Transfer cartridge with light seal

In a photographic apparatus wherein a length of photosensitive material is withdrawn from a supply cartridge, cut, positioned at an exposure station, exposed and advanced, the improvement comprising a transfer cartridge for receiving and storing said length of photosensitive material, said transfer cartridge comprising:

• an elongated enclosure closed at both ends and on all sides except for an entry slot defined in one side thereof, said entry slot being substantially free from light sealing means;
• a first elongated shaft rotatably supported within said enclosure having a first roller mounted thereon, said first roller being substantially parallel to said entry slot;
• a second elongated shaft rotatably supported within said enclosure having a second roller mounted thereon, said second roller being substantially parallel to and spaced apart from said first roller such that said space between said first and second rollers is adjacent to said entry slot;
• a flexible opaque belt attached at one end thereof to said first roller and attached at the other end thereof to said second roller, said flexible opaque belt being wrapped at least partially around said first roller in a first direction, said belt traversing said space between said first and second rollers and being wrapped at least partially around said second roller in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said opaque belt having a width greater than the width of the widest sheet of photosensitive material to be stored;
• drive means connected to at least one of said elongated shafts for rotating said rollers as a length of photosensitive material enters said enclosure through said entry slot and engages said flexible belt so that the length of photosensitive material is wrapped, in sandwich-like light-tight fashion, around one of said rollers between layers of said flexible belt.

A method of storing a length of photosensitive material comprising:

• (i) providing a photosensitive material transfer cartridge having
• an entry slot substantially free from light sealing means;
• a first roller supported within said enclosure in proximity to said entry slot and substantially parallel to said entry slot;
• a second roller supported within said enclosure substantially parallel to said first roller;
• a flexible opaque belt attached at one end thereof to said first roller and attached at the other end thereof to said second roller, said flexible opaque belt being wrapped at least partially around said first roller in a first direction;
• said belt traversing said space between said first and second rollers and being wrapped at least partially around said second roller in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said opaque belt having a width greater than the width of the widest sheet of photosensitive material to be stored in the transfer cartridge;
• and
• drive means for simultaneously driving said rollers in opposite directions, said drive means driving said rollers in a forward direction wherein said belt is unwrapped from said first roller and wrapped onto said second roller, said drive means driving said rollers in a reverse direction wherein said belt is unwrapped from said second roller and wrapped onto said first roller;
• (ii) inserting a length of photosensitive material through said entry slot between said first second rollers to engage said flexible belt;
• (iii) activating said drive means to rotate said rollers in said forward direction to wrap the length of photosensitive material in sandwich-like light-tight fashion around said first roller between layers of said flexible belt.