Camera box for microfilm cameras

A camera box for a microfilm camera for processing a film carried by an aperture card comprises an elongated housing, a magazine for a series of the aperture cards in the housing, a film exposure station arranged in the housing to receive the aperture cards from the magazine in sequence, conveyors arranged in the housing for conveying a respective aperture card carrying an exposed film, the conveyors defining a travel path for the aperture cards in the housing, and a drying station in the travel path. The throughput speed of the cards through the camera box is improved by providing a first station for completely developing the exposed film of the respective aperture card and a second, like station for completely developing the exposed film of a subsequent one of the aperture cards, the first and second developing stations being arranged in the travel path between the exposure and drying stations, and the conveyors being arranged for alternately delivering the sequence of aperture cards carrying the exposed films from the exposure station to the first and second developing stations.

The present invention is concerned with a camera box for microfilm cameras 
for processing a film carried by an aperture card, which comprises an 
elongated housing, a magazine for a series of the aperture cards in the 
housing, a film exposure station arranged in the housing to receive the 
aperture cards from the magazine in sequence, conveying means arranged in 
the housing for conveying a respective one of the aperture cards carrying 
an exposed film, the conveying means defining a travel path for the 
aperture cards in the housing, and a drying station in the travel path. 
Camera boxes of the afore-mentioned type are generally known in the art and 
have been in use with microfilm cameras to form an essential part thereof. 
The developing devices installed therein (so-called developing tanks) are 
of the type into which the aperture card with the exposed film section 
thereof is fed and developed by spraying a developing fluid, thereon, 
whereupon the card is removed from the device by suitable transporting 
means to reach a drying station, in which, as a rule, is equipped with 
control and possibly projecting means for monitoring the density of the 
microphotograph. 
That developing operation requires a certain span of time in the order of 
between 15 and 18 seconds, i.e. the entire picuture taking speed of the 
camera essentially depends on that span of time; hitherto, it has not been 
possible to reduce that overall picture taking speed up to the discharge 
of the card from the camera box, i.e. for example, six successively taken 
photographs will require approximately 90 to 108 seconds, as the times 
required for the individual photographs will be cumulative. 
However, as high throughput numbers require increased rates of throughput, 
it is the object of the invention to provide a camera box of simple 
construction permitting such increased throughput rates. 
This problem has been solved by a camera box of the aforementioned type 
which comprises, according to the invention a first station for completely 
developing the exposed film or the respective aperture card and a second, 
like station for completely developing the exposed film of a subsequent 
one of the aperture cards, the first and second developing stations being 
arranged in the travel path between the exposure and drying stations, and 
the conveying means being arranged for alternately delivering the sequence 
of aperture cards carrying the exposed films from the exposure station to 
the first and second developing stations. 
Such a camera box will permit reducing the afore-mentioned span of time by 
a substantial amount from 90 to 60 seconds. For this, the embodiment 
wherein the second developing station is arranged in the travel path 
behind the first developing station is preferably used which is 
particularly simple to realize. In this embodiment, an exposed aperture 
card will skip the first developing device and move into the following one 
where the development is immediately started. However, during that period, 
already the next picture is taken so that already about 5 seconds after 
commencement of the development of the first photograph, the development 
of the second photograph may start, during which time the other developing 
device is cleared again. After completion of the development in the first 
developing device closest to the exposure station, the second developing 
device disposed therebehind in the direction of travel can be loaded again 
immediately. 
A suitable configuration of the path of transport would, possibly, even 
permit a side-by-side arrangement of the developing devices (switch-type 
configuration, cross-wise staggered location in the area of the path of 
transport are equally possible); however, this will require more complex 
equipment so that the simplest embodiment is the preferred one in which 
the closest developing device is simply skipped. 
The elements performing the transport of the aperture cards are, of course, 
so configured, located and operatively controlled that the afore-explained 
working cycle can be completed. 
The problem encountered can also be solved in a different manner, i.e. by 
arranging the first and second developing stations in the housing at 
respective sides of the exposure station, a respective one of the drying 
stations being associated with each one of the developing stations, and 
the conveying means being arranged for conveying the respective aperture 
card with the exposed film in opposite directions for alternatively 
delivering the sequence of aperture cards to the developing stations on 
either side of the exposure station. Here, an exposed aperture card after 
having passed the exposure station will run into the subsequent first 
developing device where the development immediately starts. During that 
period, the next copy is already photographed and, hence, the next 
aperture card exposed so that immediately after commencement of the 
development of the first aperture card, development of the film on the 
second aperture card may equally start. The second card, however, is 
transported from the exposure station in opposite direction to the second 
developing station located ahead of the exposure station. After completion 
of the development in the first developing device, the same can be 
immediately loaded again which also applies to the second device as soon 
as the same has been cleared again. 
The conveying means performing the transport of the aperture cards are, of 
course, also so configured, located and operatively controlled that the 
afore-explained working cycle can be completed, i.e. the conveying means 
disposed in the area of the exposure station are reversibly formed so that 
the aperture cards are transported alternately to one side and to the 
other. 
Concerning the provision of the aperture card magazine, it should, in this 
case, be considered that the same must not impede the return of the one 
aperture card. For this reason, the aperture card magazine is preferably 
disposed at a level slightly higher than the plane of travel for the 
aperture cards in the camera box (also, the developing device concerned 
could be disposed at a slightly lower level) so that the exposed aperture 
card may be transported from the exposure station - while remaining in the 
same plane - into the second developing station disposed ahead thereof. 
