Abstract: A photographic camera includes a collapsible lens carrier, formed of at least two movable tubular members, that may be telescoped into a third tubular member rigidly secured to a camera body portion. An improved latch secures the lens carrier in an extended position. The latch comprises a two armed lever pivotally supported on one of the movable tubular members. When the carrier is extended a spring associated with the latch urges an end of one arm against a frontwardly facing surface of the third tubular member and urges an end of a second arm against a rearwardly facing surface of the other movable tubular members thereby latching the carrier in its extended position. A portion of the lever extends through an opening in the carrier to permit this lever to be manually pivoted out of its latching position thus permitting the operator to collapse the carrier.

Abstract: An improved folding camera includes a housing for supporting photographic film, a lens assembly covering door and a lens assembly supporting member. Both the door and the member are pivotally coupled to the housing and a link rod is pivotally coupled to both the door and the member. The coupling between the link rod and the member comprises an overcenter joint. This joint assumes an approximately center position when the lens assembly covering door is raised from a home position to a temporary position and moves to either side of the center position in response to return movement of the door to its home position. The particular side of center to which the joint moves is determined by the orientation of the camera relative to gravity. Since the member moves in response to movement of the overcenter joint the member may be pivoted towards or away from the housing when the overcenter joint moves from its center position.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a locator, e.g. a notch, perforation or mark, associated with each frame of an elongated film strip that is advanced through the apparatus. The apparatus includes guide members that are supported adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of the strip and a detector, such as a photoelectric cell and a light source, for sensing the locators. The guide members and the detector are coupled for movement in a direction transverse to the general direction of advancement of the strip and move in response to transverse wavering movement of the strip to ensure proper positioning of the detector relative to the locators as the locators approach the detector.

Abstract: In a settable matrix photographic color printer, Neutral, Green-chromaticity, and Illuminant-chromaticity correction levels and associated color rotations are adjusted by: transforming the printer correction matrix from a Red, Green, Blue coordinate system to a Neutral, Green-chromaticity, Illuminant-chromaticity coordinate system whereby the diagonal elements of the transformed matrix represent the Neutral, Green-chromaticity, and Illuminant-chromaticity correction levels, and the off-diagonal elements of the matrix represent color rotations; changing the value of the elements of the transformed matrix as desired; and transforming the thus adjusted matrix back into the Red, Green, Blue color coordinate system.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus particularly suitable for the exposure and initiation of processing of a self-processing film unit includes a movable shuttle that is adapted to engage the film unit and advance the exposed film unit at least partially from its exposure position. A spring biases the shuttle towards a retracted position wherein a film engaging portion thereof is disposed to engage the film unit in its exposure position. After advancement of a foremost film unit from the exposure position a restraint supports the shuttle in an advanced position against the bias of the spring. The shuttle is releasable from the restraint in response to movement of a body release from an initial position to initiate exposure of the next succeeding film unit.

Abstract: An improved photographic apparatus particularly suitable for the exposure and initiation of processing of a self-processing film unit includes a pivotable and translatable shuttle that includes a picker finger for engaging a trailing edge of a film unit and advancing the exposed film unit from its exposure position into the nip between a pair of opposed pressure members. The shuttle includes a rack adjacent one end thereof which is coupled to a gear drive that is also coupled with the pressure rollers. A spring biases the shuttle towards a position wherein the picker finger is disposed to engage the trailing edge of the film unit. After advancement of a film unit from its exposure position a latch or restraint supports the shuttle in an inactive but energized condition against the bias of the spring. The shuttle is releasable from the restraint in response to actuation of the body release.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for cyclically controlling the metering of photosensitive sheet material into an exposure station, cutting the material to a selected length, exposing the material to form a latent image thereon and advancing the sheet onto a rotating drum upon which the sheet is processed by the application of heat. To minimize the size of the apparatus and to reduce the time between exposures of successive prints the drum is made relatively small but rotated at a correspondingly higher rate with appropriate processing time provided by having each portion of the sheet remain on the drum for more than one revolution of the drum. Rotation of the drum is controlled by a counting mechanism to ensure that the drum has turned a sufficient number of revolutions to fully process the sheet and remove same from the apparatus. The apparatus also controls a stripper element so that this element is actuated at an appropriate time in a print cycle to remove the processed sheet from the drum.

Abstract: Photofinishing apparatus for producing photographic prints from originals such as positive transparencies, negative transparencies or positive reflection prints and for printing a customer bill is controlled by an electronic computer. Some data required for producing prints in the photographic printer is entered into the computer via an operator keyboard. Other data may be entered into the computer via a device that measures the size and format of the original, an exposure determining station, and a code reader for reading a code on the photofinishing envelope. The data is stored in a memory associated with the computer and is used to control the photographic printer. Pricing data is also contained in a memory associated with the computer. After the originals have been printed, the computer uses the pricing data and the data that was used to control the printer to control the customer billing printer.

Abstract: A longitudinally extending housing contains an element for filtering a liquid and an element for heating the liquid. The housing is internally divided into a longitudinally extending generally cylindrical outer chamber, containing the filter element, and a similarly extending cylindrical inner chamber, containing the heating element. The flow of filtered liquid from the outer chamber to the inner chamber is permitted only by having the liquid flow over a generally cylindrical wall defining a weir, which divides the housing into the two chambers. The weir cooperates with a specially formed conical configuration on an end of the housing to define a liquid flow path between the chambers in which undissolved air may be removed from the housing. After entering the inner chamber the filtered liquid flows along the length of the axially directed heating element and the heated and filtered liquid is thereafter discharged from the housing.

Abstract: A self-releasing pawl and ratchet clutch is described that is particularly suitable for use as a single revolution clutch in a self-processing camera. At the end of one revolution of the clutch, the pawl is uncoupled from the ratchet wheel by a translatable and pivotable clutch release finger. The finger is spring biased towards a first position and includes a ramp at one end thereof that is locatable in the path of the pawl to stop the pawl from further rotation with the ratchet wheel. In the process of stopping the pawl, the finger is translated from the first position and held by the pawl in a second position against the bias of the spring. After the pawl is unseated from its interdental seat on the ratchet wheel the finger is restored by the spring to the first position. An enlarged tooth formed on the ratchet wheel forces the pawl to be moved generally radially outwardly along the ramp so that the pawl is held away from the tips of the smaller teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Abstract: In the removal of a film unit from a motor-assisted self-processing camera, the number of rotations per unit time of the pressure rollers which accomplish such removal is controlled by providing electrical contacts in association with a star wheel and a motor. The star wheel includes electrically conductive and nonconductive portions arranged so that the angular orientation of the star wheel relative to the electrical contacts determines whether or not current will be furnished from a battery to the motor. An orbiting pin, synchronized with the rotation of the pressure rollers, advances the star wheel through a portion of a cycle for each complete revolution of the pin. After a desired number of revolutions of the orbiting pin, the star wheel completes a full cycle and returns to an end-of-cycle position in which position current to the motor is removed and the motor dynamically braked. Drive to the pressure rollers commences with the return of the shutter release after exposure of a film unit.