EP0103012B1

EP0103012B1 - Film processor

Info

Publication number: EP0103012B1
Application number: EP19830901279
Authority: EP
Inventors: Donald J. Sulesky; William A. Holmes
Original assignee: Polaroid Corp
Current assignee: Polaroid Corp
Priority date: 1982-03-01
Filing date: 1983-02-28
Publication date: 1987-05-27
Also published as: EP0103012A1; WO1983003146A1; EP0103012A4; DE3371822D1; JPS59500290A; JPH035734B2

Abstract

There is a need for an apparatus for processing a roll of 35 mm transparency film which is compact, inexpensive, easy to use and attractive to the amateur photographer who desires to process his own film. An apparatus is disclosed for in situ processing of a roll of film (142) by applying processing fluid (130) from a rupturable container (128) to a strip of sheet material (112) which is then brought into superposition with the film. The apparatus is provided with a mechanism (252) for rupturing the container of processing fluid, take-up roller (40) for storing the film in superposition with the sheet material and a device (198) for separating the film.

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for processing rolls of 35mm transparency film.
The present invention relates to apparatus for processing a roll of 35mm transparency film and, more particularly, to such apparatus which is compact, inexpensive, easy to use and especially attractive to the amateur photographer who desires to process his own film.
Lately, interest has been expressed in such apparatus. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,309,100, 4,307,955, 4,272,178, 4,212,527 and 4,167,318 show film processing apparatus which are adapted for use in the processing of rolls of 35mm transparency film. Also, see pages 53 and 54 of RESEARCH DISCLOSURE, dated January 1981. While these apparatus have desirable features, they do not provide for low cost and ease of operation. For example, the apparatus disclosed in the U.S. patents, with the exception of the one taught by U.S. patent 4,167,318, require a cutter for severing the film from its attachment to its film spool, thereby adding to its cost. Further, only the apparatus of U.S. patent 4,307,955 recognizes the advantages of simplicity of loading, the apparatus being designed for use with a processing kit. Still further examples are the apparatus described in U.S. patent 4,212,527 which includes an extendable dark chamber for receiving the film after it has been treated with a processing composition, thereby adding to its cost and overall size. The apparatus described in U.S. patent 4,167,318 is rather large in comparison to the size of the film cassette used therein. Its operation requires the complete removal of the film from the film cassette before it can be processed. This adds to the cost of the apparatus as it requires. a control circuit for the detection of the trailing end of the exposed film with its associated container of processing composition.
The invention is based on an apparatus for processing a roll of film coiled on a spool in a cassette by means of a kit positionable into the apparatus, the kit comprising a housing, a container of processing liquid, a processing liquid dispenser cooperating with the container and a roller supporting a strip of sheet material, wound upon said roller, the apparatus comprising: a housing having means for retaining the kit such that a free end of the sheet material may be joined with a free end of the film, the housing of the apparatus including a door movable between open and closed positions.
An apparatus of this kind is known from US-A-4307955, wherein the exposed film is introduced into the housing of said kit and is coated and coiled in superposition with said liquid coated sheet material within the housing of the kit. During movement within the housing effected by an electromotor a continuous coat of processing composition is laid on the gel coated surface of the sheet material. The problem underlying the invention is to provide a compact apparatus for processing rolls of exposed 35mm film, which is simple to handle and can be manufactured at low costs.
Said problem is solved by the features described in the characterizing part of claim 1.
The apparatus of the invention automatically protects the film before and during processing by locking, the loading door of the apparatus in its closed position to insure the lighttightness of the apparatus before the film is withdrawn from its cassette and during its processing; and, withdrawal of the film from the cassette is prevented until the processing liquid is ready to be used in the process. To keep the costs as low as possible the apparatus is manually operable, rather than by an electrical motor.
