Slide mounter with film curl accommodator

Apparatus for mounting a film transparency in a slide mount of a type having two portions which can be flexed apart to provide an insertion opening at a first edge thereof, said two portions defining a plane therebetween, the apparatus comprising:

• means for bringing the slide mount to a film insertion station;
• means for flexing the slide mount to cause the slide mount to provide the insertion opening when positioned at the film insertion station;
• means for advancing a film web to the film insertion station until a leading end of the film web including the film transparency is partially inserted in the slide mount through the insertion opening;
• means for severing the film transparency from the leading end of the film web so that a portion of the severed transparency remains protruding from the slide mount through the insertion opening;
• means for feeding the slide mount with partially inserted transparency along a track away from the film insertion station;
• means for engaging the transparency and fully inserting the transparency into the slide mount as the slide mount and transparency are fed along the track;
• and
• means for bowing both portions of the slide mount in the same direction relative to said plane about an axis parallel transverse to the direction of transparency insertion by an amount sufficient to match a curl of the transparency as the transparency is fully inserted in the slide mount.

Apparatus for mounting a film transparency in a slide mount, said slide mount having opposing portions defining a plane therebetween, the apparatus comprising:

• a slide track along which the slide mount is advanced;
• a film track generally orthogonal to the slide track and intersecting the slide track at a film insertion station;
• means for advancing the slide mount along the slide track to the film insertion station;
• means for advancing a film web along the film track and into the slide mount at the film insertion station, so that a film transparency attached to the film web is partially inserted into the slide mount;
• means for severing the film transparency from the film web;
• means for advancing the slide mount with partially inserted transparency along the slide track away from the film insertion station;
• means for engaging the transparency to fully insert the transparency into the slide mount as the slide mount and transparency are moved along the slide track away from the film insertion station;
• and
• means for bowing both portions of the slide mount in the same direction relative to said plane about an axis parallel to the direction of transparency insertion as the transparency is fully inserted into the slide mount.