CA1063413A

CA1063413A - Photographic processor with magnetic film carriage drive

Info

Publication number: CA1063413A
Application number: CA264,916A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Vivian D. Krehbiel
Original assignee: Kreonite Inc
Current assignee: Kreonite Inc
Priority date: 1976-02-02
Filing date: 1976-11-04
Publication date: 1979-10-02
Also published as: FR2339882A1; AU1925776A; LU76097A1; AU509622B2; GB1559200A; IT1075786B; SE7612076L; CH618526A5; BE847875A; NL7612077A; DE2649498A1; JPS5295226A

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for developing both black and white and color photographic film using adjacently disposed elongated vertical tanks mounted in an enclosed housing. Each tank adapted to contain a selected film treating fluid agent. The film to be pho-tographically processed is attached to a carrier having a magnetic element mounted thereon. The carrier with the trailing film is inserted into an infeed port In the front of the housing which is adjacent to one of the terminal tanks. An endless chain mounted on chain sprockets having magnets mounted thereon is disposed adjacent the outer sides of said tanks and is magnetically respon-sive to the magnetic element mounted on the carrier. The film is processed by the carrier being magnetically guided by the magnets mounted on the endless chain through the sequence of tanks and our a discharge port in the rear of the housing.

Description

`` 1~63413 This invention relates generally to film processing and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a film processing apparatus using magnetic attraction to guide the film through a series of vertical elongated tanks mounted in a housing, the tanks containing film treating fluid agents.
Heretofore in the developing of black and white and color photo-graphic film, the film is processed in a darkroom wherein the film is passed from one treating solution to another. The treati~g solutions are contained in large individual tanks. When this process is completed the film is washed and dried. Each step of this type of film developing is done by hand, there-fore, the process is time consuming. Because the equipment may require adjust-ment and changes done in the darkroom this also requires additional time.
Also the open top tanks allow the sensitive treating agents to be exposed to excessive oxidation, thereby causing added expense in replacing the agents.
; Recently a novel photographic film developing apparatus was intro-- duced using a spirally wound tube wherein each convolution contains a select-ed film treating fluid agent. A carriage having a magnetic element mounted thereon is used to traverse the spiral tube pulling the film behind. The ` carriage is guided through the convolutions of the tube using a vertically reciprocating bar magnet which is magnetically responsive to the magnetic element on the carriage. Also the carriage can be guided through the tube - using a magnet attached to a conveyor belt disposed adjacent the inner circumference of the convolutions of the tube. The subject invention as ~` herein described is similar in some aspects to these photographic film developing apparatuses but provides additional advantages and novel structure never disclosed heretofore.
The invention provides a photographic film processing apparatus comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a series of vertical elongated tanks mounted in said housing, said tanks disposed adjacent to each other, said tanks hav-3Q ing a ~attom portion, and an open top portion, said tanks adapted to contain a selected film treating fluid agent; (c) at least o~e carrier including a . metallic element magnetically responsive and mounted thereon, said carrier

