Patents by Inventor Stanley Ward Stephenson

Stanley Ward Stephenson 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: 5897232
    Abstract: A photographic camera (10) includes a film supply chamber (14); a film takeup chamber (16) and a film exposure gate (18) positioned between the chambers. The gate defines a maximum exposed image width (W) in a direction of film travel between the chambers and a maximum exposed image height (H) in a direction transverse to the direction of film travel. A plurality of mask members (24, 26) extend transverse to the direction of travel, each mask member being configured for masking only a portion of the maximum exposed image width. There is no mask in the camera configured for masking a portion of the maximum exposed image height. A mechanism (88-94) moves the mask members toward or away from a center of the exposure gate to reduce or increase only a final exposed image width (W.sub.e), without masking the maximum exposed image height. As a result, the final width of the exposed image indicates a required enlargement of exposed image to produce a pseudo telephoto print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley Ward Stephenson, Paul Teremy
  • Patent number: 5884765
    Abstract: A film package comprises a film sheet having a series of images recorded on one side of the film sheet and a non-image area on the same side, an index print sheet having a series of pictures printed on one side of the index print sheet which match the series of images recorded on the film sheet and a non-picture area on the same side of the index print sheet in the same relative location as the non-image area on the film sheet and being sized to permit the film sheet to be placed over the non-picture area without covering any of the pictures, and a holder on the non-picture area of the index print sheet for releasably securing the film sheet to the index print sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5872619
    Abstract: Apparatus (118) for printing photographs from a processed photographic filmstrip having images having different widths measured longitudinally of the filmstrip and having heights measured transversely of the filmstrip, using a photographic printer having a zoom lens (122) and a printing mask (130) to provide printed images having a selected print width and a selected print height, the apparatus including a device (134, 136) for measuring the width of an image on the processed filmstrip; a device (124, 136) for adjusting magnification of the zoom lens in proportion to the measured width so that the width of a projected image matches the selected print width at the printing mask; and a device (120) for projecting the image on the processed filmstrip through the adjusted zoom lens to expose a photographic medium (128) at the printing mask to produce on the medium an image having the selected print width and selected print height. A corresponding method is taught.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley Ward Stephenson, Paul Teremy
  • Patent number: 5790276
    Abstract: An apparatus for image presentation and reformatting comprising an image projector for transmitting an image from an image source, a sizing element for transmitting a selected portion of the image, an image display device, and an image recapture device. A source transducer and target transducer are provided for reading source information and target information, respectively. Such information is provided to a control device which automatically adjusts an exposure adjustment device to enhance the quality of the reformatted image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5729768
    Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprises a film cartridge and a lighttight enclosure which contains the film cartridge and can be opened to remove the film cartridge. Further, the one-time-use camera has a flash unit which is characterized in that a frangible support device for the flash unit is located to be destroyed when the lighttight enclosure is opened to remove the film cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Roger Alan Fields, Stanley Ward Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5710953
    Abstract: A photographic film sheet and a camera for using such film sheet is disclosed. The film sheet has a rectangular shape, a plurality of image areas disposed around the perimeter of the sheet and defining an orthogonal pattern, and the sheet defining a central opening for permitting spin processing of the images on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson
  • Patent number: 5694629
    Abstract: A camera film transport mechanism includes a torque limiting one-way drive clutch for preventing film damaging excessive torque loading or reverse rotation of the drive. The clutch includes coaxial inner and outer members. A resilient arm extends generally tangentially from one of the members with a free end biased against the other member and engagable with a tooth or abutment thereon to transmit torque therebetween. A sloping surface on one or both of the tooth and the arm end limits torque transmission by camming the arm out of engagement when the friction force is overcome. Multiple arms and/or abutment teeth may be provided and the arms may be arranged for either compressive or tensile loading. Slip torque deviation is limited by making the engaging surfaces from diverse materials, for example, an amorphous polymer, such as polycarbonate styrene, for one surface and a semi-crystalline polymer, such as nylon or acetal, for the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III, Tom Michael Seamans
  • Patent number: 5678073
    Abstract: A camera has a plurality of taking lenses and an equal number of flash sources which are used in a 1:1 relationship that attempts to maximize the flash-to-lens distance in order to reduce red-eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III, Marcello David Fiscella
  • Patent number: 5675400
    Abstract: A photograph is masked such that only a portion of a scene in the photograph is visible. The mask is adjusted to alter the portion of the scene which is visible until a portion of the scene which is desired to be reproduced is visible. Information which identifies the portion of the scene which is desired to be reproduced is recorded. The recorded information is used to create a hard copy reproduction of the portion of the scene which is desired to be reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5666575
    Abstract: A camera includes a chamber for containing a film cartridge having a rotatable film spool with external engagement access to allow rotation of the spool. The chamber is closed by a lighttight door having a cavity including a status indicator member for determining the status of a contained film cartridge. The status indicator member is attached a cartridge engagement member which is rotatable with the cartridge film spool. The status indicator member includes a display disk for indicating the status of said cartridge based on the rotational position of said spool which is visible through an opening in the chamber door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III, Tom Michael Seamans
  • Patent number: 5666561
    Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprises a resistive heating element positioned to apply sufficient heat to a critical component of the camera, such as a plastic taking lens, to permanently damage the component when a battery in the camera is connected to the heating element, and a normally open switch which is closed to connect the battery and the heating element after the last available frame of a filmstrip in the camera has been exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III
  • Patent number: 5640637
    Abstract: An apparatus including a camera body adapted to receive a thrust film cartridge, a thrust spindle for engagedly receiving a thrust cartridge spool, a take-up spool, and a mechanism for simultaneously driving both the thrust spindle and the take-up spool in an advance direction such that a surface speed of the take-up spool is faster than a surface speed of film being thrust from the thrust cartridge. A first one-way clutch is operatively positioned between a drive mechanism and the thrust spindle, and a second one-way clutch is operatively positioned between the drive mechanism and the take-up spool. A rewind spindle engagedly receives the thrust cartridge spool, and a rewind mechanism drives the rewind spindle in a rewind direction. A third clutch is operatively positioned between the rewind knob and the rewind spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley Ward Stephenson, III