Abstract: The outermost sheet of a stack of overlapping sheets in a magazine is partially separated from the neighboring sheet of the stack by the peripheral projection of a singularizing roller which is adjacent to the rear edge face of the outermost sheet. The projection engages and moves the rear edge face forwardly while the outermost sheet is biased against an abutment in the region of its front edge face. The bias upon the outermost sheet is relaxed or terminated when the rear portion of the outermost sheet is flexed away from the neighboring sheet so that the outermost sheet can be withdrawn from the magazine, either forwardly or rearwardly, by advancing rolls which are installed in close proximity of the singularizing roller, in the interior of the roller, or close to the front edge face of the outermost sheet of the stack.

Abstract: The patient's breast is pressed against an X-ray film vacuum cassette inserted into a holding arrangement mounted on the X-ray exposure-taking machine. With the patient in position, the technician can remove and insert cassettes from the side, without requiring the patient to move back away from the cassette holding arrangement as with prior-art holding arrangements. Two opposite ends of the loading platform of the holding arrangement are each provided with two holding brackets mounted slidable towards and away from the respective ends of the loading platform, but spring-biased towards the respective ends of the loading platform.

Abstract: An arrangement for closing and opening a film sheet cassette, particularly an X-ray film cassette, has a bottom element, and a top element provided with a projection and movable relative to the bottom element between closed and open positions. A sliding element is provided having a projection engageable with the projection of the top element in the closed position, and disengageable from the same in the open position. A spring member urges the sliding element into and retains the same in engagement with the projection of the top element in the closed position. An elastic detent element retains the sliding element when the latter is disengaged from the projection of the top element in the open position. The elastic detent element is actuated by the top element when the latter moves from the open position into the closed position, so that the sliding element ceases to be retained by the elastic detent element and is urged by the spring into the engagement of the projection of the top element.

Abstract: A photographic camera has a housing provided with a film loading chamber, a film storage chamber and a film window. An arrangement is provided for transporting unexposed film from the loading chamber to the storage chamber and for subsequently transporting it intermittently past the film window for exposure and back into the loading chamber. This arrangement includes a direction-reversible film transporting motor, an operating member which causes the motor to rotate in one direction in which film is transported from the loading chamber into the storage chamber, and a camera actuating member which causes the motor to rotate in an opposite direction in which the film is intermittently transported from the storage chamber past the film window into the loading chamber.

Abstract: During the ongoing course of the exposure, the aperture area increases linearly to a maximum value and then stays at the maximum value, the instantaneous amount of exposure light therefore changing correspondingly, even if the ambient-light level remains constant during the exposure. A pulse generator includes a photodetector exposed to ambient light and generates a pulse train of light-dependent repetition frequency, the pulses of which are counted by a light-totalizing counter which eventually generates a terminate-exposure signal. Ideally, the repetition frequency should increase steplessly and linearly, for maximum accuracy, or second best increase stepwise in small steps to approximate to a stepless linear increase, but in order to use an extremely low number of stepwise frequency changes, without loss of system accuracy, no attempt is made to per se keep the light-indicating repetition frequency accurate.

Abstract: During the course of an exposure, the camera's exposure aperture progressively increases in size and then is blocked to terminate the exposure in response to a terminate-exposure signal. A light-dependent pulse generator including a photoelement exposed to scene light generates a pulse train whose pulse repetition frequency varies as a function of scene light. A light-totalizing counter receives and counts pulses of such pulse train during the course of an exposure and generates a terminate-exposure signal when a predetermined number of pulses has been counted. A frequency-modifying circuit is operative as the exposure aperture progressively increases in size during an exposure for effecting a corresponding and compensatory progressive increase of the light-dependent repetition frequency of the pulses counted by the counter means.

