Patents by Inventor Brian F. Moss

Brian F. Moss has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4812867
    Abstract: An apparatus for the day light processing of an exposed photographic film wound on a spool including an essentially cylindrical container, a lid to close the container, both made of a material impervious to light, together with a device to rotate the spool with the film wound therein and a film retaining device located in the container. The film retaining device includes at least one tongue extending inwardly from the inner wall of the container, which upon the rotation of the spool in an unwinding direction, enters between a front end of the film and a first outer winding of the wound film and guides the front end to a stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4812882
    Abstract: There is described a method of determining the contrast grade of the paper to be used to print a black and white photographic negative which comprises placing a photocell in the darkest significant area of a projected negative image and noting an indication of the light received or calibrating the photocell so when the photocell receives light of the same level it will indicate this, then placing the photocell in the lightest significant area of the projected image of the negative and reducing the light reaching the photocell using graduated steps until the light reaching the photocell is of the same level as the light which reached the photocell when it was placed in the darkest significant area of the projected negative image and noting the step employed to achieve this equivalence and selecting the contrast grade of the paper which is indicated by the step which achieved equivalence. The method can be performed using an enlarger or by use of a modified light exposure meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Richard J. Brent, Brian F. Moss
  • Patent number: 4702582
    Abstract: A film-processing device comprises a lid having mounted therein a plunger or the like, which plunger is required to be rotatable in either direction in the lid and which is also required to be locked stationary in the lid. The plunger is connected with a cap which fits over the lid and which rotates with the plunger. The cap has a slidable member mounted thereon or therein with at least one detent member mounted on its underside so that, in one position of the slidable member, the cap is able to rotate on the lid, but in another position of the slidable member, the detent member thereon acts with an abutment member or members on the lid to disable the cap from rotating on the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4678307
    Abstract: There is described a novel spiral-less film processing device for processing a roll of exposed film coiled on a spool which comprises a cylindrical light-right container of sufficient diameter and height to accommodate the film coiled on the spool, a light-tight lid to close the container, means attached to the internal wall of the container so located to engage with a sprocket hole in the film edge when the film is placed in the container and means connected with the spool for enabling the spool with the coiled film thereon to be rotated in either direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent, Ian B. Pilkington
  • Patent number: 4678308
    Abstract: An apparatus for the processing of a film contained in a cassette, the cassette being of the kind comprising a substantially cylindrical body formed with protruding light-tight longitudinally extending film exit slot means and having the film wound thereon, said apparatus comprising a light-tight columnar body having a longitudinal axis and a block accommodated by said columnar body having a central aperture for receiving the cassette and retaining the cassette body, and having a space sufficiently large to receive from said cassette the spool with the film wound thereon, and a plunger adapted for engaging the spool of said cassette and being movable to force the lowermost cap off said cassette body and to move said spool and the film wound thereon out of said cassette body and into said space, said space being adapted for containing liquid for processing the film, the apparatus being characterized in that there is present in the apparatus below the block, but above the space for containing liquid a shelf whi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4678309
    Abstract: There is described a device for processing a roll of exposed film coiled on a spool which comprises a cylindrical light-tight container wherein the film on the spool is rotated and which is of sufficient diameter and height to accommodate the film loosely coiled on the spool, a light-tight lid to close the container, the device being characterized in that it comprises at least two radially extending raised members attached to the base of the container so shaped that as the wound film is rotated in the container some of the convolutions of the film are at one instance bunched together, while other convolutions are separated and means connectable to the spool for enabling the spool to be rotated when it is in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4664498
    Abstract: An apparatus for the processing of a film, contained in a cassette being of the kind comprising a substantially cylindrical cassette body formed with a light-tight, longitudinally extending film exit slot device, end caps on said cassette body and a spool held between these end caps and having the film wound thereon, comprises a light-tight enclosure provided with a cassette body-retaining block shaped to receive and retain the cassette body, and also provided with a space intended to contain liquid for processing the film and being sufficiently large to receive from the cassette the spool with the film wound thereon. A gripping organ for engaging an end cap of the cassette permits relative movement between the retained cassette and the gripping organ such that, when they are moved away from one another, an end cap of the cassette is pulled off the cassette. At the same time, a spool engaging element pulls the spool with the film wound thereon, out of the cassette body and into the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4593998
    Abstract: A daylight enlarger of the enclosed image framing area type is disclosed and comprises a lamp housing with lamp, lens means and holder for a negative, transparency or the like to be enlarged, and a tunnel body. In order to render the enlarger compact for storage purposes, the lamp housing can be stored in the tunnel body, one end of which can be closed by a viewing screen capable of being removably attached to the end of the tunnel body. A developing easel of the dark slide closable type is also provided to receive material on which an enlargement is to be printed. The easel may be removably attached to the said end of the tunnel body for development purposes after the image has been viewed on the screen and is preferably such that it may also be removably attached to the other end of the tunnel for storage purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4586803
    Abstract: Apparatus is described for the processing of a film contained in a cassette. The cassette comprises a substantially cylindrical body formed with a light-tight, longitudinally extending film exit slot, end caps to the body and a spool held between the caps and having the film wound thereon. The apparatus comprises a light-tight enclosure, preferably in the form of a columnar body, provided with means shaped to receive and retain the cassette body and provided with a space sufficiently large to receive from the cassette the spool with the film wound thereon. A plunger is provided for engaging the spool of the cassette and for moving it to force an end cap off the cassette body and to move the spool and the film wound thereon into said space where the film can be treated with processing liquid. The processing liquid may be present in the space or can be introduced into it and drained from it through light-tight channels and/or passages. The plunger may pass through a lid of the enclosure or be fixed to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1986
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Brian F. Moss, Ian B. Pilkington, Richard J. Brent
  • Patent number: 4440490
    Abstract: A combined masking frame and photographic sheet material container comprises an elongated flat compartment for storing photographic sheet material and which has a side opening for removing sheets therefrom; the container has a top panel which has a rectangular recess therein having a planar light-reflecting surface and being of a shape to accomodate the sheets stored in the compartment. The container has hingedly attached thereto a lid which, in closed position, covers the top panel; the lid has along a front side an angular flange which when the lid is closed covers in a light-tight manner the side opening in the container, there being present in the lid a rectangular aperture of an area slightly smaller than the area of the recess so as to form a mask around the edge of a sheet in position in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventors: Michael H. Moore, Brian F. Moss, George F. A. M. Turner
  • Patent number: 4274734
    Abstract: A photographic masking frame is described in which there is a base plate and a raisable frame which holds the print material flat on the base when in the working position and which has an opening in it which is closable by a removable square mask formed in two portions. One of these portions is L-shaped and covers substantially three quarters of the area of the opening and the other of these portions is square and covers the remaining quarter of the opening. The removable mask as a whole can be lifted as a single unit and fits into a square recess of approximately the same dimensions which is made in the top surface of the raisable frame. The area of the recess is greater than the area of the aperture in the frame. The square portion of the mask is raisable without disturbing the L-shaped portion of the mask and overlaps the adjacent edges of the L-shaped portion of the mask and so renders the join light-tight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1981
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy AG
    Inventor: Brian F. Moss