Abstract: A filter element, including a pair of filter plates that are each made of a nonwoven fabric or felt of a polymeric material shaped into a plate having a corrugated cross section and which are positioned in such a way that the grooves in one filter plate are opposed to those in the other filter plate, is reinforced with reinforcements that are placed across the width of the filter element. The reinforcements and the filter element are secured at their respective ends by means of bolts. The reinforcements are similar in cross-sectional shape so that they can circumscribe the corrugated cross section of the filter plates such that a pair of the reinforcements can hold the filter element therebetween.

Abstract: A used hypodermic syringe disposal apparatus is disclosed which is capable of disposing of used syringes so as to render re-use impossible and prevent possible infection resulting from the used syringes during the disposal operation. A pair of collapsing gears are arranged at a position which permits the gears to be meshed together in such a manner to prevent direct contacting between teeth of the gears. A voltage is applied to the gear while insulation is provided between both gears. When the used syringe is thrown into the apparatus, a hypodermic needle attached to the syringe is burnt immediately upon the needle contacting both gears so as to make them short-circuit. Also, a narrow gap is defined between the corresponding teeth of the synchronously rotating collapsing gears so that a syringe barrel may be effectively crushed in the gap while being transferred between the gears.

Abstract: A shutter for a camera including a plurality of successively overlapping light shielding blades and a plurality of driving arms for holding and driving said blades to produce linked parallel movements of said blades, in which at least one hole is formed in at least one of said arms to reduce weight of the arms.

Abstract: A blade type focal plane shutter in which a number of shutter blades are mounted for parallel-linked movements by two operating arms, the system for supporting the blades reducing the size of the shutter and one end of a first auxiliary blade succeeding a slit forming blade is connected to the operating arms in accordance with a relationship between the pins and the arc grooves.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetically controlled focal plane shutter wherein one electromagnet controls a leading shutter curtain and another electromagnet controls a following shutter curtain by releasing respective checking members as power is supplied thereto. The electromagnetic characteristics of the electromagnet that controls the following shutter curtain differ from those of the electromagnet controlling the leading shutter curtain. According to a specific embodiment disclosed, the follower-curtain controlling electromagnet saturates earlier than the leading curtain controlling magnet so as to compensate for deterioration of an energizing battery and thereby limits the problem of shutter time lag resulting from the long battery use.

Abstract: Disclosed is a focal plane shutter for a camera having a shutter blade group consisting of a plural number of light shading thin plates held with two arms, so designed that the slit forming blade positioned at the end of the arm and a light shading auxiliary blade positioned next to the above are made to move in parallel by way of a parallel linkage and that a plural number of other auxiliary blades are mounted rotatably around the shaft provided on the one arm and engaged with a common shaft provided on the other arm in such a manner that along with the rotation of the latter arm they are rotated with the latter shaft.

Abstract: In an electromagnetically driven focal plane shutter of the type having a trailing screen which moves irrespective as to whether a leading screen is moving, there are provided a detecting member arranged to detect movement of the leading screen and an inhibiting means which inhibits the trailing screen from moving when movement of the leading screen is not detected.

Abstract: A device for preventing spring-back of the shutter blade of a camera wherein a plate spring projecting into the moving field of a shutter operation is provided with the motion of the shutter operation member being braked at its end phase by the plate spring and being anchored by the plate spring in order to prevent spring-back, while at the same time, a switch of an electrical circuit of the camera is operated by means of a second plate spring.

Abstract: An electromagnetic driving device for driving shutter blades wherein a field coil used as stator encircles a permanent magnet rotor and extends across the rotational axis thereof. The rotor is arranged to undergo reciprocating rotation through less than one half turn in driving the shutter blades to open and close the shutter. Interference between the field coil and a coaxially arranged output shaft is avoided by the provision of a U-shaped intermediate member extending about the field coil and connecting the output shaft and the rotor.

Abstract: A brake device for use with a shutter having a driving member which runs down when the shutter is opened or closed, includes a brake member pivotally rotatable about a stationary shaft and arranged upon engagement with the shutter driving member to slow it down and bring it to rest. An elastic material is employed in forming at least one of the above-described brake member and stationary shaft to effect a frictional engagement therebetween which contributes to the braking of the shutter driving member.

Abstract: Rollers having attached thereto ribbons of a shutter screen of a focal plane shutter are arranged to have either another roller or a shutter screen take-up shaft fitted therein with a frictional force provided between them. The rollers are provided with an engaging part for engagement with an external member. The degree of parallelism between the slit forming ends of the front and rear screens of the shutter forming a slit for exposure is adjustable by operating the external member to rotate the rollers with a force greater than the frictional force.