The invention relates to apparatus for processing a photographic film assemblage of the type which includes a film cassette containing therein a roll of 35mm transparency film. The film cassette is preferably configured to be readily insertable into a conventional 35mm still camera. The apparatus includes a lighttight housing having a loading door which is pivotally mounted for movement between open and closed positions. The housing is constructed to receive a film processing kit which comprises a housing of two sections movable between open and closed positions, a roller having a length of flexible sheet material wound thereupon, a container of processing liquid, and a dispenser. The apparatus also includes structure for supporting a film cassette containing a roll of exposed film, and a take-up roller which receives the free ends of the sheet material and the film to wind in superposition onto the take-up roller.
Mounted along one side of the housing of the apparatus is a gearbox containing a power transmission system including a plurality of gears, clutches and drives. One of the drives is adapted to drive the take-up roller during a processing operation while the drive is disconnected from the film spool and the roller of the sheet material. Conversely, two of the drives are adapted to drive the film spool and sheet material roller during a post processing operation while allowing the take-up roller to freewheel.
The apparatus further includes a rack and sector gear arrangement which incorporates a lost motion feature. After the film cassette and film processing kit have been loaded into the apparatus and the leading or free ends of the film and sheet material have been attached to the take-up roller, the loading door is closed to render the apparatus lighttight. A manually operable lever is then rotated through an angle of approximately ninety-five degrees into a processing position. During the first part of such rotation, the sector gear drives the rack in a rearward direction relative to the take-up roller. The rack includes an inwardly extending arm which was located within a recess in one of the two sections of the kit housing during loading of the kit into the processor. As the rack moves rearwardly, its arm moves the one section in a corresponding direction thereby opening and kit and exposing the container of processing liquid. Continued rotation of the lever results in a roller being pivoted in to an opening increasing in size as the housing section of the kit continues its rearward movement. The roller is pivoted into engagement with the container and ruptures it; thus the viscous processing liquid flows into the dispenser. Simultaneously with the rearward movement of the rack, the loading door is locked in its closed position and the power transmission system is controlled such that any subsequent power input by a manually operable crank is directed to the take-up roller. Rotation of the crank drives the take-up roller in a direction which unwinds the sheet material from its roller and the film from its spool. As the sheet material is unwound from its spool, it passes beneath the dispenser where a coating of the processing liquid is applied to a gelatin coated surface of the sheet material. That coated surface is then moved into engagement with the emulsion side of the exposed film and directed between a pair of pressure applying rollers to form a laminate which is subsequently wound upon the take-up roller. The laminate remains wrapped upon the take-up roller for a period of time sufficient to form visible images in the laminate, preferably on the film.
After the period of time has elapsed, the operator rotates the lever in an opposite direction to its original position. Such rotation moves the roller out of the kit and the rack forwardly into its original position. During forward movement of the rack its arm moves the one housing section of the kit into closing relation with the other housing section as the roller moves out of the kit. At the same time the rack unlatches the loading door and shifts the power transmission system so that any power input from the crank is transmitted to the sheet material roller and the film spool rather than to the take-up roller. The crank is rotated in the same direction as during the processing operation. The rotation drives the sheet material roller and the film spool in directions which unwind the laminate from the take-up roller. The film is stripped from the sheet material and both are rewound upon their spool and roller, respectively. Thereafter the loading door of the processor may be opened, the kit containing the used sheet material and any residue of the processing operation may be removed and safely discarded, and the processed film may be removed from its cassette. The individual frames of the processed film may then be cut and mounted in frames for viewing.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, references should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, the apparatus being shown with its loading door in a closed position, certain parts being omitted or sectioned for clarity;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a lost motion system;
Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of the apparatus' power transmission system and its relation to various other elements which are part of or usable with the instant invention;
Fig. 6 is a partly exploded perspective view of a disposable film processing kit which is especially adapted for use with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 6a is a side elevational view of a portion of the film processing kit.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a preferred form of apparatus 10 for processing a roll of exposed film the film preferably being of the 35mm transparency film. The apparatus 10 comprises a housing 12 having a loading door 14 pivotally coupled at one end by a pair of pins 16 (only one shown) which extend outwardly from opposite side walls 18 and 20 of the housing 12 and are received by apertures 22 (only one shown) in the loading door 14. Movement of the loading door 14 into its closed position (Fig. 2) renders the housing 12 lighttight.
A generally planar support 24 extends between the side wall 18 and a side wall 26 of a gearbox 28. The support is provided with a first opening 30 through which a spring-biased plate 32 extends, a second opening 34 through which a portion of a roller 36 penetrates, and a third opening 38 through which a portion of a take-up roller 40 extends. The roller 36 and the take-up roller 40 are mounted for rotation about their axes by means not shown.
The apparatus 10 also includes means for locating a film processing kit 42 into its proper position relative to other elements of the apparatus 10. These means include an L-shaped flange 44 which extends inwardly from the side wall 26, an arm 46 which extends at a right angle to a rack 48 (Fig. 4), a pair of cams 50 (only one shown) located adjacent opposite sides of the horizontal support 24, and a plate 52 which extends along the side wall 18.
The film processing kit (Fig. 6) includes a housing consisting of a first section 54 and a second section 56 which telescopically receives the first section 54. The first section includes a top wall 58, an end wall 60, and a bottom wall 62. The end wall 60 (Fig. 2) includes a passageway 64 formed by a generally horizontal flange 66 and a vertical flange 68 for receiving the arm 46 of the rack 48. The bottom wall 62, which has a length slightly less than half that of the top wall 58, includes a laterally spaced pair of fingers 70 and 72 the ends of which are provided with tapered latching members 74 and 76, respectively.
The second section 56 includes a pair of side walls 78 and 80 interconnected at one end by an end wall 82. A gently curving wall 84 extends between the side walls 78 and 80 and slopes downwardly from the top of the end wall 82 to a point where it terminates in a generally vertical wall 86. Two flanges 88 and 90 extend from the side wall 78 to a point where they are interconnected by a wall 92 (Fig. 6a). The wall 92 has a U-shaped opening 94 therein. A pair of resilient fingers 96 and 98 integral with the wall 92, extend into the U-shaped opening. The fingers 96 and 98 may be spread apart so that the end of a roller 100 can be pushed between them into the U-shaped opening 94. The fingers 96, 98 then snap back and exert a drag force on the end of the roller 100. Two flanges 102 and 104 extend from the opposite side wall 80 to a point where they are interconnected by a wall 106 having a U-shaped opening (not shown) therein for receiving the opposite end of the roller 100. The roller 100 has a pair of annular flanges 108 and 110 which may be positioned between the walls 92 and 106. A strip of sheet material 112, e.g., a polyester film having a gelatin coating on one side, is coiled about the roller 100. One end of the strip is secured to the roller 100 and the other end 114 may be releasably attached to an exterior surface of the end wall 82. An opening (not shown) is located in wall 80 in alignment with the end of the roller 100 so that a drive member may protrude through the opening into engagement with the roller 100.
Also mounted in the second section 56 is a processing liquid dispenser 116. The dispenser has a nozzle 118 and a pair of laterally spaced flanges 120 and 122 which restrain sidewise movement of the sheet material 112 as it passes beneath the nozzle 118. The nozzle 118 has a length which is less than the width of the sheet material 112 and is approximately equal to the distance between laterally spaced sprocket holes in a strip of 35mm film, i.e. 2.5 cm.
A container 124 having a rupturable end 126 is supported on the wall 84, e.g., by adhesive tape 128. The container 124 holds a supply of viscous processing liquid 130 in a quantity sufficient to coat substantially the entire length of the sheet material 112.
