Cine-video film transport apparatus

An apparatus for transporting film from which video signals are produced, comprising:

• a supply reel having film wound thereon;
• a supply reel drive motor coupled with said supply reel for driving the latter in a direction so as to unwind said film from said supply reel;
• a take-up reel;
• a take-up reel drive motor coupled with said take-up reel for driving the latter in a direction so as to wind on said take-up reel the film unwound from said supply reel;
• fixed guide means engaging the film between said supply and take-up reels and defining a predetermined path for said film;
• a film gate disposed in said predetermined path for the film between the supply and take-up reels and through which the film passes to derive video signals therefrom;
• film drive means engaging the film between said film gate and said take-up reel for driving said film through said film gate;
• first and second dancer arm assemblies disposed between said film gate and said supply reel and between said film drive means and said take-up reel, respectively, each of said dancer arm assemblies including a turntable turnable about a respective pivot axis, a strut pivotally mounted at said axis adjacent one end of said strut so as to be pivotable about said pivot axis relative to said turntable, means urging said strut to a predetermined angular orientation relative to said turntable, an idler mounted on said strut in the vicinity of another end of said strut, and a link coupled to said turntable and being displaceable for turning said turntable between a quiescent state, in which said idler is to one side of said predetermined path for the film so as to avoid interference with movement of the film along said path, and an active state in which said idler is moved across said predetermined path from said one side for contacting the film and cooperating with said fixed guide means in forming a respective loop in the film and thereby imparting tension to the film in dependence on deviation of said strut from said predetermined angular orientation relative to said turntable;
• and
• a rotary member mechanically coupled to the link of each of said first and second dancer arm assemblies and rotatable to drive the turntables of said dancer arm assemblies from their quiescent states to their active states.