Camera for recording the output of an instrument

A camera to be mounted adjacent a display surface of an instrument for recording on film an image on the display surface, the film being disposed in a film cassette, the camera comprising:

• an enclosure having an interior and an exterior, said enclosure having first and second openings to the exterior of said enclosure, said first opening being at least as large in area as the display surface from which an image is to be recorded, said second opening being at least as large in area as the area of film to be exposed;
• a lens in said enclosure, said lens being disposed between said first and second openings;
• means, in the region of said first opening, for mounting said enclosure on said instrument in surrounding relationship with respect to the display surface thereof;
• a movable latch on said enclosure adjacent said second opening thereof for securing the film cassette across the second opening to close said second opening;
• means for biasing said latch into a latched position in which the film cassette is held in place across said second opening of said enclosure said latch being movable into an unlatched position out of engagement with the cassette and in which the cassette may be removed;
• and
• means for both holding said latch in said unlatched position after manual movement of said latch thereinto and also for automatically releasing said latch from said unlatched position upon movement of the cassette into its position across the second opening to allow movement of said latch into said latched position and thus into gripping engagement with the film cassette.

A camera to be mounted adjacent a cathode ray tube device having a cathode ray tube therein to record an image from a screen of the cathode ray tube, the camera comprising:

• a generally rectangular film cassette having sheets of rectangular film therein, said film cassette having four lateral edges and a pair of oppositely facing sides;
• an enclosure having an interior and exterior, said enclosure having first and second openings to said exterior of said enclosure, said first opening being at least as large in area as the screen of a cathode ray tube, said second opening being at least as large in area as the area of the film to be exposed;
• a lens in said enclosure, said lens being disposed between said first and second openings in said enclosure;
• means, in the region of said first opening, for mounting said enclosure adjacent the cathode ray tube in surrounding relationship with the screen thereof;
• said film cassette having a working position in which said film cassette extends entirely across said second opening to close said second opening to said exterior, one side of said cassette facing said exterior;
• said enclosure including a main body portion and a separate, inner rectangular frame attached to said main body portion in spaced relationship thereto, said inner frame being coupled with said main body portion by coupling means, said inner frame generally surrounding said second opening and having a frame opening generally coextensive with said second opening;
• said inner frame having a flat, outer surface for face-to-face disposition with respect to the other side of said film cassette when said cassette is in a working position covering said second opening, said outer surface being disposed in a plane;
• said coupling means including a plurality of spaced biasing means between said main body portion of said enclosure and said inner frame, said biasing means urging said frame outwardly away from said main body portion;
• said coupling means also including a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending between said main body portion and said inner frame, said adjustable fastening means opposing the outward urging of said inner frame by said biasing means and adjustably limiting the extent to which said inner frame is spaced from said main body portion;
• whereby said inner frame assumes a floating relationship with respect to said main body portion and whereby said plane of said outer surface of said inner frame may be adjustably moved with respect to said main body portion to effect proper focusing over the entire surface area of the film of said cassette.

A camera for mounting adjacent a display surface of an instrument to record an image on the display surface with film, the film being disposed in a film cassette, the camera comprising:

• an enclosure having an interior and an exterior, said enclosure having first and second openings to the exterior of said enclosure, said first opening being at least as large in area as the display surface from which an image is to be recorded, said second opening being at least as large in area as the area of film to be exposed;
• a lens in said enclosure, said lens being disposed between said first and second openings;
• means, in the region of said first opening, for mounting said enclosure on said instrument in surrounding relationship with respect to the display surface thereof;
• said enclosure including a main body portion and a separate, inner rectangular frame attached to said main body portion of said enclosure in spaced relationship thereto, said inner frame being coupled with said main body portion by coupling means, said inner frame generally surrounding said second opening and having a frame opening generally coextensive with said second opening;
• said inner frame having a flat, outer surface for face-to-face disposition with respect to the film cassette when the film cassette is in a working position closing the second opening;
• said coupling means including a plurality of spaced biasing means between said main body portion of said enclosure and said inner frame, said biasing means urging said frame outwardly away from said main body portion;
• said coupling means also including a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending between said main body portion and said inner frame, said adjustable fastening means opposing the outward urging of said inner frame by said biasing means and adjustably limiting the extent to which said inner frame is spaced from said main body portion;
• said frame having:
• a movable latch thereon, said movable latch including a portion extending outwardly from said frame in a direction away from said main body portion and toward the cassette and a catch portion disposed outwardly of said extending portion, said latch being movable between a latched position wherein said catch portion engages said cassette and an unlatched position out of engagement with said cassette thus permitting removal of the cassette;
• means coupled with said frame for biasing said latch into said latched position;
• means for holding said latch in said unlatched position after manual movement thereinto and also for automatically releasing said latch from said unlatched position upon movement of said cassette into its working position to allow movement of said latch into said latched position and thus into gripping engagement with the film cassette.

