Abstract: A computer-controlled slide projector tray unloader for use with a slide archival storage system. A slide magazine (10) is placed below a slide gate (7). A tray (9) is held above the slide gate such one of the compartments coincides with the slide gate. A transporting mechanism (30) at the slide gate (7) transports a slide from the selected one compartment of the tray such that the slide drops into the magazine (10). An advance mechanism is provided for advancing the tray to position a particular compartment to coincide with the slide gate. A Tray Table maintained by software running on the computer associates a unique location number for each one of the plurality of compartments of the tray with a previously assigned serial number, each serial number identifying a slide stored in a compartment of the tray.

Abstract: A slide receptacle comprised of a bin (8) and hopper (11) for receiving the bin. The bin is of substantially parallelepipedic shape, having an upper end, a lower end opposite the upper end, and four sidewalls. A pair of stop means including outwardly protruding tines (26, 28) are located on first and second opposing sidewalls at the lower end. Each of the stop means includes inwardly protruding tabs (22, 24) for partially closing the lower end, such that slides in the bin are prevented from dropping out of the lower end. The stop means are flexible such that pressure on tines (26, 28) causes tabs (22, 24) to open to allow slides to pass through the lower end. The hopper (40) has four inner walls, the dimensions of which conform to the outer dimensions of the bin. Two opposing inner walls (44, 46) are provided with grooves (48, 50, 52, 54), a bottom portion (70) of each groove bending outwardly.

Abstract: A computer-controlled slide previewer, sorter, projector tray loader and archiving system. Slides are held in a stack in a hopper in a known sequence. A slide release mechanism is provided to deliver one slide from the stack of slides to a position over one of a plurality of sorting bins or compartments of a projector tray. An accession number is derived for each slide either from a number read from a label affixed to the slide or from the relative position of the slide in the hopper. This accession number is transmitted to a sorting logic. In accordance with a sort algorithm using the accession number, the sorting logic positions the appropriate bin or compartment to receive the slide. The sorting logic then activates the release mechanism to deliver the slide into the bin or compartment positioned to receive the slide.

Abstract: A slide viewer/sorter having a chute oriented at an incline to horizontal which is adapted to receive a photographic slide at one end. The slide drops by force of gravity to a viewing station where it is held by a detent. After viewing the slide the detent is actuated to release the slide which is transported by force of gravity to the lower end of the chute where it drops into a first receptacle. The first receptacle is rotatably mounted so that it can be moved out of the way, thus allowing the slide to drop further down into a second receptacle, having a number of bins. The second receptacle is mounted so that any bin can be positioned under the chute. This allows the operator of the viewer/sorter to sort the slides into two or more different stacks.