Abstract: A lens block having a compliant structure adapted to receive and hold a lens blank or similar optical element is disclosed. The flexibility of the block, itself, ensures that the optical element can be held without breakage during the various shaping operations, such as grinding, edging, and polishing, encountered in preparing a lens for mounting in an eyeglass frame or similar receptacle. The block can be a disposable element coated with, or otherwise carrying, an adhesive material for simple application to lens blank. In one embodiment, a compliant lens block is formed having a dish-shaped receiving surface on one side for receiving the lens blank and an appropriate key structure on the other side for mounting into the chuck of a grinding lathe, edger or other lens shaping machine.

Abstract: A closed loop thermal transfer recording system and color transfer ribbon having a plurality of different color ink stripes thereon are provided for recording a color tonal image on a recording sheet. Precise control over the size of dots formed by ink transfer is achieved by monitoring the density of a thermally sensitive indicator layer on the back side of the ribbon which provides, for each different ink color, indicator marks that are proportional to recorded pixel density, and feeding this information back to a control system which compares monitored density with desired density and regulates heat input to the ribbon accordingly.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ribbon including a resistive heating element layer having a thermally transferable ink layer on the front side thereof is provided with a thermally sensitive indicator layer on the back side thereof. Heat generated in the resistive layer fuses the ink which transfers selectively to record grey scale image defining dots of various sizes on an ink receiving sheet in contact with the ink layer. The heat generated in the resistive layer also flows to the indicator layer to form corresponding indicator marks which are proportional to the recorded dots. The indicator marks are visible on the back side of the ribbon and are optionally monitored to provide feed back to a thermal system for accurately controlling the density of pixel area defining the recorded image.

Abstract: A closed loop thermal recording system and method are provided for recording an image represented by pixel areas of varied density on a thermally sensitive recording medium. The system receives electronic image information defining a desired density for each pixel area and applies thermal energy to selected pixel areas to record in each a dot having an initial size that is smaller than necessary to achieve its desired density. The density levels provided by the initial dots are measured and compared to desired density. Based on these comparisons, additional thermal energy is applied to progressively to increase dot size until a predetermined density comparison value is achieved for each selected pixel area.

Abstract: A thermally sensitive image recording medium of the transparency type includes transparent support and recording layers and a strippably adhered light reflective background layer which provides a contrasting background against which recorded image components may be monitored by reflected light while image recording is in progress. Thereafter, the background layer is removed so that the image may be projected or otherwise viewed by transmitted light.

Abstract: A closed loop thermal transfer recording system and method are provided for recording an image represented by pixel areas of various density on an ink receiving sheet. The system uses a thermal transfer ribbon having a fusible ink layer on the front side, a resistive heating element layer in the middle, and a thermally sensitive indicator layer on the back side for providing indicator marks that are indicative of ink transfer. The density of the back side of the ribbon is monitored during image recording and this information is fed back to a control system that regulates the application of electrical recording signals to achieve more accurate control over the density of pixel areas which define the image.

Abstract: A closed loop thermal recording system and method are provided for recording a grey scale image on a transparency type of thermally sensitive recording medium in accordance with electronic image signals. The application of thermal energy to the medium is controlled, in part, by a feedback subsystem that optically monitors pixel area density while recording is in progress. The recording system includes a light reflective background member, located between a transparent recording layer of the medium and a thermal print head, for improving the accuracy and reliability of the optical monitoring process.

Abstract: A reusable universal modular unit, which may be used alone or in combination with one or more similar units to form a production line, is provided for facilitating manual and/or mechanized work or assembly operations on a product supported on a carrier having a reusable standardized base section and an expendable component supporting nest section. Each modular unit includes a work table having at least one work station thereon, a self-contained conveyor for transporting carriers to and away from the work station and a carrier handling system at each work station for disengaging a carrier from the conveyor, locating and locking it at a fixed work position to facilitate assembly operations and for thereafter reengaging the carrier with the conveyor for transport away from the work station. A production line of any suitable length is formed by arranging the units serially in end-to-end relation. Provisions are made for easily adding accumulator units at selected locations along the line.

Abstract: An accumulator is provided for use with a production line formed by two or more standardized modular production units for receiving product supporting carriers in sequence from one production unit, advancing the carriers along a serpentine path of travel of a given length, and for thereafter advancing the carriers onto the next production unit. The accumulator includes a plurality of side-by-side conveyors and corresponding passive turnaround guide bars responsive to motion imparted to the carriers by next adjacent conveyors moving in opposite directions for deflecting the carriers from one conveyor to the next adjacent conveyor while at the same time effecting the turning of the carriers through approximately 180.degree..

Abstract: A hand held, self-processing, electronic imaging camera for electronically recording an image of a scene, for providing a visual display of the recorded image on an electro-optical display device forming part of the camera such that the operator may audit or preview the recorded image and for printing out a hard copy print of the recorded image on a non-photosensitive image receiving sheet.

