Patents by Inventor Patricia D. Fairman

Patricia D. Fairman 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: 4908641
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a filmstrip beginning with a relatively short non-protruding leader portion can be advanced automatically to the exterior of the cassette responsive to rotation of a film spool in a film unwinding direction. The filmstrip has one metering perforation per film frame in a relatively long imaging portion and several much closer spaced take-up perforations in its leader portion. Preferably, the take-up perforations are located along a different longitudinal edge of the filmstrip than the metering perforations are located, to positively prevent the possiblity of mistaking one of the take-up perforations for one of the metering perforations in a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Patricia D. Fairman
  • 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: 4846418
    Abstract: In a 35 mm film cassette, the leading end of a film roll coiled about a film spool is located within the cassette shell. The film spool is comprised of two pieces constructed to telescopically receive one another. Each spool piece includes a radially extending flange normally disposed adjacent one of the opposite sides of the film roll. When the film spool is initially rotated in a film unwinding direction, a rotation-responsive cam device coupling the two spool pieces automatically moves one spool piece axially toward the other piece to cause the respective flanges to clamp the film roll at its opposite sides. As a result, the leading end of the film roll will be rotated past a stripper-guide which strips the leading end from between the flanges and guides it through a light-trapped opening in the cassette shell. Thus rotation of the film spool in the unwinding direction will advance the leading end to the outside of the film cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Patricia D. Fairman