Apparatus for transporting cartridge for exposed roll film

Apparatus for transporting to an opening station a series of successive containers for exposed photographic roll films of the type wherein a substantially cylindrical shell has a substantially tangentially extending mouth and the end portions of the shell are in sealing engagement with apertured end walls which afford access to the respective end portions of a core of a reel which is confined in the shell and has a pair of spaced-apart flanges flanking a roll of convoluted exposed roll film, the containers further being of the type wherein one end portion of the core extends beyond the respective end wall, and said apparatus comprising a downwardly sloping duct having an upper end portion provided with an inlet for admission of successive containers;

• means for permitting the introduction of successive containers in a predetermined angular position of the mouths of the respective shells;
• means for tilting successive containers in said duct ahead of the opening station;
• at least one gate in said duct between said inlet and said opening station, said gate being spaced apart from said inlet by a distance approximating half the axial length of a container, and said gate having a portion arranged to be engaged by the one end portion of the core of the shell of a container in said inlet;
• and means for moving the gate between an operative position in said duct and a retracted position outside of said duct, said moving means being arranged to move said gate out of said duct only when said portion of said gate is not engaged by the one end portion of a core.

Apparatus for transporting to an opening station a series of successive containers for exposed photographic roll films of the type wherein a substantially cylindrical shell has a substantially tangentially extending mouth and the end portions of the shell are in sealing engagement with apertured end walls which afford access to the respective end portions of a core of a reel which is confined in the shell and has a pair of spaced-apart flanges flanking a roll of convoluted exposed roll film, said apparatus comprising a downwardly sloping duct having an upper end portion provided with an inlet for admission of successive containers;

• means for permitting the introduction of successive containers in a predetermined angular position of the mouths respective shells;
• means for tilting successive containers in said duct ahead of said opening station;
• at least one gate in said duct between said inlet and said opening station, said duct having a polygonal portion at a level below said gate, and said tilting means being disposed in said duct at a level at least 1.2 times the length of a container below said gate;
• and means for moving the gate between an operative position in said duct and a retracted position outside of said duct.

Apparatus for transporting to an opening station a series of successive containers for exposed photographic roll films of the type wherein a substantially cylindrical shell has a substantially tangentially extending mouth and the end portions of the shell are in sealing engagement with apertured end walls which afford access to the respective end portions of a core of a reel wnich is confined in the shell and has a pair of spaced-apart flanges flanking a roll of convoluted exposed roll film, said apparatus comprising a downwardly sloping duct having an upper end portion provided with an inlet for admission of successive containers;

• means for permitting the introduction of successive containers in a predetermined angular position of the mouths of the respective shells;
• means for tilting successive containers in said duct ahead of the opening station;
• means for determining the timing of tilting of successive containers by said tilting means, said timing determining means including a barrier installed in the duct at a level above said tilting means adjacent to the path of movement of containers from said inlet against tilting means;
• and means for moving said barrier into and from said duct.