Flanges 132 extend inwardly from the bottom of the side walls 78 and 80 (only one shown). They function to guide the lateral edges of the bottom wall 62 as the second section 56 is mated with the first section 54 for closing the kit 42. A recessed area 134 extends around portions of the side walls 78 and 80 and the end wall 82 and cooperates with the tops of the flanges 88, 90, 102 and 104 to receive the edges of the top wall 58. As the edge of the top wall 58 moves into engagement with the end wall 82, the latching members 74 and 76 are first squeezed toward each other by two flanges 136 (only one shown) which respectively protrude from the side walls 78 and 80. The members 74 and 76 then spring outwardly to grab the right side (Fig. 2) of the flanges 136 thereby locking the two sections 54 and 56 in the closed position, with the bottom wall 62 holding the sheet material 112 in sealing relation to the nozzle 118. The latching members 74 and 76 may be disengaged from the flanges 136 by the cams 50 in the apparatus 10 as the kit is being loaded into the apparatus. During loading the cams 50 enter into a pair of apertures 138 (only one shown) located respectively in the side walls 78 and 80, and force the latching members 74 and 76 inwardly toward each.
The apparatus 10 further includes means for supporting a film cassette 140 in which a roll of developable transparency film 142 is wound upon a rotatable film spool 144. One end of the film is secured to the film spool 144; the opposite end 146 extends to the exterior of the cassette through a withdrawal slot 148. The support means include a rounded flange 150 for receiving one end of the generally cylindrical film cassette 140, and a pair of supports 152 and 154.
A power transmission 156 is mounted within the gearbox 28. The transmission (Fig. 5) 156 comprises a first power path including a gear 158 fixedly attached to a shaft 160 which, in turn, is fixedly connected with the take-up roller 40. It also comprises a second power path including gears 162, 164 (compound), 166, 168 and 170. A gear 172 is mounted on a shaft 174 for limited axial movement between a first position wherein it is in drivable engagement with the second power path and a second position (shown in Fig. 5) wherein it is in drivable engagement with the first power path. The gear 172 is normally biased into engagement with the gear 158 and may be moved in the direction of the arrow 176 into engagement with the gear 162 by a bell crank 178. A slotted drive member 180 extends from the face of the gear 170 and protrudes through an opening 182 in the wall 26 of the gearbox 28 where it may drivingly engage a pair of tabs 184 and 186 (Fig. 2) integrally formed with the roller 100. A similar drive member 188 extends from the face of the gear 166 and protrudes through an aperture in the side wall 26 where it may drivingly engage the end of the film spool 144. A clutch 190 is coupled between the gear 166 and its drive member 188 to allow slippage therebetween when the roller 100 and film spool 144 are driven, to compensate for differences in the increasing diameters of the roll of sheet material 112 and of the film 142. The gear 168 is mounted for limited linear movement along its shaft 192. The gear is biased out of engagement with the gear 166 when the take-up roller 40 is driven and it may be moved in the direction of the arrow 194 into driving engagement with the gear 166 by a cam 196 on the side of the rack 48 as will be explained. The input to the transmission 156 includes a hand crank 198 attached to the shaft 174 where the shaft 174 protrudes through the side wall 20 of the apparatus 10.
The operation of the bell crank 178 will now be described with reference to Fig. 3. The take-up roller 40 is shown in phantom lines. The bell crank 178 and a juxtaposed link 200 are located within the gearbox 28. The transmission 156, except for its gear 172, has been omitted for clarity. The bell crank 178 and the link 200 interrelate with the rack 48 to provide a plurality of functions. The bell crank 178 is pivotally coupled to a wall of the gearbox 28 by a pin 202 which extends outwardly from the bell crank 178. One arm 204 of the bell crank 178 includes a latching surface 206 which is movable into engagement with a lip 208 formed on the interior surface of an end wall 210 of the loading door 14 to lock it in its closed position. Another arm 212 of the bell crank 178 includes a pair of downwardly converging legs 214 and 216 which are joined at their ends where there is provided a cam follower 218. The cam follower 218 extends at a right angle to a plane containing the legs 214 and 216 through an arcuate slot (not shown) in a side wall 220 to a point where its end terminates in a cam slot 222 provided in the rack 48. The upper left end of the arm 212 includes a U-shaped portion 224 with inclined camming surfaces 226. The U-shaped portion 224 serves to move the gear 172 against its spring bias out