US3156172A

US3156172A - Photographic printing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3156172A
Application number: US16753A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilhelm Baasner
Original assignee: Agfa AG
Current assignee: Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority date: 1959-03-26
Filing date: 1960-03-22
Publication date: 1964-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-10
Also published as: DE1192049B; CH385020A; BE589114A

Description

Nov. 10, 1964 w. BAASNER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS 6 shons-sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1960 INVENTOR.

I WILHELM BAASNER BY M Nov. 10, 1964 w. BAASNER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1960 Fig. 2

INVENTOR;

WILHELM BAASNER Nov. 10, 1964 I w. BAASNER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 22, 1960 HI HI INVENTOR;

WILHELM BAASNER BY WS- Nov. 10, 1964 w. BAASNER 3156172 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR`.

BY WILHELM BAASNER W$W Nov. 10, 1964 w. BAASNER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 22, 1960 INVENTOR'.

WILH'ELM BAASNER Nov. 10, 1964 w BAAsNER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APFARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 22. 1960 Fig. 7

NVENTOR'.

WILHELM BAASNER BY United States Patent O 3,1S6,172 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS Wilhelm Baasner, Munich, Germany, assignor to Agia Ahtiengesellschaft, Leverlusen-Eayerwerk, Germany Filed Mar. 22, 1966, Ser. l 16,753 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 26, 1959, A 31,686 17 Claims. (CI. 95-75) The present invention relates to photographic printcrs.

In the type of photographic printer to which the present invention relates an elongated strip of light-sensitive printing paper is fed in stepwise fashion past an exposure station and the series of prints are reproduced successively on the strip of paper as it moves in stepwise fashion past the exposure station.

Photographic printers of this type including several units which must be adjusted whenever the format of the prints is changed, which is to say whenever the size of the prints is changed. Thus, for example, such printers conventionally include a masking means tor masking the paper in accordance with the size of the prints produced thereon, and also they include a cutting means for cutting the paper between a pair of prints thereon. Furthermore, they usually include an adjusting means for adjusting the advance of the paper at each step of movement thereof in accordance with the particular format. At the present time in conventional prnters all of the units of this type must be separately adjusted by the operator whenever the format is changed, and the result is not only a considerable amount of time required for the adjustments to be properly carried out, but in addition the operator must acquire a certain amount of skill and experience before the printer can be properly operated.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a printer of the above type which makes it possible for the several adjustable units to be automatically adjusted whenever the advance of the printing paper is adjusted so that it becomes unnecessary for the operator to make an entire series of adjustments and so that relatively inexperenced people can reliably operate the printer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printer with a structure which will automatically adjust-the masking means and cutter means of the printer whenever the extent of advance of the printing paper at each step of advance thereof is regulated, these adjustments being carried out in a manner which will cause the masking means and cutter means to be adjusted in a manner harmonizing with the adjustment of the ad- Vance of the printing paper whenever the printer is manipulated so as to change the format of the prints.

In certain types of printers there is a stamping device which stamps on the prints, at the backs thereof, for example, indicia which identifies the prints, and such a stamping device is usually located just after the exposure station so that it becomes necessary to locate the cutter means on the side of the stamping device opposite from the exposure station. As a result the cutter means is necessarily positioned at a substantial distance from the exposure station, and it therefore becomes necessary to locate the cutter means at a distance from the exposure station which corresponds to a given whole number of prints on the paper so that the cutter means will operate reliably to cut the paper at the end of one print and before the next print.

A further object of the invention is to provide a photographic printer of the above type with a structure which will automatically delay the actuation of the cutter by by a number of cycles of operation equal to the number of prints between the cutter and the exposure station so that the cutter will operate only after the last print of a series of prints has reached the cutter.

An additonal object of the present invention is to provide a means for automatically regulating the delay in the operation of the cutter means according to the number of prints between the cutter means and the exposure station and whenever the stamping device is manually actuated so as to change the identifying indicia thereof at the beginning of a new series of prints.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printer of the above type which will operate automatically to actuate the cutter at intervals equal to a gven series of prints on the paper so that the paper will automatically be cut by the cutter means at intervals which will locate on the sections of the printing paper equal numbers of prints.

A still additonal object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printer of the above type which can be adjusted so as to control the number of photographic prints on each section of the paper cut by the cutter means.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a structure capable of accomplishing all of the above objects and at the same time composed of simple rugged elements which will operate reliably to produce the desired results.

With the above objects in view the invention includes in a photographic printer a feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a given path in stepwise fashion past an exposure station where prints are successively reproduced on the paper. The feeder means is capable of being regulated, in accordance With the invention, at the will of the operator so as to regulate the stroke thereof and thus regulate the extent to which the paper is advanced at each step by the feeder means. The printer of the invention includes a masking means for masking the paper during the exposure thereof as well as a cutter means for cutting the paper, and in accordance with the present invention both the masking means and the cutter means are operatively connected with the means which regulates the feeder means so as to automatically adjust the position of the cutter means and the position of the masking means in accordance with the particular stroke to which the feeder means is manually adjusted.

The novel features which are considered as character'- istic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its Construction and its method of operation, together with additonal objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective llustration of a photographic printer which includes the structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the printer of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear with part of the housing thereof broken away so as to illustrate the structure theren;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the different formats capable of being produced with the particular embodiment 'of the invention shown in the drawings, FIG. 3 also showing diagrammatically the position of various units with respect to the printing paper;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration 'of the entire mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View on an enlarged scale of the masking means and cutter means of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary illustration on an enlarged scale of a structure which will automatically delay actuation of the cutter means in a predetermined manner; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of a structure which will automatically actuate the cutter means at inter- Vals which Will produce a predetermined number of prints on each section of printing paper which is cut by the cutter means on the strip of printing paper.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, it will be seen that the photographic printer of the invention has a base plate 1 which is carried by a table 2. The printer includes a housing 3 as well as a second housing 4, this latter housing 4 housing the optical elements of the printer and including a window 5 of frosted glass or the like which allows the image to be observed. As may be seen from FIG. l, the printer includes various manual controls accessible to the operator, and these Controls are made up of a lever 6 which is manipulated for regulating the format 'or size of the prints, a lever 7 for allowing individual prints to be cut from the strip or a series of prints to be included in a given section of the strip, and a lever 8 which is manipulated for the purpose of changing the identifying indicia which is stamped on to the prints with a suitable stamping device. I

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the printer of the invention includes a motor 9 which through a worm drive 10 and a chain 11 as well as suitable sprocket wheels which are not shown rotates a friction clutch of which only the one rotary plate 12 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, this friction clutch being normally engaged and being provided solely for the purpose of permitting slippage whenever required. Otherwise the drive goes directly from the motor 9 through the worm drive 143 and sprocket wheels and chain 11 to the rotary plate 12 which is supported for rotation by a statonary shaft 13. This shait 13 is supported in suitable bearings which are carried by the housing 3, and the plate 12 is fixed to the shaft 13 for rotation therewith, the other plate of the friction clutch being freely turnable on the shaft 13 and being urged into engagement with the plate 12 by suitable springs. The shaft 13 fixedly carries a crank arm 14 (FIG. 4), and this crank arm 14 carries at its 'outer free end a crank pin 15 which extends parallel to the shaft 13 and rotates around the axis thereof with the shaft 13. A connecting rod 16 is linked at one end to the pin 15 by being pivotally mounted thereon, and the opposite end of the connecting rod 16 is pivotally connected With the right end of an 'oscillatory drive lever 17, as viewed in PIG. 4. This lever 17 is supported by a stationary pivot 13 which is connected to the lever 17 intermediate the ends thereof so that during each revolution of the shat 13 and plate 12 the lever 17 is oscillated once back and forth through a predetermined cycle. The pivot 18 is fixedly supported by the housing 3 on a suitable bracket.

