Patent GB-1287454-A (GB)
Title: Photographic flashlight devices
Inventor: GALBRAITH FLOYD MALCOLM JR
IPC: G03B15/04
Filed: 1969-10-14
Abstract: 1287454 Photographic apparatus EASTMAN KODAK CO 14 Oct 1969 [14 Oct 1968 (2)] 50432/69 Heading G2A A photographic flash-light device, e.g. a camera, has a socket 23 for receiving percussionignitable flash-lamp units having one or more flash-lamps and for locating the or each succeeding lamp 25 in a firing position, there being means responsive to scene brightness, e.g. a photoresponsive element (32) Fig.1 (not shown), which controls the percussion firing of a lamp in the firing position. The unit may be of the kind wherein the primer tube 26 of the lamp is struck directly by the striker pin 53 of a striker member 51, as shown, or of the kind having integral strikers which are released by a member in the camera.  Sequence of operations. A unit is inserted in the socket 23 with an unfired lamp 25 in the firing position. If an unexposed film is not located in the film plane, a film advance lever (30) is turned, thereby rotating a film take up reel, through a gear 33 and rack arm 34. One end of the lever (30) carries a cocking foot 35 which engages a shutter striking plate 36 to rotate it clockwise, Fig. 5, to its cocked position against the bias of a spring. The plate 36 carries a latch member 60 with it, the plate 36 being held in its cocked position Fig.4 (not shown) by stop plate 82 of the member 60, thereby allowing the film advance lever (30) to return to its original position. Advancing the film also energizes a socket driving ring 70, the hooked end 72 of a lever 50 attached to the rack arm 34 engaging a pin 71 of the ring 70 and rotating it through 90 degrees anti-clockwise against the bias of a helical drive spring (not shown). The ring 70 is held in its energized position by a latch tab 76 on member 60. The socket 23 and inserted unit do not rotate anticlockwise with the ring 70 as a pawl 84 engages a notch 86 to hold the socket 23. The member 60 has a third arm carrying a tab 61 which engages the latch arm 57 of the striker member 51 to move it anti-clockwise to its cocked position, where the member 51 is held since a pawl 58 thereof engages another notch 86. This also prevents indexing until after firing the flash-lamp. To make an exposure, a release member 31 is depressed, thereby removing an arm 91 from the path of movement of a lever 87, and then a latch 45 of the member 31 releases a finger 42 of the plate 36 which then moves to rapidly strike a shutter ear 41 and move the shutter blade. Simultaneously a latch 63 on the member 31 releases the latch arm 57 and the pawl 84 is removed from the notch 86. The movement of the plate 36 permits the latch member 60 to rotate thereby permitting indexing. However, for a daylight exposure with no fill in flash, the lever 87 rotates as the member 31 is depressed until a pin 89 thereof enters a slot 83 of the striker member 51 to hold it in position. This happens before the member 31 releases the latch arm 57 so firing and rotation are prevented. For a flash exposure, when a mode selector lever 95 is moved to its dotted line position, or when fill in flash is required, in which case a lever 97 is pivoted, the lever 87 is prevented from pivoting so the pin 89 does not enter the slot 83, and so, when the latch arm 57 is released, the striker pin 53 moves under spring action to fire the lamp 25. After firing has taken place, the socket is indexed by means of the cocked driving ring 70. The mode selector lever maybe moved automatically by means of an element in an exposure control system. In another embodiment Figs.6, 7 (not shown), the firing member (130) is spring urged to a firing position when a latch member (120) is released by actuation of a shutter release member (110), and a blocking member (150) is spring urged into the path of movement of the firing member, unless pivoted out of position by a slide member (170) associated with control means operating in response to scene brightness.