The invention relates to a container for sheet film or photographic paper, in particular a supply magazine, cassette or the like, having size-defining elements for the inner space of the container, which elements can be adapted to various sheet formats.

From DE-PS 31 22 583, a supply magazine for X-ray film is known, which can be adapted to a specific format by using a magazine insert. Each format is associated with a separate, unchangeable insert so that when the format is changed, another insert is required. In order to be able to adapt the supply magazines to frequent changes in film formats, a great number of magazine inserts has to be available.

In the case of a common-type supply magazine for X-ray sheet film, pre-marked screw positions are provided on the outer side of the cas¬ sette bottom, which are associated with sheet-film formats and serve for selectively screwing size-defining bars in the inner space of the cassette in predefined positions. Once a format has been selected, it cannot be changed any more because the bars are fastened by screwing.

In connection with a cassette for a photographic plate, it is also known (DE-GM 1 241 199) for an insert to be provided in the form of two pairs of bars which engage each other and can be adapted to various plate sizes by changing that engagement. However, such an insert for relatively thick plates cannot be used for properly posi¬ tioning a single thin sheet of film or a stack of film sheets.

It is the object of the invention to modify a container of the generic type such that it can be adapted to various sheet formats without con¬ structional changes being made or without any additional elements having to be provided.

According to the invention, this object is attained in that the size- defining elements are designed as plug-in elements whose positions can be changed and which can be placed into recesses in the bottom and/or the cover of the container.

In an advantageous modification of the invention, each sheet format is associated with a plurality of oppositely positioned recesses in the bottom and the cover of the container, into which size-defining plug- in bars with projections can be placed.

In a further advantageous modification of the invention, an inner wall of the lower container portion, which is positioned in the loading and unloading area, serves as a boundary for all sheet formats.

In still another advantageous modification of the invention, three inner walls of the lower container portion serve as boundaries for the largest sheet format, and the fourth boundary is defined by the plug- in elements. Advantageously, the inner space of the container is en¬ larged outwardly in a direction parallel with the plug-in elements de¬ fining the fourth boundary, and is provided with other recesses for storing plug-in elements not used.

Advantageously", the plug-in elements are designed as cylindrical plugs.

Other features and advantages can be inferred from the description of embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawing, and from the subclaims.

In the schematic drawing

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the container, with the cover removed;

Fig. 2. is an exploded side view of the container according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the container according to Fig. 1, with the "largest film format" setting;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the plug-in bars;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of a second em¬ bodiment of the plug-in bars;

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of a third embodi¬ ment of the plug-in bars;

Fig, 7 shows the container according to Fig. 1, with the "smaller film format" setting, and

Fig. 8 shows the container according to Fig. 1 with a film format being set which is displaced relative to the center.

The invention will be described with reference to a supply magazine in which a large number of X-ray film sheets (e.g. 110 sheets) are stacked. A supply magazine of this type is used in a device for auto¬ matically loading X-ray film in an X-ray film cassette, e.g. in ac¬ cordance with Patent Application P 37 05 851.7.

The supply magazine made of plastic consists of a lower portion 1 with a bottom la and with walls lb arranged perpendicular thereto and ex¬ tending around said bottom, as well as of a cover 2 covering the upper side of the lower portion 1.

Cover 2 which is screwed to the lower portion 1 comprises a lid 3 which is pivotable about a pin 4 and associated with the unloading area of the supply magazine 1 , 2. Lid 3 features a metal insert 7 which imparts to lid 3 the weight necessary for automatic closing. The free end of lid 3 is locked to the lower portion 1 by known means not

illustrated. When the supply magazine 1, 2 is loaded into the device provided for that purpose, these locking means are disengaged in a known manner not illustrated as soon as the end side le strikes against a suitable actuator.

Recesses lc are arranged in the bottom la of the lower portion 1, into which the plug-in bars 5 and 6 can be placed for defining the format, see Fig. 2. For that purpose, the plug-in bars 5, 6 feature projec¬ tions 5a and 6a, respectively, which extend beyond the upper and the lower side of said bars, are arranged at their ends and are adapted for engagement with the recesses lc. For stabilizing -the position of the plug-in bars 5, 6 when inserted, they engage with their upper pro¬ jections 5a , 6a recesses 2a in the cover 2. The lower recesses lc and the upper recesses 2a are positioned opposite each other. Out of two recesses lc in the bottom la of the lower portion 1, which are neces¬ sary to insert a plug-in bar 5 or 6, one recess is circular and the other recess is designed as an oblong hole extending in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the plug-in bar. All of the recesses 2a in cover 2 are designed as oblong holes arranged in the longitudinal direction of the plug-in bars.

