Photographic printer apparatus

A photographic printer apparatus is provided, with quick change self-threading magazines of photographic material which enables use of different widths and types of photographic material at the input of the printer apparatus. A cutter station is positioned within the printer console adjacent the magazine input, where roll material is pre-cut to the desired size of the photographic print to be made before being exposed. Transport systems are provided in the console for vacuum guidance and positioning of the photographic material while it is being cut and for accurately positioning the photographic material opposite a first exposure station for exposure, and for transporting the piece of photographic material to a second exposure station or for storage and subsequent processing or to a continuously running processor adapted to develop, and wash and dry the previously exposed photographic material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to apparatus for making photographic prints from 
negatives, positive slides, prints or other materials, and is of the type 
which includes at least one magazine for storing light sensitive 
photographic material on a roll, which material is dispensed in the 
desired size, and transported for exposure by a transport system which 
provides for vacuum support and guidance of the material, and which 
material may be subsequently processed after exposure. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Computer controlled photographic printers are commercially available from 
several worldwide manufacturers. Such photographic printers are adapted to 
transport and expose photosensitive paper either by contact printing or by 
image projection systems. The exposed or printed photographic paper is 
chemically processed, then washed and dried to produce finished 
photographic prints. 
Large photofinishing labs usually have dedicated printers for exposing one 
type and/or one size of photographic paper. The photographic paper is on 
rolls in light tight magazines, and after being exposed is collected in 
light tight magazines. The exposed paper is then unwound from the roll 
magazines and fed into a photographic processor. While large 
photofinishing laboratories may have a large volume of different sizes and 
types of film to be processed and developed, and can well afford to have 
several dedicated printers and dedicated processors, the cost for the 
required number of processors is high and requires a large volume of 
material to support. 
Even medium size photofinishing laboratories are limited to the types and 
sizes of prints that they are able to process, and usually do not attempt 
to offer a complete range of types and sizes of finished product. 
In recent years printers have been connected directly to film processors so 
that once film has been developed, prints can be made and processed by a 
single operator at a console or control station of a printer. The most 
popular type printer processors are commonly referred to as Mini-Labs, and 
provide photographic prints from roll or disk film within one or two hours 
after receipt of the exposed film. Such printer processors are available 
from many manufacturers, such as Hope Industries, Inc. of Willow Grove, 
Pa., as well as numerous other manufacturers. These printer-processors are 
capable of making prints from negative film, but do not usually also 
process reversal prints from positives, nor do they process black and 
white prints from negatives, nor do they process prints from prints. 
It is extremely desirable to provide a photographic printer apparatus that 
may be operated by a single operator and that is both cheaper and more 
reliable than previously available apparatus and which also can expose, 
and if desired, process a wide variety of light sensitive photographic 
material of various sizes and types. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Photographic printer apparatus for rapidly providing finished photographic 
products from projections or negatives, positives or other prints. A 
magazine dispenses a desired product type of light sensitive photographic 
material, which is cut to a predetermined size and delivered to a 
transport mechanism, which transports and by vacuum accurately guides and 
positions the photographic material to a projection station for exposure, 
and then transports the exposed photographic material to another station 
or to storage or to a continuously running processor for development. 
The principle object of the invention is to provide printer apparatus for 
rapidly making photographic prints from light sensitive photographic 
material, stored on rolls in light tight magazines and dispensed in 
controlled sizes, from which prints can be made from negatives, positives, 
or other prints at one or more exposure stations. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which can make reduced or enlarged photographic 
prints, of the same or different sizes without changing the magazines in 
which the rolls are stored. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which includes a reversible roll magazine and a cutter 
for supplying photographic material of the desired length to a printing or 
enlarging station. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which includes a plurality of rapid loading roll 
magazines which may contain different sizes and/or different types of 
photographic material, which can be rapidly changed to provide the desired 
type and size of photographic material. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which can be loaded and unloaded in daylight. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which apparatus has the ability to make single or 
multiple prints of the same size, or a different size without the 
necessity of processing an incomplete order and accumulating orders of the 
same size and type. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which can be operated with or without a mask or a 
safety space between prints, and can thereby eliminate location markers 
between the prints, which would require post exposure cutting and waste of 
photographic material. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which includes a transport system with vacuum support 
and guidance of the photographic material so that the photographic 
material may be self-threading and accurately located opposite the 
projection exposure stations. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which may have plural exposure stations under the 
control of a single operator and a single computer or other control 
system. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which may be connected to a plurality of continuously 
running processors each capable of processing different types of light 
sensitive photographic material. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the 
character aforesaid which is capable of providing a variety of 
photographic processing services which employs fewer components than 
previously available apparatus thereby providing increased reliability and 
reduced cost. 
Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent 
from the description and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings and FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the preferred 
embodiment of the photographic printer apparatus 10 is illustrated, which 
includes a light tight printer console cabinet 11, with an operator's 
working table 12, and a shelf 13 attached to the console 11, for 
supporting a magazine 14 containing a roll 67 of light sensitive 
photographic material, which may be paper, film, or other material as 
required. The photographic material 67 from magazine 14 is fed into a pair 
of feed rollers 15, which may be driven either forward or in reverse, for 
feeding material 67 to the console 11 or for retracting material from the 
console 11. Rollers 16 are provided after feed rollers 15 to provide a 
light seal, and may be driven by a single gear 17, which engages a gear 
(not shown) on the ends of the rollers 16 and may also be employed to 
drive the feed rollers 15 through an idler gear (not shown). If desired, 
rollers 16 may also be used as metering rollers. 
A motor 18 is provided which may be a high precision stepping motor of 
approximately 400 steps per revolution, and which can be geared down to 
provide 1" movement of the transport belts on the vacuum box [to be 
described] to provide an accuracy of 1/400th of an inch per step. The 
stepper motor 18 is preferably coupled to rollers 19 through a timing belt 
21 to provide accurate movement of the rollers 19. Belts 22 are mounted on 
pulleys [to be described], of rollers 19 which are engaged by soft nip 
rollers 23. A first exposure station 27 is provided adjacent belts 22 and 
is the exposure station for a piece of light sensitive photographic 
material 28 which has been accurately positioned by the stepper motor 18, 
and held in place against the belts 22 by vacuum supplied through a 
flexible hose 31. Gears (not shown) on the nip rollers 23 engage an idler 
gear 24, and drive gears (not shown) on nip rollers 25 which drive rollers 
26 of a second exposure station 29. 
As is more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the photographic material 67 from 
magazine 14 is fed into converging guides 68 at a photocell sensing 
station 56, before exiting at a cutter station 55, which station 55 
includes a movable blade 69, and a stationary blade 71. When cutting a 
piece of material 67, the belts 22 are stopped during the operation of 
cutters 55 and 71, and the left most roller 19 and 23 are so positioned as 
to hold the severed piece of material 28 in position after it is cut to 
size. After the material is cut, it is then transported to exposure 
station 27 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for exposure. 
The exposed piece of photographic material 28 may be transported to the 
second station or vacuum box 29 by belts 22 to and through rollers 25 and 
26, where it is held against the belts 33 by vacuum from flexible hose 32. 
The piece 28 may be exposed at station 29 if desired. The piece 28 is 
retained on the belts 33 as it is subsequently transferred to a 
distribution station 35. 
The distribution station 35 includes a plurality of rollers 34 which 
receive the exposed piece 28 from nip rollers 25 and 26. When an exposed 
piece 29 enters a rack 35A of station 35 and between the rollers 34, it 
may be conveyed through a first processor 36, which is preferably a 
positive color processor of well known type, and includes a drying station 
37. If the exposed piece 28 is conveyed to the first color processor 36, 
it passes through drying station 37 and exits into a receiving bin 43. If 
the rack 35A is articulated to its upper position, the exposed piece 28 
will enter a conveyor 38, which can include rollers 34, and it is thereby 
conveyed to a second processor 39 of well known type, which may be a 
reversal color processor, and will pass through drying station 46 and exit 
into the receiving bin 44. If the exposed piece 28 is conveyed to a third 
processor 42 of well known type, which is preferably a black and white 
processor, the exposed piece 28 will pass through drying station 47 and 
exit into a receiving bin 45. Each of the processors 36, 39, and 42 are 
provided respectively with dryers 37, 46, and 47 of well known type. It 
should be understood that the prints deposited in the receiving bins 43, 
44, or 45 may be deposited in an order sorter (not shown) which comprises 
a plurality of bins (not shown) used for assimilating customer's orders. 
