Slide handling apparatus

Slide handling apparatus comprising:

• a support body having an upper surface adapted to support a first slide tray of the type which includes a tray portion defining a plurality of slide receiving compartments and having open upper and lower ends, and a stationary base member normally closing said lower ends of the compartments and having an opening through which slides can successively leave the compartments at a discharge position as the tray moves with respect to the base member in use;
• means disposed above said body surface in an overhead position and adapted to support a second similar tray in a generally horizontal disposition above a first tray on said body;
• means for maintaining said base member of the second tray stationary while the associated tray portion is indexed to successively expose the lower ends of said slide receiving compartments;
• chute means disposed between the two trays and having an upper end disposed adjacent said discharge position for the second tray for receiving slides leaving said tray, and a lower end arranged to deliver such slides into the first tray;
• a drive shaft extending between the locations at which said trays are to be supported;
• first and second tray driving means coupled to said shaft and adapted for engagement with the respective first and second trays so that, by intermittently turning said shaft with said trays in position in the apparatus, the trays will be indexed together to bring successive compartments of said second tray to said discharge position and successive compartments of said first tray into a position to receive trays from said chute means;
• and
• motor drive means disposed in said body and coupled to said shaft, said motor drive means being adapted to intermettently turn the shaft through a predetermined angular increment to index said trays.

A slide reversing device for use in association with a slide projector of the type which includes a projector body adapted to support a rotary slide tray extending about a generally upright axis;

• a projection gate;
• means for indexing said tray about said axis to bring successive slides into a position to enter said gate;
• and an optical system by which slides in said gate can be illuminated and projected;
• the device comprising:
• means for coupling a second similar tray with said indexing means of the projector so that the second tray is indexed in synchronism with the first tray in use, being disposed in a position above and coaxially with the first-mentioned tray;
• each said tray including a rotatable tray portion defining a plurality of slide receiving compartments arranged in an annular configuration and having open upper and lower ends, and a stationary base member normally closing said lower ends of the compartments and having an opening through which slides can successively leave the compartments at a discharge position as the tray portion rotates in use;
• means for maintaining said base member of the second tray stationary while the associated tray portion is indexed by said coupling means;
• and,
• chute means adapted to be supported above said projector body and having an upper end disposed adjacent said discharge position of the second tray for receiving slides leaving said second tray, and a lower end arranged to deliver such slides into the first tray, said chute means defining a track down which the slides travel by gravity and which is shaped to turn each slide laterally in travelling along said track to an extent such that the slides enter said first tray in reverse orientation compared with their former orientation in the second tray.