Abstract: A circumferentially complete seal is received in a circumferentially complete groove machined into a surface of a first member forming part of an ionography imaging chamber. The surface of the first member is separated from a surface of a second member of the imaging chamber by a clearance which occasionally connects the interelectrode gap of the imaging chamber with the atmosphere. The seal has an inflatable elastic inner section adjacent to the bottom of the groove and a reciprocable second section which resembles a plunger and is moved from the groove, across the clearance and into sealing engagement with the surface of the second member in response to inflation of the first section. The latter contains a strip-shaped connector which is bolted to the first member to deform a portion of the first section into sealing engagement with the surface at the bottom of the groove.

Abstract: A pair of infeed rollers located upstream of an exposure window and a pair of outfeed rollers downstream thereof transport an original across the exposure window so that successive portions of the transported original be imaged onto successive portions of copying medium whose transport speed corresponds to that of the original. The lower infeed and outfeed rollers are stationary, but the upper ones are located at the coupling links of a four-or five-link transmission mechanism comprised of cranks and rockers. A tension spring tightened by an electromagnet causes the upper infeed roller to move down and press against the lower infeed roller.

Abstract: A slide magazine for storing slide frames having an edge portion of a predetermined configuration, includes a housing having a bottom surface which is provided with formations operative for holding slide frames in the housing. The formations are shaped so as to matingly complement the configuration of the edge portion of the slide frames to thereby prevent the latter from falling out of the housing. The distance between two adjacent formations as considered lengthwise of the bottom surface corresponds to the thickness of the slide frames to be installed on the slide magazine. Thus, an overall length of a set of the slide frames filling the magazine corresponds to the length of the bottom surface so that the slide magazine requires substantially no more space than the set of slide frames in it.

Abstract: A continuous film developing machine adapted for processing photographic films of different formats and different patterns of film perforations, includes a series of treatment baths arranged consecutively in the path of movement of the processed film. Dosing devices with feeding valves adjust the amount of additional filling into the respective baths. A set of pneumatic sensors in the form of air nozzles is arranged opposite one side of the processed film strip, whereas a corresponding set of pressure air operated switches is arranged at the other side of the strip opposite respective nozzles. The switches detect the air jets passing through the perforations characteristic of each film format and actuate relay controlled switches which in turn put into operation a dosing device pertaining to the format of the processed film.

Abstract: A film screen is perpendicularly slidably mounted on a first guide rail in a microfiche reader. This first guide rail is detachably mounted on a frame which in turn is slidably mounted on a second guide rail perpendicularly with respect to said first guide rail so that the two guide rails form a coordinate support arrangement for selectively displacing the film screen in two mutually perpendicular directions. The second guide rail is mounted on the base of the microfiche reader. The film screen and first guide rail can be easily detached from the frame and replaced by a film screen and first guide rail of different size which is then attached to the frame.

Abstract: A film transport system includes an electric transport motor. Upon completion of an exposure, the motor is energized to perform a film-transport operation and upon conclusion thereof a perforation-feeler causes the motor to become short-circuited for quick arrest. A flash unit comprises an energy-storing capacitor connected in series with flash-unit batteries. When the film transport motor, which is powered off a motor battery, is motionless or in short-circuited condition, the energy-storing capacitor of the flash unit is permitted to charge both of the flash-unit batteries and the motor battery. When the film transport motor is in operation, the input terminals of the flash unit are conductively shunted together, thereby connecting the flash-unit batteries across the energy-storing capacitor so that the latter may continue to charge off its own batteries but not off the camera batteries.

Abstract: An arrangement for setting camera functions in dependence upon a characteristic of film being used in the camera. The arrangement includes a manually operable setting knob which can be turned to a plurality of settings and is arrested in each by an arresting device. This knob is used when the film cassette employed in the camera has no film-characteristic (e.g., film speed) mark. When the cassette does have such a mark, the insertion of the cassette into the film chamber of the camera causes disengagement of the arresting device and automatic turning of the knob to a position corresponding to the detected mark. Since the knob is visible to the user it serves as an indicator of the film in the camera, whether the camera setting is manually or automatically made.

Abstract: Apparatus for introducing the leaders of webs of exposed photographic paper which is confined in cassettes into a dark chamber preparatory to threading of webs through a developing machine has a feed table with a channel for admission of webs into the chamber and an adapter with an open-and-shut housing for cassettes of different sizes. One section of the housing is separably mounted on the feed table and has an aperture in register with the channel as well as a pair of advancing rolls which lighttightly seal the internal compartment of the housing from the aperture and can be driven in opposite directions to advance the leader of a web into and through the channel. Another section of the housing is pivotable between open and closed positions to respectively afford access to and to lighttightly seal the internal compartment. The one section has pairs of internal platforms serving as supports for differently dimensioned cassettes.

Abstract: A photographic copying apparatus wherein a composite mask is installed between the plane of photographic paper and a variable-focus optical unit which images a light source or an original into the plane of photographic paper. The movable sections of the mask carry pairs of photodiodes. A control unit adjusts the optical unit when the latter projects light onto both photodiodes of each pair in a direction to reduce the projected image and in the opposite direction when none of the photodiodes are illuminated. The adjustment is terminated when the size of the projected image is such that only one diode of each pair is illuminated.