A camera to be mounted adjacent a display surface of an instrument to record an image on the display surface, the camera utilizing a film cassette containing sheets of film to effect such recording, the camera comprising:

• an enclosure having an interior and an exterior, said enclosure having first and second openings to the exterior of said enclosure, said first opening being at least as large in area as the display surface from which an image is to be recorded, said second opening being adapted for receiving the film cassette;
• means, in the region of said first opening, for mounting said enclosure on said instrument in surrounding relationship with respect to the display surface thereof;
• an optical unit coupled with said enclosure and disposed at least partially therewithin, said optical unit being separable as a unit from said enclosure, said optical unit having first and second ends and a bed portion extending between said first and second ends;
• said optical unit having a pair of mirror mounting portions extending from said bed portion in inclined relationship therewith, said mirror mounting portions being spaced apart and disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said optical unit, said optical unit comprising:
• a first mirror on one of said mounting portions, said first mirror being disposed adjacent said first end of said bed portion for receiving an image through said first opening of said enclosure;
• a second mirror on the other mirror mounting portion and disposed adjacent to said second end of said optical unit for receiving the image after it is reflected by the first mirror and for reflecting the image;
• a lens mounted on said bed portion and disposed between said first and second mirrors, said lens being adjustably movable with respect to said bed portion;
• whereby said optical unit is a unitary optical subassembly which may be preassembled and adjusted as a unit, installed in said enclosure as a unit, and removed from said enclosure as a unit.

A camera to be mounted adjacent a cathode ray tube device which has a cathode ray tube with a screen for recording with film an image on the screen, the cathode ray tube device including a bezel area having a plastic mounting bezel surrounding the screen of the cathode ray tube and a metal bezel support in which the plastic mounting bezel is mounted, the metal bezel supporting including a plurality of side members each having a longitudinal recess therein, the camera comprising:

• an enclosure having an interior and an exterior, said enclosure having an opening to the exterior of said enclosure, said opening being at least as large in area as the screen of the cathode ray tube;
• a lens in said enclosure;
• means, in the region of said first opening, for mounting said enclosure on said cathode ray tube device in surrounding relationship with respect to the screen of the cathode ray tube, said mounting means including:
• a mounting face surrounding said opening;
• said mounting face including a camera bezel, said camera bezel comprising a recessed face in said mounting face, said recessed face being defined by a shoulder around said recessed face, said recessed face and said shoulder both being for supporting said camera on the plastic mounting bezel of the cathode ray tube device;
• a lock on said enclosure at the lower end thereof and disposed adjacent said mounting face for removably securing the camera to the cathode ray tube bezel area;
• said lock including:
• a portion fixed with respect to said enclosure, said fixed portion having a shaft opening therethrough;
• a shaft extending through said shaft opening, said shaft having a first end on one side of said fixed portion and adjacent which there is disposed a manual gripping means and having a second end spaced from said fixed portion and adjacent which end there is disposed a pawl for locking cooperation with one of said recesses of the metal bezel support, said pawl extending generally transversely of said shaft, said shaft having an extension which extends between said fixed portion of said lock and said pawl thereof a sufficient distance such that said pawl is positioned for cooperation with the longitudinal recess in one of the side members of the metal bezel in use and thus extends beyond the plastic mounting bezel of the cathode ray tube device.