The crank pin 15 carries for free rotation a roller 19 which is held by suitable collars on the crank pin 15 against axial movement with respect to the latter while being freely turnable on the crank pin 15, and this roller 11' is guided for rotary movement within an elongated bifurcated element 29 which forms part of a crank 213, 21. instead of a bifurcated element receiving the roller 19 the crank se, 21 may be forned with an elongated slot within which the roller 19 is guided. The crank 22'?, 21 is supported for 'pvotal movement by a stationary pivotcarried' by the housing 3, and the arm 21 of the crank is located on the side of the crank pivot opposite from the portion 2@ which guides the roller 19. Thus, during each rotation of the shaft 13 the

crank

29, 21 will be osciliated baci( and forth through a given angle. The free end of the crank 21 is pivotally connected to one end of an elongated link 22 whose opposite end is pivotally connected' at 23 to a second link 24, the pivotal connection 23 being in the form of an elongated pivot pin 23 which extends into openings of the pair of

links

22 and 24, and this pivot pin 23 forms a joint between the pair of

linns

22 and 24. The link 24 is pivotally connected at its end distant from the link 22 to a lever 26 which is supported for free oscillatory turning movement on a stationary shaft which is xedly ca'rried by the housing 3. A gear sector 25 is fixedly connected with the lever 26 and is also supported for oscillatory turning movement by the shaft which supports the lever 26, so that the gear sector 25 turns back and forth with the lever 26. Another stationary shaft turnably supports for free rotation a pinion 27 which meshes with the gear sector 25, and the pinion 27 includes a hub to which a lever 28 is fixed, so that the lever 23 oscillates back and forth with the pinion 27. This lever 28 turnably carries a pawl 29 which is urged by an unillustrated spring into engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 319 which is coaxial with the pinion 27 and also supported for free rotation by the shaft which supports the pinion 27, a suitable bracket which is carried by the housing 3 pivotally supporting a second pawl which cooperates with the ratchet wheel 3@ to prevent turning thereof in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, so that each time the pinion 27 and shat 28 turn in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, the pawl 29 will advance the ratchet wheel 3@ through a given angle, while when the shaft 28 and pawl 29 turn back in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FiG. 4, the ratchet wheel 313 will remain stationary. This ratchet wheel 341 is fixed to a sleeve which is also fixed to a feed roller 31 against which a counter pressure roller 32 bears with a suitable spring pressure or simply by gravity, and the strip of light-sensitive paper 33 is engaged in the nip between the

rolls

31 and 32. The sleeve which is common to the ratchet wheel 3@ and roller 31 is supported for free rotation on the same shaft which supports the pinion 27.

Thus, the structure described above forms a feeder means which will operate on the strip 33 to feed the latter in a stepwise fashion to the left, as viewed iri FIG. 4, beyond the

rollers

31 and 32 past an exposure station which is divided by the central plane of symmetry 37 indicated in FIG. 4. During each rota-tion of the shatt 13 the

rollers

31 and 32 will advance the paper 33 through one step, so that the feeder means operates in a stepwise manner to advance the paper 33 at gven intervals past the exposure station.

The joint forrned by the pin 23 between the

links

2 and 24 includes a roller 34 which is turnably carried by the pin 23 and which is guided within an elongated guide forrned by the bifurcated element 35 which is supported for turning movement around an axis which in the position of the parts shown in FG. 4 coincides With the aXis of the pivot pin 23. The manually engageable lever 6 is also turnable around this aXis and is connected directly to the elongated guide 35 so that the angular position of the latter is determined by the angular position of the lever 6, and as is apparent from FIG. 1 suitabie graduations are provided to cooperate with the lever 6 so as to indicate to the operator the angular position in which the lever 6 is located, and thus the guide 35 will be located in this way in a predetermined anguiar position. If desired, the lever 6, instead of being connected directly with the guide 35 can be connected to the latter through a suitable gear transmission.

An elongated lever arm 36 extends from the guide 35 and is in the position 1 indicated in FIG. 4. Through the lever 6 the guide 35 can be turned so as to locate the lever arm 36 in position II indicated in FIG. 4, and the guide 33 may additionally be located in a third position lili, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the position Il being between the positions I and ill. It will be seen that depending upon the angular position of the guide 35 the anguiar stroke of the shaft 23 will vary, and thus the stroke of the feeder means is regulated and the extent to which the aper 33 is advanced at each step is capabie of being regulated. As is apparent ironi FIG. 4, in the position of the parts shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 the stroke of the shaft 28 and thus the extent of advance of the paper 33 at each step which is to say each rotation of the shaft 13, will be considerably greater than the stroke of the shaft 28 when the guide 35 and the lever 36 are in the position III indicated in dottcd lines in FIG. 4, so that as the guide 35 is turned by manipulation of the lever 6 from the position I to the positions II and then to the position III the stroke of the feeder means is reduced and thus the extent of advance of the paper strip 33 at each step is reduced.

As is shown most clearly in FIG. 5, a masking means is located beneath the paper strip 33, and this masking means includes a pair of masking members 33 which at all times are equidistantly spaced from and symmetrically arranged with respect to the central Vertical plane of symmetry 37 indicated in FIG. 4. These masking plates 38 are supported for simultaneous movement through equal amounts in opposite directions back and forth toward away from each other on a suitable stationary guide member with the masking elements 33 beneath the strip of paper, and each of the masking elements 33 is provided with a downwardly directed portion 39 formed with a slot 40. A pair of pins 41 respectively extend into the slots 40, as shown in the exploded illustration of FIG. 5, and these pins 41 respectively carried by a pair of bell-

cranks

42 and 43 which are respectively supported for turning movement by a pair of stationary pivot pins 44 and 45 which are carried by the housing. The ends of the bell-

cranks

42 and 43 which are located next to each other have curved camming portions 46, respectively, which directly engage each other and which cooperate with each other to guarantee that the turning movement of one bellcrank will produce an equal turning movement of the other bell-crank but in the opposite direction. A wire spring 48 has its free ends connected to a pair of pins 47 which are respectively fixed to the bell-

cranks

42 and 43 so as to urge the bell-cranks in a direction which will maintain their camming portions 46 in engagement with each other at all times, and with this arrangement the retaining of the mask members 33 in symmetrical positions with respect to the plane 37 is guaranteed. The bell-crank 42 is fixed to a lever 49 which has a slotted portion receiving a pin 50 which is fixed to an elongated bar 51, so that in this way the bar 51 is pivotally connected with the lever 49, and the elongated bar 51 (FIG. 4) is pivotally connected at 52 to the guide 35, the lever 42 being pivotally supported intermediate its ends by a stationary pivot, as indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 4. Thus, with this arrangement whenever the guide 35 is turned upon manipulation of the handle 6 to a selected position I, H, HI the masking means will also be adjusted, and with the above-described structure the distance between the pair of masking members 33 will always correspond automatically to the particular stroke to which the feeder means is adjusted by regulation of the angular position of the guide 35.

As was indicated above, the exposure station of the machine is located at the plane of symmetry 37 indicated in FIG. 4 and is equally divided by this plane of symmetry 37. The feeder means feeds the strip 33 in stepwise fashion past the exposure station, this exposure station having the width 64 indicated in FIG. 4 in one position of the masking means. Just subsequent to the exposure station there is located along the path of movement of the paper 33 a stamping means 53 which is capable of stamping suitable identifying indicia on the back of the strip 33. For example, the stamping device 53 may include any suitable inked member having numbers which are stamped on to the backs of the several prints to enable the latter to be identified. The stamping device 53 is of a conventional construction and is stationary, the stamping device 53 being carried by any siutable bracket of the housing 3. The stampng device includes an actuation lever 55 which is pivotally supported on a stationary pivot at 54 and which will cause the number or other identifying indicia to be stamped on to the back of the strip 33 whenever the lever 55 is pulled down through its Operating stroke, a spring 57 acting on the lever 55 to turn the latter upwardly to its rest position. A pull rod 58 is pivotally connected at 56 to the bar 55 and is pivotally connected at 59 to a lever 60 which is supported at 61 intermediate its ends for oscllatory movement around a stationary axis, a pivot pin being provided at 61 to support the lever 60 intermediate its ends for turning movement, this pivot pin being fixedly carried by the housing 3. The rotary plate 12 which turns with the shaft 13 carries a pin 62, and the shaft 13 as well as the plate 12 turn in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4. The right free end of the lever 60 is located in the path of turning movement of the pin 62, so that during each rotation of the shaft 13 and the plate therewith the pin 62 will engage and turn the lever 6 in a counter clockwise direction, as Viewed in FIG. 4, so that as a result the pull rod 58 will be moved down to pull downwardly on the lever 55 in opposition to the spring 5'7 and thus cause actuation of the stamping device 53 so that it will stamp the identifying indicia on the strip 33.

The format of the prints on the paper 33 will always have the same width determined by the width of the strip 33. Thus, the paper 33 may have such a width that all of the prints of all of the dilferent formats will have a width of 9 cm. The formats are changed to sizes indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 3, only with respect to the length of the successive prints. When the guide 35 is in the angular position indicated in solid lines in FIG. 4, which is position I, the format will produce prints which are, for example, 9 X 13 cm. This is the largest format in the position I capable of being produced with the illus'tr ated emb odiment, and this format is indicated diagrammatically in the upper position 1 in FEG. 3. In this position of the parts where the length of the format is 13 cm., the masking elements of the mask means will be spaced from each other by the distance indicated at 63 in FIG. 4, and this distance between the pair of masking elements 33 is equal to 12 .cm. so as to leave a free edge portion of one-half cm. at each end of each print, and thus provide a total advance of the strip 33 at each step of 13 cm. during each revolution of the shat 13. When the guide 33 is in position II a square format will be obtained and in this position of the parts the roller 31 together with the roller 32 will cooperate to advance the strip 33 through a distance of 9 cm. during each rotation of the shaft 13, and in position III the masking elements 38 are spaced from each other by the distance 64 indi- I cated in FIG. 4, this distance being 5.5 cm., so that at each rotation of the shaft 13 the

rollers

31 and 32 advance :the strip 33 by a distance of 6.5 cm. Inasmuch as the stamping 53 is located directly after the exposure station in the direction of movement of the strip 33 along the path of movement thereof, the cutter means 65 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4, must be spaced -from the exposure station by a distance which will permit the stamping device 53 to be located between the cutter means 65 and the exposure station. The distance of the cutter means 65 from the exposure station whose plane of symmetry is indicated `at 37 is indicated at 66 in FIG. 3, When the guide 35 is in position I. It will be seen that this distance 66 is equal to 1.5 times the distance through which the strip 33 is advanced at each step, and since this distance in this position of the parts is equal to 13 cm., the distance 66 equal 19.5 cm. When the parts are in the position II, the cutter means 65 is located at the distance 67 from the plane of symmetry 37, as shown in FIG. 3, and this distance is equal to 2.5 times the distance through which the strip 33 is advanced at each step, and since this latter distance is 9 cm., the distance 67 is 22.5 cm. Finally, the 'distance of the cutter means 65 from the plane of symmetry 37 is indicated at 63 in FIG. 3, when the parts are in the position III, and it will be seen that in this position the cutter means is spaced from the plane of symmetry 37 by a distance equal to 3.5 times the distance through which the strip 33 is advanced at each step of the operation, and since this latter distance is at this time 6.5 cm., the distance 68 is equal to 22.75 cm. In order to clearly show the arr angement in FlG. 3, the distance between the positions Il and HI, which is to say the difierence between the distance 68 and the distance 67, is exaggerated for the sake of cl arity. The stamping device 53 acts at all times along the line 69 indicated in FTG. 3, so that irrespective of the position of the guide means 35, the stamping device will always act on the print which has just been made and which has just moved beyond the exposure station.

As is shown most clearly in FIG. 5, the cutter means 65 includes a ragmentarily illustrated stationary guide arm 7@ which supports the carriage 71 for movement back and forth along the path of movement of the strip 33, and this carriage 71 fixedly carries the upper blade 72; of the cutter means. The carriage 71 xedly carries a pair of sleeves 77 one of which is visible in FTG. 5, and these sleeves are axially slidable on a stationary bar 73 with respect to which the entire carriage 71 and blade 72 are slidable. The lower blade 73 is located between the pair of sleeves '77 which are fixed to the carriage 71 on the shaft 73 for turning movement about the latter, and thus the shaft '73 supports the lower cutting blade '78 for turning movement up to and back away from the stationary blade '72, while at the same time the blade '73 is compelled to move along the shaft 73 with the carri age '71 and the blade 72 so that the blades 72, and '73 retain their same positions relative to each other in the direction of movement of the strip 33. A pair of stationary pins se, one of which is shown in FIG. 5, serve to pivotally support a bifurcated element ?all which fixedly carries a shaft 82 on which a link 33 is turna'oly supported and on which the link 83 is axially slidable, and this link %3 is connected at its top end to the lower blade 78, The carriage *71 is fixed with an elongated plate 75 which extends paralel to the path of movement of the strip 33, and this plate 75 is tormed with a pair of slo'cs 74:' through which a pair of stationary pins 76 extend, so that these pins also contribute to the support of the cutter means for movement 'back and forth in the direction of movement of the strip 33. The free end of the fork 31 is pivotally connected at 84 to the upper end of a push bar 85 which is urged downwardly by its spring 36. Actually the spring 86 is connected, as shown in FIG. 5, to one end of a bracket which is fixed to ta block which carries the pivot pin 84, andthis braclcet is made of a thin springy metallic material so that it also acts as a leaf spring, this leaf spring being fixed to the upper end of the bar portion of the push bar 85. The leaf spring can have its position longitudinally of the bar 85 adjusted with respect to the block which is connected directed to the fork 81, so that in this way the length of the push bar 85 may be adjusted.

An elongated bar 87 which is fragmentarily ill ustrated in FIG. `is connected at its upper end pivotally to a pin 83 which is xedly carried by the plate '75, and as is indicated in FG. 4, this bar 87 is connected at its end distant from the cutter means 35 pivotally to the lever arm 36 of the guide 35, so that when the latter is turned upon manipulation of the lever 6 to any of the above-described positions the cutter means 65 will be shifted along the path of movement of the strip 33 to the positions indicated in FEG. 3 and described above. in this way the structure of the invention will not only automatically adapt the masking means to the stroke to which the feeder means is regulated, it will also position the cutter means 65 automatically in accordance with the stroke of the feeder means so as to cut the strip at the vertical lines I, H, lil shown in FTO. 3 depending upon the angular position of the guide As is indicated in FIG. 4-, a lever means forned by a lever 9@ is also pivotally connected to the pin 83, and

as is shown in FIG. 6, this lever 9@ is formed adjacent its bottom end with a longitudinal slot 91 receiving a pin 94 which is fixed to a lever 92 which is in turn fixed to the manually operable lever 3 for turning movement with the latter, this lever 8 being actuated to change the indicia of the stamping device 53, as pointed out above. The pin which fixedly carries the lever 92 as well as the manually engageable lever 8 is supported by the front wall of the housing 3 for rotary movement, and this pin fiXedly carries a second lever 95 which is pivotally connected at its :tree end to an elongated link %u The upper end of the lini; 96 is pivotally connected to the free end of a lever 97' of the device 53, and whenever the lever 8 is turned by the operator through a predetermined stroke the lever 97 will be turned so as to actuate a counter in the device 53 for increasing by 1 the number which is stamped on the strip 33 by the device 53 whenever the letter is actuated by downward movement of the lever 55 in the manner described above.