Abstract: The cleaning arrangement of an electrophotographic copying machine scrapes off the machine's copying drum residual toner clinging to the surface of the copying drum subsequent to image transfer, and the residual toner is conveyed generally horizontally into a toner-collection compartment. The toner-collection compartment accommodates a generally rigid but collapsible fold-up cardboard toner-collection container which is thrown away after one use. The throw-away toner-collection container, when in collapsed condition, is flat so that a sizable number of such throw-away containers can be kept on hand without requiring an inconvenient amount of storage space.

Abstract: A camera includes a viewfinder, an objective and a manually operated focus adjuster. An optical system located in the path of incoming image light splits the incoming image light beam into two component beams projected into respective first and second focal planes. First and second planar arrays of photosensitive elements are located in respective first and second photodetector planes. When the objective is correctly focussed and then defocussed in a first direction, the sharpness of the image on the first array increases and that on the other decreases; if the objective is defocussed in the opposite direction, the opposite occurs. A comparator has two outputs, connected to the elements of the first and second arrays via respective first and second circuit branches. Each circuit branch includes at least one subtractor producing an absolute-value output signal independent of the polarity of the difference between the input signals applied thereto.

Abstract: First and second photodetector signals, whose relative amplitudes depend upon focus error, are integrated to form respective first and second integral signals whose relative rates of change are dependent upon focus error. Each integral signal is applied to two comparators, one whose threshold level is reached first and the other having a threshold level which would be reached second. When one or the other of the two integral signals reaches its first-reached threshold level, this applies a corresponding signal to the data input of a respective flip-flop, and when this faster-changing integral signal then reaches its second-reached threshold level this clocks both such flip-flops. The time elapsing between the faster-changing integral signal reaching its first-reached and then its second-reached threshold level constitutes a tolerance interval, during which the slower-changing integral signal is given an opportunity to try to reach its respective first-reached threshold level.

Abstract: A strip of negatives is transported over a slit extending transverse to transport, and the image of successive slit-like elements of each original is projected onto the row of photosensitive zones of a CCD image sensor unit. A photodetector also receives the image of each slit-like element, either simultaneously with the CCD image sensor unit or earlier at a more upstream location, and generates an output signal indicating the average transparency of the whole slit-like image element. The average-transparency signal is used to control the clocking frequency of the clock signal which drives the CCD image sensor unit, either by changing the clocking frequency for each read-out of the image sensor unit or by changing the clocking frequency once per original, in the latter case a peak detector circuit being used to ascertain the transparency of the maximum transparency slit-like element of each original.

Abstract: In a color photographic material wherein by color development there are produced either non-diffusing image dyes or diffusing image dyes (the latter being transferred to an image-receiving layer) the color development is controlled by means of non-diffusing thioether compounds which on color development release a diffusing mercapto compound but do not themselves form a dye. The mercapto compound inhibits the development of the silver halide and the thioether compound has the formula ##STR1## R.sub.1 =hydrogen or alkyl with 1-3 carbon atoms R.sub.2 =alkyl with up to 22 carbon atoms the group --S--Y is split off during color development and forms a mercaptane, e.g. 5-mercapto-1-phenyltetrazole, which inhibits the development.

Abstract: An arrangement for presenting light-sensitive sheets, especially X-ray film sheets, to a treating machine, especially to a developing machine, includes a closure which is mounted at an inlet opening of a withdrawing station of the machine for movement between a retracted position in which it is spaced from the inlet opening, and an extended position in which it light-tightly closes the inlet opening. The cassette containing the sheets to be withdrawn at the withdrawing station is mounted on a carriage for joint movement through the inlet opening and forms a movable unit therewith. An engaging member engages the movable unit and causes the closure to move into its extended position during the movement of the unit in an initial path section, while an unlatching device unlatches the lid of the cassette during the movement of the unit in an intermediate path section, and a lid-opening device opens the lid of the cassette during the movement of the unit in path terminal path section.

