Abstract: An automatic film takeup reel to capture the free end of a film and wind the end, must guide the film along a feed passage formed by a housing toward a rotating reel of a soft material. The end of the film is held to the reel by a ball biased by a spring toward the reel and is directed around a cavity until wound. A spring biased arm then shifts the housing axially of the reel to afford continued winding.

Abstract: A drive assembly for reels of microfilm provided in a cartridge and placed in a cartridge receiving channel in a direction normal to the axis of the reel supporting the coil of microfilm and usuable with cartridges having differently designed reels comprises a main drive shaft which can be coupled direct to the reel with a backup wheel or coupled to a drive head that is connected in driving engagement with the reel. Automatic locking means and spring biased drive parts afford a drive that is adaptable to the cartridge reel. Releasable drive means withdraw the drive shaft and drive head from the cartridge receiving channel.