of engagement with the gear 158 and into engagement with the gear 162 when the bell crank 178 is rotated in a clockwise direction about its pivot pin 202. The link 200 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 228 which extends between the side walls 26 and 220 of the gearbox 28. One end of the link 200 has a cam follower 230 which extends at right angles thereto. The cam follower 230 protrudes through another arcuate slot (not shown) in the side wall 220 and terminates at a location within a second cam slot 232 in the rack 48. The rack 48 is supported by means (not shown) between the side wall 220 and a side wall 234 of the loading door 14. One end of the rack 48 is cut away at 236 to avoid the shaft 74 of the crank 198 when the rack 48 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3.
The rack 48 may be moved between a first position (Fig. 3) and a second position (Figs. 2 and 5). The mechanism for moving the rack 48 comprises a manually operable lever 238 which is connected with a sector gear 240. Both lever 238 and gear 240 may be freely rotated on a shaft 242 which is journaled in the side walls 234 and 244 of the loading door 14. The teeth of the sector gear 240 may mesh with a set of teeth 246 in the top edge of the rack 48 when the loading door 14 is in its closed position. The sector gear 240 is provided with an aperture 248 adapted to receive a pin 250 which extends radially from the shaft 242 to define a lost motion connection between the lever 238 and a processing fluid container rupturing mechanism 252. The mechanism 252 is integrally formed with the shaft 242 and comprises a pair of arms 254 and 256 which rotatably support a roller 258 between them.
In the operation of the apparatus 10 a closed kit 42 is positioned into it in such a manner that the drive member 180 engages the drive flanges 184 and 186 of the sheet material roller 100, the arm 46 of the rack 48 extends into the passageway 64, and the cams 50 enter the apertures 138 in the side walls 78 and 80 of the second section 56. The cams 50 thus release the latching members 74 and 76 from their respective flanges. The leading end 114 of the sheet material is detached from the end wall 82 of the kit 42 and is trailed across the roller 36 and attached to a pin 260 which extends from a section 262 of the take-up roller 40. Fig. 1 shows that the section 262 is pivotally connected by a hinge 264 to a second section 266 of the take-up roller 40. The second section 266 includes flanges 268 and 270 at opposite ends thereof for guiding the sheet material 112 and the film 142 onto the take-up spool 40 during clockwise rotation of the latter. Next, the film cassette 140 with the exposed roll of film 142 is loaded into the apparatus 10 such that the drive member 188 engages the end of the film spool 144 and the members 152 and 154 support the film cassette 140 as shown in Fig. 2. The leading end 146 of the film 142 is then attached to the pin 260 in such a manner that the emulsion side of the film 142 faces the gelatin coated surface of the sheet material 112. The leading ends 114 and 146 of the sheet material 112 and the film 142, respectively, are each provided with an aperture (not shown) for attachment to the pin 260. The leading ends 114 and 146 are fastened to the pin 260 by pivoting the second section 266 into superposition with the first section 262 such that an aperture 287 in the first section receives the pin 260. The loading door is then closed which moves a roller 272 into engagement with the film 142 and presses it against the sheet material 112 so that both are pressed against the roller 36. The journals 274 of the roller 272 are suitably supported in the ends of a pair of supporting arms 278 and 280 extending from the loading door 14. The closing of the loading door 14 also moves the teeth of the sector gear 240 into mesh with the gear teeth 246, and a latch pin 282 extending from the loading door 14 into the gearbox 28 through an opening 284 therein. When the loading door 14 is closed, the inside of the apparatus is rendered lighttight and the components assume the position shown in Fig. 3. The gearbox 28 is recessed at 243 to accommodate the shaft 242, and the door 14 is cut away at 245 to provide clearance for the shaft of the crank 198 when the door 14 is in the closed position.