Abstract: Apparatus for convoluting a web of photographic material onto a rotary core in a lighttight cassette has an elongated channel which is pivotably mounted in the cassette and whose outlet is normally tangential to the peripheral surface of the core. The outlet of the channel is detachably or permanently connected with a flexible or deformable strip-shaped element in the form of a link chain, plastic band, textile band or metallic band which surrounds a substantial part of or the entire peripheral surface of the core. When the leader of a web is introduced into and advanced beyond the outlet of the channel while the core rotates in a direction to convolute the web, the foremost part of the leader penetrates between the core and the flexible element and adheres to the peripheral surface of the core not later than upon the making of approximately two convolutions. During winding, the flexible element insures that the neighboring convolutions of the web on the core are tightly packed against each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding dielectric receptor sheets and/or sheet-like carriers for receptor sheets to the ionography imaging chamber of a radiographic system from a nearly upright stack of overlapping sheets has a set of suction heads which are mounted on a first lever pivotally mounted on a second lever. The first lever is pivoted relative to the second lever to thereby move the suction heads, which attract the upper marginal portion of the outermost sheet of the stack, along an arcuate path to flex the upper marginal portion away from the neighboring sheet. The second lever is thereupon pivoted to complete the separation of the outermost sheet from the neighboring sheet and to introduce the upper marginal portion of the separated sheet into the nip of advancing rolls which transport the sheet into the interelectrode gap of the imaging chamber. A hold-down device abuts against the outer side of the outermost sheet below the suction heads during flexing of the upper marginal portion of the outermost sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding dielectric receptor sheets and/or sheet-like carriers for receptor sheets to the ionography imaging chamber of a radiographic system from a nearly upright stack of overlapping sheets has a set of suction heads which are mounted on a first lever pivotally mounted on a second lever. The first lever is repeatedly pivoted relative to the second lever to thereby move the suction heads, which attract a portion of the outermost sheet of the stack below the upper edge face of such sheet, along an arcuate path to thereby flex the upper part of the outermost sheet away from the neighboring sheet. The second lever is thereupon pivoted to complete the separation of the outermost sheet from the neighboring sheet and to introduce the upper edge face of the separated outermost sheet into the nip of two advancing rolls which transport the sheet toward or into the interelectrode gap of the imaging chamber.

Abstract: Assemblies of collated film sections and related prints, each belonging to a customer, are fed seriatim into a tray at the right-hand side of a horizontal table in front of a seated attendant so that the attendant can remove an assembly with the right hand while the left-hand opens the corresponding customer pocket which is held in a position of readiness at the left-hand side of the table. The attendant can observe the collating operation by inspecting successive film frames while the frames move above an illuminated window below and in front of the web of photographic paper with exposed and developed prints thereon. The pockets are removed seriatim from a magazine and are transported to the left-hand side of the table where the rear panel of an oncoming pocket is held by suction to facilitate the task of opening the pocket by pulling the front panel away from the rear panel.

Abstract: The fixing arrangement comprises a heated aluminum plate heating the lower face of a tone-image-bearing copy paper. The heated plate comprises two transverse ribs extending transverse to the copy-paper transport direction and, intermediate them, a sequence of transversely spaced longitudinal ribs, the transverse and longitudinal ribs intersecting to form individual recessed rectangular fields, each of which, when closed off from above by the copy paper, confines air heated by the heating plate to form a transversely extending zone of hot-air air cushions heating the lower face of the paper. Transversely extending suction channels located upstream and downstream of the hot-air air-cushion zone contain transversely extending rows of suction apertures, for holding the sheet down against the ribs and closing off the individual hot-air air cushions.

Abstract: The densities of neighboring unit areas of a color photographic negative are measured in each of the primary colors and the results of measurements are compared with each other to ascertain the dimensions and boundaries of negative portions which exhibit dominant colors. Each such portion is considered in the selection of the amounts of copying light to the extent corresponding to a single unit area. The comparison is carried out by a computer which compares the results of measurements of neighboring unit areas, as considered in and at right angles to the direction of movement of the negative relative to the monitoring elements. A result of measurement is disregarded if it deviates from the result of measurement of a neighboring unit area by less than a preselected reference value which may but need not be different for each primary color.

Abstract: Fluid is withdrawn from plural fluid-filled tanks via respective outflow conduits leading into a common mixing conduit which includes a mixing pump, and then branches off through respective inflow conduits for return of intermixed fluid back to the individual tanks. Each inflow conduit is provided with a valve unit comprising a vessel-like housing having an inlet port and an outlet port. The flow from the inlet port to the outlet port is regulated in dependence upon the height of fluid in the respective tank. The fluid height is sensed indirectly by sensing the height or pressure of fluid in the interior of the vessel-like housing, the latter being at least partly lower than the height of fluid in the respective tank. Thus, the return of fluid into each tank is regulated to maintain a respective fluid height therein independently of the other tanks.

Abstract: A semiconductor switch connected in the motor current path is controlled by a clocked flip-flop having a switch-ON and a switch-OFF state, capable of changing states only in response to a clock pulse. RPM is selected by establishing the initial count on a downwards counter having a carryover output at which a carryover signal appears when zero count is reached. A first higher-frequency pulse train is counted by the counter. A second lower-frequency train of set pulses has a repetition frequency dependent upon motor speed. The leading end of each set pulse starts the counter counting. An unclocked flip-flop responds to the carryover signal by assuming a motor-speed-too-low state. The clocked flip-flop when clocked responds to the state of the unclocked flip-flop. The trailing flank of the set pulse clocks the clocked flip-flop so that the latter can respond to the state of the unclocked flip-flop and slightly thereafter sets the unclocked flip-flop to the motor-speed-too-high state.

Abstract: An objective lens supporting arrangement for microfilm reader. The objective lens is axially movable and at the same time non-rotatably mounted with respect to a holding tube of the arrangement. An adjusting ring is coaxially mounted with respect to the holding tube and rotatable relative thereto. An angular displacement of the adjusting ring relative to the holding tube effects via cam means an axial adjustment of the objective lens for the purpose of focusing it.