A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING A PART OF A CONTINUOUS FILM STRIP IN A FRAME

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a part of a continuous film strip (2) in a frame having at least two studs arranged to co-act with a series of holes arranged in uniform spaced relationship along at least one edge of the film strip. The apparatus includes means (5) for advancing the film strip (2) to substantially the correct position relative to the frame, in a plane located thereabove, and at least two pins arranged to be moved down through corresponding holes (3) in the film strip, towards the studs on the frame. The apparatus further includes means for pressing the part of the film trip (2) located above the frame down towards the frame, under the guidance of the pins, suitably subsequent to severing the film part from the remainder of the film strip. In this way, the studs on the frame are received in holes in the film part, thereby fixing the position of the film part in the frame. The apparatus suitably includes a support surface, for supporting the edge of the film strip (2) provided with holes (3) intended for co-action with the pins. The support surface is provided with slots for receiving the pins, and is arranged to be swung away automatically, when the film part is pressed down against the frame.

Description: A method and apparatus for mounting a part of a continuous film strip in a frame The present invention relates to a method for mounting a part of a continuous film strip in a frame, said film strip having arranged along at least one edge thereof a series of holes which are uniformly spaced at a given distance apart, and said frame having at least two studs arranged for co-action with said holes. The invention also relates to an apparatus for use when carry¬ ing,out- the method. Normally, pieces of film which have been sepa¬ rated from a continuous strip of film are mounted in their respective frames, or slides, manually, which is both a laborious and costly task. An apparatus which will enable parts of a film to be mounted automatically in frames of the kind in which said film parts must be flexed in order for the edge portion thereof to be in¬ serted beneath counterposed holders arranged on the frame, as the film parts return to their planar form, is known to the art. This apparatus is described in Swedish Patent Specification No. 338 877. In recent years, the trend has been towards the use of frames in which one frame half is provided with a plurality of studs which are intended to co-act with the perforations in said film part, to hold the same in posi¬ tion. Neither the apparatus described in the aforesaid patent specification nor the method described therein can be applied when mounting parts of film in the more modern type of frame. Consequently, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus which permits film parts to be mounted automatically in frames provided with film-fixing studs rapidly and in a simple and reliable fa- shion. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method of the aforesaid kind which is characterized e~> to t en o en o LΠ o neath one edge of the strip of film is suitably arranged to be swung away as the plate moves downwardly. Other features characteristic of the invention are set forth in the following claims. The invention will now be described in more de¬ tail with reference to an embodiment thereof illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 illustrates schematically an arrange¬ ment of apparatus for mounting film parts, in which arrangement a mounting apparatus according to the pre¬ sent invention forms part. Figure 2-4 illustrate a mounting apparatus according to the invention in various stages of " a mount¬ ing operation, certain components of the apparatus being removed. Figures 5 and 6 are schematic side views cor¬ responding to the apparatus positions illustrated in fi¬ gures 3 and 4 respectively. Figure 1 illustrates a reel 1 having wound thereon a strip of film 2. Arranged in uniform spaced relationship along the two edges of the strip 2 are holes 3, see for example figure 2- The film strip 2 is advanced to a mounting apparatus 4 according to the invention, by means of a pneumatically operated advancing means 5, which co-acts with the holes 3 on the film strip in a manner known per se. The reference 6 identifies a magazine for stacking the base parts of respective frames, said base parts being advanced to the mounting apparatus 4 synchron¬ ously with the film strip 2. The reference 7 identifies a magazine for stacking the upper parts of the respective frames, said upper parts being pressed onto the base parts in a station 8, with the aid of a ram 9. The assembled frames 10 are then advanced to a collecting ma¬ gazine 11, which is removable and can be used as a storage box for the frames. All of the described feeding movements are effected by means of pressurized air, in a manner known per se. The structural design of the mounting apparatus 4 and its