Abstract: A film cassette comprises a spool supported within a cassette shell for rotation about an axis to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed or is only partly exposed, and a film exposure status indicator supported for rotation within the shell about the axis from an unexposed position to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. According to the invention, the spool and the status indicator are fixed coaxially to each other. The spool has three spaced detents arranged at separate locations for respective engagement to lock the indicator in its unexposed, partly exposed and fully exposed positions. The shell has an end cap including a locking pawl normally urged to individually engage any one of the detents, but which can be moved to disengage any one of the detents by a suitable device in a camera.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a spool supported within a lighttight shell for rotation to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed or is only partly exposed, and a film exposure status indicator secured to the spool for rotation from an unexposed position to respective partly exposed and fully exposed position for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. The spool has three spaced detents arranged at separate radial locations for respective engagement to lock the indicator in its unexposed, partly exposed and fully exposed positions. The shell has a radial slot in which a locking member is movable between a locking position for individually engaging any one of the detents and a non-locking position for disengaging any one of the detents.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a film spool supported inside a lighttight cassette shell for rotation to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed or is only partly exposed, and a film exposure status indicator supported for rotation relative to the shell from an unexposed position to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. The status indicator includes integral lock-out means capable of being detected for the purpose of preventing insertion of the film cassette into various cameras intended to be used with the film cassette. A cap for covering the lock-out means to prevent the lock-out means from being detected includes respective window-like means for revealing the lock-out means when the status indicator is in its partly exposed and fully exposed positions.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a film spool supported inside a lighttight shell for rotation to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool automatically to the exterior of the shell, and a film exposure status indicator supported for rotation relative to the shell from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is exposed. The status indicator includes a lock-out means arranged for engagement by a blocking member in a camera to prevent insertion of the cassette into the camera, when the status indicator is in the exposed position, and a cut-out located with respect to the lock-out means for receiving the blocking member to allow insertion of the film cassette into the camera, when the status indicator is in the unexposed position.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a lighttight cassette shell, and film information indicia consisting essentially of a series of optically readable photoreflective and non-reflective bits. According to the invention, sensor positioning means is fixed to the shell for supporting a photoreflective type optoelectronic sensor a suitable distance from the optically readable bits to establish a substantially optimal angle of reflection for the optoelectronic sensor to read the film information indicia.

Abstract: Sensor apparatus is intended to be used with a film cassette which includes optically readable film information indicia and a viewing aperture for viewing the film information indicia. The sensor apparatus comprises an optoelectronic sensor for reading the film information indicia, and a mount for the optoelectronic sensor complementarily shaped with respect to the viewing aperture to fit only part way into the viewing aperture to critically position the optoelectronic sensor relative to the film information indicia.

Abstract: A photographic camera is to be used with a film cassette having a film exposure status indicator normally secured in an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that a filmstrip within the cassette is unexposed and releasable from the unexposed position to permit its movement to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is exposed. According to the invention, the camera includes a loading chamber configured to receive the film cassette with the status indicator secured in the unexposed position, and release means located in the loading chamber for releasing the status indicator to permit its movement to the exposed position.

Abstract: Operating mechanism for cameras, particularly of the single use type, in which a first gear wheel depressed by the shutter release button thus unblocks a spring biased slide member initially blocked against movement by engagement of an edge of the slide member with the periphery of the gear wheel. Upon release, the slide member moves partially over the gear wheel and blocks the wheel's spring biased movement to its original position. The slide member actuates the shutter in the course of such movement. A second gear wheel, meshing with the first gear wheel, lies below the slide member and carries a cam which lies in an opening in the slide member and engages the slide member to move it back to its original position when the first gear wheel is rotated by the user to transport film to the next exposure. Lugs carried by the slide member and the second gear wheel cooperate to limit rotation of the gear wheels to that appropriate to film transport to the next exposure.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a film spool rotatable inside a lighttight cassette shell to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool automatically to the exterior of the shell, and a film exposure status indicator movable from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. According to the invention, the spool and the status indicator include engagable means for moving the status indicator to its exposed position from its unexposed and partly exposed positions only in response to rotation of the spool.

Abstract: Magnetic recording apparatus for a photographic still camera comprises a fixed magnetic head mounted on a film platen. The head is adapted to contact a magnetic coating on the film adjacent the image area of the film. A pressure pad is mounted in the camera on the opposite side of the film and positioned in close proximity to the film. The pressure pad is biased by a spring to apply pressure on the head through pressure on the film to assure that the film is in intimate contact with the head when the film is advancing. During film exposure when the film is stationary, the pressure pad is retracted to avoid distortion of the image plane.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a film spool rotatable inside a lightight cassette shell in an unwinding direction to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool automatically to the exterior of the shell, and a film exposure status indicator movable from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is exposed. According to the invention, the spool, the shell, and the status indicator include respective cooperating means for preventing rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction when the status indicator is located in its unexposed position, but which can be rendered ineffective (by a camera device, for example) to allow rotation of the spool in the same direction.

Abstract: A film cartridge comprises a pair of film supply and film take-up housings and an intermediate bridge portion along which a filmstrip may be advanced from the film supply housing to the film take-up housing. The film supply and film take-up housings are separately connected at respective pivotal couplings to the bridge portion to permit the two housings to be individually folded against the bridge portion for storage purposes.

Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a filmstrip is advanced to the outside of a light-tight cassette shell in order to expose successive imaging areas of the filmstrip and can be returned to the inside of the cassette shell before all of the imaging areas have been exposed or after the filmstrip has been substantially completely exposed. According to the invention, a film-exposure status indicator is supported on the cassette shell for movement relative to the shell from a normal first position to successive second and third positions for providing respective visible indications that the filmstrip is generally unexposed, the filmstrip has been returned to the inside of the shell before all of its imaging areas have been exposed, and the filmstrip is substantially completely exposed.

Abstract: A photographic camera is disclosed for use with a film cassette in which a filmstrip has a row of metering perforations in its imaging portion, adjacent a longitudinal film edge, for engagement with a metering pawl of the camera, and a row of take-up perforations in its leader portion, adjacent the same film edge, for engagement with a take-up spool of the camera, and a film spool is rotatable to unwind the film strip off the spool to thrust the leader portion from the cassette. The camera includes a film sensing member for normally maintaining the metering pawl removed from a film advance path between the cassette and the take-up spool to prevent the pawl from erroneously engaging the leader portion at one of its take-up perforations.

Abstract: In a photographic camera, a manual wind member for rotating a take-up spool to wind a filmstrip into the spool is locked each time a fresh film frame is advanced to an exposure position and is unlocked automatically after the picture is taken. If however the filmstrip cannot be advanced in the camera because the film leader has failed to be wound onto the take-up spool, the manual wind member will not be locked, and therefore it can be actuated continuously to alert the photographer of such failure.