Gravity-feed rotary tray slide projector

A combined slide projector and rotary slide tray,

• said slide tray having slots for receiving slides opening inwardly, the slots having partially open outer edges, adjacent slots being at least partially separated from each other by separators having at least partially inwardly recessed outer edges;
• said slide projector comprising a housing, central hub means positioned in said housing for rotatably supporting said slide tray, means for rotating said slide tray with respect to said central hub means, a substantially vertical slide passage defined in said hub means having an upper entrance end and a lower exit end alignable with said slots of said slide tray, a projection aperture formed in said slide passage, means including lamp means and projecting optics means for projecting a slide aligned with said projection aperture, shutter means for blocking said projection aperture, and control means for controlling movement of said shutter means comprising sensing means supported by said housing in alignment with said slide passage with switch means positioned to protrude into said slots and into the recessed portions of said outer edges, said switch means being closable by insertion of a properly oriented slide into a slot aligned with said slide passage exit, said control means further comprising means responsive to closing of said switch means for moving said shutter means from a projection aperture blocking position to an unblocking position;
• the relationship between said slide tray and said slide projector being such that a slide is movable by gravity during rotation of said slide tray from a slot in said slide tray into said entrance end of said slide passage, is movable by gravity through said slide passage into a position resting on a slide previously introduced into said slide passage and in alignment with said projection aperture, and is movable by gravity out of the exit end of said slide passage into a slot in said slide tray.