operating mode are described in more detail hereinafter with reference to figures 2-6. As will be seen from figures 2 and 3, the base parts 12, in which a window is provided, are fed in a row to a mounting position, to which the film 2 is also ad¬ vanced. The film 2 is advanced on a conveyor path (not shown) , the end edge of which is arranged to co-act in a known manner with a knife 13 arranged for movement in the vertical plane, to sever a section of film, e.g. a frame of film, from the strip 2. In figure 2, the knife 13 is shown in chain lines, while in figure 3 only part of the knife has been shown, for the sake of clarity. The knife is driven in a conventional manner, by means of a com- pressed-air piston-cylinder device. As the film 2 is advanced, it leaves the con¬ veyor means (not shown) at the location of the knife 13, whereafter only the left-hand edge of the film, as seen in figures 2 and 3, is supported. This edge is supported by a support surface 14, which comprises part of an L- shaped support means 21 , which is pivόtally mounted in a fixed mounting yoke 16 , via a pivot pin 15. The base parts 12 of respective frames are advanced successively to the mounting position beneath the support surface 14. Both the film 2 and each base part 12 is guided in a manner so that one film section is located substantially exactly above the base part 12 in said mounting position, with the holes 3 in register with positioning studs 17 on the frame. In this starting position, a compressed-air piston-cylinder device 18 is activated, said device being connected, via an angle piece 19, to a plate 20, which has an upper, substantially U-shaped portion forming two pins 22. The pins 22 are located in register with two slot-like recesses 23 in the support surface 14. When the piston-cylinder device 18 is activated, the plate 20 with the pins 22 is drawn downwards, whereup¬ on the pins 22 pass through two holes 3 in the film striτ 2, through the slots 23 in the support plane 14, and down towards the studs 17 on the base part 12 of the frame, as illustrated in figures 3 and 5. The film part located above the base of the frame is, in this position, correct- ly orientated and secured in relation to said base part. As illustrated in figure 3, the knife 13 can then be ac¬ tivated, to sever the film part from the remainder of the film strip 2. Subsequent to severing said film part, the compressed-air piston-cylinder device 24 illustrated in figure 2 is activated, said device 24 being connected, via an angle piece 25, to one of two mutually, connected plates 26 and 27, which surround the plate 20 on which the pins 22 are found. The plates 26 and 27 are substantially L-shaped, and are each provided with an upper portion, said portions being located on different sides of the pins 22 and being able to co-act with the film 2, to press the same down towards the base part 12 of the frame. As will be seen from figures 5 and 6, the plates 26 and 27 are provided with a link mechanism 28, which is so connected to the L-shaped support means 21 , having the support surface' 14, that when the plates 26 and 27 move downwardly, the support surface 14 is swung away. The plates will thert press the film 2 against the base part 12. of the frame, under the guidance of the pins 22, so that the studs 17 on said frame are received in the holes 3 in said film, so as to position said film part in the base part 12 of the frame, see figures 4 and 6. As mentioned in the aforegoing, this method of mounting film affords, inter alia, the advantage that a film part severed from the film strip 2 can never twist relative to the base part .12 of the frame, since it is constantly guided by the pins 22. All movements executed by the various compo¬ nents of the apparatus are controlled pneumatically, as is also feeding of both the film and the frame base parts. When a film part has been mounted in its intended frame base part, the plate 20, the pins 22, the plates 26 and 27, and the knife 13 return to their respective s arting posi¬ tions illustrated in figure 2, whereafter the film is ad¬ vanced through a distance corresponding to one film- frame length, and a new mounting frame is brought to the mounting position, while the preceding frame is pushed out, so as to be provided with an upper part by means of the ram 9 shown in figure 1 , in a conventional manner. The assembled frame, together with the film part mounted therein, is then passed to the collecting magazine 11. It has been assumed in the aforegoing descrip¬ tion that the film part is separated from the film strip prior to pressing said film part against the frame base portion. It is possible, however, to arrange the film conveyor parts in such a manner as to render it unnecessa- ry to sever respective film parts from the film strip be¬ fore the film strip reaches the frame base portion. Although the description and the claims state that the film strip is located above the frame base portion, this should only be interpreted as describing the relative po- sitions of