Abstract: A photographic camera comprises a camera body, a cartridge receiving chamber located inside the camera body, a door connected to the camera body for closing and opening movement to cover and uncover the chamber, and latching means connected to the camera body for locking and unlocking movement to lock the door closed and to unlock the door. According to the invention, actuating means connects the door and the latching means for initiating opening movement of the door in response to unlocking movement of the latching means and for initiating locking movement of the latching means in response to closing movement of the door. Preferably, the latching means includes a light sealing collar for the door which is shaped to partially surround the door when the door is locked closed to prevent ambient light from leaking under the door into the cartridge receiving chamber.

Abstract: A storage assemblage is disclosed for cassettes each of which contains an image bearing medium having recorded images and for index print sheets each of which has printed pictures that match the images on the image bearing medium in one of the cassettes. According to the invention, there is provided respective holders for the cassettes each of which includes connection means for securing the holder to one of the index print sheets and fulcrum means engageable to permit the holder and an index print sheet secured to it to be pivoted at said fulcrum means. A binder for storing the holders and the index print sheets includes fixed support means for releaseably engaging the fulcrum means of each of the holders to store the holders and the index print sheets inside the binder and to permit one of the holders and an index print sheet secured to it to be pivoted away from the others to view the index print sheet and to be released from engagement with the fixed support means to obtain a cassette from the holder.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a cassette shell, a spool core supported inside the cassette shell for rotation in an unwinding direction to advance a filmstrip coiled about the spool core out of the cassette shell and in a winding direction to draw the filmstrip into the cassette shell, at least one flange coaxially coupled with the spool core to prevent the filmstrip from uncoiling about the spool core and to permit the flange and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the unwinding and winding directions, and cooperating means located on the spool core and the flange for fixing the flange and the spool core to each other to make the flange rotate with the spool core in the unwinding direction but releasing the flange to permit it and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the winding direction.

Abstract: A camera comprises a back frame opening for exposing successive longitudinal sections of a filmstrip, a pair of parallel film rails located adjacent opposite sides of the back frame opening for supporting successive sections of the filmstrip flat over the back frame opening, a take-up chamber for taking up the filmstrip beginning with a leading film end, and respective rail extensions to the take-up chamber abutted end to end with the film rails to effect narrow discontinuities between the rail extensions and the film rails. According to the invention, the abutted ends of the film rails and the rail extensions are inclined relative to the direction of film travel along the film rails to similarly arrange the discontinuities in order to facilitate advance of the leading film end over the discontinuities.

Abstract: A package is disclosed for a cassette containing an image bearing medium having a plurality of images recorded on it and for an index print sheet on which are printed a plurality of pictures that match the plurality of images on the image bearing medium. According to the invention, the package comprises an envelope for storing the index print sheet with its pictures visible, and a holder for the cassette. Respective means are located on the envelope and the holder for engaging to affix the envelope and the holder to each other and for disengaging to release one from the other.

Abstract: A film cassette adapted to be opened and closed comprises a film spool supported for rotation, and a lock for inhibiting rotation of the film spool when the cassette is closed and allowing the film spool to rotate when the cassette is opened. According to the invention, a retainer keeps the lock in place to make it inhibit rotation of the film spool when the cassette is opened, but allows the film spool to be initially forcibly rotated to move the lock out of place to then allow the film spool to be freely rotated. Thus, the film spool must be rotated to discontinue the affect of the lock after the cassette is opened.

Abstract: In a film cassette, a spool core about which a filmstrip is coiled is rotated in an unwinding direction to thrust a leading end portion of the filmstrip from inside to outside the cassette. The filmstrip has a trailing or inner end portion with a hole in it. The spool core includes a double-hook piece in the hole having a shorter hook and a longer hook. The shorter hook projects from the hole in the unwinding direction to slightly overlie the trailing end portion to engage the trailing end portion for pushing the filmstrip off the spool core to thrust the leading end portion outside the cassette when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction, but which will exit the hole as the trailing end portion begins to separate from the spool core.

Abstract: A rotatable film spool comprises a bar-coded disk with a bar code symbol consisting of a sequence of lesser and greater photo reflective elements having various widths. According to the invention, the lesser photo reflective elements are respective cut-outs in the disk and the greater photo reflective elements are respective flat segments of the disk between adjacent pairs of the cut-outs. By making the lesser photo reflective elements of the bar code symbol respective cut-outs in the disk and the greater photo reflective elements respective flat segments of the disk between adjacent pairs of the cut-outs, it is generally assured that the bar code symbol will be critically located because the various elements are an integral part of the disk.

