Abstract: A film cassette may be used for housing film units of the self-developing type, each having a photosensitive area, a pod of processing fluid, and a leading edge. The film cassette may be used in a film assemblage, camera back, or imaging device having either a straight or a curvilinear film path configuration. One such film cassette includes: a chamber defined by forward and rear walls, a pair of side walls, and leading and trailing end walls; means for resiliently supporting the film units within the chamber; first spread control means for use when the imaging device has a straight film path configuration, the first spread control means including at least one projection formed on an interior surface of the forward wall; and second spread control means for use when the imaging device has a curvilinear film path configuration, the second spread control means including at least one projection formed on a bottom surface of the rear wall.

Abstract: An instant photography camera can contain a combination of improved features including cleaning pads for continuous cleaning of spread rollers throughout the life of the camera, a flexible non-coiled film shade for preventing light piping along a film unit which is exiting the camera, and a dual independent spread control feature on a film cassette so that the same film cassette can be used in different cameras. The film cassette includes first and second spread control features for providing even spreading of processing liquid across a film unit; the first spread control feature used in a straight film track configuration, and the second spread control feature being used in a chute film track configuration.

Abstract: A dark slide is located within a film cassette to shield film units from exposure to light prior to the insertion of the cassette into a camera. The slide is maintained in position within the exposure opening of the cassette by a truncated ridge struck from the slide to project above its upper surface. The struck portion of the slide is configured to engage an abutment in the forward wall of the film cassette to prevent the premature ejection of the dark slide as a result of impacts on the cassette and to collapse and thereby disengage from the abutment when the slide is ejected from the camera by a film unit advancing pick.

Abstract: Photographic apparatus for supporting a cassette containing a plurality of film units of the self-developing type in position for exposure. Subsequent to its exposure, the film unit is moved out of the cassette and redirected to a liquid spread roller assembly located below the cassette. The roller assembly includes(1) a pair of rollers for rupturing a container of processing liquid associated with a leading end of the film and spreading its contents between layers of the film unit to initiate the formation of a visible image, and(2) structure which cooperates with the external configuration of the cassette for controlling the thickness and/or shape of the processing liquid being spread.

Abstract: Photographic apparatus for use with a film unit of the self-developing type including a chamber for locating a film unit situated within a film cassette in position for exposure and a pair of rollers mounted adjacent a leading edge of a film unit located in the exposure position. The rollers are positioned to define a longitudinally extending gap which is substantially parallel with the leading edge of the film unit located in the exposure position. Film cassette structure is provided for maintaining the leading edge of the film unit substantially parallel to the longitudinally extending roller pair formed gap as the film unit is advanced toward and enters the roller-formed gap.

Abstract: A method for assembling photographic processing systems of the type for advancing integral, self-processable film units to the exterior of a camera while simultaneously spreading a fluid processing composition in a uniformly thin layer between selected layers of a film unit. A number of processing rollers which comprise the system are provided with a partially textured surface by using an electric discharge machining process having predetermined conditions, and then a number of test processing systems are assembled with these rollers and other pieceparts randomly selected from lots of all other pieceparts which comprise the system. Characteristic film units are processed through the test processing systems, and the fluid layer thickness in each of these film units is afterwards measured and compared with a predetermined standard.

Abstract: In a photographic apparatus of the type which includes a pair of motor driven cylindrical processing rollers and a film advancing mechanism for consecutively transporting and processing a stacked array of flexible, integral type self-processable film units, an improved roller mounting arrangement is provided by which the cylindrical processing rollers are mounted with their axes of rotation crossed in a predetermined manner to operate in conjunction with a post-roller film deflecting plate to assure that the film unit's processing fluid is distributed over preselected portions of the film unit in a substantially uniform thin layer, the improvement operating to correct inherent nonuniformities in the thickness of the processing fluid layer which would occur if the rollers were not cross-mounted and the deflecting plate were not present.

Abstract: An improved cylindrical processing roller is provided for use in a motor driven photographic processing apparatus of the type which spreads a fluid processing composition in a thin, substantially uniform layer between selected layers of integral type self-processable film units while advancing a film unit to the exterior of a camera after photoexposure. The improvement in the roller resides in a novel circumferential roller surface roughened by electrical discharge machining techniques to provide the roller with a high-friction characteristic for transporting the film units while being insufficiently rough to leave any visually perceptible marks on a film unit.

Abstract: A battery mount for collapsible cameras of the type in which a forwardly disposed shutter housing is connected to a rearwardly oriented film housing by a collapsible bellows. Electrical equipment contained within or supported by the shutter housing is supplied with electrical energy from batteries mounted on the rear face of the shutter housing within the bellows in the manner to be accessible through a displaceable cover of the rear housing, particularly when the camera is collapsed with the shutter housing in reasonably close proximity to the film housing. The battery mount features a readily accessible retaining clip which is releasable for replacement of batteries directly through the cover of the film housing.

Abstract: A foldable diffuser for flash units mounted on photographic cameras and mechanism by which such a diffuser is moved automatically between collapsed and erected positions with respect to a flash unit mounting receptacle. The diffuser is pivoted on an axis normal to the front face of a shutter housing in a collapsible camera such that it lies against the front face in the folded position and swings out over a side face of the shutter housing in front of a flash unit mounted on the side face in the erected position. Movement to the collapsed position is effected by the erecting linkage of the camera against a pivotal bias on the diffuser.