The recesses lc and 2a _r respectively, in the bottom la of the lower container portion 1 and in the cover 2 are associated with various sheet-film formats, the recesses lc in the bottom la being provided with numbers relating to the format so that when the plug-in bars 5, 6 are placed into the recesses lc associated with a film format, the inner space is adapted to the desired film format.

In the lower container portion 1, two long plug-in bars 6 and four short plug-in bars 2 are provided which serve for adapting the inner space to the film format desired. This adaptation takes place with respect to a center line 8 of the device so that a sheet film which is automatically removed can be transported by a sheet-film removal means in proper orientation to a sheet-film cassette positioned in the device.

The front inner wall If of the lower portion 1 serves as a boundary for all sheet formats so that in connection with the alignment of the sheet film relative to the center line 8 of the device, constant ac¬ cess of a sheet-film removal means is possible, independently of the film format.

The lower portion 1 and the cover 2 with lid 3 engage to form a laby¬ rinth-like arrangement so that the closed supply magazine 1, 2 is light-tight.

The unloading area of the supply magazine 1, 2 is designed such that when cover 2 is screwed in position and lid 3 is open, a stack of film sheets can easily be loaded into the supply magazine 1, 2 in the di¬ rection of the arrow "A". The supply magazine 1, 2 is reloaded in a darkroom.

For the unloading area to be accessible deeply enough, the plug-in bars 6 arranged therein are adequately long and thus bridge that area. Each of these longer plug-in bars 6 has only one projection 6a which extends beyond its upper side and engages a corresponding recess 2a in cover 2.

The longer plug-in bars 6 always have to be inserted such that the in¬ dividual projection 6a points upwardly and is adapted for engagement with recess 2a in the cover. For this reason, and in order that the long plug-in bars 6 can be accommodated close to each other in a space-saving manner to be described, the bars have left/right marks related to the center line 8 of the device.

The short plug-in bars 5 which are used in the area permanently covered by cover 2 do not require any left/right alignment as all of their projections 5a extend beyond the upper and lower side, respectively, and thus have a counter-support (recess 2a in cover 2) in any posi¬ tion.

As can be seen in particular from Fig. 4, the plug-in bars 5 (and 6) are designed such that the sheet film 9 does not rest against the con¬ necting bridge but always against projections 5a and 6a, respectively,

which project upwardly and are continuously parallel with each other from the top to the bottom.

The end-side projections 5a, 6a have a substantially oval cross-sec¬ tion extending transverse to the longitudinal extension of plug-in bars 5, 6, as can be seen from Fig. 4.

In order to prevent the film sheets from striking against a projection 5a and 6a, respectively, when the supply magazine 1, 2 is loaded in the darkroom and the sheet film stack is not in a proper position, the plug-in bars 5 (and 6, respectively) have a ball-shaped elevation 5d arranged in the direction of insertion in front of the projection 5a and 6a, respectively. The stack of film sheets to be loaded is safely guided by these elevations 5d to the respective stack position without there being the danger of the stack getting jammed.

As can be seen from Fig. 4, the elevations 5d are arranged only on one side of the plug-in bars 5 (and 6, respectively) and do not extend beyond the size-defining plane formed by the projections 5a, 6a. The short plug-in bars 5 which can be selectively placed at the left or the right side are provided with two elevations 5d associated with the end-side projections 5a ₌ The long plug-in bars 6 which have to be in¬ serted in a predetermined left/right alignment are each provided with one elevation 5d only which is located in the direction of insertion in front of projection 6a. Due to the fact, that the elevations 5d are arranged at one side, which is advantageous because they are injec¬ tion-molded, the plug-in bars 5 arranged parallel with the direction of insertion "A" have to be placed such that their ball-shaped eleva¬ tions 5d face the center line 8 of the device. The plug-in bars 5 in¬ serted parallel with the inner wall If need not be aligned in this way because they do not serve for guiding the sheet-film stack when the supply magazine is loaded.

According to Fig. 4, the plug-in bars 5 (and 6) are provided with an eccentrically arranged connecting bridge so that these bars can be ac¬ commodated very close to each other in a staggered arrangement, as can also be seen from that Fig.

The engagement of the projections 5a and 6a, respectively, with the associated recesses lc and 2a, respectively, in the lower portion 1 and the cover 2, respectively, ensures that film sheets 9 are properly positioned from the first to the last sheet because they cannot slip over or underneath the plug-in bars 5 and 6, respectively.

The inner space of the lower portion 1 is designed such that when the largest possible sheet-film format (e.g. 35 x 43 cm) is used, three inner walls If, lg, lh serves as boundaries. The fourth side of the sheet-film format is defined by an inner row of one long and two short plug-in bars 5 and 6, respectively. In this connection, see Fig. 3. As can be seen from that Fig., the inner space of the lower portion 1 is enlarged by an amount "B" at the side defined by the plug-in bars 5, 6 so that there is enough space for the three size-defining plug-in bars

5, 6 and for the three plug-in bars 5 and 6, respectively, which are arranged parallel therewith and are not used. The enlarged area "B" required for that purpose is relatively small owing to the advan¬ tageous arrangement of plug-in bars 5 and 6 as described in Fig. 4.

