US3856391A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Slide tray and slide positioning mechanism
Assignee: Singer Co
•
Filing: 1973-05-29
•
Granted: 1974-12-24
•
Expires: 1993-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A slide projector located within a rear-screen projector housing includes a slide tray and slide positioning mechanism in cooperative relation with a gravity feed slide tray which is removably mounted on the rear-screen projector housing. The projector includes a gate having a shutter mounted for rotation to a first position blocking the optical path of the projector and for rotation to a second position at which the optical path is not blocked; indexing means, which may be selectively disabled, rotate the slide tray relative to the projector gate to successively bring slides in the slide tray, one at a time, in registration with the projector gate; first means operating in time relation with the indexing means successively feeds the slides from the slide tray into the gate, under the influence of gravity, for projection by projector and then back into the slide tray; and second means in time relation with the indexing means causes the shutter to be in its first position blocking the optical path of the projector in response to the absence of a slide in the projector gate and also causes the shutter to be in its second position enabling the optical path of the projector whenever a slide is present in the projector gate.
Inventors
- 👤 R Hickey
- 👤 W Sanderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:08
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B23/00; G03B23/02; G03B23/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
421 words
Apparatus for projecting slides comprising: a slide projector; a slide tray, including a plurality of indexing pins depending therefrom, removably mounted on said projector and adapted to contain a plurality of slides for projection by said projector; said projector including: a gate; said gate including a shutter member rotatably mounted near one end thereof along an axis in a plane substantially normal to the optical path of said projector; said shutter having a first position blocking the optical path of said projector and a second position for which the optical path of the said projector is not blocked; indexing means adapted to rotate said slide tray relative to said gate for successively bringing slides in said slide tray, one at a time, into substantially vertical register with said projector gate; and first means operating in time relation with said indexing means for successively feeding said slides substantially vertically from said tray into said gate under the influence of gravity, for projection, and from said gate substantially vertically back into said tray; second means in time relation with said indexing means for causing said shutter to be in its first position in response to the absence of a slide in said gate and for causing said shutter to be in its second position in response to the presence of a slide in said gate to enable projection of the image on said slide; said second means including: means biasing said shutter in said second position; means in time relation with said indexing means for rotating said shutter around said rotational axis to said first position in opposition to said biasing means and for enabling counterrotation of said shutter around said rotational axis to said second position under the urging of said biasing means; and meanS for sensing the absence of a slide in said gate for latching said means for rotating said shutter in a position wherein said shutter is at said first position and for enabling the return of said shutter to said second position when a slide is in said gate; said indexing means including: a driven indexing bar having a slide tray indexing element at one end thereof; pivoted means coupled to said indexing bar for guiding said indexing element to a position between two adjacent pins depending from said slide tray and then rotating said indexing bar around the pivot of said pivoted means to rotate said slide tray; and means for disabling said driven indexing bar to prevent indexing of said slide tray by said indexing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
421 words
Apparatus for projecting slides comprising: a slide projector; a slide tray, including a plurality of indexing pins depending therefrom, removably mounted on said projector and adapted to contain a plurality of slides for projection by said projector; said projector including: a gate; said gate including a shutter member rotatably mounted near one end thereof along an axis in a plane substantially normal to the optical path of said projector; said shutter having a first position blocking the optical path of said projector and a second position for which the optical path of the said projector is not blocked; indexing means adapted to rotate said slide tray relative to said gate for successively bringing slides in said slide tray, one at a time, into substantially vertical register with said projector gate; and first means operating in time relation with said indexing means for successively feeding said slides substantially vertically from said tray into said gate under the influence of gravity, for projection, and from said gate substantially vertically back into said tray; second means in time relation with said indexing means for causing said shutter to be in its first position in response to the absence of a slide in said gate and for causing said shutter to be in its second position in response to the presence of a slide in said gate to enable projection of the image on said slide; said second means including: means biasing said shutter in said second position; means in time relation with said indexing means for rotating said shutter around said rotational axis to said first position in opposition to said biasing means and for enabling counterrotation of said shutter around said rotational axis to said second position under the urging of said biasing means; and meanS for sensing the absence of a slide in said gate for latching said means for rotating said shutter in a position wherein said shutter is at said first position and for enabling the return of said shutter to said second position when a slide is in said gate; said indexing means including: a driven indexing bar having a slide tray indexing element at one end thereof; pivoted means coupled to said indexing bar for guiding said indexing element to a position between two adjacent pins depending from said slide tray and then rotating said indexing bar around the pivot of said pivoted means to rotate said slide tray; and means for disabling said driven indexing bar to prevent indexing of said slide tray by said indexing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 further including: a housing; said projector located within said housing; said slide tray located on said housing; said housing including a display surface for viewing the projected image of said slides; and means contained within said housing for folding the optical path of said projector at least once.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus according to claim 2 further including: manually actuated means mounted on said housing for selectively actuating said projector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said pivoted means of said indexing means includes a rotatably pivoted, substantially flat, member having an elongated slot therein a distance from said pivot; and a pin depending from said driven indexing bar and extending into said elongated slot in said pivoted member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
