Patent GB-567968-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic photographic apparatus
IPC: G03B17/53
Filed: 1941-03-28
Abstract: 567,968. Automatic photographic cameras. TREUHAND-UND ORGANISATIONS-AKT.-GES. March 28,1941, No. 4246. Convention date, March 29, 1940. [Classes 98 (i) and 98 (ii)] Photographic apparatus of the type in which the insertion of a coin or pressure on a button produces automatic release of the shutter, feed of the sensitive strip, and cutting off of the exposed portion, which is then processed, comprises three camera units, one for large and the other two for smaller photographs, the latter being arranged side by side transversely of the sensitive strip, which passes through them after being fed through the large-size camera. The two small camera units are preferably so spaced as to produce stereoscopic pairs of photographs. In the form described, the small cameras take photographs half the height of those taken by the large camera, the film being fed once before taking a pair of small photographs and twice through the same distance after taking a large photograph. The film is fed from a magazine 6, Fig. 6, above the cameras by means comprising a cross-member 12 and an eccentrically pivoted roller 13 between which the film passes and which are mounted on a slide 11 reciprocated by a hollow push-rod 14 operated by a lever 15, Fig. 5, which is rocked by a cam 19 on an operating shaft 20. A ball-end 21 on the lever 15 engages a rod 22 slidable in the hollow push-rod 14, and engaging at its upper end an arm 24 which rocks the roller 13. On the up-stroke, the rod 22 is raised relatively to the rod 14, rocking the eccentric roller 13 so that the film is not gripped ; on the down-stroke, the rod 22 is first lowered, causing the roller to grip the film between it and the cross-member 12. The limits of movement of the rod 22 relatively to the slide 11 are determined by adjustment of a wedge 30 at its lower end, and of a rod 29 screwed into the top of the slide, whereby the gripping and releasing movements of the roller 13 are adjusted. The slide is counterbalanced by a weight 26 and its movements are braked by a spring- pressed plunger 33 acting on the rod 29. The shutters are operated by a disc 35 on the shaft 20 and having a single tooth 36 which engages the end of a lever which operates the shutter of the larger camera, and two teeth 37, 38 which engage a lever operating the shutters of the two smaller cameras. The teeth engage the tapering flanges of discs 51 rotatably mounted on the ends of the levers, so that by angular adjustment of these discs the width of the part of the flange engaged by the teeth, and hence the time of exposure, may be varied. The disc is driven by pins 39 connecting it to a flange 40 rotatably mounted on the shaft 20 and driven by a pin 41 carried by a disc 42 secured to the shaft. For taking a large-size photograph, the disc 35 is raised by adjustment of an eccentric 44. On momentary actuation by an electromagnet of a stop 43, the pin 41 which it engages is released, and the shaft 20, which is driven by an electromotor, makes one revolution before being again arrested by the stop. During this revolution, the exposure is first made by the tooth 36 wiping across the flange of the disc 51 on the shutter lever and the cam 19 then causes two reciprocations of the film-feeding device. The exposed part of the film is then cut off by means (not shown, operating in a plane between the cameras and comprising a fixed blade and a blade movable in guides by a lever rocked by an arm 57 on the shaft 20. For taking smallsized photographs, the disc 35, and with it the flange 40, is lowered by the eccentric 44. On the first actuation of the stop 43 the shaft 20 revolves until a second pin on the lowered flange 40 engages the stop, during which the film-feeding device makes a single reciprocation, to feed the film through a distance equal to the height of the small picture. On the second actuation, the tooth 37 operates the lower shutter-actuating lever and the film is again fed, after which another pin on the flange 40 engages the stop 43 and the shaft 20 comes to rest. At the third actuation, the tooth 38 again operates the shutter lever and the portion of the strip containing the four exposures is cut off.