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.. ... , . . ~ ...... . - - -1(~63~13 dimensioned to traverse the interior of said tanks; (d) releasable grip means mounted on said carrier for releasably gripping one end of a length of film with the film maintained in trailing relation to said carrier; and (e) magnetic guide means disposed adjacent the outer surface of said tanks and magnetically responsive to the metallic element of said carrier, said guide means operative for guiding said carrier through the elongated lengths of said tanks thereby subjecting the film to a succession of the film treating fluid agents in said tanks in predetermined order.
From another aspect, the invention provides a method of processing photographic film, the steps comprising: (a) attaching one end of a film to be photographically processed to a carrier, the carrier having a metallic element magnetically responsive and mounted thereon; (b) feeding said carrier with the film maintained in trailing relationship into an infeed port of a housing, said housing containing adjacently disposed elongated vertical tanks having an open top portion and a bottom portion, the infeed port communicating ;`` with a first terminal tank, each tank containing a selected film treating .
~` fluid agent; (c) guiding the carrier through the sequence of tanks containing the selected film treating fluid agent by an endless chain mounted on chain sprockets, said endless chain having at least one magnet disposed adjacent the sides of said tanks and magnetically responsive to the magnetic element of the carrier; and (d) discharging the carrier from the second terminal tank and through a discharge port in the housing thereby completing the developing process of the film.
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The disclosed apparatus for processing photographic film minimizes ; waste and oxidation of the sensitive film treating fluid agents. The film s processing apparatus is adaptable for both black and white or color film :!~, having various lengths and widths such as 8mm to 70mm roll film as well as 4 inch by 5 inch sheet film. The apparatus is easy to clean and maintain and operates efficiently to greatly reduce the handling time required to process 3Q fil~. The subject invention also eliminates processing film by hand and theinadvertent treating of film with th~ wrong film treating agent or the mixing together of the different film treating agents. The tanks containing :: : -1~)63~13 individual film treating agents can be automatically replenished according to the size film. Also the temperature of the tanks is preferably controlled by circulating pumps and heat exchangers. Continuous lengths of film can be processed without film drag. The film drag is eliminated through the use of drive and idle rollers coacting with the film carrier as the film traverses the lengths of the individual tanks. The film attached to the carrier is self-threading in the tanks and eliminates the need of splicing a leader to one end of the film prior to processing the film. The length of travel of the film in each individual tank is adjustable so that a process can be used to - 10 compensate for a film that has been over exposed or under exposed. The disclosed apparatus includes an enclosed housing having an infeed port and a discharge port. Inside the housing are mounted open top vertical tanks, disposed adjacent to each other and adapted to contain selected film treating agents. Each of the terminal tanks are adjacent the infeed port and discharge port of the housing. A magnetic carrier having a releasable film clip mount--; ed thereon is used to guide the film in a trailing relation through the infeed pDrl. he carrier with the trailing film .~'~' .
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~ )63~13 is magnetically guided through the elongated lengths of the tanks by a magnet attached to an endless chain mounted on motor driven chain sprockets.
~ igure 1 is a side view of the photographic film processing apparatus housing.
~ igure 2 is a top view of the housing.
Figure 3 is a top view of the housing taken along section lines

3-3 shown in Pigure 1.
- E; igure 4 is a side view of the housing taken along section 10 lines 4-4 shown in ~igure 2.
Figure 5 is a front view of the housing taken along section lines 5-5 shown in E; igure 2.
~- ~igure 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the carrier, film, film clip, and a portion of the endless chàin with the magnet mounted thereon.
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igure 7 is a front view of the housing.

igure 8 is a rear view of the housing.
- ,, Figure 9 is a rear view of the housing.
Pigure 10 shows a bottom view of the tank divider and idler 20 roller mounted in the tankO
~ igure 11 is a sectional view of the drive roller rotatably mounted to the upper chain sprocket.
igure 12 is a front sectional view of the housing showing the ,, .
, tanks having the same lengths with adjustable dividers mounted therein.

In Figure 1 the film treating apparatus is characterized by `~ general reference numeral 10. The apparatus 10 includes an en-~, , ..
`~ closed housing 12 with elongated vertical tanks 14 mounted adjacent .
to each other and shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. Each individual ' J 30 tank 14 is adapted to contain various types of film treating agents.

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63~13 Upper idle chain sprockets 18 and lower idle chain sprockets 19 are mounted on a side portion 16 of the tanks 14. An endless chain 20 is mounted on the sprockets 18 and 190 A drive motor which is not shown in the drawings is attached to a drive sprocket 22 which is used in driving the chain 20 at a constant speed on the sprockets 18 and 19. Magnets 24 are rotatably attached to the endless chain 20 in a spaced relationship. The magnets 24 are disposed against the side portion 16 of the tanks 14 and are magnetically responsive to a film carrier shown in :Figure 2.
In ~igure 1 it can be seen that the upper chain sprockets 18 and lower chain sprockets 19 are positioned in various posi-tions depending on the length of the tanks 14. The endless chain - 20 travels in a serpentine fashion adjacent the side portion 16 of the tanks 14 starting at the top o:E the tanks 14, down the length of the tanks 14, around the lower chain sprockets 19, upward along the length of the tanks 14, and around the upper chain sprockets 18. Through the use of the serpentine type of travel by the end-less chain 20, the attached magnets 24 guide the film carrier . inside the tanks 14 and through the various lengths of the tanks 14.
; 20 An infeed ramp housing 26 is attached to a front portion 28 : .
; of the housing 12. A film supply reel 30 is rotatably mounted on a hinged portion 32 of the ramp housing 26. A discharge ramp housing ' 34 is attached to a rear portion 36 of the housing 12. A film take-:. up reel 38 is rotatably mounted on the discharge ramp housing 34 for receiving the developed film from the apparatus 10.
, The housing ~2 is completely enclosed except for the infeed ; port and discharge port which are shown in Figure 4. In ~igure 1 a side of the housing 12 has been cutaway to show the endless chain .:
20 and sprockets 18 and 19 attached to the sides 16 o~ the tanks 14.
In ~igure 2 a top view of the apparatus 10 is shown with the