Such order sorters and bins are well known in the prior art and are not 
further described. 
Referring again to FIG. 1, a projection lens system 49 is illustrated 
opposite to exposure station 27 and which preferably includes a zoom type 
lens mounted in a turret or a transverse articulating shelf box (not 
shown), so that lenses of different focal lengths and sizes may be 
presented opposite a negative 51, the image of which is projected onto the 
pre-cut photographic material piece 28, by a light and filter system 52 of 
well known type. 
An exhaust fan or vacuum blower 53 is provided in the base of the console 
11, and is preferably of the low speed squirrel cage quiet type, which 
provides two to three inches of negative water pressure and is connected 
to flexible hoses 31 and 32 to provide a vacuum. The positive or output 
side of the blower 53 may be connected to the light system 52 for cooling, 
which eliminates the need for extra cooling blowers. The inlet to the 
light console 11 is preferably provided with a standard dust filter (not 
shown), to reduce the incidence of contamination. A light and dust shield 
54 is provided which forms a light seal, and prevents dust from the cutter 
blades 55 and 71 from entering the system as the piece 28 of photographic 
material is transported and exposed. The photocell sensing station 56 is 
located in front of the cutter station 55, to sense the presence or 
absence of photographic material being automatically fed by the feed 
rollers 15, or being retracted prior to changing magazines 14. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second exposure station 29 is 
illustrated opposite a reversal lens system 57 of well known type, which 
enables the operator at the console to copy a positive print 58, or a 
three dimensional object directly onto a piece of light sensitive 
photographic material 67 such as positive photographic paper, which is 
held by the belts 33 in a position similar to piece 28 at exposure station 
27. It should be understood that when the second exposure station 29 is in 
operation, the operator can continue to transport the piece 28 of 
photographic material from the first transport station 27 to the second 
transport station 29 for the second exposure of the piece 28. The operator 
is provided with a keyboard (not shown) to select, by means of controls 
59, which of the stations 27 or 29 operates or which of the processors 36, 
39 or 42 operates or if the photographic material is not to be processed. 
The controls 59 may be connected to operate in a manner similar to other 
prior art printer processors manufactured by Hope Industries, such as 
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,462. The same controls as described in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,526,462 may be employed to control the feed rollers 15, and the 
stepping motor 18 which meters the distance moved by the belts 22 and 33. 
Such controls may operate in two modes. The first mode is to determine the 
proper exposure and color correction to be employed by the light system 
52, and the second mode controls the advancing and positioning of the 
photographic material 67, and the operation of the cutter station 55 which 
is in response to the photocell sensing means 56, as well as actuating 
mechanism (not shown) for replenishing the processors 36, 39, and 42. 
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first exposure 
station 27 includes a vacuum box 61 having holes or apertures 62 in the 
bottom, the side and between the belts 22. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the 
stepper motor 18 is preferably mounted on the side of the vacuum box 61, 
and connected by the timing belt 21 to the roller 19. A gear 63 is 
provided at the opposite end of the driven roller 19, which is engaged by 
a second gear 64 which drives the soft nip roller 23. A plate 65 is 
provided in which the rollers 19 and 29 are mounted and which is connected 
to the vacuum box 61. The rollers 19 have a plurality of crown type 
pulleys 66 thereon, which causes the belts 22 to track and to be centered 
on the pulleys 66. For purposes of the invention, and as described below, 
the term film frame will be defined to mean a negative, a positive slide, 
a print or anything to be projected as an image. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 4, a modified transport system is 
illustrated, which may be incorporated into the first station 27. The 
first exposure station 27 may be pivoted on a hinge 71, so as to swing 
away from the rear of the console 11, permitting access to the housing 54 
and positive slide 51. A camera 72, preferably of the fixed focus type, 
having its own lens system 73 and automatic advance motor (not shown), is 
attached to an adaptor plate 74, and can be placed in the position shown. 
Side plates 75 constitute a part of the inner housing console 11 and are 
adapted to support a nip roller 23 which has a gear 64 thereon, which is 
not driven when the camera 72 is employed. When camera 72 is employed to 
make slide to slide duplications, the normal and preferred exposure 
printing piece 28 is not employed. After making whatever slides are 
desired, the camera 72 and adapter plate 74 are removed and the exposure 
station 27 is returned to its operating position. When continuous orders 
or large orders of slide to slide duplication are being processed, a large 
container or body such as a Beady back system may be employed, with a lens 
system (not shown) interposed between the positive slide or film frame 51 
position and the back system (not shown). 
