Patents by Inventor John J. Niedospial Jr.

John J. Niedospial Jr. 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: 5337971
    Abstract: A film spool comprises a spool core provided with a coaxial opening adapted to receive a rotational driver rotatable alternatively in film winding and unwinding directions to similarly rotate the spool core. The spool core includes first and second torque transmission devices. The first torque transmission devices projects into the core opening to be located in the way of the rotational driver, when the driver is rotated inside the core opening in the film unwinding direction, for making the driver rotate the spool core in the film unwinding direction responsive to the driver applying an unwinding turning force to the first torque transmission devices, and is capable of being deformed out of the way of the driver, when the unwinding turning force the driver applies to the first torque transmission devices exceeds a maximum force greater than required to rotate the spool core in the film unwinding direction, for allowing the driver to freely rotate inside the core opening in the film unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5305042
    Abstract: A film cassette comprises a cassette shell, a spool core supported inside the cassette shell for rotation in an unwinding direction to advance a filmstrip coiled about the spool core out of the cassette shell and in a winding direction to draw the filmstrip into the cassette shell, at least one flange coaxially coupled with the spool core to prevent the filmstrip from uncoiling about the spool core and to permit the flange and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the unwinding and winding directions, and cooperating means located on the spool core and the flange for fixing the flange and the spool core to each other to make the flange rotate with the spool core in the unwinding direction but releasing the flange to permit it and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the winding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Christopher T. Mattson, Russell J. Butler, Christopher McCormick
  • Patent number: 5295635
    Abstract: A spool to film attachment comprises a filmstrip having an engagement hole formed in a rear end of the filmstrip proximate a rearmost film edge and a spool having an engagement projection adapted to be received in the film hole. The projection has a pointed side oriented to face the rearmost film edge from within the film hole, when the projection is received in the film hole, to be able to tear at a predetermined point through a relatively narrow section of the filmstrip between the film hole and the rearmost film edge in response to pulling the rear end of the filmstrip away from the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Russell J. Butler, Christopher P. McCormick
  • Patent number: 5083720
    Abstract: In a film cassette, a spool is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction inside a cassette shell, a convoluted film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled in the unwinding direction about the spool, and a film stripper is located substantially adjacent a passageway to the exterior of the shell to be received between a leading edge portion of the film leader and a next-inward convolution of the film roll responsive to rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction to divert the leading edge portion to between a pair of light-trapping pads spaced opposite each other in the passageway. According to the invention, one of the light-trapping pads is located substantially in abutment with the stripper and the other of the pads is spaced from the stripper to generally ensure the leading edge portion of the film leader will be advanced over the one pad before the leading edge portion can be advanced over the other pad when the spool is rotated in the unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Christopher P. McCormick, Mark D. Fraser
  • Patent number: 4948063
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a film roll whose outermost convolution comprises a film leader is coiled about a spool rotatable within the cassette shell, a pair of flexible flanges are coaxially arranged on the spool to radially confine the film leader within respective skirted peripheries of the flanges to prevent the leader from substantially contacting an interior wall of the cassette shell, and a film stripper projecting from the interior wall is received between a leading end of the film leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll to free successive sections of the leader from the flanges by inducing the leader to flex the flanges away from one another at their skirted peripheries responsive to rotation of the spool in a film unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4899948
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a film spool is rotatable within the cassette shell in film unwinding and rewinding directions, a convoluted film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled about the spool, a pair of film constraining flanges are coaxially arrnaged on the spool to radially confine the film leader to prevent the leader from substantially contacting an interior wall of the cassette shell, and a film stripper-guide is received between the leading end of the film leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll succeeding the leader to remove the leader from the flanges and guide it through a film passageway to the exterior of the cassette shell responsive to rotation of the spool in the flim unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Christopher T. Mattson
  • Patent number: 4887776
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a spool includes two coaxial core pieces having a convoluted film roll coiled about them, whose outermost convolution is a film leader, and respective flanges fixed to the core pieces which radially extend over the opposite sides of the film roll. At least one of the core pieces is supported for movement axially toward the other one to move at least one of the flanges axially toward the other one to provide axial clamping forces at the opposite sides of the film roll. A film stripper-guide is received between the outermost convolution and the next-inward convolution of the film roll to strip the outermost convolution from the flanges and guide it through a film passageway to the exterior of the cassette shell responsive to rotation of the spool in a film unwinding direction during application of the axial clamping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Bradley S. Bush
  • Patent number: 4887113
    Abstract: A film cassette is constructed from several cassette components which, when assembled, collectively comprise a film spool, a tubular-like casing substantially surrounding the film spool and having a pair of spaced lips which define a film passage slit from the spool, and a pair of end caps covering respective open ends of the casing. The end caps are connected by an integral bridge or spout portion which completely encloses the two lips and includes a film passage opening to the film passage slit. This arrangement provides a relative secure assembled cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4887112
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a film spool having a film roll coiled about it is rotated in an unwinding direction to advance a leading section of the film roll into and through a film passage slit to the outside of the cassette shell. The film spool includes a pair of annular constraining lips coaxially disposed on the spool core to space the outermost convolution of the film roll from an interior curved wall of the cassette shell. The leading section of the film roll is tapered asymetrically and is relatively short to allow it to protrude from between the constraining lips and into slight contact with the shell wall.When the film spool is initially rotated in the unwinding direction, the spool core is rotated relative to the constraining lips until there results a firm non-slipping relation between the outermost convolution and the lips, to thus cause the lips to be rotated thereafter with the spool core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Jeffrey C. Robertson, Mark D. Fraser
  • Patent number: 4883236
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a spool having a convoluted film roll coiled about it, whose outermost convolution is a film leader, includes two coaxial core pieces adapted to telescopically receive one another and respective flanges fixed to the core pieces which radially cover the opposite sides of the film roll. When the spool is initially rotated in a film unwinding direction, rotation responsive means moves at least one of the core pieces axially toward the other one to cause the flanges to clamp the film roll at its opposite sides and a film stripper-guide is received between a leading end of the film leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll succeeding the leader to remove the leader from the flanges and guide it through a film passageway to the exterior of the cassette shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Patricia D. Fairman
  • Patent number: D384742
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: D385027
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: D385028
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Imre Balogh
  • Patent number: D385029
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Callan, John J. Niedospial, Jr., Michael N. Eakins
  • Patent number: D385030
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: D385032
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostic, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Irene K. Ropiak
  • Patent number: D385033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: D385034
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Niedospial, Jr.
  • Patent number: D385035
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Rebecca V. Fisher
  • Patent number: D385347
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Bracco Diagnostics Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Niedospial, Jr., Irene K. Ropiak