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- 10639~13 top of the housing 12 removed to expose an open top portion 40 of the tanks 14. Drive rollers 42 are positioned above and between each tank 14 and are attached to the sides of the housing 12 and rota-` tably attached to the upper chain sprockets 18.
In this view a film carrier 44 can be seen attached to a trailing film 46 as it starts to ride over a drive roller 42. Also another film carrier 44 can be seen positioned on an infeed ramp 480 In this position the film carrier 44 is ready tO start a new film 46 into the apparatus 10 tO be developedO Shown in dotted lines is 10 the hinge portion 32 of the infeed ramp housing 26, and the supply reel 30 pivoted away from the front of the infeed ramp housing 26.
In this position various sizes and lengths of film can be fed into the apparatus 10 without having to use the supply reel 30.
An opposite side portion 50 of the housing 12 is shown with -~ film treating agent filters 52 mounted thereon. The filters 52 are used to filter any foreign particles from the film treating agents as the agents are circulated and replenished in the tanks 14.
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A control panel 54 is shown mounted on the rear portion 36 ~ of the housing 12 for operating the fil~ treating apparatus 10. Adja-`; 20 cent the takeup reel 38 is a discharge ramp 53 which receives the carriers 44 from the discharge port.
In ~igure 3 a sectional view of the apparatus 10 is seen taken along lines 3-3 shown in F igure 1. In this view a bottom portion 56 of the tanks 14 can be seen with a sectional view of tank dividers 58 mounted in the middle of each tank 14.
The lower idle sprockets 19 attached to the outside of the side portion 16 of the tanks 14 are disposed adjacent the lower por-,3. tion of the tank dividers 58. Also seen in this view is a top view of temperature control boxes 60 used for controlling the temperature of - ~;j 30 the fihn treating agents.

., . . . , ~ ~ . . ' ' ~63413 l~igure 4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus 10 taken along lines 4-4 shown in ~igure 20 In this view a continuous length of film 46 can be seen being fed from the supply reel 30, through an infeed port 57, traversing down and up the various lengths of tanks 14, through a discharge port 59 and received on the takeup reel 380 Each of the tanks dividers 58 are mounted in the center of each tank 14. Idle rollers 64 are mounted on a lower end portion 62 of the tank dividers 58. By adjusting the length of the dividers 58, the distance between the idle rollers 64 and the drive rollers 42 is 10 varied. By adjusting the dividers 58 and the lower idle sprockets 19 the length of time the film 46 is exposed to the film treating agents in any particular tank 14 can be increased or decreased. As mentioned above the drive rollers 42 are driven by the upper chain sprockets 18.
The idle rollers 64 are not connected to the lower chain sprockets 19, but are adjacent thereto to aid the carrier 44 in guiding the film 46 through the lower portion of the tanks 14.
In figure 4 the tanks 14 include a terminal tank 14a which is used for holding a developer solution. The next tank 14b is used for a bleaching agent. Tank 14c is used for a rinse solution. Tank 14d ;
20 contains a fixer solut ion. Tank 14e includes a wash solution~ Tank -` 14f contains a stabilizer agent. The last tank is terminal tank 14g ~ which is used for drying the film 46.
; I While the above described tanks 14 disclose one process for develop~ng the film 46 it should be understood there are other types - . .
of film developing agents and processes that could be used equally ; well in conjunction with a greater or lesser number of tanks 14.
i ~, The tank~ 14-are shown having various lengths. As described under .. . .
igure 12 the tanks 14 may all be of the same length f or simplicity in manufacturing and interchangeability~