Abstract: A single-piece protective package is intended for a film cassette provided with a substantially cylindrical housing having an extending pair of lips slightly spaced apart to define a film egress/ingress mouth and with a rotatable film spool for a coiled filmstrip inside the housing having a protruding end that protrudes at least to an outside end face of the housing to permit its engagement to rotate the film spool. The package comprises a mouth cap configured to fit over the extending pair of lips of the housing including the film egress/ingress mouth to seal the film egress/ingress mouth, but not to fit over a cylindrical portion of the housing to leave the cylindrical portion visible, and spool locking means integrally formed with the mouth cap for engaging the protruding end of the film spool to prevent rotation of the film spool when the mouth cap is fit over the extending pair of lips of the housing.

Abstract: A spool to film attachment comprises a filmstrip having an engagement hole formed in a rear end of the filmstrip proximate a rearmost film edge and a spool having an engagement projection adapted to be received in the film hole. The projection has a pointed side oriented to face the rearmost film edge from within the film hole, when the projection is received in the film hole, to be able to tear at a predetermined point through a relatively narrow section of the filmstrip between the film hole and the rearmost film edge in response to pulling the rear end of the filmstrip away from the projection.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for bringing a portrait camera having a fixed-focus taking lens into coincidence with an optimum camera-to-subject distance appropriate for the lens regardless of differences in the size of a person's head to be photographed. According to the invention, a finder frame through which a person's head may be viewed can be set to one of several alternative settings corresponding to respective head sizes, for example small, medium and large, to select the particular setting that best matches the size of a person's head to be photographed at the optimum camera-to-subject distance. Then, the specific distance between the portrait camera and the person's head to be photographed is adjusted until the person's head, when viewed through the finder frame, appears to fill the finder frame.

Abstract: A photographic film package comprises a camera pre-loaded with a roll film and including a non-opaque body section having an integral front finder lens for viewing a subject to be photographed, and an outer opaque packaging tightly encasing the camera and having a front opening for the front finder lens. The outer packaging is coated with a light-absorbent substance at a location along its inside surface, which is sufficiently absorbent to prevent ambient light transmitted through the front finder lens to the location from being reflected off the inside surface at least to the front finder lens. Consequently, the peripheral edge of the front finder lens will not appear to have undesireable bright spots as in prior art cameras.

Abstract: A copy stand for supporting a camera having a built-in flash device to photograph a subject in an exposure area. The stand comprises a continuous sheet of paper board folded and coupled to itself to form a generally tubular section adapted to surround the subject in the exposure area and establish the position of the subject relative to the camera and flash. The tubular section includes a baffle, which blocks direct flash illumination of the exposure area, a first diffuse reflector, which directs flash illumination around the baffle and toward the exposure area, and a second diffuse reflector on the opposite side of the exposure area from the first reflector. The second reflector redirects illumination from the first reflector back toward the exposure area, thereby illuminating the subject area from multiple directions.

Abstract: Load prevention apparatus is to be used with a film cassette which has a frangible exterior label covering a trap-like cavity in the cassette. The apparatus comprises a loading chamber configured to receive the cassette, blocking means arranged in the chamber to be admitted into the trap-like cavity for engaging the cassette to prevent further insertion of the cassette into the chamber but supported to be moved by the exterior label out of the way of the trap-like cavity to avoid engaging the cassette, and fracturing means arranged in the chamber for breaking the exterior label to uncover the trap-like cavity after the blocking means is moved by the exterior label out of the way of the trap-like cavity, whereby the blocking device will prevent insertion of the cassette into the chamber a second time.

Abstract: A film cartridge has ah interior spring that first engages the leader of a filmstrip as the leader is initially wound into the cartridge housing and then is distorted from its original shape by further movement of the leader into the housing. When a door connected to the cartridge housing is closed, the spring is maintained distorted in engagement with the leader,opening the door frees the spring, allowing the spring to propel the leader from the cartridge housing by recovering its original shape.

Abstract: In a compact camera including a flash unit that pivots between a folded storage position integrated with the camera body and an unfolded use position elevated from the camera body, the flash unit has respective parts that lie within separate cavities in the rear, top, and one end of the camera body when the flash unit is in its storage position.

Abstract: A film cassette has frangible means that initially operates as a spool lock and as a cam for moving a blocking device in a camera out of the way of the cassette when the cassette is first loaded into the camera but which when broken by a fracturing device in the camera is rendered inoperative as a spool lock and as a cam.

Abstract: A shutter release is manually movable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to respective terminal positions to release a camera shutter to make an exposure. Thus, a user is provided two alternative ways to manually operate the shutter release rather than a single way.