Patent GB-733997-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to photographic document-copying apparatus
IPC: G03B27/46
Filed: 1953-12-15
Abstract: 733,997. Photographic document-copying apparatus. KODAK, Ltd. Dec. 15, 1953 [Dec. 19, 1952], No. 34899/53. Class 98 (1). Apparatus for copying a preselected number of documents on to a uniform length of film comprises a photographing station to which a predetermined area of each document is presented in turn, means for feeding the documents into and out of said station, said means being connected to film-feeding means including a plurality of rotatable members, each of which is operable intermittently in co-ordination with the document-feeding means to feed, past an exposure station, a uniform length of film strip in a predetermined number of increments corresponding to the number of documents, and means for selecting and rendering operable only one of said members. Preferably the members are arranged to feed also a given length of leader and trailer film portions, during which time the documents are not fed. As shown, the bottom card from the stack of documents C is fed into the rollers 29 by picker 46 and thence to the photographing station 12 where it is located by a bar 47, and after photographing is removed at right-angles to the feeding direction by a picker connected to arm 62, and rollers 32. A motor (not shown) drives the shaft to which bevel gear 33 is connected, thus driving shaft 35 through bevel gear 34 and the shafts 25 (Fig. 3- which carries the lower roller 29) and 291 (carrying upper roller 29) and the shafts carrying rollers 32, through gears (not shown). The shaft 25 carries an eccentric stud 27 (Fig. 3) which oscillates the link 55 (Fig. 1) and thus the arm 56, which in turn oscillates shaft 57, to which picker 46 is connected by a further arm (not shown). Arm 62 and its associated picker is worked in synchronization with arm 56 through gears 58, 59. When located in the photographing station 12, the matter on the card is illuminated by a lamp 51 and focused on the film F by a lens 14. The film is fed from a spool on shaft 40 and taken up on a spool on shaft 41, both shafts being driven from shaft 35 by worms 36, 37 and slip connections. The film is fed in the required number of increments through the exposure station 15 by a roller 18 driven from shaft 76 by sprockets 77, 79. Mounted on shaft 76 are three ratchet-wheels 65, 66, 67 which may be engaged by pawls 68, 69, 70, pivoted on arm 71 and normally urged into contact with the ratchets by springs 75. The arm 71 is pivoted at 72 and carries at its upper end a slot 73 which works in the stud 27, thus the arm is caused to oscillate and the pawls to advance the ratchets one tooth each time the shaft 25 revolves, i.e. each time a card is ejected from the station 12. Only one of the pawls and ratchets is operable at once, however, the others being rendered inactive by a cam 84 on shaft 82, connected to a handle 83 and dial 86 which in the appropriate position raises any pair of pawls and leaves only the third operative. Equal, and corresponding arcs of each ratchet have equal numbers of teeth which advance leading and trailing portions of film (during which time the cards are not fed to the station 12-see below) and the rest of their peripheries are equally divided into 119, 120 and 121 teeth respectively, and that ratchet is selected by handle 83 which corresponds to the selected number of cards, the areas of which are thus printed uniformly on a standard length of film. Cams are provided on shaft 76 to operate a pair of contacts; one closes a solenoid circuit when the leading and trailing portions of film are being fed by the ratchets which solenoid is caused to raise pins underneath the stack, of cards C and thus prevent their being fed by the pickers, and the other contact is arranged in parallel with the main starter switch and kept closed during the cycle of operations but is opened after one complete revolution of the shaft 76, i.e. after the trailing portion has been fed, to switch the apparatus off. A cam is also provided on the main driving shaft to close contacts and energize the lamp 51 each time a card is in place in the photographing station. A simple wiring diagram is given.