GB616168A - Apparatus for treating cinematograph film - Google Patents

Abstract

616,168. Photographic processing apparatus. TECHNICOLOR MOTION PICTURE CORPORATION. Feb. 6, 1946, No. 3721. Convention date, June 15, 1945. [Class 98 (ii)] Apparatus for registering with a main film a number of auxiliary films, each of which is fed to and supported by an endless carrier, the main film being fed successively from carrier to carrier, comprises means for driving at constant equal speeds the sprockets feeding the films and a second means for driving the carriers at speeds controlled by means which seeks to keep constant the length of film between the carrier and the next driven sprocket. As shown, the apparatus is arranged for the imbibition printing of subtractive three-colour kinematograph films and comprises three substantially identical printing stages Y, C, M, in which all the driven film-feeding sprockets, indicated by crosses, are driven by a single motor 33. A blank film 7 (the " main " film) from a supply reel 9 passes over a sprocket 10 and safety loop-forming rollers 11, 12, 13 to a tank 14, where it is wetted before passing to the carrier, which comprises a pin belt passed, in order, around sheaves 3, 4, 5, 2 and on which the blank film is seated by a roller 16. The yellow matrix film 8 (an " auxiliary " film) passes from the spool 17 over a sprocket 18 and loop-forming rollers 19 to dye and rinsing tanks 20, 21, leaving the latter over a tensioning pulley 22, and is guided beneath a roller 24 on to the belt in superposition on the blank film 7. After passing together round the sheave 2, by which time the blank has imbibed the dye, the two films are separated as they pass round the roller 25. Thence the matrix film passes over a " floating " pulley system 26 to a washing tank 27, and then by way of a drying chamber 28 to a take-up spool 29; while the blank passes through a drying chamber 30 and thence successively to the cyan and magenta printing stages C, M, finally being wound up on a spool 32. At each printing stage the speed of the pin belt is governed by a variable speed motor 34 adjusted, through a pulley system 41, 42, 43 and a bell crank 37, by variations in the length of film between the carrier belt and the next driven sprocket which cause vertical movements of the pulley block 26. Reference is made to using the apparatus for stripping emulsion layers from multilayer films and transferring them to new supports, when the multilayer film would follow the path of film 7 and the separate supports those of film 8, the dye tank 20 being dispensed with.