said base portion and said film strip, since a mounting apparatus according to the " invention can, of course, be oriented in any desired manner relative to the vertical. The frame has been shown to incorporate two po¬ sitioning studs 17. The apparatus, however, can be used together with frames having any number of desired posi¬ tioning studs on one or both sides of the window. The film part to be mounted is efficiently guided, however, with two studs. As will be understood, the base part of the frame can be substituted by a frame upper-part, if said upper-part is provided with studs, in which case the base part is mounted in the following : station. The support surface 14 can be arranged to be moved horizon¬ tally away from the mounting position, instead of being swung downwardly. The invention can be modified in seve- ral respects within the scope of the claims, and other drive methods can be applied, although pneumatically operated devices are preferred.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A method for mounting a part of a continuous film strip in a frame, said film strip having arranged along at least one edge thereof a series of holes which are uniformly spaced at a given distance apart, and said frame having at least two studs for co-action with said holes, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by advancing the film strip to substantially the correct position relative to the frame, in a plane located thereabove; passing at least two pins down through corresponding holes in said strip and towards the studs on said frame; and by pressing said part of said film strip located above the frame down to¬ wards the frame under the guidance of the pins, either prior or subsequent to severing said film part from the remainder of said film strip, so that the studs on said frame engage respective holes in said film part, to fix the same in position in the frame. 2. A method according to Claim 1 , c h a r a c - t e r i z e d by advancing the film strip and the frame to mutually correct positions in two parallel planes. 3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by severing the film part from the film strip prior to pressing the film part against the frame, with the aid of a plate which is lo¬ cated on at least one side of the pins and which is ar¬ ranged for movement relative threto. 4. A method according to anyone of Claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by supporting the edge of the film strip provided with holes intended,.for co-action with said pins by a support surface (14) which is pro¬ vided with slots intended to receive the pins; and by swinging said support surface away when the film part is pressed against said frame. 5. An apparatus for mounting a part of a con¬ tinuous film strip (2) in a frame (12) having at least two studs (17) intended for co-action with holes ( arranged in uniform spaced relationsship along at least one edge of said film strip, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said apparatus includes means (5) for advancing the film strip (2) to substantially the correct position relative to the frame (12), in a plane located thereabove; at least two pins (22) arranged to be moved downwardly through corresponding holes (3) in the film strip, and towards the studs (17) on the frame; and means (26, 27) for pressing the part of said film strip (2) located above the frame (12) towards the frame, either prior to or subsequent to severing said film apart from the re¬ mainder of the film strip, under the guidance of said pins (22) , such that the studs (17) on the frame are re¬ ceived in holes (3) in said film part, to fix said film part in position in said frame (12) . 6. An apparatus according to Claim 5 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said apparatus in¬ cludes a support surface (14) for supporting the edge of the film strip (2) provided with holes (3) for co-action with said pins (22) , said support surface being provided with slots (23) intended to receive said pins, and being arranged to be swung away when said film part is pressed against the frame (12) . 7. An apparatus according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the means for press¬ ing the film part against the frame (12) includes a plate (26; 27) which is located on at least one side of the pins (22) and which is arranged for movement relative thereto. 8. An apparatus according to Claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said plate (26,; 27) is connected with means (28) which when said plate moves cause the support surface (24) beneath said one edge of the film strip (22) to be swung away. 9. An apparatus according to anyone of Claims 5-8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that all feeding movements and displacement of movable members are effected with the aid of com ressed-air iston-c linder devices 18 2

Inventors: ANDERSSON ERIK RUNAR, ANDERSSON, ERIK, RUNAR
Applicants: ALL FINMEKANIK AB
Application year: 1984
Main classification: G03B21
IPC codes: G03D15