Processing of the film 142 is initiated by turning the lever 238 from its idle position shown in Fig. 3 to a processing position shown in Fig. 2. Initial rotation of the lever 238 towards the processing position is immediately transferred to the rack 48 by way of the teeth of the sector gear 240 and the rack 48 is moved to the left, or rearwardly, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. As the rack 48 moves to the left, the cam slots 222 and 232 therein cause the bell crank 178 and the link 200 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about their respective pivots 202 and 228. The rotation of the bell crank 178 results in its U-shaped portion 224 moving downwardly out of engagement with the gear 172. The gear 172 under its spring bias thus returns to its position in engagement with the gear 158 (Fig. 5). At the same time the latching surface 206 of the bell crank 178 rotates through an opening 285 in the gearbox 28 into latching relationship with the lip 208 thereby precluding accidental opening of the loading door 14. The rotation of the link 200 moves a pawl 286 integral with the link 200, out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 172 to free it for subsequent counterclockwise rotation. The pawl 286 is held out of engagement with the gear 172 by the latch pin 282 which enters a recess 290 in the top of the link 200, until the latching door 14 is opened. Clockwise rotation of the gear 172 is prevented by a second pawl 288 which extends from the top wall of the gearbox 28 into engagement with the teeth of the gear 172. The rearward movement of the rack 48 also moves the cam 196 to enable the gear 168 to move under its spring bias, along the shaft 192 to a position where it is disengaged from the gear 166. Furthermore, the rearward movement of the rack 48 causes its arm 46 to move the first section 54 of the kit 42 away from the second section 56 to open the kit before the rupturing mechanism 252 is rotated toward the container 124. The second section 56 is kept in its position by the cams 50.
After the lever 238 has been rotated through approximately twenty-three degrees, the right side (Fig. 2) of the aperture 248 in the sector gear 240 engages the pin 250. Continued rotation of the lever 238 toward the processing position not only continues the rearward movement of the rack 48 but also commences rotation of the rupturing mechanism 252 toward its position shown in Fig. 2. Because of the lost motion connection between the lever 238 and the pin 250, the roller 258 moves into the kit 42 as its top wall 58 moves out of interference therewith. The roller 258 engages the container 124 and by increasing the pressure on the processing liquid 130 causes the end 126 of the container to rupture. Further clockwise rotation of the roller 258 about its pivot pin 242 forces the processing liquid from the container 124 into the dispenser 116.
Once the lever 238 is in the position, shown in Fig. 2, the crank 198 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 292 thereby driving the gear 158 to rotate the take-up roller40 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2). As the take-up roller 40 rotates the sheet material 112 is withdrawn from its roller 100, moves past the nozzle 118 of the dispenser 116, against which it is resiliently urged by the plate 32 so that a uniform coating of the processing liquid 130 may be applied thereto, and then toward the bite of the rollers 36 and 272 where it is married with the film 142 which is being withdrawn from its cassette 140 at the same time. The rollers 36 and 272 press the gelatin coated surface of the sheet material 112 into engagement with the emulsion side of the exposed film 142 to form a laminate comprised of a layer of processing liquid 130 sandwiched between the sheet material 112 and the exposed film 142. The laminate is then wound upon the take-up roller 40. When the sheet material 112 and/or the film 142 have been completely uncoiled from their respective supports, but not detached therefrom, the resultant increase in tension in the laminate is automatically fed back to the crank 198 thereby signaling the operator to stop rotating the crank 198. To prevent any damage to the apparatus 10 or the laminate, a slip clutch 294 may be coupled between the shaft 174 and the crank 198 so that further rotation of the crank 198 by the operator is not transferred to the shaft 174. The laminate is then allowed to remain upon the take-up roller 40 for a time, e.g. one minute, sufficient for visible images to be formed in the laminate, preferably in the film 142.
After the processing of the visible images within the laminate has been substantially completed, the lever 238 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) toward its non-processing or idle position. The rotation immediately drives the rack 48 forwardly toward the take-up roller 40 while moving the first section 54 of the kit 42 back into closing relationship with the second section 56. The initial rotation of the lever 238 is not transferred to the rupturing mechanism 252 because of the lost motion connection; the mechanism 252 is moved, however, by an edge 298 of the top wall 58 of the first section 54 engaging the undersurface 296 of the mechanism and pivoting it upwardly until the left side of the aperture 248 engages the pin 250 and completes the movement of the rupturing mechanism 252 out of the kit 42 before it closes. An edge 298 of the bottom wall 62 of the first