The apparatus according to claim 4 further including: means biasing said driven indexing bar to an initial position where the pin depending from said driven indexing bar is adjacent one end of said elongated slot in said pivoted member; and said pin depending from said driven indexing bar positioned at the other end of said elongated slot in said pivoted member when said indexing element of said driven indexing bar is positioned between two adjacent indexing pins depending from said slide tray.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said indexing bar includes an opening therein located a distance from said indexing element; said opening including a first portion and an elongated second portion; a driving member extending through said first portion for driving said indexing bar; and said means for disabling said driven indexing bar including means for disengaging said first portion of said opening in said indexing bar from said driving member whereby said driving member is located within said elongated second portion where movement of said driving member has no affect on said indexing bar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein: said driving member has reciprocal motion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus according to claim 7 further including: means biasing said driven indexing bar to cause said first portion of said opening in said indexing bar to re-engage said driving means at the end of reciprocal movement of said driving member in said second portion of said opening.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
99 words
The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein: said indexing bar includes an opening therein located a distance from said indexing element; said opening including a first portion and an elongated second portion; a driving member having reciprocal motion extending through said first portion for driving said indexing bar; said means for disabling said driven indexing bar including means for disengaging said first portion of said opening in said indexing bar from said driving member whereby said driving member is located within said elongated second portion where reciprocal movement of said driving member has no affect on said indexing bar.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein: said means biasing said driven indexing bar causes said first portion of said opening in said indexing bar to reengage said driving member at the end of reciprocal movemenT of said driving member in said second portion of said opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein: said means for disabling said driven indexing bar further includes a manually actuated bar.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said means for rotating said shutter includes an elongated member having a camming surface thereon in contact with said shutter; and said elongated member adapted to be reciprocated in a direction transverse to the optical axis of said projector and in a plane substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said shutter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said projector gate includes a stationary slide guide; and a slide clamp rotatably mounted on an axis in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said optical path; and means biasing said slide clamp toward said slide guide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 further including: actuator means rotatably mounted on an axis in a plane substantially normal to said optical axis and coupled to said slide clamp to be rotated to a first position when there is a slide positioned between said slide guide and said slide clamp and to be rotated to a second position in the absence of a slide between said slide guide and said guide clamp.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: said actuator presents a latching surface to said means for rotating said shutter to prevent counter-rotation of said shutter to its said second position whenever said actuator is at its said second position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus according to claim 15 further including: means biasing said actuator means to its said second position thereby preventing said latching surface from inhibiting counter-rotation of said shutter whenever a slide is present between said slide guide and said slide clamp.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein: said means for rotating said shutter also rotates said actuator means and further includes a member having a camming surface thereon in contact with said shutter; and said member for rotating said shutter is adapted to be reciprocated in a direction transverse to the optical axis of said projector and in a plane substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said shutter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein: said axis of rotation of said slide clamp is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said shutter.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: the axis of rotation of said actuator means is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said slide clamp.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: the axis of rotation of said slide clamp and said actuator means are substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said shutter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: said slide clamp is situated between said slide guide and said shutter.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein: said actuator means is situated along side of said shutter.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein: said means for rotating said shutter has a path of movement between said shutter and said actuator means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein: said projector gate includes a surface along the direction of movement of said means for rotating said shutter for guiding said means for rotating said shutter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |