METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING FILM TRANSPARENCIES INTO SLIDE MOUNTS AND IMPROVED PRE-CLOSED SLIDE MOUNTS THEREFOR

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREMethod and apparatus are described for automatically loadingfilm transparencies into pre-closed slide mounts either of plastic or ofcardboard material and having an internal pocket for receiving the filmtransparency which is inserted through an openable region near one edgeof the mount. In loading operation, wedge means temporarily spread theopenable portion of the slide mount, defining a passageway for the filmtransparency to pass through into the mount, and then the two sides ofthe mount are allowed to spring back to their closed position afterloading. Advantageously, the film transparency is cut off from thefilmstrip before loading, with the freshly cut end of the strip servingas pushing means for pushing the film transparency into its mount, andthus low inertial forces are involved, because the individual cut trans-parency has only a small mass to be accelerated and moved. The filmstrip is bowed into a longitudinally extending arch for providing longi-tudinal stiffness for pushing the transparency. A common driveassembly performs the multiple functions of advancing the preclosed slidemounts from the stack station, through loading and printing stations andinto the outlet, while also transporting the filmstrip to push the cutfilm transparency into the internal pocket in the slide mount, and thusa compact machine of relatively low power consumption can be constructedto embody this invention. In this embodiment, the edgewise movement ofthe pre-closed slide mount into the loading station achieves the slotspread wedging action, while the apparatus provides a convenient view ofthe advancing film strip and of the cut transparency during actualloading into the slide mount. An improved pre-closed slide mount isdescribed.