of holes 62 permits pivot pin 54 and arm 44 to not only 
pivot about the axis of pivot pin 54, but also to move in a direction 
perpendicular to the plane of the top surface of film tray 42. As a 
result, arm 44 is permitted to move away from film tray 42 as additional 
cut segments of film strip 14 are deposited between arm 44 and film tray 
42. Pivot pin 54 and connecting blocks 56 and 58, therefore, connect arm 
44 to film tray 42 and prevent any side-to-side movement of pin 54 and arm 
44 along the axis of pin 54 as well as movement in the direction of the 
film path. On the other hand, they permit arm 44 to pivot about the axis 
of pivot pin 54 and also to move toward or away from the top surface of 
film tray 42. 
In the preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 
and 2B, arm 44 has a generally "W" shaped cross section. At the end of arm 
44 closest to knife 38 is first inclined portion 44a which slopes downward 
toward the top surface of film tray 42. At the lower end of first inclined 
portion 44a is first transverse bend 66. Second inclined portion 44b 
slopes upward from first transverse bend 66, away from film tray 42. At 
the top end of second inclined portion 44b is second transverse bend 68. 
Third inclined portion 44c slopes downward from second transverse bend 68 
toward film tray 42. Third transverse bend 70 is located at the end of 
third inclined portion 44c. Fourth inclined portion 44d slopes upward from 
third transverse bend 70 and tray 42. At the end of fourth inclined 
portion 44d which is furthest from knife 38, flange 44e is turned upward, 
and pivot pin 54 is attached. 
The "W" shaped cross section of arm 44 causes arm 44 to contact the film 
segments being stacked between arm 44 and tray 42 at only two points or 
lines of contact; i.e. at first transverse bend 66 and third transverse 
bend 70. These two lines of contact are sufficient to hold the film 
securely between arm 44 and tray 42 while permitting additional films to 
be inserted on top of the stack. The two lines of contact, together with 
the unique connecting of arm 44 to tray 42, permits a reliable two-line 
contact to the film, regardless of the number of segments of film which 
have been stacked. It is far easier to consistently maintain two lines of 
contact than to maintain two planes essentially parallel to one another at 
all times regardless of the thickness of the stack. 
In the preferred embodiments of the invention, base 46 is mounted to film 
cutter 10 so that the plane of the top surface of film tray 42 is 
positioned parallel to but below the plane of the deck of the film cutter 
across which the film is transported. This permits the film segments to be 
stacked one on top of the other between tray 42 and arm 44. First inclined 
portion 44a of arm 44 acts to deflect the leading end of film strip 14 
being driven past knife 38 downward and onto either tray 42 (if no film 
has been stacked), or on top of the top segment of the stacked film. As 
the film continues to be driven toward the opposite end of tray 42, arm 44 
is moved slightly upward to accommodate the additional thickness of the 
newly inserted film strip. When knife 38 cuts the film, the trailing end 
which has just been cut snaps downward so as to be out of the path of the 
leading end of the next film segment which is advanced past film knife 38. 
Film guide 48 defines the location of the front edge of film strip 14 as it 
is driven into film tray assembly 12. Arm 44 has a generally rectangular 
aperture 72 which permits arm 44 to be positioned over tray 42 without 
interfering with guide 48. As best shown in FIG. 2A, film guide 48 has a 
first section 48a which is positioned nearest the knife 38. First section 
48a has the narrowest width and also has an inclined surface. Second 
section 48b has a tapered width which is increasing from first portion 48a 
to third portion 48c. The increasing width occurs along the rear edge of 
portion 48b, which engages the film. The final section 48c has a uniform 
thickness and has a rear edge which is essentially parallel to the film 
path. The purpose of the change in widths of guide 48 is to gradually 
guide the film into a uniform pile. As a result, slight variations in the 
lateral or transverse position of film strip 14 as it is driven past knife 
38 are corrected by guide 48. 
In the present invention, removal of the film segments from tray assembly 
12 is from the rear of tray assembly 12, rather than from the front of 
assembly 12. It has been found that this is a more efficient motion for 
the operator than is removal from the front side, as has been used in 
prior art film trays. To accommodate the easy removal of film from between 
tray 42 and arm 44, first inclined portion 44a of arm 44 is partially cut 
away at its front and rear sides. Similarly, both tray 42 and base 46 have 
cut-away portions corresponding in location to the narrower portion of arm 
44. The stack of film segments are removed by the operator, therefore, by 
grasping the film which is exposed by the cut-away rear portions of arm 44 
and tray 42. 