As may be seen from FIG. 6, a bell crank 98 is located beneath the lever 9 3 and is supported for turning movement by a stationary pivot pin 93 which is carried by the housing 3. This bell crank 98 forms part of a delay means shown in FIG. 6 and described below, and this delay means Will automatically delay the actuation of the cutter means 65. The upper arm of the bell crank 98 pivotally carries at liti@ a control lever sa of the delay means, and this lever 99 is urged to turn in a counterclocicwise direction, as viewed in FTG. 6, around the pivot pin lltltl, by a spring 122. The upper free end 193 of the control lever 99 is located in the path of turning of the lower free end ot the lever 90. Thus, whenever the handle S is turned to change the indica of the stamping device 53, the lever will also be turned and it will engage the end 103 of the lever 9@ so as to turn the latter, and in this way the delay means is actuated whenever the stamping device has its indicia changed by actuation of the lever 3. The lever 3 is always turned through the same angle by the operator in order to turn the lever 97 and change the indicia of the stamping device 5.3. However, the control lever 99 will not always be turned through the same angle upon actuation of the lever 8. The reason for this is that the lever 90 will be located in different positions depending upon the position of the cutter means 65 which is controlled by the angular position of the guide 35. Thus, as is clearly apparentfrom FIG. 4, when the guide 35 is in position I, the bottom end of the lever 90 will ensage the control lever 99 to turn the letter through an' angle considerably greater than the angle through which the control lever 99 is turned when the parts are in the position ill, and in this way the angular position of the guide 35 also serves to control in a tully automatic manner the eXtent to which the control lever 99 is turned upon actuation of the lever 8. Thus, the structure operates automatically to control the extent to which the actuation of the cutter is delayed. When the parts are in position I, the actuation of the cutter means will be delayed by one stroke of the feeder means, so that the cutter will cut the strip at the right end of the leftprint shown at the upper part of FIG. 3. When the parts are in position Il, the feeder means will advance the strip 33 through two steps before the cutter means will cut across the strip, and when thc parts are in position lil the feeder means will advance the strip 33 through three steps before the cutter means will be actuated to cut the strip, and in this way the machine operates automatically to delay actuation of the cutter means in accordance with the particular format so that the cutter means will automatically cut the strip at the end 'of the last print before actuation of the lever 8 to change the ndicia of the device 53 for causing the latter to prov de dentifying indicia for the next series of prints. The lower end of the bell cranl of the delay means 'is ormed with a notch lihi which receives a pin 1% which is fixed to a sub'stantialiy horizontal control bar ;this which is supported for horizontal movement tothe right and left. The control bar 105 is formed with a pair of elongated Slots or cutouts which respectively receives stationary pins 187, so that in this way the control bar 105 is supported for horizontal movement. The spring 122 shown in FIG. 6 is connected at its left end to a lug which is integral with and extends from the control bar 195, and this spring 122 serves to urge the control bar 105 to the left, as indicated in FIG. 6, to the rest position of the control bar 105 which is indicated in FIG. 6. This control bar 105 is shiftable to the right from its rest position shown in FIG. 6 to an active position where the control bar positions the push bar 85 so that it will be in an Operating position ready to be pushed so as to actuate the cutter means. The control lever 7 which is accessible to the operator at the front of the machine is fixed to a lever which fixedly carries a pin 1118 located in an elongated slot 1119 formed in the bar 105, and when the lever 7 is turned so as to move the pin 108 from its solid line position shown in FIG. 6 to the right to its dotted line position shown in FIG. 6, the bar 105 will be shifted to the right to its active position and will be maintained by the pin 1118 in its active position, so that as long as the lever 7 is placed by the operator in a position which loca-tes the control bar 195 in its active position the push bar 85 will be actuated at each cycle of Operations and thus each print will be separately cut from the strip. When it is desired to cut sections of the strip which contain a plurality of prints, the lever 7 is positioned so as to locate the pin 198 in the solid line position indicated in FIG. 6.

The actuation of the cutter means is derived from the oscillatory drive lever 17 referred to above. A suitable means is provided for transmitting the turning movement of the lever 17 in one direction to the push bar 85 so as to push the latter and actuate the cutter means. This means includes the block 110 (FIG. 6) fixed to the bottom end of the push bar 85 and having a lower concave surface 111 forming part of a cylinder, for example. The left free end of the drive lever 17 fixedly carries a pin 112 which is adapted to engage the seat 111 so as to !act through the block 111) on the bar 85 to push the later upwardly in opposition to the spring 86 and thus the cutter means is actuated. The lug of the control bar 105 is connected to the spring 122 and fixedly carries pins 113 (FIG. 6) between which the push bar 85 is located. When the bar 105 is shifted to the right, as viewed in FIG. 6, to its active position, the bar 85 will turn, since it is connected by the leaf spring described above to the fork 81, in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, and the block 110 will become located above the pin 112 in the path of turning movement thereof. This pin 112 is fixed to the drive lever 17 for oscillatory movement therewith and during the next upward turning of the left free end of lever 17, the pin 112 will engage the block 110 and push the bar 85 upwardly in order to actuate the cutter. However, when the bar 105 is in the rest position shown in FIG. 6, the bar 85 is displaced to the left, as viewed in FIG. 6, from its Operating position so as to locate the block 111) out of the path of turning movement of the pin 112, and thus the cutter will not be actuated as long as the bar 105 is in its rest position shown in FIG. 6. Of course, as was pointed out above, as long as the lever 7 has been actuated so as to locate the pin 1118 of FIG. 6 in the dotted line position thereof, the bar 1115 is retained in its active position and the block 110 is thus located at this time over the pin 112 so that the cutter will be actuated at each oscillation of the lever 17 to cut the individual prints from the strip, as indicated above.

The delay means for delaying the actuation of the cutter includes in addition to the structure described above a stop lever in the form of a bell crank 115 which is pivotally supported by a stationary pivot pin 114. This bell crank 115 has at its upper left free end, as Viewed in FIG. 6, a lug 116 which is adapted to move down to the elevation of the left free end of the lever 105 as soon as this lever 195 advances to the right to its active position, as viewed in FIG. 6. A spring 119 is connected at one end to the bell cranl 1t 5 to urge the latter in a counterclockwise direction, as Viewed in FIG. 6, so as to locate the lug 116 in its blocking position as soon as the left free end of the control bar 1115 moves to the right, as viewed in FIG. 6, beyond the lug 116, and as long as this lug 116 is not again raised to the elevation shown in FIG. 6, the bar 1115 cannot return to its rest position and the push bar will be maintained in its Operating position where it will be actuated by the lever 17 in the manner described above. The bottom end of the bell crank 115 is pivotally connected at 117 to a lever 118 which has an upper end portion urged into ergagement with a lug 120 of the bell crank 115 by the spring 119 so that this spring acts on the bell crank 115 through the lever 118. This lever 118 terminates at its bottom end in an inclined lug 121 which extends toward the free end of the lever 17 shown in FIG. 6. The upper face of the inclined lug 121 is located in the path of turning movement of the pin 112. With this arrangement it is apparent that the lever 118 can turn in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the lever 115 in opposition to the spring 119 since the top end of the lever 113 can turn away from the lug 120 of the lever 115. However, when the lever 113 is urged to turn in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 117, the top end of of the lever 118 will engage the lug 1211 so that at this time the bell crank 115 will necessarily turn with the lever 118.

The lever 17 is not shown in its lowermost position in FIG. 6. During its downward movement the lever 17 will move down to an end position below that shown in FIG. 6. Assuming now that the control bar has been moved to the right to its active position, the spring 119 will immediately turn the bell crank so as to locate the lug 116 thereof at the elevation of the left end of the bar 105 so as to block the latter against return to its rest position. At this time the push bar 85 is displaced to the right, as Viewed in FIG. 6, to its operating position so that the block 111) is aligned with the in 112. During the next Upward movement of the lever 17 the pin 112 will move along the underside of the lug 121 so as to turn the lever 118 in a counterclockwise direction away from the lug 120, so that the bell crank 115 will remain in its lower blocking position, and during the continued Upward movement of the lever 17 the pin 112 thereof will engage the seat 111 of the block 11@ so as to push the bar 35 upwardly and actuate the cutter. During the downward movement of the lever 17 the spring 86 will return the push bar 85 to its lowermost position where the cutter is not operated, and during the downward movement of the lever 17 the pin 112 thereof will engage the upper side of the lug 21 so as to urge the lever 18 to turn in a clockwise direction, but at this time the top end of the lever 118 will cooperate with the lug 12@ so as to turn the entire bell crank in a clockwise direction, and thus the lug 116 will be turned upwardly away from the left end of the control bar 105 so that this control bar can now be moved by the spring 122 back to its rest position shown in FIG. 6, and thus the push bar 85 is displaced to the left to the position shown in FIG. 6 where it will not be actuated on the next Upward movement of the lever 17. Of course, where the pin 1118 is in its right position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, the bell crank 115 simply oscillates back and forth during each up and down movement of the lever 17 and the bar 1135 remains in its active position.