section 54 is beveled to cooperate with a radius 300 on the spring biased plate 32 so as to urge the plate 32 downwardly so that the edge 298 may pass to a point where the bottom wall 62 seals the nozzle 118. Movement of the rack 48 to its forward or post processing position shown in Fig. 3, also results in clockwise rotation of the bell crank 178 due to the cam slot 222 and cam follower 218 relationship. Thus the end 206 of the arm 204 pivots out of latching relation with the lip 208 and the U-shaped section 224 moves upwardly into contact with the gear 172, the cam surface 226 of section 224 moving the gear 172 out of engagement with the gear 158 and into engagement with the gear 162. Furthermore, the cam 196 on the rack returns the gear 168 into its engagement with the gear 166. The position of the link 200 remains unchanged, however, since the pin 290 maintains it in a position where the pawl 286 is held, against the bias of the free end 306 of a spring, out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 172.
When the lever 238 has reached its post processing position, the crank 198 may be rotated in the same direction as before, i.e., in the direction of the arrow 292. This power input is directed to the second power path through the gear 172 thereby rotating the sheet material roller 100 and the film spool 144 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5). The rotation of the roller 100 and the film spool 144 withdraws or unwinds the laminate from the take-up roller 40. As the laminate emerges from the left side (Fig. 2) of the rollers 36 and 272, the film 142 is stripped from the sheet material 112 and rewound upon the film spool 144 and the sheet material 112 is rewound upon its roller 100. As described in U.S. Patent 4,309,100, in a preferred type of film the photosensitive or emulsion layer of the film 142 exhibits greater adhesion to the sheet material 112 than to the next adjacent layer of the film. Thus stripping the sheet material 112 from the film 142 removes the emulsion layer as well, increasing visual acuity and brightness of the resultant positive transparency and enhancing its stability by virtue of the removal of any residual processing reagent in the emulsion. For further details of the film, reference may be had to U.S. Patent No. 3,682,637.
Withdrawing the laminate from the take-up roller 40 causes the latter to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. As the last convolution of the laminate is removed from the take-up roller 40, the portion of the laminate extending between the bite of the rollers 36 and 272 and the free end of the second section 266 of the take-up roller 40 assumes an angle which would pivot the second section 266 about the hinge 264 and free the ends 114 and 146 of the sheet material 112 and the film 142 from attachment to the take-up roller 40. Rotation of the crank 198 is continued for a few turns after the operator feels the release of the end of the laminate from the take-up roller 40 so as to completely rewind the end 114 of the sheet material 112 into the kit 42. The loading door 14 may then be opened thereby releasing the link 200 for movement back into the position shown in Fig. 3. The kit 42 may be removed and safely discarded with all materials used in the processing of the film 142 being safely enclosed in the kit. At this time, the film cassette 140 may be removed from the apparatus and the processed film removed therefrom for subsequent cutting and mounting of the individual scenes.
In an alternative embodiment, the visible images could be formed in the sheet material. In that case the film would comprise a photosensitive layer through which the exposure would be made, and a base which may or may not be transparent. The sheet material would comprise a transparent base and an image receiving layer. After exposure of the film, the surface of the sheet material containing the image receiving layer would be coated with the processing liquid and brought into superposition with the side of the film through which the exposure had been made. This may involve reversing the orientation of the film cassette from the position shown in Fig. 2 to place the image receiving layer into contact with the emulsion side of the film. After the sheet material has been rewound on its spool, the spool could be removed and the individual scenes in the sheet material would be cut and mounted for subsequent viewing.
Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. Apparatus (10) for processing a roll of film (142) coiled on a spool (144) in a cassette (140) by means of a kit (42) positionable into the apparatus (10), the kit (42) comprising a housing, a container (124) of processing liquid (130), a processing liquid dispenser (116) cooperating with the container (124), and a roller (100) supporting a strip of sheet material (112), wound upon said roller, the apparatus (10) comprising:

