EP0603952A2 - Photographic processing apparatus - Google Patents
Photographic processing apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0603952A2 EP0603952A2 EP93203549A EP93203549A EP0603952A2 EP 0603952 A2 EP0603952 A2 EP 0603952A2 EP 93203549 A EP93203549 A EP 93203549A EP 93203549 A EP93203549 A EP 93203549A EP 0603952 A2 EP0603952 A2 EP 0603952A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- belt
- processing
- path
- processed
- photographic
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
- G03D3/00—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion
- G03D3/08—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion having progressive mechanical movement of exposed material
- G03D3/12—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion having progressive mechanical movement of exposed material for plates, films or prints spread onto belt conveyors
Definitions
- Material to be processed is supplied to the processor 10 as a roll 70 of web material positioned at the material loading end 12.
- Material 72 from the roll 70 is attached to the thread-up belt 60 prior to passing through nip rollers 50.
- the roll 70 is supported on a pair of rollers 74 which apply a back tension to the material 72 as it is taken through the processor 10 by the belt 60.
- the direction of rotation of the roll 70 is indicated by arrow 71.
- Figures 3 and 4 show the section 66 in more detail. As shown in Figure 3, free end 73 of the material 72 is threaded through a slot 68 in belt 60 and folded over. In some processors, this may be sufficient to retain the material 72 for transport through the various processing stages.
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to photographic processing apparatus and is more particularly concerned with multi-stranded processing apparatus using redox amplification chemistry.
- Large multi-stranded photographic processing machines are not normally self-threading. A leading edge of the material to be processed has to be pulled and guided through each of the processing stages in the machine. This is normally accomplished by running a continuous belt around the machine to provide a processing path along which the material to be processed is towed. The belt is arranged to run on one side of the processing path. Special spring clips are connected to the belt to which the material is attached. Each clip carries an arm to which the leading edge of the material to be processed is secured for towing through the various processing tanks. After the material has been taken through the processing tanks by the continuous belt, it is detached from the arm and joined on to a take-up spool.
- This arrangement for towing material through the processing machine is not entirely satisfactory. In very wide processing machines, more than one belt is required. Furthermore, the spring clips tend to damage the belt and reduce its operational life. In particular, where more than one piece material is being processed at the same time, if a piece further away from the belt comes out of the machine before a piece which is nearer or adjacent the belt, a new piece of material cannot be added to the belt. This is because the arm of the clip needs to reach across the piece already in position, and the material across which the arm is to extend may be damaged or torn by the arm.
- Moreover, multi-stranded processing machines require large amounts of processing chemistry which make them unsuitable for used with redox amplification processes. In particular, due to the instability of the chemistry involved, it is necessary to reduce the volume of the processing solutions as the rate of chemical usage is not solely dependent on the development of the silver in the material. The chemistry can be self-consuming, and therefore require an increased replenishment rate to overcome this decay.
- In known multi-stranded processing machines, processing tank volumes cannot be reduced sufficiently to enable redox amplification processes to be utilized due to having to allow for the belt and the clip carrying arms in the tanks.
- It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a belt arrangement for use in multi-stranded processing machines which overcomes the problems mentioned above.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided photographic processing apparatus comprising a plurality of processing tanks, each tank containing processing solution, and a transport belt for transporting material to be processed along a processing path through each of the processing tanks, characterized in that the transport belt moves along the processing path and in that the belt has a width which is substantially the same as the processing path.
- By this arrangement, a single belt which is positioned to travel along the processing path through the processing tanks and which extends the full width of the processing path, enables smaller volumes of processing solutions to be used and as a consequence makes a large multi-stranded processing machine suitable for use with unstable chemistries, in particular, redox amplification chemistry.
- For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:-
- Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of a photographic processor having three tanks and utilizing a thread-up belt in accordance with the present invention;
- Figure 2 is a detailed view of the thread-up belt at a loading station; and
- Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views illustrating the attachment of the material to be processed to the thread-up belt.
