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US 5,669,205 AGranted
Packing of photographic film
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJoseph Rice, Victor Gabbitas
Life of this patent
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AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJoseph Rice, Victor Gabbitas
Estimating the term…
A cartridge of wound-up photographic film has an elongate housing within which the film is received, the housing having an outlet through which the film leader projects. In order to insert the cartridge of film into a cylindrical container it is necessary to wrap the film leader around the housing of the cartridge. A method of inserting the cartridge into the container involves conveying the cartridge into the open end of the container whilst simultaneously rotating the cartridge about its longitudinal axis so that the film leader is brought into engagement with the rim of the open end of the container whilst it is rotating. This causes the film leader automatically to be wrapped around the housing of the cartridge to permit the ready insertion of the cartridge and the film leader into the container. An apparatus for automatically performing the function of inserting the cartridge into the container using this method is also described.
A method of inserting a cartridge of wound-up photographic film into a container via an open end of the container, where the cartridge has an elongate housing having a central longitudinal axis and where a length of film leader at a free end of the film projects through an outlet of the housing, the method comprising the steps of supplying an empty container to a loading station, supplying a cartridge of wound-up photographic film to the loading station in a position such that it is aligned with the open end of the container, conveying the cartridge of film into the open end of the container whereby an edge of the film leader is brought into engagement with a rim of the open end of the container and, simultaneously with the conveying of the cartridge, rotating one of the cartridge or the container about the longitudinal axis of the cartridge such that relative movement upon engagement of the film leader with the rim of the container causes the film leader to be wrapped around the housing of the cartridge to permit ready insertion of the cartridge and the film leader into the container.
An apparatus for inserting a cartridge of wound-up photographic film into a container via an open end of the container, where the cartridge has an elongate housing having a central longitudinal axis and where a length of film leader at a free end of the film projects through an outlet of the housing, the apparatus comprising means for supplying an empty container to a loading station, means for supplying a cartridge of wound-up photographic film to the loading station, means for supporting the cartridge of film in alignment with the open end of the container, means for conveying the cartridge into the open end of the container bringing an edge of the film leader into engagement with a rim of the open end of the container and means for simultaneously rotating one of the cartridge or the container about the longitudinal axis of the cartridge as it passes into the open end of the container such that relative movement upon the engagement of the film leader with the rim of the container causes the film leader to be wrapped around the housing of the cartridge to permit ready insertion of the cartridge and the film leader into the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.