Patent GB-1461343-A (GB)
Title: Automatic film-cassette fabrication
IPC: G03B17/26
Filed: 1974-01-22
Abstract: 1461343 Cassette receivers AGFA-GEVAERT AG 22 Jan 1974 [3 Feb 19731 02900/74 Headings B8M and B8B A machine for automatically winding a film on to a spool in a cassette, comprises a cassette chamber having a cavity for receiving the film cassette 10 and displaceable perpendicularly to the plane of advance of the film 2 between a cassette-receiving position, Fig. 2 (not shown) and a film winding and threading position, Fig. 3, a threading device 42 insertable into the casette, a film transport system 9, 11, 12 and a film winding drive in the form of a synchronous motor 20, Fig. 6, connectible via a telescopic shaft 21 and a coupling element 22 to the spool 14 of the cassette, the arrangement being such that displacement of the cassette chamber to the threading and winding position actuates mechanical elements (cam 39 and member 38) to engage the coupling element of the telescopic shaft with the cassette spool, advance of the film into the spool by the transport system actuating the film winding drive. An empty cassette 14 is loaded from a conveyer into the cavity of the cassette chamber 8 in its cassette receiving position. A pneumatic member 29 connected to the chamber by resilient means to provide an accurately adjustable stroke then displaces the chamber to the threading and winding position whereupon the cam follower 39 and member 38 couple the drive shaft of the synchronous motor 20 to the spool to rotate the latter. The A.C. supply to the motor is then switched off and replaced by a D.C. supply which causes the motor to stop in a predetermined position which is adjusted so that in this position fastening elements 24 of the film spool are presented to the film guide channel for reception of the film. A pneumatic element 37 is then actuated to insert the threading device, a curved leaf spring guide 42 through the cassette opening into the spool, and the film transport system comprising a toothed drum 9 engaging perforations in the film and a rack 12 and pinion 11 arranged such that the drum is freely rotatable in one direction and coupled to the pinion 11 in the other, is actuated by a pneumatic element 13 to advance the beginning of the film down the guide channel in the cassette chamber and over the concave inner surface of the leaf spring guide into the cassette spool 14. The spring guide is then withdrawn, the film channel optionally widened by actuating a pneumatic element 34 to displace section 25b of the cassette chamber 8 from section 25a, Fig. 4 (not shown) which sections define either side of the film guide channel, and the film winding drive operated to wind a predetermined amount of film on to the cassette spool. A revolution counter on the drum 9 provides impulses whereby when the correct amount of film has been wound on to the spool, the winding drive is switched off and a detent (17) Fig. 5 (not shown) is actuated by a control circuit to engage a ratchet wheel fixed on the drum to brake the latter. The length of film to be wound on is an integral multiple of the circumference of the toothed drum. The cassette chamber 8 is then displaced back to its receiving position, a fixed blade 35 on the chamber co-operating with a resiliently mounted blade 36 to sever the film during the displacement. The loaded cassette is then ejected. The film fed to the machine is offwound from a supply roll in a dark room and passes through a lightproof gate in the wall to the winding machine which may itself be in a lighted room.