Film applying apparatus

A film applying apparatus of the type, wherein a continuous film composed of a light-transmissible support film, a photosensitive resin layer and a cover film laminated in the above order is withdrawn from a film supply roll, and after the cover film is separated, the continuous film is guided to the vicinity of a leading end of a base plate conveyed by a conveying means, with the photosensitive resin layer situated on a base plate side, while the film is held by suction on a tacking member which is movable toward and away from the base plate and also on a film holding member which is disposed adjacent to the tacking member at a base plate side thereof, subsequently the film holding member is retracted for causing a leading edge of the film to wrap around the leading end of the tacking member, then the leading edge of the film is tacked onto the leading end of the base plate by the tacking member, thereafter the film is pressure-bonded to the base plate by lamination rolls while the base plate is being conveyed, wherein when said pressure-bonding is started, the tacking member is spaced from the base plate along a film passage plane, and subsequently the film is cut at a position close to the film holding member by a rotary cutter composed of a rotary knife rotatable about an axis of rotation extending parallel to the film passage plane, and a stationary knife movable toward and away from the rotary knife, wherein when the film is cut, the film holding member is advanced to the film passage plane to hold the film thereon by suction together with the tacking member, said apparatus further includes;

• a pair of support bases attached to a body of said apparatus at positions outside opposite ends of said stationary knife in the widthwise direction of the film and movable in a direction parallel to the direction of feed of the film, a pair of fore-and-aft guide rails, wherein each one of said fore-and-aft guide rails is disposed on each one of said support bases, respectively, and extending in a direction perpendicular to said film passage plane, and a pair of stationary-knife support members and a pair of film-holding-member support mechanisms, wherein each one of said stationary knife support members and each one of said film-holding-member support mechanisms are supported by a pair of movable blocks, respectively, of each one of said fore-and-aft guide rails, wherein said stationary-knife support members support said opposite ends of said stationary-knife and said film-holding-member support mechanisms support opposite ends of said film holding member, wherein each of said film-holding-member support mechanisms includes a spring supporting the film holding member while permitting movement of the film holding member along said film passage plane within a range of distance and urging the film holding member in a direction away from a base-plate conveyance plane, and wherein a pressure mechanism is provided between said film holding member and said film-holding-member support mechanisms for forcing said film holding member against the force of said springs when said tacking member comes close to said film holding member and allowing said tacking member to move toward the base plate beyond said film holding member when said film holding member is spaced from the film.