Patent GB-883419-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to optical viewing apparatus
IPC: G03B21/11
Filed: 1958-02-11
Abstract: 883,419. Optical projection apparatus. EASTMAN KODAK CO. Feb. 11, 1958 [Feb. 11, 1957], No. 4431/58. Class 97(1). In an optical projection apparatus having a supply station for accommodating several image-bearing elements, and a viewing station spaced from the supply station, there is provided a transport means which is movable in orthogonal planes for the removal of an element from the supply station and for the conveyance thereof to the viewing station. The optical projection apparatus shown in Fig. 5, comprises a supply receptacle 78, Fig. 8, containing a stack of image - bearing elements from which the lowermost element can be removed by an arm 100, pivoted to a plate 81, and conveyed by this arm to a viewing station 50, at which the images on the element can be successively moved into the light path from a lamp and condenser arrangement in a housing 48 and projected by inclined mirrors 62 and 55 for viewing on an inclined screen 24. The arm 100 terminates in a perforated plate 105, Figs. 8 and 11, which is connected by an arm 122 passing through slots in a downwardly extending plate 87 and the wall of the cabinet to a knob 30. By moving the arm 122 along the slots, until it registers with a side slot, and then moving the arm 122 along the side slot, the perforated plate is brought into contact with the lowermost element in supply receptacle 78 whereupon a switch-operated vacuum pump connected to a conduit 113, Fig. 11, sucks the lowermost element on to the plate 105. The arm 122 is then lowered and moved horizontally to another side slot, where it is again moved vertically so as to register the imagebearing element with the viewing station 50. This viewing station, Fig. 21, comprises a glass platen 135 accommodated in a holder 133 communicating with the vacuum pump, so that when an element on plate 105 is pressed against the platen 135 the vacuum on plate 105 is released and the element is retained against the plate 135 by suction. This imagebearing element comprises pairs of longitudinally spaced images, and in order that the images may be successively projected on to the screen 24, the holder 133 of the glass platen 135 is as described in Specification 883,421 mounted on a C-shaped member which is slidable on guides 132, Fig. 12, these guides being carried by a block 153, slidable on orthogonal guides 131, supported by plates 149 and 148. The C-shaped member is movable in the direction of guides 132 by a rack and helical pinion 156, which is clutched at 164 and 173 to an external knob 31, which also rotates a gear 170. This gear rotates a shaft 176 carrying a cam 178 engaged by a follower 181 connected at 180 to the block 153, so that block 153 is reciprocable along the guides 131. Thus, by rotating the knob 31, the element carried by platen 135 has a compound movement such as to introduce each image into the light path. By axially moving knob 31 the clutch 164, 173 is disengaged, but the helical pinion can still be rotated by a pin and slot connection with the knob, and shaft 176 is uncoupled from gear 170, so that shaft 176 can be reciprocated independently of the rotation of knob 31 When viewing the projected images the operator may select those images which he desires to reproduce, as in an enlarger, and thereafter he brings the perforated plate 105 back into registry with the platen, so that the image-bearing element is released from the latter and again held on the perforated plate 105 by suction. The arm 122 is then moved downwardly and horizontally until it reaches another side slot, where it is moved upwardly below a punch block of a perforating machine as described in Specification 883,420 whereby holes can be punched into the image-bearing element corresponding to those images which it is desired to reproduce: Thereafter the arm 122 is moved to present the image-bearing element below a receptacle 80 in which the element is retained. If no images are to be reproduced, the arm is moved horizontally below a receptacle 79 and the image-bearing element is introduced therein.