As was pointed out above, the lever 99 which is the control lever of the delay means will be turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, by the lower end of the lever t) through different angles depending upon the position in which the cutter means 65 is located by the guide 35. This turning of the control lever 99 will displace the latter through a given angle from a given starting position, and the delay means includes a structure which will automatically step the lever 95 back to its starting position through a series of steps which are equal to the number of steps of operation of the feeder means before the cutter means is to be actuated for cutting the strip 33. This means for stepping the lever 99 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, back to its starting position includes a raek 126 which is shown in FIG. 6 pivotally supported by a pin 127 which is stationary, and it will be noted that the end of the spring 119 distant from the bell crank 115 is connected to the rack 126. The teeth of the rack 126 are directed downwardly toward the teeth of a second rack 123 which is carried by the lever 99 at its bottom end. The lever 99 fixedly carries a tooth 125 which cooperates with the teeth of the rack 126, while the lever 17 fixedly carries a tooth or projection 12 1 which cooperates with the teeth of the rack 123. It will be noted that the spring 122 operates on the lever 99 so as to urge the latter to turn in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, to the above-referred to starting position of the lever 99. In View of this fact the teeth of the rack 123 are provided at one end 128 with surfaces which extend substantially transversely to the direction of movement of the lever 99 back to its starting position, and thus the sides 128 of the teeth of the rack 123 will cooperate with the tooth 124 to be stopped by the latter, and in the same way the teeth of the rack 126 are provided with surfaces 129 which extend transversely to the direction of movement of the lever 99 back to its starting position, so that these surfaces 129 of the teeth of the rack 126 'will cooperate with the tooth 125 to limit the extent to which the lever 99 is turned by the spring 122. The other sides of the teeth of the rack 126 are inclined, for example, at an angle of 30, so that they will not interfere with the clockwise turning of the lever 99, and in the same way the upwardly directed faces of the teeth of the rack 123 carried by the lever 99 are only slightly inclined so they will not interfere with the clockwise turning of the lever 99. Moreover, as may be seen from FIG. 6, the projections or

teeth

124 and 125 as well as the teeth of the

racks

123 and 126 are displaced with respect to each other in such a way that when one of the projections or teeth engages one of the racks in'so doing it will move the other projection or tooth away from the rack with which it cooperates and will advance this latter projection or tooth along the rack with which it cooperates so that it will be in position to engage the next tooth during the next half cycle of operation. For example, in the position of the parts shown in FIG. 6 the tooth 124 has just moved upwardly away from the next to the last tooth of the rack 123 during the upward oscillation of the lever 17. During the prece/ling downward oscillation when the tooth 124 engaged the next to last tooth of the rack 123, the tooth 12 1 moved the lever 99 downwardly through a relatively slight angle insuflicient to advance the bar 1115 to its active position but nevertheless sufiicient to move the tooth beyond the next to the last tooth of the rack 126, and thus the spring 122 was able to advance the tooth 125 to the last tooth of the rack 126, as indicated in FIG. 6. Now when the spring 122 moves the lever 9@ so as to locate the tooth 125 thereof in engagement with the last tooth of the rack 126, the racla 123 turns with the lever 99 so as to locate the crest of the last tooth 1.3@ of the rack 123 sufiiciently to the right wi h respect to the tooth 12 1 so that during the next downward movement ot the lever 17 the tooth 124- will clockwse direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, from its starting position, it is possible to control the number of cycles of operation required to return the lever 99 to its starting position, and this stepping of the lever 99 back to its starting position is determined by the projections or

teeth

124 and 125 and the

racks

123 and 126 cooperating therewith, respectively.

When the lever 99 is in its starting position the tooth 125 thereof is located to the right beyond the'teeth of the rack 126, and the rack 123 is located to the right beyond the tooth 124, As was mentioned above, the parts are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 in the position they take when set for operation with the largest format, which is a format which will produce prints having a length of 13 centimeters, and thus at this time the paper 33 will have to be advanced through one step before the cutter means will be actuated to cut from the strip the last exposed portion thereof, as was mentioned above in connection With FIG. 3. Thus, at this time, when the guide 35 is in the solid line position shown in FIG. 4, the actuation of the lever 8 will cause the lever means 90 to turn through an angle which, due to the position of the cutter means 65 will produce only a relatively small angle of turning of the control lever 99, and this will turn the lever 99 up to the position shown in FIG. 6 where the tooth 125 thereof engages the last tooth ot' the rack 126. Thus, with the parts in this position the feeder means will move through one cycle of operation to advance the strip 33 through one step, and then the cutter means will be automatically actuated. Thus, with the parts in the position of FIG. 6, when the left free end of the lever 17 turns upwardly, the pin 112 will not engage the block 110 and the cutter will not be actuated. During the next downward movement of the lever 17 the tooth 124 thereof will engage the last tooth 130 of the rack 123. It will be noted that this tooth 130 of the rack 123 extends to an elevation substantially higher than the remaining teeth of the rack 123, and thus during' this downward movement of the lever 17 the control lever 99 will be moved downwardly through a distance greater than when the tooth 124 engages any of the other teeth of the rack 123, and thus at this time only will bell crank 98 be turned through an angle suflicient to displace the control bar 105 to the right, as viewed in FIG.

6, through a distance sufficient to locate the control bar 1115 in its active position, and of course the lock lever opcrates automatically to maintain the control bar 105 in its active position, until after the cutter means is actuated in the manner described above.

On the other hand, when the guide 35 is in position III, the turning of the lever 5 th upon actuation of the lever 8 Will cause the control lever 99 to be turned from its starting position through such an angle that the tooth is located to the left beyond the teeth of the rack 126, and at this time it will be necessary for the lever 99 to be stopped through six half cycles before it will again reach its starting position, and of course at this time the feeder means will operate through three cycles to advance the paper 33 through three 'stepsbefore the cutter means will be actuated to cut across the strip.

In some cases it is desirable to automatically actuate the cutter means at regular intervals so as to produce elongated strips having a desired number of prints thereon, and FIG. 7 illustrates a structure according to the invention which may be incorporated into the structure described above for automatically actuating the cutter means at regular intervals, which is to say after a certain predetermined number of prints have been reproduced on the strip.