~, 30 In Figure 5 a front sectional view of the apparatus 10 is shown ., and taken along lines 5-S shown in ~igure 2. In this figure a side view of the chain 20, upper idle sprocket 18, lower idle sprocket 19, and the magnet 24 attached to the chain 20 can be seen. Adja-cent to the magnet 24 and on the inside of the tank 14 is the carr-ier 44 with the film 46 in a trailing relationship. By magnetic attraction between the carrier 44 and the magnet 24 attached to the endless chain 20 the film has been guided down the tank 14, around the idle roller 64, and moved upward toward the drive roller 42 which will be used to aid the carrier 44 in guiding the film 46 into the next adjacent tank 14.
In Pigure 6 an enlarged view of the film carrier 44 is seen.
The carrier 44 includes a base 66 which houses a metallic element that is magnetically responsive or a magnetic element therein. A
carrier arm 68 is intergrally formed in the base 66 and extends outwardly therefrom. The arm 68 is positioned transverse to the :~;
~ length of the tank 14 and includes grooved portions 70 around its , . . .
annular surface ~or receiving a film clip 72.
'-`1 The film clip 72 includes a first end portion 74 which is used to releasabky grip the trailing film 46. A second end portion 76 20 includes a semi-circular ring for releasably securing the clip 72 to the grooved portion 70 of the arm 68. Depending on the size and length of the film 46, a single clip 72 or a plurality of clips 72 can be attached to the grooved portions 70 of the carrier 44.
The base 66 of the carrier 44 includes a flat surface 78 having small buttons 80 protruding outwardly therefrom. The but-tons 80 ride against an inside surface 82 of the tank 14 and reduces ~, the ~riction as the carrier 44 slides against the inside of the tank 14.
The magnet 24 is enclosed in a magnet housing 840 The housing 84 includes a snap-on cover 86 which can be replaced due J 30 to frictional wear from rubbing against the sides of tanks 14. The : . : ---- 106;~13 housing 84 includes an integrally formed arm 88 which is rotatably pinned to a chainlink 90. The chainlink 90 is attached to the end-- less chain 20. The arm 88 and chainlink 90 coact in allowing the magnet 24 t o rotate outwardly as the chain 20 meshes with the upper sprockets 18 and lower sprockets 19. By allowing the magnet 24 to rotate outwardly the carrier 44 is provided with clearance as it is guided around the idle rollers 84 and drive rollers 42 with the film 46 in a trailing relationship.
Figure 7 illustrates a front view of the apparatus 10 lO showing front portion 28 of the housing 120 Attached tO the front portion 28 is the infeed ramp housing 26. In this view the supply reel 30 has been pivoted on hinge portion 32 away from the front of the infeed ramp housing 26. A carrier 44 is shown mounted on the infeed ramp 48 and in position to be fed into the infeed port 57.
Pigure 8 illustrates a rear view of the apparatus 10 showing the rear portion 36 of the housing 12. In this view the control panel 54 can be seen adjacent the discharge ramp housing 34. A carrier 44 can be seen on the discharge ramp 59 with the developed film 46 suspended therefromO
In Figure 9 an opposite side view of the apparatus 10 is seen illustrating side portion 50 of the housing 12. In this view the fil-` ters 52 can be seen mounted on the housing along with the temper-ature control boxes 60, film treating agent circulating pumps 92, and heat exchangers 94. The pumps 92 are used tO continuously circulate the film treating agents in the tanks 14 and to replenish the tanks with additional film treating agents. The heat exchangers ' 94 are used to regulate the temperature of the film treating agents in ~- conjunction with the temperature control boxes 60.
In l~igure 10 a bottom view of the tank divider 58 with the idle 30 roller 64 rotatably mounted thereon is seen. The divider 58 is slid-_9_ 1~363~13 ably mounted inside the tank 14. It should be noted that both the idle roller 64 and the divider 58 are concave in design so that a minimum of surface area contacts the film 46. In this view a cross section of a portion of the film 46 is seen disposed adjacent the divider 58. It can be seen that the surface area of the film 46 contacts only a por-tion of the divider 58 on the outer edges of the film 46.
In ~igure 11 a sectional view of a portion of the side 82 of the tank 14 and the upper sprocket 18 is shown. The drive roller 42 in-cludes a shaft 96 which extends through the side 82 of the tank 14.
