US 3,953,119 AGranted

Slide projector and indexing mechanism for alternate slide trays of different configurations

AssigneeGAF Corporation

InventorJean-Paul Erchoff

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A slide projector adapted to alternately receive at least two slide trays having different shapes and different indexing configurations is provided. The projector comprises a slide tray receiving groove having tray guide means for slidably engaging corresponding support surfaces formed on the slide trays, and a reversible slide tray indexing mechanism having an indexing lever mounted for slidable and pivotable movement and including a pair of pawls for sequential engagement with the respective indexing racks of the alternate trays, to incrementally advance either of said trays from one slide position to the next. A reciprocal slide carrier for transporting the slides from the trays to the viewing position is provided with a camway in operative engagement with the indexing lever to impart the required movement thereto during each slide changing cycle. The projector also includes slidable tray retainer means formed as a part of the tray guide means to support the edge of one of said trays to maintain the same in engagement with the indexing mechanism.

Claims25

Dependent claims

In a slide projector of the type including a slide tray receiving groove formed by first and second side walls for holding a slide tray having a plurality of spaced apart slide receiving spaces, and a slide carrier slidably disposed for reciprocating movement transversely to the slide tray receiving groove for transferring a slide from a slide tray installed therein to the viewing position on the optical axis of the projector and returning the same to the slide tray, the improvement comprising means for alternately and selectively receiving within the slide tray receiving groove at least two slide trays having different shapes and racks of indexing projections of different configurations, a first one of said slide trays having its rack of indexing projections located closer to said first side wall of said groove than to the second side wall thereof, a second of said slide trays having its rack of indexing projections located closer to the second wall of said groove, said receivng means including tray guide means fixedly disposed within the slide tray receiving groove and having a contoured surface corresponding to and adapted to slidably engage, support and guide either of the alternate slide trays;

and an indexing mechanism for incrementally advancing either of said alternate slide trays disposed within the slide tray receiving groove to sequentially present slides contained in either of said slide trays for viewing;
said indexing mechanism including an indexing lever slidably and pivotally mounted on the projector adjacent said tray receiving groove, a first pawl carried on said lever at one end thereof adapted for incremental engagement with the indexing rack of the first slide tray, and a second pawl carried on said lever at the other end therof adapted for incremental engagement with the indexing rack of the second tray;
an actuating member attached to the indexing lever for imparting the required movement to said indexing lever;
and a camway formed in the slide carrier in operative engagement with said actuating member for longitudinally moving the indexing lever to disengage the first and second pawls from the indexing racks of the first and second slide trays respectively and pivotally moving said lever to align the pawls with the next projection of the respective indexing racks upon withdrawal of the slide carrier from the projector, and for longitudinally moving said indexing lever to engage the pawls with the next indexing projections on the slide trays and pivotally moving said lever through an arcuate extent corresponding to the distance between two adjacent projections on the racks of each tray to advance the selected slide tray to the next slide position upon insertion of the slide carrier into the projector.

1 more element

A slide projector adapted to alternately and selectively receive each one of a plurality of slide trays of the type having a series of spaced apart slide receiving spaces formed therein and a rack of indexing projections formed along a periphery thereof, in which each of such alternate trays have a different shape and a different indexing configuration, comprising, in combination, a slide tray receiving groove defined by first and second spaced paralleled side walls extending in a direction parallel to the projector optical axis for alternately holding each of said slide trays, the indexing projections of one of said slide trays when inserted in said groove being located adjacent one of said side walls, the indexing projections of another of said slide trays when inserted in said groove being located adjacent the other of said side walls, said groove including tray guide means for slidably engaging, supporting and guiding each one of the plurality of alternate slide trays;

and a reversible indexing mechanism for incrementally advancing the selected slide tray having an indexing lever mounted on the base of the projector adjacent said tray for reciprocal movement transverse to the direction of movement of said trays and selective pivotal movement parallel to the direction of movement of said trays in either a first direction corresponding to forward advancement of the selected slide tray or a second direction corresponding to reverse advancement of the selected slide tray;
a plurality of pawls each fixedly disposed on the lever for respective engagement with the indexing projections of said plurality of slide trays;
one of said pawls being located on said lever for cooperation with the indexing projections adjacent one side wall, another of said pawls located on said lever for cooperation with the indexing projections adjacent the other side of said groove;
a slide carrier slidably disposed for reciprocating movement transverse to the slide trays for transferring slides from the selected tray to the viewing position in the projector upon insertion thereof, and returning the same to the slide trays upon withdrawal thereof;
said slide carrier having a base member disposed adjacent said indexing lever, and a camway formed in said base member in operative engagement with said indexing lever for longitudinally moving the indexing lever to disengage the pawls from the indexing projection of the trays and pivotally moving the lever to align the pawls with the next indexing projection on the trays upon withdrawal of the slide carrier, and for longitudinally moving said indexing lever to engage the pawls with said next projection of the trays and pivotally moving said lever through an arcuate extent corresponding to the distance between two adjacent projections to advance the slide tray upon insertion of the slide carrier;
and a forward-reverse control means in operative engagement with said indexing lever to selectively bias the same for pivotal movement in either the first or second direction.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.