i Referring to FIG 7 it'will be seen that there is a stationary pin 93 which is fixedly carried' by the housing, for example, and this pin 93 is in fact the same *pin 23 shown in FIG. 6 and supports the bell crank 98 in the manner described above, so that when this bell crank 98 is turned in a counterclockwise direction it will advance 13 control bar' 105 to its active position. In the embodirnent of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 7, the pin 93 also serves to turnably support a segment 131 of a ratchet means, which is to say a substantially semicircular section of a ratchet wheel, and a wire spring 132 is coiled around the pin 93 and is connected to a pin which is fixed to the ratchet means 131 so as to urge the latter to turn in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7. The other end of the spring 132 engages an arm of a substantially L-shaped lever 133 which is also supported for turning movement by the pin 93, and this lever 133 acts as a stop lever and carries a projection which is engaged by an edge of the segment 131 in the position of the part shown in FIG. 7, the spring 132 urging the segment 131 to turn in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 7, where it engages the stop projection of the stop lever 133. The free end of the lever 133 is pivotally connected to one end of an elongated link 134 which is pivotally connected at its opposite end to the lever arm 36 of the guide 35, so that in accordance with the angular position of the guide 35 the stop lever 133 will be positioned so as to limit the extent to which the ratchet means 131 can be turned by the spring 132. When the guide 35 is turned to the positions II or lil, the lever 133 will be turned in a counterclockwise direction around the pin 93 so that the spring 132 will be able to turn the ratchet 131 beyond the position thereof shown in FIG. 7 until it engages the stop projection of the stop lever 133. The structure operates in a manner described below so as to step the teeth of the ratchet 131 in a clockwise direction, as Viewed in FIG. 7, around the pin 93 in opposition to the spring 132, and the successivo teeth of the ratchet 131 will cooperate with a tooth 136 carried by the lever 99 so that the spring 132 cannot return the ratchet 131 back to its starting position. The ratchet 131 terminates in a tooth 135 whose shape is such that when the last tooth 135 approaches the tooth 136 the spring 122 (FIG. 6) can turn the lever 99 to the angular position where the tooth 13@ of the rack 123 is located beneath the projection 124 of the lever 17, so that during the next downward movement thereof the lever 99 will be moved downwardly through a distance sufiicient to turn the bell cranlr 93 through an angle sufficient to move the bar 105 to its active position described above. Thus, as soon as the last tooth 135 of the ratchet 131 reaches the projection 136 carried by the lever 99, the cutter will automatically be actuated, and thus by controlling the number of teeth of the ratchet 131 which must be stopped aiong the tooth 136 before the last tooth 135 reaches the tooth 136, it is possible to control the number of prints on the section of the strip which is cut therefrom by the cutter means. The lever 17 carries a pawl 137 which during the upward oscillation of the lever 17 at its left end, as viewed in FIG. 7, moves into engagement with the ratchet 131 to step the latter in a clockwise direction through a distance of one tooth so that the next tooth will engage the tooth 136, as described above, and in this way at each oscillation oi` the lever 17 the ratchet 131 will be stepped around in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7, through a distance of one tooth. The link 134 by its connection with the guide 35 enables the structure of FIG. 7 to be automatically regulated to provide on substantially equal lengths of the strip 33 a desired number of prints of the desired format. The guide 35 is shown in FIG. 7 in the position it takes to provide the largest format which is to say prints having the length of 13 centimeters. Thus, the position of the guide 35 automatically controls the angle of the stop lever 133 so that the spring 132 will turn the ratchet '131 to a position where six teeth of the ratchet are required to be stepped past the tooth 136 before the cutter means will be actuated. Thus with the parts in the starting position shown in FIG. 7 there will be six cycles of operation before the cutter means will be actuated. Of course, when the last tooth'135 reaches the tooth 136, the lever 99 will be in the angular position which will enable the lever 17 by cooperation of the tooth 124 with the tooth 131) to move the lever 99 down so as to cause the cutter to be actuated in the manner described above, and also, during this downward movement of the lever 99 the tooth 136 thereof is moved a sufficient distance away from the ratchet 131 to enable the latter to be automatically returned to its starting position by the spring 132, so that upon return of the lever 99 the tooth 136 thereof will automatically engage the proper tooth of the ratchet 131 to enable the device to automatically continue to produce the next series of prints equal to the same number as the preceding series which has been located on the section of the strip cut from the remainder of the strip.

With the parts in the position of FIG. 7, the several prints will have a length of 13 centimeters, and at this time there are six cycles of operation required before the cutter means' will be actuated, so that the length of the strip section which is cut by the cutter means will be equal to six times th'rteen or 78 centimeters. When the guide 35 is turned to position II, the lever 133 is turned in a countercloclrwise direction around the pin 93 to a diiferent position which will cause the spring 132 to return the ratchet 131 to a starting position which will require more teeth to be stepped past the tooth 136 before the cutter will be actuated, and in fact in this' case nine cycles of operation will be required before the cutter means will be automatically actuated, and since each of the prints is 9 centimeters long, the section of the strip which will be automatically cut at this time will be 81 centimeters long. In the third position, which is to say when the guide 35 is in position HI indicated in FIG. 7, the stop 133 will have such a position that twelve cycles of operation will be required before the cutter will be automatically actuated, and since each print has a length of 6.5 centimeters at this time, the strip which is automatically cut will have twelve prints thereon each equal to 6.5 centimeters in length, so that the entire strip is twelve times 6.5 or 78 centimeters again, and thus in position iii the sections of the strip will have the same length as when the guide means 35 is in position I.

Of course, if the lever 7 is actuated to locate the pin 108 in the dotted line position of FIG. 6, the individual prints will still be cut from the strip, even with the device of FIG. 7, but assuming that the lever 7 is turned to locate the pin 1133 in its solid line position of FIG. 6, then the structure of FG. 7 will automatically operate to cut the strip into sections which are substantially of equal length and which contain a predetermined number of prints according to the particular format, as described above. Also, as was described above, :as soon as one actuation of the cutter means has taken place the ratchet 131 will be automatically returned to its starting position so that the next series of prints will be produced on the next strip section in a fully automatic manner.

Returning to FIG. 3, when the guide 35 is turned by the lever e so as to change from one format to another format, it is best to allow the machine to operate without making any reproductions through two cycles. Here again, in order to eliminate hand operation it is possible to ac-tuate upon turning of the guide 35 an electrical contact which is located in the circuit of the driving motor and which will open automatically only after the machine has moved through two cycles of operation. Such a control can take place either electrically or mechanicaliy.

Also, it is possible, where desired, to control the stamping device 53 from a delay means such as that which Controls the cutter means.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other tyes of photographic printers differing from the types described above.

'While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in automatic photographic printers, it is 3,1 not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural' changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without the further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can' by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that from th'e standpoint of prior art', fairly constitute essential characteristics' of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended tobe comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be Secured by t Letters Patent' is:

1'. In a' photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip` of light-sensitive paper in stepwise fashion to an exposure position where the paper is exposed so as to have a photographic print produced thereon; so that `at each step of said feeder means another print can be reproduced on the paper; manually operable means cooperating with said' feeder means for adjusting the stroke or the latter so as to regulate the eX- tent to which the paper is advanced at each step or" the feeder means; cutting means for cutting the strip of lightsensitive paper after prints have been reproduced thereon, said cuttng means being supported for movement with respect to the exposure position of said paper; and adjusting means cooperating with said cutting means for regulating the position thereof with respect to said' exposure position, 'said adjusting means being operatively connectedwitli said manually operable means to be actuated when said manually operable means is actuated for regulating the stroke of said feeder means, and the position to which said cutting means' is moved by said adjusting means coinciding with' the internption between a pair of successivo prints' on` said paper according to the stroke to which said feeder means is adjusted by said manually operable means:

2. In a photographic printer, in' combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path past an exposure station where the paper is' exposedso as to have a printreproduced thereon, said feed'er means Operating in' stepwise fashion to move said' paper along said path so that at each step of operation another exposure' can be* made at said exposure station; masking means located' along said path in the region of said' station for masking the paper during exposure thereof; cutting means located along said path subscquent to said exposure station for cutting the paper between a pair of prints reproduced thereon; manually operable adjusting means cooperating with said feeder means for adjusting the latt'er to provide a selected stroke at each step of operation so that the paper will be advanced along'said path by a predetermned distance in stepwise fashion by said'feeder means; transmission means connecting said manually operable adjusting means with said cutter means for transmitting movement of said manually operable adjusting means to said cutter means to Shift the' latter along said path to a position where said cuttermeans will cut the paper between a pair of prints thereon' according to the stroke to which said feed'er means is adjusted by actuation of said manually operable adjusting means; andregulating means for regul'ating said masking means, said regulating means also being operatively connected to said manually operable adjusting means to be actuated upon actuation of said adjusting means for automatically masking the paper at said exposure station in accordance with the stroke through which said paper is moved at each step of pa per advance by said feeder means. r v

3. In a photographic printer, in' combination, support means; feed roller means supported for rotary movement by said support means for feeding a strip of lightsensitive paper along a given path; a crank supported for rotary movement by said support means; oscillating means cooperating with said crank for oscillating the latter back and forth through a given angle; transmisson means interconnecting said crank with said roller means for transmitting only one direction of oscillation of said crank to said roller means so that the latter will feed the strip in a stepwise manner, said transmission means including a pair of elongated links pivotally connected to each other at a joint between said links; elongated guide means guiding said joint back and forth along a given path during osciliation oi said crank means and transmission of the osciliation thereof in only one direction to said roller means by said transmission means, said guide means being supported for angular movement by said support means; and manually engageable means cooperating with said guide means for turning the latter to a selected angle which will adjust the angular position of said path and control the stroke of said roller means so as to control the extent to which the paper is advanced at those oscillations of said crank which are transmitted to said roller means.