The upper chain sprocket 18 is attached to the shaft 96 and rotates the drive roller 42 as it is driven by the endless conveyor chain 20. -Both the upper chain sprockets 18 and the lower chain sprockets 19 ~; are positioned against the sides of the tanks 14 by a sprocket housing 98 which is bonded to the surface of the sides of the tanks 14 ~ ~igure 12 is a sectional side view of the apparatus 10 and is- similar to l~igure 4. In l~igure 12 the tanks 14 are illustrated with each tank having the same leng~h. To determine the time that the film 46 is exposed to the film treating agent in any particular tank the tank divider 58 can be adjusted inside the individual tanks 14.
- 20 In this figure, a portion of the divlders 58 and the idle roller 64 are seen in dotted lines. This is to illustrate the adjustability of the apparatus 10 in overexposing or underexposing the film 46 to a par-ticular film treating agent in one of the tanks 14. The length of tra-vel of the film 46 in the tanks 14 is adjusted by removing the divider ~` 58 and idle roller 64 and either inserting a longer or shorter divider 58. For minor adjustments of length of travel, the divider 58 can be simply moved up or down in the tank 14 and the adjacent lower ' chain sprocket 19 adjusted to be adjacent the new position of ~he idle roller 64.
-, 30 In operation, the apparatus 10 is started at control panel 54.
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., , 1~63~13 The film 46 to be processed may be mounted on the supply reel 30 or fed into the apparatus 10 by hand. One end of the film 46 is clipped onto the carrier 44 by film clip 72. The carrier 44 is inserted into the infeed ramp housing 26. The base 66 of the carrier 44 is in-serted into the infeed ramp 48. The carrier 44 is urged downward on the ramp 48 by magnetic attraction from the chain magnet 240 The endless chain 20 with the magnets 24 rotatably attached ; thereto begin to traverse along with sides of the tank 14. The mag-nets 24 are guided past the infeed port 570 When this happens the magnet 24 attracts the magnetic element of the carrier 44 through the side of the tank 14 and draws the carrier 44 with the trailing film ; 46 into the housing 12. The carrier 44 is now guided by the magnet - ~ 24 over a drive roller 42 and into terminal tank 14a. The carrier 44 with the trailing film 46 are guided down the tank 14a and past the idle roller 64 attached to the tank divider 58. The carrier 44 and the trailing film 46 now move upward on the opposite side of the tank 14a and divider 58 until the c~rrier 44 is guided over a drive roller 42 which is positioned above the top of the open portion of the tank 14a.
` The drive roller 42 is positioned between the tank 14a and 14b. The -~
drive roller 42 assists the carrier 44 in guiding the trailing film 46 into the next tank 14b and prevents the film 46 from dragging as it traverses the inside of the tanks 14. The carrier 44 and the film ~ 46 now traverse down and up the adjacent tanks 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, - -7 14f, and finally to 14g where the carrier and the trailing film are .
dried and discharged out the discharge port 59. By magnetic attrac-~, tion the carrier 44 is urged downward on the ramp 53 where the ^ de~eloped film 46 is removed from the carrier 44 and fed onto ~ - -the takeup reel 38.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A photographic film processing apparatus comprising:
(a) a housing;
(b) a series of vertical elongated tanks mounted in said housing, said tanks disposed adjacent to each other, said tanks having a bottom portion, and an open top portion, said tanks adapted to con-tain a selected film treating fluid agent;
(c) at least one carrier including a metallic element magneti-cally responsive and mounted thereon, said carrier dimensioned to traverse the interior of said tanks;
(d) releasable grip means mounted on said carrier for releasably gripping one end of a length of film with the film maintained in trail ing relation to said carrier; and (e) magnetic guide means disposed adjacent the outer surface of said tanks and magnetically responsive to the metallic element of said carrier, said guide means operative for guiding said carrier through the elongated lengths of said tanks thereby subjecting the film to a succession of the film treating fluid agents in said tanks in predetermined order.