- Referring to Figure 1, a
photographic processor 10 is shown which comprises three processing stages, namely, adevelopment stage 20, afixing stage 30 and a wash stage 40. Eachprocessing stage processing tank processor 10 at amaterial loading end 12, and retrieved from the processor at amaterial unloading end 14. - Driven
nip roller pairs processing tank -
Idler rollers processing tanks - A thread-
up belt 60, in a continuous loop, passes through theprocessor 10 from thematerial loading end 12, through theprocessing tanks material unloading end 14, and back to thematerial loading end 12 viaguide rollers - As shown,
nip rollers 50 are positioned at thematerial loading end 12, andnip rollers 56 at thematerial unloading end 14, the other two pairs ofnip rollers processing stages - Material to be processed is supplied to the
processor 10 as aroll 70 of web material positioned at thematerial loading end 12.Material 72 from theroll 70 is attached to the thread-upbelt 60 prior to passing throughnip rollers 50. Theroll 70 is supported on a pair ofrollers 74 which apply a back tension to thematerial 72 as it is taken through theprocessor 10 by thebelt 60. The direction of rotation of theroll 70 is indicated byarrow 71. - Once the material has been processed, it exits the
processor 10 at thematerial unloading end 14 and is separated from thebelt 60, as indicated by 72'. The processed material 72' is then wound on to aroll 76 driven byrollers 78 as shown. The direction of rotation of theroll 76 is indicated byarrow 77. - In Figure 2, attachment of the
material 72 to thebelt 60 is shown in more detail. Parts already described are referenced the same. Thematerial loading end 12 of theprocessor 10 is shown in Figure 2. Here, a free end of thematerial 72 is attached to asection 66 of thebelt 60 as it rises fromroller 64 up tonip rollers 50. A plurality ofslots 68 are provided in thebelt 60 along its entire length (only four are shown in section 66) through which thematerial 72 is threaded and attached for transport through theprocessor 10. - Figures 3 and 4 show the
section 66 in more detail. As shown in Figure 3,free end 73 of thematerial 72 is threaded through aslot 68 inbelt 60 and folded over. In some processors, this may be sufficient to retain thematerial 72 for transport through the various processing stages. - A
clip 80, shown in Figure 4, may be used to attach retain thefree end 73 in position in theslot 68 in arrangements where the folded over end is not sufficient to retain the material in position for processing. - The belt arrangement of the present invention has the following advantages:-
- a) The belt runs directly in the material processing path. This reduces the volume of processing solution required in the processing path and hence enables redox amplification or other unstable chemistries to be used.
- b) Tough spring clips associated with the prior art arrangements are not required. This eliminates damage to the belt and hence increases its operational life.
- c) The belt forms a moving wall which allows the processing tank thickness to be reduced to a little more than the thickness of the belt and material being processed.
- d) Large reductions in tank volumes are obtained.
- Furthermore, the belt arrangement of the present invention is not limited to photographic processing apparatus and may be used in any situation where a belt is required to transport material in web form. The present invention can also be used in wet or dry situations.
- It is to be noted that although only three tanks are illustrated in the processor shown in Figure 1, the present invention is applicable to any processor having any number of processing tanks or stages.
Claims (4)
- Photographic processing apparatus comprising a plurality of processing tanks (22, 32, 42), each tank containing processing solution, and a transport belt (60) for transporting material (72) to be processed along a processing path through each of the processing tanks (22, 32, 42), characterized in that the transport belt (60) moves along the processing path and in that the belt (60) has a width which is substantially the same as the processing path.
- Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport belt (60) is continuous and has a plurality of slots (68) formed therein through which material (72) to be processed is inserted.
- Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a clip (80) is used to retain the material (72) in the slot (68).
- Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing chemistry is unstable.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB929226491A GB9226491D0 (en) | 1992-12-19 | 1992-12-19 | Photographic processing apparatus |
GB9226491 | 1992-12-19 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0603952A2 true EP0603952A2 (en) | 1994-06-29 |
EP0603952A3 EP0603952A3 (en) | 1994-08-24 |
EP0603952B1 EP0603952B1 (en) | 1998-03-25 |
Family
ID=10726869
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19930203549 Expired - Lifetime EP0603952B1 (en) | 1992-12-19 | 1993-12-16 | Photographic processing apparatus having a continuous transport belt with transverse slots |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0603952B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH06230548A (en) |
GB (1) | GB9226491D0 (en) |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3462054A (en) * | 1967-03-20 | 1969-08-19 | Eastman Kodak Co | Multiple strip leader |
WO1990004809A1 (en) * | 1988-10-26 | 1990-05-03 | Caisse Regionale De Credit Agricole Mutuel De L'yonne | Method and apparatus for the automated image formation on any photographic media |
-
1992
- 1992-12-19 GB GB929226491A patent/GB9226491D0/en active Pending
-
1993
- 1993-12-16 EP EP19930203549 patent/EP0603952B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-12-20 JP JP31984193A patent/JPH06230548A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3462054A (en) * | 1967-03-20 | 1969-08-19 | Eastman Kodak Co | Multiple strip leader |
WO1990004809A1 (en) * | 1988-10-26 | 1990-05-03 | Caisse Regionale De Credit Agricole Mutuel De L'yonne | Method and apparatus for the automated image formation on any photographic media |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9226491D0 (en) | 1993-02-10 |
JPH06230548A (en) | 1994-08-19 |
EP0603952A3 (en) | 1994-08-24 |
EP0603952B1 (en) | 1998-03-25 |
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