Pinch quill, apparatus, and film winding method

#The invention relates to photographic film and film handling equipment and more particularly relates to clamping rollers, film winding apparatus, assemblies, and methods.

#A variety of spools and quills (here referred to collectively as “rollers”) have been used to wind photographic filmstrips. A continuing problem has been attaching the filmstrip to the roller and later detaching the filmstrip. Tape has commonly been used to attach the filmstrip, but this adds additional steps and materials and presents a risk of contamination of processing materials by the adhesive unless the tape bearing segment of the film is segregated.

#Another approach is to attach a narrowed end or leader attached to the filmstrip to the roller, by insertion in a slot or other structure and then winding. The filmstrip is held in place by frictional contact with the margins of the slot and other surfaces of the roller until a turn of the filmstrip overlaps. The increased friction tightens the filmstrip, cinching the filmstrip against the roller. Other approaches use an external guide in place of the slot to hold the filmstrip in place until cinching occurs. These procedures have the general shortcoming that cinching effectiveness decreases with increased winding speed. It is thus preferable, in these procedures, to always wind slowly or to cinch slowly and then increase winding speed after cinching is achieved. Winding speed can be increased by the use of structures on the roller that help grip the end of the filmstrip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649 discloses a quill having a forked end and a spring positioned between the tines of the fork to help hold the end of the filmstrip.

#The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures wherein:

#FIG. 1 is semi-diagrammatical perspective view of an embodiment of the media winder, which includes an embodiment of the pinch quill. The pinch quill includes an embodiment of the core and sheath apparatus. The housing support and film advance mechanism of the winder are not shown.

#FIG. 2 is a semi-diagrammatical side view of the winder of FIG. 1 and a camera frame assembly. The controller and related components are not shown. The position of the filmstrip coil after winding is indicated by dashed lines. The position of light-tight back, after placement on the camera frame assembly, is indicated by dashed lines.

#Referring initially to FIGS. 1-5 and 24-29, the pinch quill 10 and pinch spool 12 clamp the end of a media strip 14, such as a filmstrip 14a to hold the strip 14 during initial winding; and, if desired, to retain the end 16 of the strip 14 when the strip 14 is unwound. The inventions are particularly advantageous for filmstrips and are generally described and illustrated herein in relation to filmstrips.

#The pinch quill 10 and pinch spool 12 each have a core and sheath apparatus 18. The core 20 of the apparatus 18 has a longitudinal axis 22. The sheath 24 is mounted coaxially over the core 20. The sheath 24 has a longitudinal slot 26. The sheath 24 is rotated with the core 20 when the core 20 is rotated about the longitudinal axis 22. The term “rotate” is used herein to refer to rotary movement about the axis 22 over a range that is greater than a pivoting movement described below. In preferred embodiments, “rotating” refers to a movement through 360 degrees or more.

#The pinch quill 10 and pinch spool 12 each have a coupling 28 joined to the core and sheath apparatus 18. A coupling 28 has a first part 30 fixed to the sheath 24 and a second part 32 fixed to the core 20. The term “fixed”, used herein, refers to a joining of two items that maintains the items in invariant spatial relation to each other and the like relationship of two portions of a single item, made as one piece. The “fixed” items or portions, if mobile during use, move as a single unit and may or may not be subject to bending or other geometric distortion during use. The “fixed” items or portions may or may not be subject to disassembly or other separation and may be joined together through an intermediate item. The core 20 and sheath 24 are preferably rigid structures that do not perceptibly bend during use.