US RE30,808 EGranted

Film-transport control for sound-film camera

AssigneesKarl Vockenhuber, Raimund Hauser

InventorsOtto Freudenschuss, Otto Kantner, Peter R. von Belvard

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A cine camera for taking talking pictures, in which a film is moved intermittently past an image gate by a reciprocating traction claw and continuously past a recording head by a rotating capstan coacting with a pinch roller, includes a latch by which the pinch roller can be held spaced from the capstan in an inactive position. The latching of the pinch roller in this inactive position, against the force of a biasing spring providing the necessary contact pressure during filming, is accomplished upon deactivation of the film drive by the residual kinetic energy of an inertial mass such as a flywheel which is coupled with either the capstan drive or the claw drive. The latch is released upon actuation of a trigger, either directly or through the intermediary of the claw drive. The biasing spring may be part of a toggle mechanism tripped by a presetting member, such as a sensor detecting the presence of a sound-film cassette in the camera.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a cine camera, in combination:

a casing adapted to accommodate a perforated motion-picture film having a sound track, said casing being provided with an exposure gate and sound-recording means;
electrically powered drive means in said casing for transporting said film past said exposure gate and said sound-recording means, said drive means including a reciprocable traction claw engageable with the film perforations in the vicinity of said exposure gate and further including a continuously rotatable capstan and a pinch roller adapted to clamp said film therebetween in the vicinity of said sound-recording means;
relatively displaceable support means for said pinch roller and said capstan, said support means including a movable member determining the relative spacing of said pinch roller and said capstan;
biasing means engaging said movable member for urging same from an inactive position into an active position in which the film is clamped between said capstan and said pinch roller;
latch means engageable with said movable member for releasably retaining same in said inactive position;
actuating means for energizing said drive means, said latch means being operatively linked with said actuating means for releasing said movable member at the start of a picture-taking operation;
and
restoring means coupled with said drive means for re-engaging said movable member with said latch means by residual kinetic energy upon a de-energization of said drive means by said actuating means.

5 more elements

In a cine camera, in combination:

a casing adapted to accommodate a perforated motion-picture film having a sound track, said casing being provided with an exposure gate and sound-recording means;
electrically powered drive means in said casing for transporting said film past said exposure gate and said sound-recording means, said drive means including a reciprocable traction claw engageable with the film perforations in the vicinity of said exposure gate and further including a continuously rotatable capstan and a pinch roller adapted to clamp said film therebetween in the vicinity of said sound-recording means;
relatively displaceable support means for said pinch roller and said capstan, said support means including a movable first member determining the relative spacing of said pinch roller and said capstan;
a second member movable relatively to said first member;
first biasing means coupled with said movable members and effective in a predetermined position of said second member for urging said first member from an inactive position into an active position in which the film is clamped between said capstan and said pinch roller;
latch means engageable with said first member for releasably retaining same in said inactive position;
actuating means for energizing said drive means, said latch means being operatively linked with said drive means for releasing said first member at the start of a picture-taking operation;
restoring means controlled by said actuating means for displacing said second member from said predetermined position to an alternate position upon de-energization of said drive means to facilitate a return of said first member to said inactive position;
second biasing means connected with said first member for re-engaging same with said latch means upon displacement of said second member to said alternate position;
and
cam means mechanically coupled with and receiving power from said drive means for returning said second member to said predetermined position after the re-engagement of said first member with said latch means and before the start of a new picture-taking operation.

8 more elements

In a cine camera, in combination:

a casing adapted to accommodate a perforated motion-picture film having a sound track, said casing being provided with an exposure gate and sound-recording means;
electrically powered drive means in said casing for transporting said film past said exposure gate and said sound-recording means, said drive means including a reciprocable traction claw engageable with the film perforations in the vicinity of said exposure gate and further including a continuously rotatable capstan and a pinch roller adapted to clamp said film therebetween in the vicinity of said sound-recording means;
relatively displaceable support means for said pinch roller and said capstan, said support means including a movable first member determining the relative spacing of said pinch roller and said capstan;
a second member movable relatively to said first member;
biasing means coupled with said movable members and effective in a predetermined position of said second member for urging said first member from an inactive position into an active position in which the film is clamped between said capstan and said pinch roller;
first latch means engageable with said first member for releasably retaining same in said inactive position;
second latch means engageable with said second member for releasably retaining same in said predetermined position;
actuating means for energizing said drive means, said first and second latch means being operatively linked with said actuating means for releasing said first member from said inactive position while holding said second member in said predetermined position at the start of a picture-taking operation, thereby allowing said biasing means to move said first member into said active position, and for deactivating said second latch means upon a de-energization of said drive means to release said second member into an alternate position with resulting return of said first member to said inactive position for re-engagement with said first latch means;
and
restoring means coupled with and receiving power from said drive means for tensioning said biasing means by re-engaging said second member with said second latch means after the re-engagement of said first member with said first latch means and before the start of a new picture-taking operation.

7 more elements

In a cine camera, in combination:

a casing adapted to accommodate a perforated motion-picture film having a sound track, said casing being provided with an exposure gate and sound-recording means;
electrically powered drive means in said casing for transporting said film past said exposure gate and said sound-recording means, said drive means including a reciprocable traction claw engageable with the film perforations in the vicinity of said exposure gate and further including a continuously rotatable capstan and a pinch roller adapted to clamp said film therebetween in the vicinity of said sound-recording means;
relatively displaceable support means for said pinch roller and said capstan, said support means including a movable first member determining the relative spacing of said pinch roller and said capstan;
a second member movable relatively to said first member;
first biasing means coupled with said movable members and effective in a predetermined position of said second member for urging said first member from an inactive position into an active position in which the film is clamped between said capstan and said pinch roller;
latch means engageable with said first member for releasably retaining same in said inactive position;
actuating means for energizing said drive means, said latch means being operatively linked with said drive means for releasing said first member at the start of a picture-taking operation:
restoring means controlled by said actuating means for displacing said second member from said predetermined position to an alternate position upon de-energization of said drive means to facilitate a return of said first member to said inactive position;
second biasing means connected with said first member for re-engaging same with said latch means upon displacement of said second member to said alternate position;
and
tensioning means coupled with and receiving power from said drive means for returning said second member to said predetermined position after the re-engagement of said first member with said latch means and before the start of a new picture-taking operation.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.