Apparatus for loading pre-closed slide mounts

In an apparatus for automatically inserting film transparencies into pre-closed slide mounts each having a pocket therein with an entranceway leading into the pocket for receiving the inserted transparency wherein the pre-closed slide mounts are positioned one at a time in a loading station, a film strip is advanced endwise toward the entranceway into the respective slide mount in the loading station, the leading end portion of the film strip is cut off to form a film transparency in readiness to be inserted into the respective slide mount, the film strip is bowed longitudinally along the film strip for providing longitudinal stiffness in the film strip, and the freshly cut end of the bowed film strip is used for pushing the film transparency endwise through the entranceway into the pocket in said respective slide mount, the improvement comprising:

• cutting means for cutting off the leading end portion of the film strip while said leading end portion is entirely outside of said entranceway for forming the film transparency;
• reciprocatable pawl means for engaging a sprocket hole in the film strip;
• reciprocating drive means coupled to said pawl means for moving said pawl means in a forward stroke for advancing the bowed film strip endwise toward the respective slide mount in the loading station along a forward stroke distance equal to the length of the film transparency plus an additional extent of forward travel sufficient for pushing the transparency completely through said entranceway into said pocket for loading the transparency into the slide mount;
• said reciprocating drive means moving said pawl means in a reverse stroke for withdrawing said film strip endwise out from the entranceway in the respective loaded slide mount in the loading station by an amount of rearward travel sufficient for completely withdrawing the film strip from the entranceway in the loaded slide mount;
• control means for said pawl means for disengaging said pawl from the sprocket hole after the film strip has been withdrawn from the entranceway in the loaded slide mount;
• and
• said reciprocating drive means thereafter moving said disengaged pawl further in the reverse stroke for completion of the reverse stroke in readiness for loading another slide mount.