Patents by Inventor Stephen A. Bartz

Stephen A. Bartz 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: 4601570
    Abstract: A photographic exposure and development system including a printer for exposing photographic media, a processor for developing the image exposed on the media and an accumulator intermediate the printer and processor for compensating for the differences in operational speed of the printer and processor. The printer is of the type which discharges exposed photographic media in sheet form, whether the initial supply be in sheet form or in roll form. The accumulator accepts exposed sheets discharged by the printer and stacks the same in ascending chronological order from the bottom of the stack while providing access to the exposed sheets for removal for processing by the processor in ascending chronological order at the top of the stack. In a preferred embodiment, the accumulator includes a plurality of bins which are rotatable with each other between a first position in which the exposed sheets are accepted for stacking and a second position where the stacked sheets are accessible for removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Bartz, Wayne D. Gunderson
  • Patent number: 4595283
    Abstract: An improved paper advance apparatus for advancing photographic paper in a photographic printer advances print paper held against a bottom side of a vacuum platen with the leading edge of the print paper being otherwise unsupported. The apparatus includes a paper supply, a drive roller assembly for moving the paper along a paper path to an exposure station located after the drive roller assembly. A vacuum platen is positioned after the drive roller assembly and includes a pair of spaced apart guides along the bottom side thereof defining a print paper engaging surface along the paper path. A vacuum force is supplied to the paper-engaging surface through a plurality of vacuum ports for holding the print paper against the print-engaging surface. The holding force provided by the vacuum is such that the print paper is held flatly against the print-engaging surface during advancement of the paper and during exposure at the exposure station without the leading edge of the print paper needing any further support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1986
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Bartz, Wayne D. Gunderson
  • Patent number: 4583845
    Abstract: An improved photographic printer having a plurality of lens assemblies with each lens assembly including a plurality of optical elements spaced from each other along the general direction of the printer optical path. The optical elements of each lens assembly are movable relative to each other between first and second positions with one of the first and second positions being within the optical path and the other being without the optical path. A plurality of positioning elements are adapted to cooperate with different ones of the optical elements to selectively position them in the first or second position. Specifically, the plurality of lens assemblies are movably supported to alternatively position each with its optical elements in conjunction with the positioning elements for movement of the optical elements between the first and second positions. In a preferred embodiment, the lens assemblies are supported by a carrousel and the optical elements may include lenses and baffles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Orren J. Lucht, Stephen A. Bartz
  • Patent number: 4506824
    Abstract: A paper cutter for separating exposure areas positioned along the longitudinal axis of a web of photographic material. Individual print areas within an exposure area are also separated. The print material is coded on its back or at each exposure area border in accordance with the particular array of print areas and the cutter decodes the border code and produces a signal representative of the array of print areas to be separated. The web is advanced into a cutting station with cutting elements within the cutting station being selectively activated, web advance and cutting station activation being in accordance with the print area array representative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen A. Bartz
  • Patent number: 4443099
    Abstract: A photographic printing system including a masking card for carrying a transparency bearing an image to be printed at an aperture thereof. The card contributes to registration of the image within the printer optical path. The masking cards are carried in a first receptacle in stacking relation to others of the masking cards. A printing station is provided generally at the optical path of the printer and a card transport removes masking cards from the first card receptacle and conveys them to the printing station. A second card receptacle is provided while the printing station includes apparatus for ejecting masking cards from the printing station to the second card receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Dale L. Linman, Stephen A. Bartz
  • Patent number: 4441807
    Abstract: A photographic printing system including an improved masking card. The masking card carries an image-bearing transparency at an aperture thereof. The card cooperates with a photograhic printer to contribute to the registration of the image relative to the optical path of the printer. A plurality of mark boxes are located at predetermined locations on the card with each location representing a printer exposure parameter. At least some of the marked box locations represent exposures of preselected size. Ghost character outlines of an optically readable character font are preprinted at at least some of the marked box locations. An information storage medium is carried by the card and includes a plurality of data blocks each dedicated to a printer exposure parameter, including printer exposure parameters represented by the mark box locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: Lucht Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen A. Bartz