Patent ID: 7463822

Claim:
A method of loading film into a camera assembly comprising the steps of: (a) providing a camera assembly having a main body and a back cover, the back cover operatively engaging the main body so as to form in part a light-tight film casing; the light-tight film casing including a cartridge chamber and a film chamber, each of the chambers being defined in part by the main body and the back cover, the film chamber being defined at an upper end by an upper wall of the main body and at a lower end by at least an endcap assembly, the upper wall having a recess that opens to the film chamber, wherein the chambers are disposed on opposite sides of a taking lens supported on the main body, the endcap assembly including a plate with an aperture extending therethrough and with a shutter blade mounted thereon, wherein the shutter blade is movable between a first position, in which the aperture is substantially closed, and a second position, in which the aperture is substantially unobstructed; (b) providing a substantially light-tight sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween; (c) providing a winding rod having a proximal end and a distal end, at least the distal end of the winding rod being substantially light-tightly extending into the sleeve from the proximal end of the sleeve, the winding rod being movable within the sleeve substantially along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve; (d) bringing the sleeve and the camera assembly together such that the distal end of the sleeve light-tightly surrounds the aperture in the endcap assembly; (e) moving the shutter blade into the second position; (f) moving the distal end of the winding rod through the sleeve and the aperture in the endcap assembly, wherein at least a portion of the distal end of the winding rod extends into the film chamber of the camera assembly such that the distal end extends into and is supported by the recess in the upper wall; (g) placing a film cartridge into the cartridge chamber of the camera assembly; (h) attaching a leader portion of film extending from the film cartridge to the winding rod; (i) operatively engaging the back cover with the main body so as to light-tightly enclose the film chamber and the cartridge chamber; (j) turning the winding rod such that at least a portion of film from the cartridge is wound into a roll in the film chamber; (k) disengaging the winding rod from the leader portion of film and retracting the winding rod from the film chamber and the endcap assembly; and (l) moving the shutter blade into the first position.