Relatively short sections of photographic roll films (such sections can consist of a single film frame or of two or another small number of film frames) are provided with elongated strip-shaped extensions for convenient transport through a copying machine. Extensions are severed from the leader of a roll of convoluted flexible material having a width matching the desired length of an extension, and one end of a freshly severed extension is caused to overlap one end of a film section so that the extent of overlap is not more than the width of a frame line between two neighboring frames of a roll film. One side of each extension is fully coated with a layer of hotmelt, and the extension is sealed to the respective film section by a narrow elongated heating element which is moved against the overlapping ends of the film section and the properly oriented extension. The roll can be subdivided into wider or narrower extensions, depending upon the width of film sections which are to be connected with extensions.

An apparatus for unloading a length of film from a cartridge, trimming the ends from the film, splicing the leading edge of the film to the trailing edge of the previously unloaded film, placing an identifying mark on the film and on an envelope and winding the film on a magazine. The unloading device allows the film to be removed from the cartridge by manually pulling the sheet of backing paper from the film in the daylight while shielding the film from light. The cartridge is locked to the loading device until all of the film in the cartridge has been loaded through a film guide into a storage box. The leading edge of the film is then trimmed by upward movement of a cutting blade allowing the film to advance through an aperture in the cutting blade until the trailing edge is trimmed by downward movement of the cutting blade. The splicer for securing the film to the previously unloaded film includes a heated press for applying heat and pressure to the film and to a length of conventional heat seal tape which is selectively fed from a reel positioned to one side of the film guide. An identifying number is then photographically recorded on the film while the same number is being printed on an envelope to insure proper registry of the film and envelope. The position of the film at various points is detected by infrared sensors, and the film is moved by stepping motors which are actuated by a microprocessor based control system responsive to inputs from the position sensors.

A daylight film processing apparatus for removing an end cap of a cassette containing an exposed film and capturing the spool and film pushed outwardly therefrom so that the film can be suitably trimmed and identified and spliced to the tail of a next-preceding film and wound therewith onto a reel in a light-tight container for transfer to subsequent film processing equipment.

A pneumatic thread or yarn knotless joining apparatus for installation on the winding positions of an automatic bobbin winding machine is provided with its own reversible electric stepping motor to cause stepwise rotation of the group of controlling drum cams firstly in an outward direction starting from a starting position and then in the return direction for controlling the synchronized movements of the various movable members. This cam group includes a cam of progressively increasing contour, preferably of stepped shape, for controlling the movement of the levers which withdraw the pretreated thread or yarn ends from the preparation members in the direction of the splicing chamber so as to be able to regulate, by choice of the number of advancement steps set, and hence the point reached on the contour of the cam, the extent of movement of the withdrawal levers from their rest position and hence the desired length by which the thread or yarn ends are superposed upon feeding into the splicing chamber the compressed air jet for making the knotless joint.

There is disclosed herein a photoprocessing system for receiving film and processing it into the final prints. The system particularly includes modifications to the film printer for encoding identification numbers onto the roll of prints which can key sets of prints to the respective film. Also, a film advance system is disclosed wherein the film is stopped during the printing process to allow a bar code to be read from each film of a roll of films. Additionally, an automated packaging machine is disclosed wherein the prints from a roll of prints are cut apart by a continuously running knife system. A film accumulator for cutting apart and stacking sections of film after it has been printed is disclosed, as is a batch management computer system for maintaining a file of information pertaining to the film, order envelope and print processing taking place.