Abstract: In a process for preventing the contact spots formed by contact of the back coating of photographic material with the emulsion side an aqueous polymer dispersion obtained by polymerization of halogen-free compounds and polyvinyl alcohol or partially acetylated polyvinyl alcohol in the presence of an anionic emulsifier are added to the casting composition applied as outermost back coating and/or as uppermost layer.

Abstract: Photographic material to be processed passes generally horizontally through a succession of processing chambers including a developing chamber. The latter includes a developing-fluid tank containing a body of developing fluid, the body of developing fluid having an upper surface. At least one rotatably mounted submerging roller causes transported photographic material to pass below the upper surface of the body of developing fluid. A counter-pressure roller presses the transported photographic material against the submerging roller during transport of the photographic material through the developing chamber. Flow elements are arranged to damp the agitation of the body of developing fluid resulting from rotation of the submerging and counterpressure rollers. The submerging and counterpressure rollers are so arranged that the trailing end of transported photographic material does not drag over the pheripheral surface of either roller in circumferential-surface contact therewith.

Abstract: An indicating arrangement for indicating the absence or presence of film in the interior of an X-ray film cassette includes an indicating member movably mounted on one portion of the cassette. Another portion of the cassette which is juxtaposed with the one portion has a recess therein, in which the inner end of the indicating element is received when film is absent from the internal space of the cassette, but which is covered by the film when the same is properly introduced into the internal space of the cassette so that the inner end of the indicating element is prevented from entering this recess. The position of the indicating element can be perceived at the exterior of the one portion of the cassette in a tactile or visual manner. The indicating element may be a discrete element mounted on the cassette, or a one-piece part of a flexible portion of the cassette.

Abstract: A motorized still camera has a housing which can receive film cassettes in a film chamber at the rear side of the housing. A motor-drive of the camera includes a motor which is located forwardly of the cassette take-up section, in direction towards the front side of the camera. A motor-controlling mechanism and a film transporting mechanism of the motor drive are so dimensioned as to require relatively little space in direction vertically of the camera and in direction between the front and rear side, but instead to have their major dimensions extending lengthwise of the housing so as to make optimum use of the space available in the housing.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cambering the edge of webs of thermoplastic materials on one or both sides wherein the edges of the web are continuously guided through stamping units and the edges are provided with stampings. The thermoplastic cambering is made by utilizing the energy of ultrasonic vibration. The stamping unit consists of a stamping wheel with pressure apparatus for the wheel and a stationary ultrasonic head arranged beneath it with a sonotrode. A calibration apparatus can be arranged downstream of the stamping unit.

Abstract: Container for magnetic tape cassettes in particular for video cassettes in which the rolls of tape are protected against twisting by means of two hollow cylindrical bodies each comprising four guide elements with spring mounted arresting pins located at the bottom of the containers. When inserting the cassette into the container one of the pins of each hollow cylindrical body clicks into one of the drive holes of the hubs.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying webs of photographic paper has a drying unit which has an inlet for admission of wet webs. Such webs advance along discrete paths having V-shaped portions and are dried by hot air which is circulated by blowers. The temperature of air is maintained at a constant value by a control system which adjusts one or more air heaters in the drying unit. The latter has a portion which is adjacent to and is located at a level below the inlet and wherein the moisture content of air is higher than in other parts of the drying unit. Such moisture content is measured and the signals denoting the measured moisture content are used to control the operation of a device which withdraws moisture-laden air from the aforementioned portion of the drying unit. The withdrawn air is replaced with relatively dry atmospheric air entering the drying unit via outlet opening for the webs.

Abstract: In a magnetic storage medium the ferromagnetic pigment is dispersed in a polymeric binder in an organic solvent and the binder comprises at least 50% by weight of a copolymer having alkoxysilane groups attached to the polymeric backbone. The hardening is brought about by acid- or base-catalyzed crosslinking of the alkoxysilane groups after the binder containing the alkoxysilane groups and the magnetic particles in the organic solvent solution is coated on a support.