Under consideration of the lefthand and righthand conveyance of the 
aperture cards from the exposure station there, is another possibility of 
location for the aperture card magazine combined with a reduction in the 
travel path, viz. providing the magazine externally of the path of travel 
ahead of the exposure station, i.e. in that case, the aperture cards are 
fed into the exposure station crosswise of the path of travel and are then 
transported therefrom alternately to the right and to the left into the 
developing devices disposed at both sides next to the exposure station. 
Apart from the speed increase relative to the throughput, there is another 
factor of importance, namely that the weight distribution relative to the 
camera box is more uniform. 
As the film sections in the aperture cards relative to the longitudinal 
extension thereof are disposed eccentrically, this will have to be taken 
into consideration as regards the feed-in direction of the aperture cards 
into the exposure station and the alternate discharge to the right and to 
the left, and as regards the arrangement of the two developing devices 
located to the right and to the left; this requirement will be complied 
with by a correspondingly eccentric arrangement of the developing devices. 
In connection with the afore-mentioned possibility of arranging the 
magazine externally of the path of travel ahead of the exposure station, 
it would even be possible to arrange the magazine, extending in the 
longitudinal direction of the aperture cards, ahead of the exposure 
station so that the aperture cards with their film section at the head, 
are vertically fed into the exposure station and in that position are 
discharged to the right and to the left, with the two developing stations 
being disposed at the same distance next to the exposure station. This 
will equally result in a reduction in the path of transport, and the 
entire camera box in terms of its overall length will be even more compact 
.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing of the camera box is identified by 
reference number 1. The aperture cards are conveyed from the magazine 2 
underneath the exposure station 3 in which the film of each card is 
exposed. The entire travel path of the exposed card to the discharge slot 
7 at the lower end of the camera box is schematically illustrated in 
dash-dotted lines and by conveying elements shown in broken lines. 
The exposed aperture card skips the first developing station A to get in 
the second developing station B. While it is developed there, developing 
station A is loaded with another exposed aperture card. 
The aperture card with the completely developed photograph, is then ejected 
from station B and conveyed to drying station 6 where an additional image 
control can be performed by means of known systems, for example, by a 
monitor 8. 
The card with the photograph developed in the first station A will follow 
and the whole operation will start anew. The time sequence of the 
developing phase in stations A and B is shown in the upper part of FIG. 2 
for six photographs, with the sequence of development phases with a single 
developing device 4 in a conventional arrangement being shown in the 
bottom part. The time saving of about 30 seconds in six photographs arises 
from the overlap of two operations of development that has become possible 
by the arrangement of twin developing stations. 
Feasibly, the second developing device 5 (B) is disposed in a separate and 
attachable housing 1' which, in addition, is adapted in size and 
connecting dimensions to housing 1" for the drying station 6, thereby 
permitting the camera box to be modularly built and permitting assembly of 
a separate housing 1' between the main housing including developing device 
4 and housing 1", in the event that a higher throughput speed is desired. 
Hence, the manufacturing effort and expense incurred by the manufacturer 
are relatively low with the preferred embodiment because, housing 1' of 
the additional developing device 5, may simply be inserted between already 
existing attachable housing 1" for the drying station 6 and housing 1. 
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 3 to 5 using corresponding reference 
numerals. 
The aperture cards move from magazine 2 of camera box 1 underneath exposure 
station 3 wherein the respective exposure is effected. The entire path of 
travel 10 to discharge slots 7 at both ends of the camera box 1 is shown 
in dash-dotted lines. 
The aperture cards exposed in side-by-side relationship in the exposure 
station 3 are alternately fed into the developing stations 5,4 by the 
transporting elements 9 alternately controlled relative to their direction 
of rotation. 
The aperture card with the developed and largely dried images will then be 
ejected to get into the after - drying stations 6 disposed on both sides; 
here, too, an image control can additionally be performed by means of 
known devices, for example, by means of monitors 8. Finally, the completed 
aperture cards are then ejected from the afterdrying stations 6 into the 
lateral collecting units 14. Such a collecting unit 14 is, of course, also 
provided on camera box 1 in FIG. 1, but has not been shown there. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the two developing stations 4,5 are disposed 
eccentrically relative to the developing station 3 in camera box 1 in view 
of the eccentric arrangement of the film sections 1 in aperture cards 12. 
As shown in FIG. 4, magazine 2' can also be arranged in different form, 
namely, as illustrated, externally of the actual travel path 10 ahead of 
the exposure station 3, i.e. aperture cards 12, by suitably located 
transporting elements, are pushed into exposure station 3 crosswise of 
their longitudinal extension. 
The feed-in of the "blank cards" also can be effected from a magazine 2" 
longitudinally disposed normal to the path of travel 10, as shown in FIG. 
5, with the two developing stations 4,5, being associated symmetrically 
with respect to exposure station 3. 
In all embodiments, housing 1 of the camera box is adjustably guided over a 
copy table 15 on the vertical column 13. The alternate feed of the 
aperture cards to the right and to the left, in the embodiment according 
to FIG. 5, is performed transverse of the longitudinal extension which, as 
shown in comparison with FIGS. 3 and 4, involves a reduction in length of 
the camera box by approximately a complete aperture card length, and, 
moreover, an absolutely uniform weight distribution. 
It is to be pointed out that the operator is not necessarily subjected to 
the attainable high speed of travel but, if need be, is able to control 
the afore-described course, e.g. by actuating a push button. 
Basically, the waiting times of the aperture card input sequence, have been 
reduced to approximately the developing time in a single developing device 
since, after clearing thereof, the next exposed aperture card can be 
pushed forward and the following card can be fed into the exposure station 
and from here into the developing station on the other side.