Apparatus for intercepting and advancing the leaders of photographic roll films

摘要

Apparatus for intercepting the leader of photographic film which is convoluted on a reel within a convoluted backing strip whose front portion extends beyond the leader of the film has a lever which is pivotable from a first position of engagement with the reel in a cassette to a second position in which the front portion of the backing strip is looped by a rotating friction wheel. The lever carries a tool which breaks open the casing of the cassette in response to movement of the lever from its first position and bears against the backing strip on the withdrawn reel in the second position of the lever so that the friction wheel cannot rotate the reel in a direction to collect the film and backing strip. The looped front portion of the backing strip is caused to enter the nip of two advancing rolls which begin to withdraw the backing strip whereby the backing strip deflects the tool and rotates the reel in a direction to pay out the film. The leader of the film is intercepted by an elastic deflector which introduces the leader into a film channel wherein the leader advances into the nip of two additional advancing rolls serving to transport the film toward a splicing station where the leader is attached to the trailing end of the preceding film. The friction wheel is automatically disengaged from the backing strip when the reel begins to rotate in a direction to pay out the film.