Advancing material of indeterminate length – Plural material-moving means – And intermediate storage
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-07-31
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Advancing material of indeterminate length
Plural material-moving means
And intermediate storage
C226S100000, C226S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267283
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage device for photographic material, especially photographic paper or film.
2. Background Information
Storage devices for photographic material are used for the buffering of band-shaped photographic material during manufacturing or processing, for example, during photographic paper development or film processing. They are also used for indicating the length of the buffered photographic material band and for the control, for example, of the photographic material transport speed, outside the storage in dependence of the buffered length of the band material. Such displays or controls are known, for example, as dancers or dancer controls.
Conventionally, so-called roller storage devices are used for this storage. In those roller storage devices, a photographic band material meanders around guide rollers and along a transparent path between an inlet and an outlet of the storage. By displacement of the guide rollers relative to one another, the transport path in the storage device is lengthened when the guide rollers move away from one another or shortened when they approach one another. Guide rollers are positioned, for example, in several planes, especially in two planes and the length of the transport path is changed by changing the spacing between the axis of the guide rollers in the different planes. Especially the transport speed of the photographic band material at the storage outlet can be reduced or completely stopped by lengthening the transport path within the storage.
The guide rollers of the lowermost plane normally carry out an up and down movement for change of the transport path length. The lower guide rollers are thereby positioned on a sled and are therefore connected with each other. The sled together with the lower guide rollers serves as a weight member which keeps the photographic material tensioned along its path in the storage by way of its weight, whereby the lower guide rollers upon shortening of the photographic band material are moved upwardly against the weight and by the pull of the photographic material.
If the end of a photographic band material reaches the storage and passes therethrough or if the photographic material band ruptures, a free fall of the lower guide rollers with the sled can occur. In order to avoid this, a guide for the sled must be provided which includes brakes which are activated in such a situation, but otherwise allow a free up and down movement of the sled and the lower guide rollers.
For the threading in of the photographic band material, the lower guide rollers during storage operation are positioned above the upper guide rollers during storage operation so that the photographic band material can run straight between these guide rollers during the threading in. Thus, in order to reach the starting position for the threading in, the sled with the lower guide rollers must be moved up. Lifting devices are provided herefor which operate, for example, with chains, belts or spindles.
A sled for a storage arrangement must therefore be able to assume three operating conditions, namely, first, moving up“(for the threading in), second, braking” (at band rupture or band end), and, third, freely moveable under inherent weight” (during storage operation).
In order that the sled or the lower guide rollers can assume the above-mentioned three different operating conditions, brakes and clutches are provided in the prior art together with costly electrical controls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is now an object of the invention to provide a storage device which allows a free change of the band length in the storage during the operating condition with a photographic band material tensioned by way of a weight member and in the case of and rupture or at the band end, prevents a free fall of the weight member without the requirement of costly electrical controls.
The storage arrangement in accordance with the invention serves the receiving and supply of a photographic band material which is fed into the storage device through an input and supplied therefrom through an output. The photographic material band extending between the input and the output is tensioned by way of a weight member which pushes onto the photographic material band or rests thereon. In this manner, the band is maintained taught when more band is fed in than is removed. If conversely more band is removed than supplied, the weight member is lifted by the pull of the band. The weight member is preferably constructed such that it remains in about the same vertical position so that a change in location of the weight member only coincides with a change in height of the weight member. The weight member is herefor provided, for example, with a guide below which the band slides past the guide with little friction, whereby the guide, because of its inertia, does not or not significantly change its position in the horizontal. Alternatively, the weight member can, for example, have a roller, for example, the guide roller known in the art. This roller rotates preferably freely during transport of the photographic band material and thereby remains in about its horizontal position during transport of the photographic band material. Furthermore, sleds and guides can be provided which maintain the weight member in about a specific horizontal position, but permit a vertical movement of the weight member. Especially, several weights can be connected with each other through these guides or sleds. Several separate weight members can also be provided. However, for reasons of simplicity, only one weight member will be referred to in the following.
The storage device is preferably provided with a drive arrangement in accordance with the invention which allows a change of the height of the weight member or possibly also several weight members, depending on the condition either freely or actively, by way of a direction dependent coupling, also called coaster or free wheel coupling. In a direction dependent coupling or in a coaster, the switching process, i.e., the transition between a locked condition in which the driving member and driven member of the coupling are connected, for example, clamped together, and a free wheel condition in which the drive member and driven member are moveable independent of one another, depends on the direction of the relative rotation movement between the drive member and the driven member. In one direction of the relative movement, it is prevented (locked condition) and in the other direction, it is not (free wheel condition). Coasters of various construction are known, for example, pawl coasters (locking wheels, ratchets) or, for example, free wheel hubs. In the free wheel condition, the weight member can freely change its height, while in the locked condition, a height change, especially a lifting, can be achieved through the direction dependent coupling.
Preferably, the height change of the weight member as it occurs, for example, during the storage operation, is coupled with the rotation movement of the drive member through a mechanical linkage, for example, a belt, in such a way that a height change of the weight results in a rotation of the driven member and conversely a rotation of the driven member in a height change of the weight.
Preferably, the drive member is rotated in free wheel direction, especially during the normal storage operation in which the storage functions as a buffer. It preferably rotates continuously during the storage operation and especially preferably with a preselected, especially constant speed.
By rotation of the drive member in free wheeling direction, a free movement of the weight member not only upward but also downward is possible. However, if the sink speed of the weight member exceeds a certain threshold value in which the driven member wants to rotate at a higher speed and in the same direction as the drive member, the direction dependent coupling transfers from the free wheel condition into the locking condition. In this manner, it is pre
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Gretag Imaging, A.G.
Mansen Michael R.
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