Method and machine for loading and assembling film cartridges

A machine for assemblying a film cartridge having a double chambered bottom portion and a cover and for loading a scroll formed by a length of film interleaved with a length of backing paper, said film and backing paper being unattached to each other, and a take-up spool into said chambers comprising:

• a housing;
• a supply of sensitized film and a supply of backing paper;
• a single guide track supported on said housing for receiving and transporting therein a web of film with a web of backing paper to a scrolling means;
• means for guiding a web of film from the supply thereof into said guide track, and means for guiding a web of backing paper from the supply thereof into said guide track;
• means supported on said housing for engaging said web of film and means for engaging said web of paper to advance said webs along said guide track;
• means for severing said film and paper webs to desired finite lengths;
• means for determining relative locations of said webs to actuate said severing means;
• scrolling means carried on said housing at one end of said guide track for winding said severed webs into a scroll, said webs being unattached to each other,
• means for attaching a free end of said scroll to a take-up spool;
• means for axially displacing said spool and scroll for simultaneously inserting said spool and scroll into a spool chamber and a scroll chamber respectively in said bottom portion of said cartridge;
• transport means for carrying said loaded bottom portion to an assembly station for assembly with said cover;
• and
• means for sealing said cover to said bottom portion to form a completed cartridge.

In a machine for winding a length of film with a length of backing paper so as to form a scroll with the ends of said film and paper being unattached to each other, and loading said scroll with a take-up spool into a film cartridge, the combination comprising a first rotatably supported transport carrier, a scroll receiving socket and a spool receiving socket in said first transport carrier, a winding spindle mounted for axial movement between an inactive position and a scrolling position in which said spindle extends into said scroll receiving socket for winding a scroll therein, means coupled to said spindle for causing axial movement thereof, a diametric slot in said spindle for receiving said web of paper, means for supplying and feeding desired lengths of film and backing paper in overlying relation to said spindle, means connected to said spindle for causing rotation thereof to wind said film and paper into a scroll within said scroll receiving socket, an annular flange for retaining said scroll within said scroll receiving socket when said spindle is moved from the scrolling position to the inactive position, a second transport carrier arranged for rotation in a plane spaced from the plane of rotation of said first transport carrier and about an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of said first transport carrier so that a portion of said first and second transport carriers overlap, said second transport carrier arranged for supporting therein an open cartridge bottom, indexing means connected to said first and second transport carriers for synchronously moving said carriers so that said scroll and spool receiving sockets in said first carrier register with said cartridge bottom carried in the second carrier, and a transfer mechanism having means for engaging one end of said spool and scroll and displacing said spool and scroll in an axial direction for transferring them from their respective sockets to said open cartridge.