Abstract: A film assemblage including a cassette, a plurality of film units of the self-developing type, a leader formed from an elongate strip of opaque material and a reel upon which the leader is adapted to be wound as the film units are manually withdrawn from the cassette. The leader is releasably connected to each film unit via a pull tab located near one end of each film unit. When the assemblage is located within a camera, the reel is manually rotated until a portion of the leader is removed from covering relationship with a film unit and the tab of that film unit extends between a pair of rollers to the exterior of the camera. The film unit is then exposed and the tab is manually pulled to draw the exposed film unit between the rollers for processing. Movement of the film unit through the rollers is effective to rotate the reel to thereby wind the leader thereupon until the tab of the next film unit to be exposed protrudes to the exterior of the camera.

Abstract: An improved exposure control system configured for automatic operation in both the ambient light and flash illumination modes of operation and including a pair of displaceably mounted shutter-aperture blades, a blade position sensor operative to detect a blade position indicator on one of the blades, a follow focus system operable in the flash mode for moving at least an element of the sensor along a first sensor path of travel and a trim control device being operative in the flash mode for moving the sensor element along a second sensor path of travel that intersects and is tranversely disposed with respect to the first path. The sensor provides an output signal in response to sensing the blade indicator for temporarily interrupting blade displacement, incidental to flash firing, at a selected aperture value in accordance with the position of the sensor element determined by the combined follow focus and trim control inputs.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for releasing processing fluid from a fluid applicator within a film cassette by causing a sealed area of the applicator to open in response to a predetermined amount of thermal energy being applied thereto. Such applicator has a sealing device which device is responsive to the application of the predetermined thermal energy to open and release the fluid. A mechanism, for actuating the sealing device, is provided for facilitating application of such energy to the applicator.

Abstract: An exposure control system being selectively operable in a plurality of ambient and flash illumination modes of operation. The operator may program the system for a selected one of the modes by setting a corresponding programming combination of two mode selecting switches, one of which is preferably rendered conductive in response to operatively coupling a flash source to a receiving socket thereby indicating the selection of flash mode operation. The system features a pair of shutter/aperture blades adapted to be driven stepwise by a stepper motor and an aperture selecting system that provides a Gray coded binary number indicating the number of steps the blades are to be driven for a particular exposure. In the flash modes, the Gray coded number is provided in response to lens focusing to provide a Gray coded number corresponding to a scene distance related range of exposure aperture values.

Abstract: A photographic film assemblage including a film cassette for housing a battery and a plurality of sheet-like members including several film units. A wall of the cassette is provided with a pair of apertures to enable a pair of contacts in a camera to electrically engage the terminals of the battery. An elongate strip of dielectrical material having a pair of openings therein has one of its ends attached to the last of the sheet-like members to be removed from the film cassette and the pair of holes located between and in alignment with the battery terminals and the pair of apertures. The elongate strip follows the last sheet-like member as it is removed from the film cassette during an exposure cycle thereby moving the pair of openings out of alignment with the battery terminals and the apertures while simultaneously moving a portion of the dielectric material between the battery terminals and the pair of apertures to electrically insulate the battery from the contacts.

Abstract: In a printing system wherein a ball stylus of a given diameter is brought into repeated engagement with the back side of a transfer sheet to selectively transfer a printing medium on the front side of the transfer sheet to a facing printing medium receiving surface of a recording sheet to printout image defining marks thereon, the improvement wherein one of the transfer and image recording sheets includes a surface provided by an orderly spaced array of raised mesas and recessed areas therebetween to selectively limit the size or area of the marks printed out in this manner.

Abstract: A compact printer for use with electronic image recording apparatus for providing a color print of an electrically recorded image by effecting the selective transfer of colored printing mediums from a transfer sheet to an image-receiving sheet in accordance with electronic image signals that define different color components of the image.

Abstract: A photograhic camera is provided with a simple flexible shutter that is configured to bow in response to the axial focusing movement of the camera's lens in order to maintain a fixed shutter-to-lens distance as the camera's lens is focused.

Abstract: A photographic camera apparatus of the type having distinct viewing-focusing and exposure operational modes is provided with a simple, independent, single window optical viewing apparatus suitable for aiming a camera to frame a relatively large format picture area and a through-the-lens reflex focusing apparatus which provides a magnified image, visible in the viewing apparatus, of only part of the camera's field of view so that the focusing apparatus may be comparatively compact and simplified relative to a full field reflex focusing device which would view the entire field of view during focusing. The viewing apparatus also includes a visual indicator for locating the field position within the camera's field of view from which the magnified part image is derived.

Abstract: A continuous web of identical plastic parts is produced by molding a first unit comprising at least one of such parts in a mold, and connecting such molded part(s) to subsequent molded parts, by means of at least one runner upon which all the parts comprising the web are molded. The runner(s) connecting the parts may include indicia of data such as, indexing, information, part treatment information, assembly information, inventory information, etc.