I'm trying to track down the original patent for the film cassette
used in the pre-M series style Leica cameras. My Leica reference
refers to them as
Film Magazine Model A thru Model D, the latest model before the M
series was released.
A similar cassette was available for Contax cameras as well as for
early model Canon and Nikon camera. The earliest reference in the
patent literature that I can find is a comment within a patent on a
film loading system patented by E. Leitz in 1940 but applied for in
Germany in 1935 ( patent #2205052 )which used the phrase "the film
cassette is of a well known construction ... " The cassette is not
shown in this patent.
It is functionally different from the Kodak patent for the 35mm film
cassette issued at about this time or a little earlier.
Hope this is not too far off topic.
Thanks,
James
James Schenken
