AUTOMATIC FILM-LOADING DEVICE FOR SHEET-FILM CASSETTES

Abstract: In a device (1) for unloading and reloading sheet-film cassettes (2), a sheet-film transfer device (6) with a sheet-film holder (12, 28) is provided which serves for guiding a sheet film (31) removed by a suction device (13, 14) from a supply magazine (3), for holding said sheet film during a vertical lifting movement of the sheet-film transfer device (6) and for guiding the sheet film (31) during its transfer into a cassette (2). The sheet-film holder (12, 28) consists of two identically shaped and parallely arranged support parts (23, 24 and 29, 30 respectively) on which rollers (26, 32) are rotatably mounted. The rollers (26, 32) form a channel (27) which is opened at the top and in which a sheet film (31) introduced into the sheet-film holder (12, 28) is guided on an arcuate path along the rollers (26, 32) only so that damage to the film is avoided.

Description: Automatic Film-Loading Device for Sheet-Film Cassettes The invention relates to a device for automatically loading a sheet film into a sheet-film cassette, said device comprising a plurality of sheet-film supply magazines and a sheet-film transfer device movable between a selected supply magazine and a cassette-loading station, further comprising a sheet-film holder which has a guide channel for receiving a sheet film and also comprising a sheet-gripping device movable along the guide channel of the sheet-film holder, said sheet- film holder and sheet-gripping device forming a jointly movable unit, according to patent application P 37 05 851.7. In the case of the device according to patent application P 37 05 851.7, it may happen that the sheet film removed from a supply magazine by a sheet-gripping device and moved into a sheet-film holder to be trans¬ ported to a cassette-loading station abuts the walls of the sheet-film holder or slides along said holder. Due to the mechanical force which is thus exerted on the sheet film, the film may be damaged or impaired by pressure marks and/or other defects caused by increased frictional contact with the metal-sheet film holders. It is the object of the invention to design the sheet-film holder of a device of the generic type such that the film is handled reliably and protected from damage. In accordance with the invention this object is attained in that the guide channel of the sheet-film holder is defined by rotatably mounted rollers which are arranged on a support. According to a useful modification of the invention the rollers are arranged at those locations of an arcuate guide channel at which the front edge of a sheet film fed into the sheet-film holder has to be deflected. According to another useful modification of the invention the support of the rollers consists of two identically shaped mounting * sections arranged at a distance from, and parallel to each other, with the sheet- gripping device being arranged between said sections. According to still another useful modification of the invention the support of the rollers and the sheet-gripping device is mounted to a rectilinearly guided guide member on which the sheet-gripping device is mounted for pivotal movement concentrically with the guide channel defined by the rollers. Due to the particular design of the sheet-film holder with a guide channel defined by the rollers, the sheet film is guided reliably and smoothly so that it cannot be interfered with in any undesired manner. Further features and advantages can be inferred from the description of embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings and from the subclaims. The drawings show schematically in Fig. I a lateral sectional view of the device; Fig. 2 an inclined partial view of the device according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a lateral view of another embodiment of a sheet-film holder; and Fig. 4 a front view of the device according to Fig. 3. The subject matter of the invention relates to the special design of a sheet-film holder 12 in a device 1 for unloading and reloading X-ray film cassettes according to patent application P 37 05 851.7. The device comprises a light-tight housing 1 in which a plurality of supply magazines 3 are arranged one above the other. Each of the supply magazines 3 houses a different sheet film size. Above the supply magazines 3, a light-tight cassette unloading and re¬ loading station 4 is arranged in which a cassette 2 is positioned such that it can be introduced and removed on a transport belt 5. Opening means for operating the upper cassette portion 2a, which are of a known type and not illustrated, are arranged in the unloading and re¬ loading station 4. A suction arm 18 movable by a crank drive 16, 17 is located beside the unloading and reloading station 4 and serves to remove a sheet film from cassette 2 and transfer said sheet film to the transport rollers 19. The transport rollers 19 and transport rollers 20 connected to . them serve to feed an exposed sheet film from the unloading and re¬ loading station 4 to a film developing apparatus of a known type not illustrated which is connected to the device in a light-tight manner. The supply magazines 3 are associated with a sheet-film transfer device 6 which is movable in the vertical direction along the end sides of the supply magazines' 3 up to the unloading and reloading station 4. The sheet-film transfer .device 6 is mounted to a guide member 7 by means of which it is shiftably guided on a guide column 9 and movable vertically by means of a chain 11 driven by a stepping motor 10. The sheet-film transfer device 6 is mounted to the guide member 7 via a mounting rail 21 (see Fig. 2) on which an electric