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 5 to 7, which shows the top, front 
and side views of a modified embodiment of the work station portion of the 
second exposure station 28, and where instead of placing print 58 on the 
table 12 in the horizontal or flat position as shown, the table 12 may be 
modified by providing a hinge plate 76 pivoted on table 12, so that it may 
be positioned below the surface of the table. A flat mirror 77 is shown, 
mounted at a 45.degree. angle to reflect an image of the print 58 along 
the vertical axis 79. Strobe lights 78 are placed on either side of the 
mirror 77 so as to provide balanced illumination on the print 58. When the 
mirror and light system is employed, the flash of the strobe lights 78 is 
not obtrusive, and the reversing lens system 57 shown in FIG. 1 is not 
required for a one to one print to print exposure. Not only does the 
modified system of FIGS. 5 to 7 properly orient the picture at the 
exposure station 29, but it eliminates the need for a light system which 
could interfere with the operator at the console 11. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 8 which shows a modification of the 
apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a self-threading magazine 14 is shown mounted 
on the console 11, so as to feed photographic material such as paper 67 
through the photocell sensing station 56 and the cutter station 55. The 
magazine 14, in this embodiment, is used for self-threading to feed the 
continuous paper roll 67 to the exposure station where it is exposed 
before being transported to the takeup magazine 81. This embodiment may be 
characterized as a self-threading free-standing magazine roll to magazine 
roll use of the invention. The cutter station 55 is used in this 
embodiment to sever the photographic material and to retract the 
photographic material into the magazine 14 before changing magazines. The 
exposure station and lens system is preferably the same as that described 
previously for FIG. 1. It should be understood that the takeup magazine 81 
may be a daylight loading self-threading magazine 81 of a prior art type, 
and which can be removed from the console 11 and processed at a dedicated 
processor. It should also be noted that this modification requires the use 
of a mask 82, and friction clutch drive mechanism 83, to use the exposure 
station 27 and the self-threading magazine 14 as previously described. 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 9, which shows a further 
modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1, which may be characterized as a 
self-threading and free-standing magazine roll to cutter and to processor 
embodiment, magazine 14 supplies roll material to the exposure station 29 
which can use the mask system 82 as previously described. After the 
material 67 is exposed, it is transported to a cutter station 55', which 
is similar to cutter station 55 previously described. By employing the 
stepper motor 18 and photocell sensor 56 for sensing the edge of the 
material to be exposed, it can be severed without waste. The stepper motor 
18 can advance a frame at a time and if the cutter station 55' is properly 
located relative to the exposure station 29, the prints may be severed by 
the cutter station 55' in a manner which eliminates the safety space 
between prints. The pre-cut prints are then transported to a processor 36 
of well known type which has a drying station 37 and a receiving bin 43 as 
previously described. 
It should be apparent that a single vacuum transport station can be 
employed to make universal prints by using two exposure positions. 
However, the simplicity of the vacuum transport mechanism and its 
reliability encourages the use of a separate and distinct second exposure 
station for making prints from prints. Thus the most economical version of 
the invention would employ a single exposure station as shown in FIGS. 1, 
8, or 9 and a single processor, and with the cutter 55 in front of the 
transport station and vacuum to hold the pre-cut material 28 at the 
exposure station 27, and subsequently to transport the exposed material 28 
to the next station or to the processor. 
Employing two vacuum transport stations, or one vacuum transport station 
with two exposure positions, in combination with two color processors and 
one black and white processor will enable one operator to provide 
virtually Universal photofinishing services in one machine. 
The light tight photographic magazines 14 or 81 are provided with feed 
rollers which can feed or retract the photographic material so that there 
is no waste of material when changing from one size material to another, 
or from one type of material to another. Thus, the invention can provide 
not only Universal photofinishing services, but also permits the operator 
to enlarge or reduce the print size. 
It should be noted that while the invention has been illustrated with 
computer control of the apparatus, mechanical or electromechanical can be 
employed, if desired. 
It will thus be seen that apparatus has been provided with which the 
objects of the invention are achieved.