Abstract: In an electromagnetic release for a camera a normally de-energized electromagnet is coupled with unitarally joined elongated pole pieces, and when energized, generates a magnetic flux opposing the magnetic flux of a permanent magnet. A moveable, magnetizable armature adjacent corresponding ends of the pole pieces is normally attracted by the pole pieces as a result of the flux of the permanent magnet when the electromagnet is deenergized. The permanent magnet is positioned between the pole pieces. A spring biases the armature to disengage it from the faces of the pole pieces.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter adapted for use in a single lens reflex camera and having front and rear curtains with respective charge control gears to be operated in engagement with each other during the winding process. At the terminal end of one cycle of winding operation, these gears are released from positive connection with a film winding mechanism, while the front and rear curtains are held in their cocked positions by separate latches in at least a time interval between a moment at which the diaphragm starts to move and a moment at which the mirror flips out of way to actuate release of the front curtain, thereby an electromagnetic release control for the rear curtain latch is prevented from being disturbed as by a shock which would be otherwise exerted on the rear curtain latch at the start of movement of the front curtain.

Abstract: In a focal plane shutter having two curtains which unwind from shafts after being released, the shaft controls a master gear, causing a keying pin on the latter to activate braking action on the curtain at a time interval near the terminal end of running-down movement of the curtain, as a pair of heavy expanding frictional shoes are driven to rotate at accelerated speeds and pressed against the internal surface of a fixed drum by a centrifugal force. During the shutter cocking operation, the key is taken out of connection with the brake so that the driving torque of the film winding shaft is correspondingly decreased.

Abstract: An electromagnetic device adapted to operate with a battery of small capacity and having an armature arranged to move upon energization and de-energization of a coil, to and away from a yoke respectively. In order to insure that, after having been attracted, the armature is in intimate contact with the yoke over the entire prescribed area of interface therebetween, there is provided an annular elastic spacer which may be of round cross-section secured in an annular recess around a pivot pin for the armature at the center of length thereof and fitted in a vertical hole of the armature to permit not only absorption of the shock on the armature, thus protecting the attraction face, but also tilting movement of the armature about the spacer ring with respect to the yoke.

Abstract: In a winding up device of a camera settable to an operative position at a phase of exposure completion and to an inoperative position at a phase of winding up completion, there is provided an electromagnetic clutch in transmitting means for transmitting driving force from a drive source of the winding up device. Electrical supply of power to the drive source or winding up motor and the electromagnetic clutch are controlled through a detecting means for detecting the phase of winding up completion to effect rapid changeover between the connection and separation of the driving force of the winding up motor to and from a winding member of the camera, thereby a continuous winding up operation is performed with ease. Power is cut off to the winding up motor switching device and to an electromagnetic clutch switching means to make the film winding up mechanism powerless before a device for stopping the wind up action begins to work.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for a camera includes a shutter unit casing for supporting a shutter mechanism. A rotatable body is connected with the shutter for winding up the shutter to a charged position. A shutter driving spring is also connected with the shutter mechanism for driving the shutter and a holding member is coupled with the rotatable body for holding the shutter mechanism in a charged position. A driving shaft carrying a driving gear is coupled to the rotatable body through a transmission gear and a clutch. A spring is coupled with the clutch to urge the clutch in a direction for releasing engagement between the transmission gear and the rotatable body. The driving gear has a plane section on its circumferential periphery spacing adjacent teeth apart so that engagement between the driving gear and the transmission gear is released when the rotatable body is held so that the transmission gear and the clutch can rotate, under the influence of the spring, back to the initial position.

Abstract: In a finder optic system having the structure in which a tiltable mirror, in its reflecting position, reflects light entering through the camera objective upward onto a focusing screen where an image of the object to be photographed is formed and light from the image is radiated upward through the condenser lens and a pentaprism into an eyepiece, a light meter arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a single photo-cell and a glass plate provided with an angular surface formed therein for acceptance of the photo-cell.

Abstract: In a reflex camera having a penta prism positioned in the view-finder thereof, there is provided a glass member having a reflactive index equal to or larger than that of the penta prism and positioned in intimately contacting relation with the exit surface of said penta prism to utilize that portion of a view-finder image forming light beam which is directed to the exit surface of said penta prism after successive reflection from the two roof surfaces, the front reflection surface and again the roof surfaces of the penta prism such light beam portion would be otherwise subject to the total reflection from the exit surface in vain in measuring the light at a central portion of the view-finder image as well as at any portions outside thereof. In this way it being made possible to operate the camera selectively in a spot-metering mode or overall field of view light metering mode by the use of a single light value sensing means without causing the reduction of quality of the view-finder image.

Abstract: An electromagnet release device for a motion picture camera having a drive motor, a shutter control member actuated by the driving force of the motor, a blocking mechanism to selectively block the actuation of the shutter control member, an electromagnet member to control the actuation of the blocking mechanism and a release control switching member with a delay circuit having a charging circuit that delays, for a predetermined time, the timing of the actuation of the motor relative to the timing of the actuation of the electromagnet and a discharging circuit to keep the motor energized for a period after the electromagnet is released to assure the driving of the shutter to the proper stop position. Circuits are also shown for reducing magnet current during continuous operation and for timing the operated period of the electromagnet in single frame operation.