2. The apparatus as described in Claim 1 further including rollers disposed above the open top portions and in the bottom por-tions of said tanks, said rollers contacting the film and aiding said magnetic guide means in guiding said carrier through the elongated lengths of said tanks.

3. The apparatus as described in Claim 2, wherein said rollers include idler rollers disposed in the bottom portion of said tanks and drive rollers disposed above the top portion of said tanks and therebetween.

4. The apparatus as described in Claim 3 further including tank dividers, said dividers disposed inside said tanks and having said idler rollers attached at the lower end thereof, said dividers positioned in said tanks so that said carrier is guided by said guide means down one side of said dividers and up the other side of said divider.

5. The apparatus as described in Claim 4, wherein said tank dividers are adjustable along the length of said tanks so that said tank dividers adjust the length between the drive rollers and idler rollers thereby controlling the length of time the film is ex-posed to the film treating fluid agents in each tank.

6. The apparatus as described in Claim 1, wherein said magnetic guide means includes an endless chain mounted on chain sprockets, said chain sprockets attached to the outer sides of said tanks and disposed adjacent the top portion and bottom portion of said tanks, said endless chain having at least one magnet attached thereto, said magnet responsive to the magnetic element of said carrier.

7. A photographic film processing apparatus comprising:
(a) an enclosed housing, having an infeed port and a discharge port for receiving the film therein and discharging it therefrom;
(b) a series of vertical elongated tanks mounted in said housing, said tanks disposed adjacent to each other, said tanks having a bottom portion and an open top portion, one of said terminal tanks disposed adjacent the infeed port of said housing for receiving the film, the other terminal tank disposed adjacent the discharge port of said housing for discharging the film therefrom, said tanks adapted to contain a selected film treating fluid agent;

(c) at least one carrier including a magnetic element mounted thereon, said carrier dimensioned to traverse the interior of said tanks;
(d) releasable grip means mounted on said carrier for release ably gripping one end of a length of film with the film maintained in a trailing relation to said carrier; and (e) an endless chain mounted on a motor driven chain sprocket and idle chain sprocket, said chain sprocket attached to the outer side of said tanks and disposed above and adjacent the top portion of said tanks and adjacent the bottom portion of said tanks, said endless chain having at least one magnet attached thereto, said magnet magnet-ically responsive to the magnetic element of said carrier for guiding said carrier through the elongated lengths of said tanks thereby sub-jecting the film to a succession of the film treating fluid agents in predetermined order.

8. The apparatus as described in Claim 7, further including drive rollers disposed above the top portions of said tanks and therebetween, said drive rollers attached to the sides of said hous-ing and rotatably attached to said chain sprockets, said drive rollers contacting the film and aiding said carriers in guiding the trailing film from one of said tanks to the next adjacent tank,

9. The apparatus as described in Claim 8, further including tank dividers, said dividers disposed inside said tank and having idler rollers rotatably attached at the lower end thereof, said divi-ders positioned in said tanks so that said idler rollers contact the film and aid said carrier in guiding the trailing film down one side of said divider and up the opposite side of said divider.

10. The apparatus as described in Claim 9, wherein said tank dividers are adjustable along the length of said tanks so that the length between the drive rollers and idler rollers can be adjusted thereby controlling the length of time the film is exposed to the film treating fluid agent in each tank.

11. The apparatus as described in Claim 7, wherein said carrier includes a base and an elongated arm attached to said base and extending outwardly therefrom, said base having said magnetic element mounted therein, said base disposed adjacent an inner side of said tank and magnetically responsive to said magnet attached to said endless chain disposed on the outer side of said tank and adjacent thereto, said arm positioned transverse to the length of said tank.

12. The apparatus as described in Claim 11, wherein said releasable grip means is a film clip, one end of said clip attached to said arm of said carrier, the other end of said clip releasably attached to one end of the length of film.

13. The apparatus as described in Claim 7, wherein said endless chain is driven at a constant speed and the distance between the drive rollers and the idler rollers is determined by the time required for the film to be exposed to the film treating agent contained in said tanks.

14. The apparatus as described in Claim 7, further including an infeed ramp attached to said housing and disposed adjacent the infeed port, said infeed ramp dimensioned to support said carrier thereon in aligned relation to additional carriers for feeding said carriers into the infeed port.

15. The apparatus as described in Claim 7, further including a discharge ramp, said discharge ramp attached to said housing and disposed adjacent the discharge port, said discharge ramp receiving said carrier from the discharge port and dimensioned to support said carrier thereon in aligned relation to additional carriers received from the discharge port.

16. A method of processing photographic film, the steps comprising:
(a) attaching one end of a film to be photographically pro-cessed to a carrier, the carrier having a metallic element mag-netically responsive and mounted thereon;
(b) feeding said carrier with the film maintained in trailing relationship into an infeed port of a housing, said housing containing adjacently dispcsed elongated vertical tanks having an open top por-tion and a bottom portion, the infeed port communicating with a first terminal tank, each tank containing a selected film treating fluid agent;
(c) guiding the carrier through the sequence of tanks con-taining the selected film treating fluid agent by an endless chain mounted on chain sprockets, said endless chain having at least one magnet disposed adjacent the sides of said tanks and magnetically responsive to the magnetic element of the carrier; and (d) discharging the carrier from the second terminal tank and through a discharge port in the housing thereby completing the developing process of the film.