a housing (12) having means (44; 46) for retaining the kit (42) such that a free end (114) of the sheet material (112) may be joined with a free end (146) of the film (142), the housing of the apparatus including a door (14) movable between open and closed positions, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises:

moving means (48) operatively connectible to a first section (54) of the kit (42) in the retaining means (44; 46) which first section (54) is movable relative to a second section (56) of the kit between open and closed positions, the moving means (48) being movable into first and second positions for moving the first section (54) from the closed position to the open position;

means (252) located adjacent the retaining means (44; 46) when the door (14) is in its closed position for rupturing the liquid container (124);

manually operable means (238) coupled to the moving means (48) and to the rupturing means (252) and movable in a first direction for driving the moving means (48) to move the first section (54) to open the kit (42) and thereafter to drive the rupturing means (252) into the open kit (42) to rupture the container (124) for expelling the liquid (130) into the dispenser (116) for application to the sheet material (112) as the sheet material is withdrawn from the housing of the kit, and

means (36, 272, 40) for superimposing the processing liquid coated sheet material (112) with the film (142) outside the kit.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rupturing means (252) comprises a cylindrical roller (258) and spaced arms (254; 256) rotatably supporting the roller (258).

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the rupturing means (252) is mounted on the door (14).

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein movement of the manually operable means (238) in a second direction opposite the first direction, drives the rupturing means (252) out of the kit (42) before the first section (54) of the housing reaches its closed position.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rupturing means (252) includes a shaft (242) the ends of which are journalled in the door (14) and the moving means (48) includes a rack (246) and gear (240) the gear (240) being connected to the manually operable means (238) and rotatably mounted on the shaft (242).

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the shaft (242) includes a radially extending pin (250) and the gear (240) includes means for defining an aperture (248) in which the pin (250) is positioned, the aperture (250) having angularly spaced walls movable into engagement with the pin (250) to transmit movement of the manually operable means (238) to the rupturing means (252).

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means (150; 152; 154) for supporting the film cassette (140); and

means (262, 266) for releasably receiving free ends (146; 114) of the film (142) and of the sheet material (112), the receiving means (262, 266) being driveable in a direction so as to withdraw the film (142) from its cassette (140) and the sheet material (112) from the kit (42), and to orientate them in superposition.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including means (204,208) for locking the loading door (14) in the closed position so as to render the housing (12) lighttight, the locking means (204, 208) being moved into locking relation with the loading door (14) in response to movement of the movable means (48) into the second position..

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including means (188) for rotating the receiving means so as to wind the film (142) and processing liquid coated sheet material (112) in superposition thereupon, and means (172; 286) for preventing operation of the rotating means (188) until after the rupturing means (252) has ruptured the container (124) of processing liquid.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the means (172, 286) for preventing operation of the rotating means (188) is rendered inoperative in response to the movement of the movable means (48) into its second position.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including power transmission means (156) operatively connectible to the receiving means (262) when the movable means (48) is in the second position for driving the receiving means (262) in the direction to withdraw the sheet material (112) from the roller (100) and to withdraw the film (142) from the cassette (140), and disconnectible from the receiving means (262) and connectible in driving engagement with the roller (100) and the film spool (144) when the movable means (48) is in the first position whereby rotation of the roller (100) and film spool (144) is effective to remove the superposed sheet material (112) and film (142) from the receiving means (262) and strip one from the other as they are rewound upon the roller (100) and the film spool (144), respectively.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the power transmission means (156) includes first and second power paths (158, 162, 164, 166, 168, 170), the first power path transmitting power to the receiving means (262) only when the movable means (48) is in its second position, and the second power path transmitting power to the roller (100) and film spool (144) only when the movable means (48) is in its first position.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the power transmission means (156) further includes an element (172) movable into and out of driving engagement with the first and second power paths, and the apparatus further includes a cam (224) for moving the element during movement of the movable means.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the cam (224) moves the element (172) out of driving relation with the first power path and into driving relation with the second power path as the movable means (48) moves into its first position.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein the power transmission means (156) includes a crank (198) manually rotatable in the same direction during transmission of power to either of said first or second power paths.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the film (142) is transparency film with one end of the film secured to the spool and its opposite end extending to the exterior of the cassette through a film withdrawal slot.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the second power path includes a gear normally spring biased out of the second power path when the manually operable means has been moved in the first direction thereby reducing the drag on the roller (100) and the film spool (144) as the sheet material and film, respectively, are being unwound therefrom.