Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part having a chamber, and a film cartridge adapted to be located in a predetermined position within the chamber, is characterized in that the film cartridge is a modified cartridge as compared to a standard cartridge, because it has a recess that is not on the standard cartridge, and the main body part has a blocking protuberance that projects into the chamber to fit in the recess when the modified cartridge is located in the predetermined position within the chamber, but which will abut the standard cartridge to prevent it from being located in the predetermined position within the chamber if one attempts to substitute the standard cartridge for the modified cartridge, and which has a hollowed-out space that will allow ambient light to leak into the chamber should one cut the protuberance off the main body part at the hollowed-out space in order to permit the standard cartridge to be located in the predetermined position within the chamber.

Abstract: A motorized camera comprising a bi-directional film drive motor having respective direction modes for film advance and for film rewind, and a movable door latch, is characterized in that the door latch is coupled with the motor to change the direction mode of the motor only when the door latch is moved.

Abstract: A camera back comprising a light emitting device for recording information on a filmstrip in conjunction with picture-taking, and a film support for ensuring the shape of the filmstrip when information is recorded on the filmstrip, is characterized in that the film support has a plurality of parallel curved film ribs integral with the camera back for shaping the filmstrip in a curve, a recording opening is formed in the camera back adjacent one of the curved film ribs, and the light emitting device has a flat light emitting face positioned over the recording opening at an acute angle with respect to the one film rib.

Abstract: A film cartridge comprises a rotatable film spool, and a film exposure status indicator capable of changing state to provide a visual indication of the exposure status of a filmstrip for the film cartridge. The film exposure status indicator includes a film exposed indication positioned to be seen, and a dry erasable coating that covers the film exposed indication to conceal the film exposed indication from view and that can be erased to reveal the film exposed indication. A wiper device for erasing the erasable coating is positioned in contact with the erasable coating. Either one of the film exposed status indicator and the wiper device is connected to the film spool for rotation with the film spool relative to whichever one of the film exposed status indicator and the wiper device is not connected to the film spool, whereby the relative movement between the film exposed status indicator and the wiper device will cause the wiper device to erase the erasable coating.

Abstract: A stereoscopic picture-taking method comprises the steps of (1) positioning two image-bearing transparencies each having substantially the same positive image at separate right-position and left-position locations relative to one another; (2) projecting light through the right-positioned transparency first to a right-positioned taking lens of a camera and then to a right-positioned imaging area on a filmstrip in the camera, to expose a latent image on the right-positioned imaging area of the positive image on the right-positioned transparency; and (3) projecting light through the left-positioned transparency first to a left-positioned taking lens of the camera located to the left of the right-positioned taking lens and then to a left-positioned imaging area on the filmstrip located to the left of the right-positioned imaging area, to expose a latent image on the left-positioned imaging area of the positive image on the left-positioned transparency.

Abstract: A camera comprises an exposure counter for indicating the number of frames of a film load that have been exposed or remain to be exposed, and a flash illumination light source for illuminating a subject being photographed. The exposure counter has a phosphorescent substance that becomes luminescent due to the absorption of radiation and continues with an afterglow some time after the radiation has stopped, to permit one to read the exposure counter in dimly lit or dark ambience. A light pipe directs illumination from the light source to the phosphorescent substance. Thus, the exposure counter can be read in dimly lit or dark ambience after the light source has been used.

Abstract: A camera for recording images of subjects on a light-sensitive substance, including an output source for producing a particular output that provides blank areas without image content in the recorded images to make write-on spaces available on prints corresponding to the recorded images, is characterized in that the output source is able to have its actual output varied in order to vary the blank areas from one recorded image to another and provide similar varied write-on spaces on prints corresponding to the recorded images, and a multi-position selector is coupled with the output source for movement to respective positions to vary the actual output of the output source.

Abstract: A camera comprises an exposure aperture, a shutter blade supported for pivotal movement from a covering position over the exposure aperture to an uncovering position removed from the exposure aperture and having an indentation along an edge of the shutter blade, and a striker movable within the indentation in a forward direction against one portion of the edge to pivot the shutter blade from its covering position to its uncovering position. The striker is movable in the forward direction out of the indentation when the shutter blade is pivoted to its uncovering position, in order to allow the shutter blade to be returned to its covering position, and is movable in a reverse direction to return to the indentation when the shutter blade is in its covering position.

Abstract: A film package comprises a film sheet having a series of images recorded on one side of the film sheet and a non-image area on the same side, an index print sheet having a series of pictures printed on one side of the index print sheet which match the series of images recorded on the film sheet and a non-picture area on the same side of the index print sheet in the same relative location as the non-image area on the film sheet and being sized to permit the film sheet to be placed over the non-picture area without covering any of the pictures, and a holder on the non-picture area of the index print sheet for releasably securing the film sheet to the index print sheet.

Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for receiving a film cartridge of the type having a snout portion provided with a film passage opening and an exterior information-bearing portion next to the snout portion, a door movable to close the chamber and having a window for viewing the information-bearing portion, and an elastic opaque gasket positioned around the window to be compressed against the film cartridge around the information-bearing portion to light-tightly confine ambient light entering the window when the door is closed, is characterized in that the gasket has a section positioned to be compressed against the snout portion of the film cartridge when the door is closed, and the door has at least one protuberance that projects into the section of the gasket to make compression of the gasket against the film cartridge greatest at the snout portion of the cartridge.

Abstract: A film magazine comprising a housing having a film egress slot and a film ingress slot, a film supply spool rotatably supported within the housing proximate the film egress slot, and a film take-up spool rotatably supported within the housing proximate the film ingress slot, is characterized in that the housing has a pair of opposite ends that are spaced apart a maximum dimension of the housing, and the film egress and film ingress slots are positioned at the respective ends of the housing in order that a filmstrip connected through the film egress and film ingress slots to the film supply and film take-up spools must longitudinally extend between the film supply and film take-up spools a minimum length that is greater than the maximum dimension of the housing.

Abstract: A camera mechanism comprising a manually depressible shutter release button, a resilient cantilevered support for the shutter release button which is moved when the shutter release button is manually depressed, and a rotatable sprocket for engaging a filmstrip, is characterized in that the sprocket has a spindle that rotates with the sprocket, and the cantilevered support has a bearing hole in which spindle is rotated, to allow the cantilevered support to be moved firmly against the spindle to brake the film sprocket when the shutter release button is manually depressed.

Abstract: A camera to be used with a film advance motor and/or a self timer, comprising a main body part having an engageable portion, and a single-piece multi-adapter fixture having an engageable portion constructed to be connected with the engageable portion of the main body part to secure the single-piece multi-adapter fixture to the main body part, having another separate portion constructed to hold the film advance motor, and having another separate portion constructed to hold the self timer, in order to support the film advance motor and/or the self timer on the main body part to permit the camera to be used either with the film advance motor or the self timer or with the film advance motor and the self timer.

Abstract: A camera comprising a backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, a rigid deflector pivotally supported at one end of the backframe opening to permit a leading edge of the filmstrip which is advanced against the deflector to pivot the deflector away from the backframe opening to allow the leading edge to be advanced over the deflector rather than become trapped in the backframe opening, and a return spring which is weaker than the force of the leading edge against the deflector for returning the deflector to an original position, is characterized in that the deflector and the return spring are an integrally formed single piece.

Abstract: A panoramic support for a camera having a rotatable indexing head used to rotate the camera the same angle between successive image recordings in order to obtain a series of recorded images that can be combined to provide a comprehensive panoramic image, is characterized in that the rotatable indexing head is adapted to support the camera alternatively in a horizontal orientation for making horizontal-format recorded images and in a vertical orientation for making vertical-format recorded images, and includes respective angle indicators for rotating the camera one angle between each horizontal-format image recording and another angle between each vertical-format image recording.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a plug which must be separated from a chamber to permit removal of an article from the chamber, and a breakable retainer for the plug which is broken to allow the plug to be separated from the chamber, is characterized in that the plug and the retainer have respective engaged portions arranged relative to one another to make the plug be separated from the chamber as the retainer is broken.

Abstract: A camera comprising a film frame counter rotatable at a central hub to successive numbered settings, and a metering cam rotatable in response to film advancement and having at least one tooth for intermittently engaging the frame counter to rotate the frame counter to its next numbered setting when the metering cam is rotated, characterized in that a cantilevered flexible beam has two ends, and is supported at one end to permit the beam to be bent at the other end for the beam to forcibly press between the two ends against the central hub of the frame counter to prevent an unintended rotation of the frame counter, and the metering cam has a cam lobe arranged to bend the beam at its other end for the beam to forcibly press between its two ends against the frame counter when the tooth is not engaged with the frame counter.

Abstract: A one-time-use flash camera comprising a camera housing that contains a cartridge chamber holding a film cartridge and a film roll chamber holding an unexposed film roll on which a predetermined maximum number of exposures can be made, and a flash device, is characterized in that the flash device has a total number of flash lamps that is equal to the predetermined maximum number of exposures that can be made on the unexposed film roll, and is connected non-removably to the camera housing in order that the flash device must be broken off the camera housing to separate the flash device from the camera housing, whereby once each one of the flash lamps is used there will not be any exposures that can be made and the one-time-use flash camera must be discarded.