Abstract: A spring member is provided to oscillate a magnet selectively at different initial amplitudes and, after dampening for respective different intervals of time, at a predetermined lesser amplitude. During such oscillation, the magnet applies an attractive force to a latch for a time period that varies inversely with the amplitude. As oscillation of the magnet progressively diminishes to the predetermined amplitude, application of the magnetic force to the latch progressively increases in duration until, at the predetermined amplitude, the magnetic force is applied for a time period sufficient to move the latch to release a closing blade, which terminates an exposure interval.

Abstract: A film disc is rotated in contact with a processing solution in a tray to transform a latent image on the disc to a visible one. The tray, although normally stationary, is supported for rotation about the same axis as that of the rotated disc. After the disc has been processed in the solution, the disc and the tray are operatively connected to simultaneously rotate the two, which centrifugally discharges the solution from the disc and the tray.

Abstract: In a camera, a piezoelectric generator is struck by a hammer to produce an electrical pulse for flash firing. The resulting mechanical shock to the piezoelectric generator is transmitted through the generator to a shutter blade, which is actuated by the shock to initiate a film exposure in synchronization with flash firing.

Abstract: In a camera, a motion transmitting member has a wedge-shaped end portion inserted between a shutter release member and a shutter restraining member. Manual depression of the release member pivots the motion transmitting member, which moves the restraining member to free the camera shutter for exposure. A spring member urges the motion transmitting member to maintain its wedge-shaped end portion in mutual contact with the release and restraining members. The spring-urging automatically adjusts the position of the motion transmitting member between the release and restraining members to compensate for wear of their contacting surface portions and substantially prevents any lost motion or lag between manual depression of the release member and movement of the restraining member to enable shutter actuation. Following shutter actuation, manual movement of a film member causes an extracting member to remove the motion transmitting member from between the release and restraining members.

Abstract: In an aperture preferred exposure control apparatus for a photographic camera, scene light is received by an exposure time determining photocell and a low light determining photocell. The received light is attenuated at different rates respectively for the two photocells to change the shutter speed at which a low light signal will result as a function of the particular size exposure aperture selected.

Abstract: In a camera, a shutter release member is pivotally connected to a motion transmitting lever between respective end portions of the lever. One end portion of the lever normally contacts a removable fulcrum, and the other end portion contacts a restraining member provided for a shutter drive member. To initiate shutter actuation for picture-taking, the shutter release member is manually depressed to swing the lever about the removable fulcrum. The swinging lever moves the restraining member from a restraining position to a releasing position, freeing the drive member to actuate the camera shutter. To prevent unintended shutter actuation by inadvertently depressing the shutter release member, the fulcrum is removed from the lever. Then, manual depression of the shutter release member swings the lever about the restraining member, which is spring held in its restraining position to serve as an alternate fulcrum for the lever.