Abstract: A method to locally heat a thermoplastic hinge and fold its semicylindrical members together so as to form a film cartridge. The cooled integrated hinge is locally heated in a manner whereby the semicylindrical members remain cool. When the thermoplastic hinge is ductile from the heat, the semicylindrical members are folded together.

Abstract: In a photographic film or paper web handling system, a vacuum drum carried by a moveable carriage automatically picks up the end of a web roll and feeds it to a web path. The location of the roll surface is sensed and the carriage is positioned in close proximity to the roll surface. The pickup of the web end by the vacuum drum is sensed and the carriage is moved from the web roll to a position adjacent the web path. An air chute is provided for transporting the web along the film path to a web perforator. A drive for the web roll is placed in a constant torque mode for maintaining web tension during initial threading and a loop position servo controlled mode for maintaining a loop height in a slack box after threading.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for splicing webs (14,18) such as photographic film in which the lead end of a new web and the tail end of an old web are trimmed at the parallel edges (82,84) of their input platens (36,38) and then shifted into abutment for application of a strip of tape. An automatic tape dispenser (128) cuts tape into predetermined lengths, transfers the lengths to a vacuum applicator wheel (130) and then rolls the lengths across the abutted lead and tail ends.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for splicing webs (14,18) such as photographic film in which the lead end of a new web and the tail end of an old web are trimmed at the parallel edges (82,84) of their input platens (36,38) and then shifted into abutment for application of a strip of tape. An automatic tape dispenser (128) cuts tape into predetermined lengths, transfers the lengths to a vacuum applicator wheel (130) and then rolls the lengths across the abutted lead and tail ends.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for splicing webs (14,18) such as photographic film in which the lead end of a new web and the tail end of an old web are trimmed at the parallel edges (82,84) of their input platens (36,38) and then shifted into abutment for application of a strip of tape. An automatic tape dispenser (128) cuts tape into predetermined lengths, transfers the lengths to a vacuum applicator wheel (130) and then rolls the lengths across the abutted lead and tail ends.