An important advantage of the film tray assembly 12 of the present 
invention is that it accommodates a wide range of film sizes. In the 
preferred embodiments shown in the Figures, film tray assembly 12 accepts 
and stacks films ranging from 110 size (i.e. ten mm) up to seventy mm 
width film. 
To permit operation with a wide variety of different film sizes, film tray 
42 is provided with four sets of parallel mounting holes 74a, 74b, 74c, 
and 74d, as shownin FIG. 3. Similarly, base 46 as shown in FIG. 4a has 
five sets of parallel holes 76a, 76b, 76c, 76d and 76e. Any one of the 
four sets 74a-74d of holes in tray 42 may be aligned with any one of the 
five sets of holes 76a-76e of base 46. Tray 42 is mounted to base 46 by 
guide 48 and mounting screws 50 and 52. In the preferred embodiments, 
holes 76a-76e in base 46 are threaded so that tightening of screws 50 and 
52 clamps guide 48, tray 42, and base 46 together. 
It can be seen, therefore, that a wide variety of different positions of 
tray 42, base 46, and guide 48 are possible. In practice, tray 42 
typically takes only two of the possible positions with respect to base 
46. For 110 size film, holes 74a of tray 42 are aligned with holes 76a of 
base 46, and guide 48 is positioned so that screws 50 and 52 are threaded 
through holes 74a into holes 76a. For all other film sizes up to seventy 
millimeter, holes 74a-74d are aligned with holes 76b-76e, respectively. In 
this position, guide 48 may take one of four different positions. Other 
intermediate alignments of tray 42 and base 46, of course, may also be 
used, such as is illustrated in FIG. 2. 
In some alignments, guide 48 is located outside of aperture 72 of arm 44. 
In these cases, however, guide 48 is located between the front edge of arm 
44 and front flange 42a of tray 42, so that guide 48 does not interfere 
with arm 44. The width of aperture 72 in arm 44 has been selected with 
respect to the locations of holes 74a-74d so that in all cases in which 
guide 48 must underly arm 44, aperture 72 overlies guide 48. 
The position of guide 48 is selected so that a portion of the film be 
exposed by the cut-away portion of first inclined portion 44a of arm 44. 
In other words, guide 48 is positioned so that a portion of the film is 
exposed so that the operator can grasp and remove the stack of cut film 
segments. 
As shown in FIG. 3, tray 42 preferably is a metal plate with front flange 
42a, end flange 42b, and cut-away portion 42c. The location and shape of 
cut-away portion 42c corresponds generally to the cut-away portion of arm 
44. 
FIGS. 4A and 4B show base 46, which is a metal plate of sufficient strength 
to support the remainder of assembly 12. Base 46 has a mounting flange 
46a, which connects base 46 to film cutter 10 in a position immediately 
below knife 38. Mounting holes 80 in mounting flange 46a permit connection 
of flange 46a by means of screws (not shown). As described previously, 
base 46 also has a cut-away portion 46b which corresponds generally in 
shape and location to cut-away portion 42c of tray 42. 
The film stacking tray assembly of the present invention has several 
important advantages over the prior art film tray assemblies. First, it 
permits the operator to remove the cut film segments from the rear rather 
than the front side. As stated previously, this has proved to be a more 
efficient motion by the operator, who then inserts the cut film segments 
into a customer envelope. 
Second, the film tray assembly handles a wide range of film sizes. The 
conversion from one film width to another is fast and simple, and requires 
only loosening screws 50 and 52 and shifting the position of guide 48, 
base 46 and tray 42 with respect to one another. 
Third, because arm 44 is pivoted at the end furthest from knife 38, it 
provides greater accessibility to the knife area in comparison to the 
prior art film trays, where the pivot is located at the end closest to the 
knife. This is an advantage in cases of a misfeed due to the film jamming, 
or some other service problem. 
Fourth, film tray assembly operates using the force of gravity on arm 44 to 
hold the film strips between arm 44 and tray 42. No springs are required. 
This significantly reduces the likelihood of service problems. 
Fifth, the film tray assembly of the present invention provides more 
uniform and reliable stacking of cut film segments than the prior art 
assemblies. This is an important advantage because it reduces the amount 
of rearranging and restacking of the film segments which must be performed 
by the operator prior to inserting the film segments into a customer order 
envelope. 
Sixth, the film tray assembly of the present invention is extremely simple, 
with a small number of easily manufactured parts. 
Although the present invention has been described with reference to 
preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that 
changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the invention.