As can be inferred in particular from the embodiment according to Fig. 3, all plug-in bars 5, 6 (two long and four short plug-in bars 5 and

6, respectively) remain in the supply magazine 1, 2 and cannot get lost even if the largest possible space is required (largest sheet film format). Consequently, the supply magazine 1, 2 can be adapted to the desired film format at any time because the plug-in bars 5, 6 are always stored in the supply magazine 1„ 2.

When another film format, e.g. 24 x 24 cm, is set, this leads to the arrangement according to Fig. 1 where all plug-in bars 5 and 6 are used. Two parallel sides are defined by a long plug-in bar 6 and a shorter plug-in bar 5 each while two short plug-in bars 5 are placed parallel with the front inner wall If.

If a rectangular film format, e.g. 8" x 10", is to be set, this leads to the arrangement that can be inferred from Fig. 7. In this case, only the two long front plug-in bars 6 and two short plug-in bars 5 arranged parallel with the inner wall If have to be inserted. The two short plug-in bars 5 not required remain in the lower portion 1 and

are preferably placed in the enlarged area "B". However, the plug-in bars 5 not used can also be inserted into any suitable recesses lc outside the desired film format.

Fig. 8 shows an arrangement of the plug-in bars 5 and 6 for the same film format 8" x 10" that has been described above, however in a dif¬ ferent orientation not in alignment with the center line 8 of the device. This embodiment is to show that the supply magazine 1, 2 can also be loaded with film sheets which are to be transported to sheet- film cassettes not in alignment with the center of the format, e.g. CRT cassettes. The ^' displacement of the boundaries of the format (plug-in bars 5 and 6) relative to the center line 8 of the device exactly cor¬ responds to the eccentric placement of the sheet film of a CRT cas¬ sette in the loading station of a loading device mentioned at the be¬ ginning. Even if the supply stack of film sheets is displaced like that, can the sheet film be unloaded and transferred by the same sheet- film removal means without any changes having to be made.

In the supply magazine 1, 2, sufficient recesses lc and 2a, respec¬ tively, are provided for the following film formats to be set: 19 x 24; 18 x 43; 20 x 40; 24 x 24; 24 x 30; 30 x 35; 30 x 40; 35 x 35; 35 x 43; 8" x 10" or 11" x 14".

It follows therefrom that specific plug positions can be used for various film formats, such as 18 x 24 and 18 x 43. In that case, the plug-in bars 5 arranged parallel with the inner wall If are placed into the recesses lc in the lower portion 1, which are marked "18". In the case of the 18 x 24 format, the long plug-in bars 6 are placed closer to the center line 8 of the device as can be seen from Fig. 7, while they are placed further apart in the case of the format 18 x 43 (not illustrated).

As shown in Fig. 7, only the inner projections 5a serve for defining the size in the one case ( 18 x 24), whereas in the case of the longer format (18 x 43), both projections 5a define the size.

This example of the handling of film formats having one identical side length is to show that when the recesses lc, 2a for the plug-in bars 5 and 6 are positioned cleverly, the inner space of the lower portion 1

can be easily adapted to the desired film format despite the great number of film formats. The above-mentioned marking of the recesses lc in the lower portion 1 , associated with each film format, makes han¬ dling even easier.

In the front inner wall If, recesses Id are provided into which noz¬ zles of a sheet-film removal means (not illustrated) can enter, which are directed towards the front edge of the sheet film and serve for separating the individual film sheets.

Each supply magazine 1 , 2 is provided at one outer end wall with printed data and a machine-readable code associated with the film for¬ mat set.

Contrary to the embodiment shown, the projections of the plug-in bars 5 and 6 can also be circular 5b or rectangular 5c, as shown in Fig. 5.

Although the design of the plug-in bars 5 and 6 with projections 5a and 5b and 5c, respectively, and 6a, and the ball-shaped elevations 5d is advantageous because they are injection-molded, the plug-in bars may also have different shapes. The plug-in bars facing the size-defining side can, for instance, have a surface (not illustrated) which connects the projections ^' 5a and 5b, and 5c, respectively, and 6a, is substan¬ tially uninterrupted and straight or slightly concave, and also ensures easy loading of the supply magazine 1 , 2.

Instead of plug-in bars, plugs can be used (not shown) which are placed into the recesses lc and 2a, respectively, of the lower portion 1 and the cover 2, respectively. Such plugs may have a cross-section as shown, for instance, in Figs. 4 to 6.