Patent GB-1493679-A (GB)
Title: Cameras
IPC: G03B15/04
Filed: 1975-03-04
Abstract: 1493679 Photographic cameras W HAKING INDUSTRIES (MECHANICS & OPTICS) Ltd 4 March 1975 [11 Feb 1975] 8922/75 Heading G2A The housing 3 of a camera, Figs. 1 and 2, including a shutter release 6, means 9 for resetting the shutter and winding the film and means 10 for holding a percussive flash unit 8, has a striker 14 which moves, when the shutter resetting means is operated, from an uncocked to a cocked position, and which carries force applying means 12 positioned to apply force to initiate the flash during movement of the striker means under spring means. The striker lever 14, Figs. 2 and 7, of plastics material, is pivoted at one end and at the other end is formed with an actuating finger 12 which is spring-urged upwardly. A spring-urged pivoted hold-down member 15 (also of plastics), assumes a first position when the flash unit 8 is in place and a second position when the flash unit is absent. In the first position, it holds the lever 14 in a position with the tip of the finger 12 near the plane of the top of the camera. In the second position, it holds the lever 14 in its lowest position. On depression of release button 6, an assembly 16 is released from its cocked position and moves under action of a spring 17 so that a cam face 23a carried thereby acts on an extension 22 of lever striker 14, forcing it past hold-down member 15 and releasing it so that the finger 12 strikes the flash unit to fire a flash-bulb. When the flash-bulb is absent and striker lever 14 is therefore held down by member 15, and assembly 16 has been cocked by operation of the film-winding and shuttersetting mechanism, a shoulder 24 on lever 14 extends into the path of a finger 26 on assembly 16, and the assembly is held in its cocked position so that no flash operation can occur. The striker lever 14, Fig. 7, has an arm 27 carrying the finger 12, extension 22 and shoulder 24 at one end. At the other end is a pivot 28' and an extension 27a with a second pivot 28. The pivots are journalled in sockets in the camera body, and a coil spring 21 biases the free end of the lever 14 upward. Extension 27a also carries a projection 29 engageable by the hold-down member 15. The assembly 16, Fig. 7, comprises a metal stamping 16a which is slidable on an internal wall of the camera by pins 33 thereon sliding in slots (32), (32'), Fig. 6 (not shown), formed in the wall, and is biased by spring 17, Fig. 2. At one end, the finger 26 and a lug 34 with a cam face 23a are formed. A flash unit rotating plate 16b is pivoted to the other end of stamping 16a by a pin 72. The assembly 16 is held in its cocked position, with spring 17 stressed, by a latching member (40). When the film is wound and the shutter is set by moving member 9 to the right, a projection 9a engages a pin 33 and cocks assembly 16. The flash cube socket 10, Figs. 4, 5 and 7, has a shaft 46 with control part 46b, a squared upper portion 46a fitting into a correspondingly-shaped bore 48a in the centre post 48 of the socket, and a lower flange 46c. Part 46a lies within a tubular wall 50. A flash unit sensing member 47 slides vertically within wall 50 and has fingers 47b which slide on the inside of socket 10. A projection 31a' on an arm 31' of the hold-down member 15 slides vertically in a slot 50b of the tubular wall 50, and the lower face of the flash unit sensing member 47 bears down on projection 31a'. A recess 55 in hold-down member 15 is lined by a sleeve 56 which is pivotable on a post 57 mounted on the frame of the camera. Spring 58 biases the member 15 so that the hold-down projection 31a is urged down to move the striker lever 14 down, and to raise the projection 31a' contacting the film sensing member 47. When a flash-cube 8 is inserted into the socket 10, it depresses fingers 47b, and this rocks holddown member 15 to raise the arm 31, so that striker lever 14 is moved to its intermediate position, wherein shoulder 24 is out of the path of movement of finger 26 on sliding plate 16a. Thus, when sliding plate 16a is released upon actuation of the shutter, its movement causes striker lever 14 to move upward against action of spring 58. Finger 12 strikes the flash-cube so as to ignite an element of the flash-cube. The hold-down member 15 also has an arm 59. When there is no flash-cube present, the end 59a of the arm is in the path of a shutter blade, so that the blade rebounds quickly. With a flash-cube in place, arm 59 is withdrawn to provide a longer exposure. The flash unit rotating plate 16b has a nose 80 which, on cocking of the plate 16a, engages the base of the socket 10 to rotate it through 90 degrees. Cams 84, Fig. 7, or the socket 10 engage a pin (83), Figs. 9A, 9B (not shown) on the striker lever 14 so that the lever cannot be raised during the return of the sliding plate 16a.