motor 8 with a motor shaft 15 is also mounted. A suction arm 13 at the free end of which a suction bar - not illustrated in detail - with a plurality of suction elements 14 is located is seated on the motor shaft 15 of the electric motor 8. The sheet-film transfer device 6 comprises a sheet-film holder 12 with two supports 23 and 24 mounted to the mounting rail 21 , said supports carrying holders 25 with rotatably mounted rollers 26. The supports 23 and 24 consist of wire portions of identical design which are arranged at a distance from, and parallel to each other. The supports 23 and 24 form arcuate parallel channels which are concentrical with motor shaft 15 and have an entrance opening positioned above the supply magazines 3 and the cassette 2 respectively and facing them and which are closed at the other end. The holders 25 with the rollers 26 are mounted on the supports 23 and 24 by clamps or the like and are distributed such that a sheet film introduced into the sheet-film holder 12 is guided over an arcuate path along the rollers 26 only and without the supports 23, 24 being contacted by it. The clamping of the rollers 26 is advantageous in that the positions of the rollers 26 can thus be individually ad¬ justed. Suction arm 13 is situated between the supports 23 and 24, with its suction elements 14 moving along a guide path 27 as defined by the rollers 26. The surface of the rollers 26 is relatively soft in that it is, for example, rubber-coated or coated with foamed plastic so that the sheet film cannot abruptly impinge upon the holder and a sudden static dis¬ charge is avoided. Due to this design of the rollers 26, the sheet film is safely guided and cannot be damaged and/or impaired by pres¬ sure marks and/or other defects caused by increased frictional con¬ tact. In contrast to the embodiment described the supports of the sheet-film holder can be designed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, i.e. as iden¬ tical mounting frames 29, 30 made from sheet metal. The rollers 32 are directly mounted for rotation on the mounting frames 29, 30. The mounting frames 29, 30 along with the rollers 32 also form a channel open at the top in which a sheet film 31 introduced into the sheet-film holder 28 is guided over an arcuate path along the rollers 32 only and does not contact the mounting frames 29, 30. All other components of the device are the same as described in con¬ nection with, the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2. The sheet-film holders 12 and 28 respectively serve to guide a sheet film 31 removed by suction device 13, 14 from a supply magazine 3, to hold said sheet film during a vertical lifting movement of the sheet- film transfer device 6 and to guide it when it is transferred to a cassette 2. The device functions as follows: The functional sequence is presented in a simplified form. Details can be inferred from patent application P 37 05 851.7. With reference to Fig. 1, cassette 2 which is to be unloaded and re¬ loaded respectively is shifted in the direction of the arrow "F" into the unloading and reloading station "4" at the front side of the ap¬ paratus where it is transported to an end abutment by transport belt 5. When the final position has been reached the upper cassette portion 2a is opened by means not illustrated. With the aid of the sheet-film removal device 16, 17 the exposed film is seized by suction arm 18 and fed to the transport rollers 19 which transport the exposed film via transport rollers 20 to the film- developing apparatus arranged downstream. In response to the size (sheet-film format) of the cassette 2 intro¬ duced into the device, which is determined in the unloading and re¬ loading station 4, the sheet-film transfer device 6 is moved from an initial position to that removal position in which a supply magazine 3 is available which accommodates the sheet film size determined. Each removal position I to VII is associated with a code which indicates the sheet-film size accommodated in each of the supply magazines 3 and supplies such information to a control device. When the sheet-film size has been determined by means of the size of the cassette 2 introduced into the device, stepping motor 10 moves the sheet-film transfer device 6 via drive chain 11 to the appropriate re¬ moval position. During such lifting movement the sheet-film transfer device 6 assumes a retracted initial position in which it is freely movable in the ver¬ tical direction relative to the supply magazines 3. After the selected removal position of the sheet-film tranfer device 6 has been reached, the sheet-film is removed from the corresponding supply magazine 3. For this purpose suction arm 13 is pivoted clockwise from its retrac¬ ted initial position by motor 8. During such pivotal movement the suc¬ tion elements 14 are moved across the front section of the sheet-film supply stack into the open supply magazine 3, are lowered onto the uppermost film sheet and, by operation of a vacuum pump, a sheet film is seized by the suction elements 14. The sheet film is removed from this sheet-film removal position in that suction arm 13 is pivoted counterclockwise and during such opera¬ tion draws a sheet film 31 into the sheet-film holder 12 and 28 re¬ spectively. The counterclockwise pivotal movement of suction arm 13 is continued until the rear end of sheet film 31 has been drawn into the sheet-film holder 12 and 28 respectively and suction arm 13 has been arrested by switching off of motor 8. During such transport of sheet film 31 into the sheet-film holder 12 and 28 respectively the invention becomes effective in that the rollers 26 and 32 respectively provided on the supports 23 and 24 and on the mounting frames 29 and 30 respectively prevent the front edge of sheet film 31 from abutting against the inner edges of the supports 23 and 24 and of the mounting frames 29 and 30 respectively. Now the sheet-film removal operation has been completed; it is fol¬ lowed by the sheet-film transfer to the cassette unloading and reload¬ ing station 4. For this purpose the total sheet-film transfer device 6 is moved up¬ wardly by stepping motor 10 until it reaches a predetermined transfer position in which stepping motor 10 is arrested. In the transfer position, suction arm 13 is pivoted clockwise by motor 8. During such operation the sheet film 31 is shifted into cassette 2 through the guide channel 27 of sheet-film holder 12 and 28 respectively, said guide channel being aligned with respect to the open cassette 2. When the suction elements 14 have reached the final position, they are ventilated. The suction device 13, 14 has shifted the sheet film 31 into cassette 2 to such an extent that after ventilation of the suction elements 14, it drops exactly into the space provided for such prupose in cassette 2. Subsequently suction arm 13 carries out a counterclockwise pivotal movement until it reaches a predetermined retracted initial position in which the sheet-film transfer device 6 can be freely moved in the vertical direction. When suction arm 13 has reached its initial position as explained above the total sheet-film transfer device 6 is moved vertically up to a middle removal position by stepping motor 10. Starting from the middle removal position a new sheet-film transfer cycle can then be started as described. Cassette 2 loaded with a sheet film in the unloading and reloading station 4 is closed by means not illustrated and fed out of the device by transport belt 5 contrary to the direction of the arrow "F". In contrast to the embodiment illustrated the sheet-film holder rather than comprising an exclusively arcuate guide and holding arrangement for the sheet film may also comprise (not illustrated) a guide which is rectilinear in some areas followed by an arcuate portion and is formed by correspondingly arranged rollers and a correspondingly de¬ signed suction device. An embodiment of such a design of a sheet-film holder which is not illustrated can be inferred from patent applica¬ tion P 37 05 851.7, Fig. 12 (without guide rollers).

Claims: Patent Claims 1. Device for automatically loading a sheet film into a sheet-film cassette, said device comprising a plurality of sheet-film supply magazines and a sheet-film transfer device movable between a se¬ lected supply magazine and a cassette-loading station, further comprising a sheet-film holder which has a guide channel for re¬ ceiving a sheet film and also comprising a sheet gripping device movable along the guide channel of the sheet-film holder, said sheet-film holder and sheet-gripping device forming a jointly movable unit, according to patent application P 37 05 851.7, c h a r a ct e r i z e d in that the guide channel (27) of the sheet-film holder (12, 28) is defined by rotatably mounted rollers (26, 32) which are arranged on a support (23, 24 and 29, 30 re¬ spectively). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rollers (26, 32) define an arcuate and/or rectilinear guide channel (27). 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the rollers (26, 32) are arranged at those locations of an arcuate guide channel (27) at which the front edge of a sheet film (31) fed into the sheet-film holder (12, 28) has to be deflected. 4. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support for the rollers (26) consists of two iden¬ tically shaped arcuate and parallel wire sections (23, 24) which are arranged at a distance from each other and in that the sheet- gripping device (13, 14) is disposed between the two wire sections (23, 24). 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the rollers (26) are rotatably mounted on holders (25) and in that the holders (25) are secured to the wire sections (23, 24). 6. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support for the rollers (32) consists of two identi¬ cally shaped mounting parts (29, 30) which are arranged at a distance from, and parallel to each other, in that the rollers (32) are rotatably mounted directly on the mounting parts (29, 30) and in that the sheet-gripping device (13, 14) is arranged between the two mounting parts (29, 30). 7. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the rollers (26, 32) are arranged at the facing inner sides of the support (23, 24 and 29, 30 respectively) and/or the outer sides of the support (23, 24 and 29, 30 respectively). 8. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the surfaces of the rollers (26, 32) which contact a sheet film (31) are provided with a soft, electrically insulating coat¬ ing. 9. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the support (23, 24 and 29, 30 respectively) for the rollers (26, 32) and the sheet-gripping device (13, 14) is mounted to a rectilinearly guided guide member (7) and in that the sheet gripping device (13, 14) is mounted for pivotable movement concen¬ trically with the guide channel (27) defined by the rollers (26, 32). 10. Device according to one or several of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sheet-gripping device (13, 14) is mounted to a motor shaft (15) of a motor (8) arranged on the guide member (7).

Inventors: SACHS GUENTER, WUERSCHUM HANS-PETER, SACHS, GUENTER (DECEASED), WUERSCHUM, HANS-PETER
Applicants: EASTMAN KODAK CO, KODAK AG, SACHS DORA, SACHS GUENTER
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G03B42
IPC codes: G03B42