4. in a photographic printer, in combination, support means; feed roller means supported for rotary movement by said support means for feeding a strip of lightsensitive pa er along a givcn path; a crank supported for rotary movement by said support means; oscillating means cooperating with said crank for oscillating the latter back and forth through a given angle; transmission means interconnecting said crank with saidtroller means for transmitting only one direction of oscillation of said cranl to said rolier means so that the latter will feed the strip in a stepwise manner, said transmission means including a pair of elongated links pivotally connected to each other at a joint between said links; guide means guiding said joint during osciilation of said crank means and transmission of the oscillation thereof in only one direction to said roller means by said transmission means, said guide means being supported for rotary movement by said support means; manually engageable means cooperating with said guide means for turning the latter to a selected angle which will control the stroke of said roller means so as to control the extent to which the paper is advanced at those oscillations of said crank which are transmitted to said roller means; and at least one adjustable means located along the path of movement of the strip for participating in the treatment thereof, said adjustable means bein operatively connected to said guide means to be adjusted by it when the latter is turned to adjust the stroke of advance of the paper.

5. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip oflight-sensitive paper along a given path in stepwise fashion past an exposure station so that between the steps of movement of the paper by said feeder means successivo areas of the paper can be exposed at said exposure station to provide a series of prints on the paper; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station and being spaced along said path from said exposure station by a distance equal to a whole multiple of the distance through which the paper is advanced at each step of said feeder means sothat 'said cutter means can be actuated to cut the paper between a pair of successive printed portions thereof; support means supporting said cutter means for shif ing movement along said path; regulating means cooperating with said feeder means for regulating the stroke thereor" so as to regulate the size of the prints produced on the paper, said cutter means being spaced from said exposure station by distances equal respectively to different numbers of prints in accordance with the size of the step to which said teeder means is regulated; trans- ,mission means interconnecting said regulating means with said cutter means for locating the latter along said path at a distance from said exposure station equalto a whole number of prints according to thesize thereof provided by said regulating means; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter to cut across said strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; and manually operable means cooperating with said actuating means for delaying the actuation thereof by a number of steps of said feeder means equal to the number of prnts on the strip between said exposure station and cutter means when said manually operable means is operated by the operator, so that the cutter means will cut across the strip at the location of the last print produced thercon when said manually operable means is operated by the operator.

6. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive photographic paper along a given path past an exposure station where a print is produced on the paper, said feeder means operating in stepwise fashion so that successive prints are produced on the strip at said exposure station during the successive steps of movement of the paper by said feeder means; stamping means located along said path subscquent to the exposure station for stamping on the paper indicia which will identity the prints thereon; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said stamping means for cutting across the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; support means supporting said cutter means for movement along said path; manually operable means coopera ting with said feeder means for regulating the stroke thereof so as to advance the paper at each step of operation of said feeder means by a predetermined distance substantially equal to the length of each print along the strip; transmission means extending between said manually operable means and said cutter means for automatically shitting the latter along said path to a position which will locate the cutter means to cut between a pair of successive prints in accordance with the stroke to which the feeder means is regulated by said manually operable means, said cutter means being spaced from said exposure station by distances respectively equal to the lengths of diiferent numbers of prints according to the stroke to which said feeder means is regulated by said manually operable means; second manually operable means cooperating with said stamping means for changing the identifying indicia thereof when a new series of prints is to be reproduced on the strip; adjustable delay means cooperating with said cutter means for delaying the actuation thereof by a selected number of steps of operation of said feeder means; and lever means cooperating with said adjustable delay means for actuating the latter to set into the printer the delay before the actuation of said cutter means, said lever means being connected to said second manually operable means to be actuated when said second manually operable means is actuated to change the indicia of said stamping means, the location of said cutter means controlling the position of said lever means with respect to said delay means to automatically regulate the delay thereof according to the distance of said cutter means from said exposure station.

7. 'In a photographic printer as recited in claim 6, said delay means including a control lever which controls the extent to which said delay means delays the actuation of said cutter means according to the angle through which' said control lever is turned, said control lever having a free end located in the path of turning of said lever means and the position of said lever means with respect to said free end of said control lever being regulated to the position of said cutter means along said path so that the turning of said lever means upon actuation of said second manually operable means will turn said control lever through an angle whose size corresponds with the position of said cutter means along said path. i

8. In a photographic printer as recited in claim 6, said delay means including a control lever which controls the extent to which said delay means delays the actuation of said cutter means according to the angle through which said control lever is turned, said control lever having a free end located in the path of turning of said lever means and the position of said lever means with respect to said free end of said control lever being regulated to the position of said cutter means along said path so that the turning of said lever means upon actuation of said second manually operable means will turn said control lever through an angle whose size corresponds With the position of said cutter means along said path, said control lever having a starting position from which it is turned through a given angle according to the position of said lever means, and said delay means including structure for stepping said control lever back to its starting position through a series of steps the number of which is controlled by the angle through which said control lever is turned by said lever means, said delay means being operatively connected with said feeder means to be actuated thereby for stepping said control lever back toward said starting position by one step at each step of operation of said feeder means and said delay means automatically actuating said cutter means when said control lever has again reached its starting position.

9. In a photographic printer as recited in claim 6, said delay means including a control lever which controls the extent to which said delay means delays the actuation of said cutter means according to the angle through which said control lever is turned, said control lever having a free end located in the path of turning of said lever means and the position of said lever means with respect to said free end of said control lever being regulated to the position of said cutter means along said path so that the turning of said lever means upon actuation of said second manually operable means Will turn said control lever through an angle whose size corresponds with the position of said cutter means along said path, said control lever having a starting position from which it is turned through a given angle according to the position of said lever means, and said delay means including structure for stepping said control lever back to its starting position through a series of steps the number of which is controlled by the angle through which said control lever is turned by said lever means, said delay means being operatively connected with said feeder means to be actuated thereby for stepping said control lever back toward said starting position by one step at each step of operation of said feeder means and said delay means automatically actuating said cutter means when said control lever has again reached its starting position, the deiay means including a drive lever which is oscllated by said feeder means, a pair of racks whose teeth are directed toward each other, a pair of teeth respectively carried by said control lever and drive lever and respectively cooperating with said racks, and said drive lever cooperating with said control lever for stepping the latter along one of said racks upon cooperation of the stop of said drive lever with the other of said racks. lG. in a photographic printer as recited in claim 6, said delay means including a control lever which controls the extent to which said delay means delays the actuation of said cutter means according to the angle through which said control lever is turned, said control lever having a free end located in the path of turning of said lever means and the position of said lever means with respect to said :tree end of said control lever being regulated to the position of said cutter means along said path so that the turning of said lever means upon actuation of said second manually operable means will turn said control lever through an angle whose size corresponds with the position of s id cutter means along said path, said control lever havinga starting positionfrom which itis turned through a given angle according to the position of said lever means, and said' delay means including structure for stepping said control lever back to its starting 'position through a series of steps the number of which is controlled by the angle through which said control lever is turned by said lever means, said delay means being operatively connected with said eeder means to 'oe actuated' thereby for stepping said control lever back toward said starting position by one step at each step of operation of said feeder means and said delay means automatically actuating said cutter means when said control lever has again reached its starting position, the delay means including a drive lever which is oscillated by said feeder means, a pair of racks whose teeth are directed toward each other, a pair of teeth respectively carried by said control lever and drive lever and respectively cooperating with said racks, and said drive lever cooperating with said control lever for stepping the latter along one of said racks upon cooperation of the stop of said drive lever with the other of said racks, said other rack being carried by said control over.

l1. In a photographic printer as recited in claim 6, said delay means including a control lever which Controls the extent to which said delay means delays the actuation of said cut-ter means according to the angle through which said control lever is turned, said control lever having a free end located in the path of turning of said lever means and the position of said lever means with respect to said free end of said control lever being regulated to the position of said cutter means along said path so that the turning of said lever means upon actuation of said second manually operable means will turn said control lever through an angle whose size corresponds with the position of said cutter means along said path, said control lever having a starting position from which it is turned through a given angle according to the position of said lever means, and said delay means including structure tor stepping said control lever back to its starting position through a series of steps the number of which is controlled by the angle through which said control lever is turned by said lever means, said delay means being operatively connected with said feeder means to be actuated thereby for stepping said control lever back toward said starting position by one step at each step of operation of said feeder means and said delay means automatically actuating said cutter means when said control lever has again reached its starting position, the delay means including a drive lever which is oscillated by said feeder means, a pair of racks whose teeth are directed toward each other, a pair of teeth respectively carried by said control lever and drive lever and respectively cooperating with said racks, and said drive lever cooperating with said control lever for stepping the latter along one of said racks upon cooperation of the stop of said drive lever with the other of said racks, said other being carried by said control lever, spring means urging said control lever to its starting position, and the teeth of said racks having their crests displaced with respect to each other and providing surfaces extending transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said control lever toward its starting position and cooperating with said stops, respectively, so that said stops and teeth or" said racks cooperate to advance said control lever under the influence of said spring means in stepwise fashion back toward its starting position.

12. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder neans for feed'ng a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwisefashion past an eX- posure station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path `subsenuent to said exposure station for cutting across the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; an oseillatin drive lever operatively connected with said feeder' means to be osciilated thereby; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter when said actuating means is in an operative position; ratchet; means cooperating withsaid actuating means and placing the latter in its operative position when said ratchet 'means reaches a predetermined angular position which is thesame for any number of prints on operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angular position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angular position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; and a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating with said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuating means will actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being oscillated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means Controls in accordance with the distance by which it is displaced from said predetermined angular position by said manually operable means, the number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means.

13. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwi se fashion past -an eX- posure station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station for cutting across the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; an oscillating drive lever operatively connected With said feeder means to be oscillated thereby; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter when said actuating means is in an operative position; ratchet means cooperating with said actuating means and placing the latter in its operative position when said ratchet means reaches a predetermined angular position which is the same for any number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut; manually operable means operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angul-ar position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angular position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating with said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuatig means will actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being oscillated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means Controls, in accordance with the distance by which it is displaced from said predetermined -angular position by said manually operable means, the number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means, said actuating means including a control lever adapted to be engaged and noved by said drive lever when said control lever reaches thereof until a given tooth of said ratchet means reaches said toothcarried by said control lever.

14. in a' photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwise fashion past an eX- posu re station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station for cutting 'across-'the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; an oscillating drive lever operatively connected e V with said feeder means to be oscillated thereby; actuating means coo'perating with said cutter means for actuating thej latter when said actuating means is in an operative position; ratchet means cooperating With said actuating means and placing the latter in its V operative position when said ratchet means reaches apredetermined angular position which is the same for any number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut; manually operable means operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angular position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angula r position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating with said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuating means will actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being oscillated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means controls, in accordance with the distance by which it 's displaced from said predetermined angular position by said manually operable means, the number of printe on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means; spring means cooperating with said ratchet means for urging the same to turn in a predetermined direction; and stop means cooperating with said ratchet means for limiting the extent to which it can be turned by said spring means.

15. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwise fashion past an exposure station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station for cutting across the strip between a pair of successivo prints thereon; an oscillating drive lever operatively connected with said feeder means to be oscillated thereby; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter when said actuating means is in an operative position; ratchet means cooperating With said actuatng means and placing the latter in its operative position when said ratchet means reaches a predetermined angular position which is the same for any number of printe on the strip before the latter is cut; manually operable means operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angular position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angular position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating With said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for `stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuating means will actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being oscillated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means Controls, in accordance with the distance by which it is displaced from said predetermined angular position by said manually operable means, the number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means; spring means co- Operating With said ratchet means for urging the same to' turn in a predetermined direction; stop means cooperating with said ratchet means for limiting the extent to which it can be turned by said spring means; and manually operable adjusting means cooperating with said stop means for regulating the position thereof.

16. In a photographic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwise fashion past an exposure station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station for cutting across the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; an oscillating drive lever operatively connected with said feeder means to be oscillated thereby; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter when said actuating means is in anoperative position; ratchet means cooperating with said actuating means and placing the latter in its operative position when said ratchet means reaches a predetermined angular position which is the same for any number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut; manually operable means operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angular position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angular position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating with said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuating means will 'actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being osciliated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means control, in accordance with the distance by which said ratchet means are displaced from said predetermined angular position by said manually operable means, the number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means; spring means cooperating with said ratchet means for urging the same to run in a predetermined direction; stop means cooperating with said ratchet means for limiting the extent to which it can be turned by said spring means; and manually operable adjusting means cooperating with said stop means for regulating the position thereof, said adjusting means also cooperating with said feeder means for regulating the stroke thereof so as to regulate the extent of advance of the strip at each step of the feeder means.

17. In a photogrphic printer, in combination, feeder means for feeding a strip of light-sensitive paper along a predetermined path in stepwise fashion past an exposure station where prints can be successively reproduced on the strip after each step of advance thereof by the said feeder means; cutter means located along said path subsequent to said exposure station for cutting across the strip between a pair of successive prints thereon; an oscillating drive lever operatively connected with said feeder means to be oscillated thereby; actuating means cooperating with said cutter means for actuating the latter when said actuating means is in an operative position; ratchet means cooperating with said actuating means and placing the latter in its operative position when said ratchet means reaches a predetermined angular position which is the same for any number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut; manually operable means operatively connected to said ratchet means for displacing the latter from said predetermined angular position by a distance requiring said ratchet means to be stepped back to said predetermined angular position a number of times selected by said manually operable means before said ratchet means returns to said predetermined angular position; a pawl carried by said drive lever and cooperating with said ratchet means at each oscillation of said drive lever for stepping said ratchet means back toward said angular position thereof where said actuating means will actuate said cutter means, said oscillating lever being oscillated once at each step of said feeder means so that said ratchet means Controls, in accordance with the distance by which it is displaced from said predetermined angular position by said manually operable means, the number of prints on the strip before the latter is cut by said cutter means; spring means cooperating with said ratchet means for urging the same to turn in a predetermined direction; stop means cooperating with said ratchet means for limiting the extent to which it can be turned by said spring means; manually operable adjusting means cooperating with said stop means for regulating the position thereof; and support means supporting said stop means and ratchet means for turning movement about a common aXis, and said support means also supporting for turning movement about said aXis a bell crank which pivotally carries said control lever and which is turned when said 'control lever reaches said angular position 2,496,329 Briechle Feb. 7, 1950 thereof for actuating said cutter means. 2,592,735 Pirmov Apr. 15, 1952 Refeeeeeee ceeee in the file of this patent jj p ;::::jj:z:j:'133313: UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,815,075 Braunsten Dec. 3, 1957 1344307 i Ju 22 1920 2,838,113 Cornell June 10, 1958 1,711,333 Swenson Apr, 30, 1929 2 3 4 D r 1958 2,099,681 Draeger Nov. 23, 1937 2,953,077 Sanderson Sept. 20; 1960

Claims

1. IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER, IN COMBINATION, FEEDER MEANS FOR FEEDING A STRIP OF LIGHT-SENSITIVE PAPER IN STEPWISE FASHION TO AN EXPOSURE POSITION WHERE THE PAPER IS EXPOSED SO AS TO HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT PRODUCED THEREON, SO THAT AT EACH STEP OF SAID FEEDER MEANS ANOTHER PRINT CAN BE REPRODUCED ON THE PAPER; MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID FEEDER MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE STROKE OF THE LATTER SO AS TO REGULATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE PAPER IS ADVANCED AT EACH STEP OF THE FEEDER MEANS; CUTTING MEANS FOR CUTTING THE STRIP OF LIGHTSENSITIVE PAPER AFTER PRINTS HAVE VEEN REPRODUCED THEREON, SAID CUTTING MEANS BEING SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE EXPOSURE POSITION OF SAID PAPER; AND ADJUSTING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID CUTTING MEANS FOR REGULATING THE POSITION THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO SAID EXPOSURE POSITION, SAID ADJUSTING MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS TO BE ACTUATED WHEN SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS IS ACTUATED FOR REGULATING THE STROKE OF SAID FEEDER MEANS, AND THE POSITION TO WHICH SAID CUTTING MEANS IS MOVED BY SAID ADJUSTING MEANS COINCIDING WITH THE INTERRUPTION BETWEEN A PAIR OF SUCCESSIVE PRINTS ON SAID PAPER ACCORDING TO THE STROKE TO WHICH SAID FEEDER MEANS IS ADJUSTED BY SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS.