US1447329A - Method of developing photographic sensitized films - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 6, 1923.

E. 1. SWEETLAND.

METHOD, OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS. FILED JULY 21-1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E. J. SWEETLAND.

Mar. 6, 1923.

METHOD OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2-- FILED JULY 21,1919.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

ERNEST J. SWEETLAND, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

' METHOD OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS.

Application filed July 21, 1919.

To a?! whom it may concern lie it known that l, Emvns'r J Swnnrcann, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town of liloutclair county of Essex, and State oi? New Jersey. United States or Adlltll'lCil have invented certain new and usetl'ul Improvements in Methods of: Developing Photographic Scnsitized Films. ot which. the fol lowing is a. specification.

This invention relates to a novel method of handling and manipulating a photographic film whereby the same may be developed in an exceedingly simple yet thoroughly safe and ilieient manner.

Two princi ial objects are achieved by the present invention. One oi? these objects is to obtain the utmost simplicity in the handling oi the film whereby the method or process may be readily practiced by amateurs or unskilled persons. and the second principal object to provide a way of handling. manipulating and protecting the sensitized film to thereby insure a thorough and uniitorni development of the film throughout its entire extent while at the same time lacilitating the washing and fixing operations without danger of light exposure until the lihn may be handled in the open light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of ClGYGlOPIDODt tor a sensitized iihn which especially available for the so-callcd daylight film development, and

which may be carried out with no apparatus other than a. protecting and covering deveL oping hair. such as disclosed in. my former Patent Xe. 1.285.462. dated November 19, 1918. and (-iji-peuijling ap iilication. Serial No. 1 .1509. filed December 20th, 1918.

Though various mechanical devices and expedients may be utilized in carrying forward the present method. the preferable apparatus. however. employed to facilitate the arious operations. is shown in. the accompanying drawings. in which Figure l is a sectional view of a collapsible developiiv bag with the film spool and the two hands of an operator shown in the operative position that they occupy while the film being uns 'iooled.

l igure is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in l igure l. with the top side oi" the bag shown broken away to expose therein the film spool with the duplex paper strip being drawn in one direction, while the wiisitixcd and exposed illll'l held by the clip or other holding means.

Serial No. 312,258.

Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus in the position it takes with the film strip extended and flattened out for developing, washing and fixing operations.

Figure at is a view of the apparatus in the same condition as shown in Figure 3, excepting that the open end portion of the bag is turned up to illustrate how the liquid may be poured into and discharged from the ba l igures 5, 6 and 7 are detail views showing form oi the apparatus in which the bag may be fitted with a filler tube to facilitate the operations employing the liquids for developing the film and for fixing and wash ing the negative. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

A distinctive feature of the present invention resides in the method of handling and manipulating a film spool within a developing bag or chamber whereby the sensitive exposed film may be unspooled by the act of drawing out the paper strip in a direction opposite and away from the film.

In explanation of the unspooling operation referred to particular reference may be had to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. wherein is shown the flexible and collapsible rubber tube 1 herein termed the developing bag. This developing bag is closed at one end as at 2. aml the opposite open end portion 3 thereof adapted to be gathered over one arm and wrist of the operator to provide a light-tight closure at the open end of the bag. while at the same time permitting the same to be paid-out'to the necessary length as the sensitized film is unrolled. In these particulars. the device 1. which constitutes the developing bag. is similar in construction and function to the corresponding device shown in my former Patent No. '1. .62, but. indicated, the unspooling operation is accomplished by utilizing a holding clip et-to engage one end of the film 5 and a drawing clasp 6 adapted to engage the end of the paper strip 7. which, together with the film 5 are rolled or wound upon a single spool S. A pull cord or chain 9 attached to the clasp G facilitates the fingers ot the hand inserted. in the developing bag engaging with either the pull element 9 or the clasp (3 to provide for drawing the same in a direction toward and through the open end oil the bag while the holding clip 4 is located within the closed end portion of the bag" and is held between the fingers of the other hand of the operator on the outside of the bag. Thus, with the parts so related, the sensitized fihn can be readily unspooled from the spool '8 by the act of drawing the' paper strip 7 out toward and through the closed end portion of the developing bag. After this has been accomplished and the film held in an extended position the oper ation of developing can be carried on within the bag without any danger of the film becoming light struck until it is ready to be removed from the bag.

In order that the various operations involved in the handling and. manipulation of the film spool may be more fully appre ciated and understood, reference will now be made to some of the steps of the method which should be articularly and carefully observed in following out the same. First, after breaking the seal of the exposed film under the exercise of proper care and not unrolling the paper sufiiciently to admit light to the end of the exposed film, the drawing clasp 6 is attached to one end of the paper strip 7 and the holding clip at is attached to that end of the film which is not sensitive and simply the end portion of the film which holds the film in proper position in the camera, that is to say-the "dead end of the film is engaged by the holding clip 4-.

After attaching the clasp (5 and the clip at respectively to the paper strip 7 and to the end of the film 5, the film spool and clip are placed in the bag with the right hand. and with the left hand the bag is gathered up on the wrist and forearm until the clip and spool reach the bottom or closed end of the bag, after which the clip is engaged between the fingers of one hand and. the pull cord or chain or drawing clasp (3 are engaged by the fingers of the inserted hand, as readily shown in Figure l of the drawing, so that the act of pullingout the paper automatically unrolls the film and spreads it out in the bag. v

The drawing; upon the paper strip 7 is continued until a few inches of the paper protrude from the. bag, and then a light weight placed on the bag near the open end, thus keeping the mouth of the bag closed against the table while the paper is withdrawn from the slit formed by the lips of the bag. In the meanwhile the left hand rests on top of the bag back of the spool and prevents the film from slipping, and the operator continues to pull out the paper until there fe t a sudden stop which occurs when the spool. has almost reached the mouth of the bag. and this stop occurs because the end of the film is attacl'ied to the paper strip. It is now necessary to hold the left hand firmly on thebag and its enclosed film so that the film cannot slip out and the paper is pulled so as to detach the same from the film and thereby permit the spool and paper to be removed. In these operations, the fihn should be right side up; that is, sensitized side up, in thebag.

The advantages accruing by reason of the removal of the paper from the bag prior to development are important. A smaller (mantity of developing solution may be used, thus ell'ecting economy in the use of the bag. The developing solution is maintained in, a clearer state, after once being used, thus enabling its repeated use, since the liability of the solution becoming;- contaminated by impm'itics in the paper, such-for instance as soluble salts, might re-act unfavorably with the developing solution or the chemicals used in preparing the film. Furthermore, where autographic variety of film is used. agitation of the developing solution within the has a tendency to disintegrate the autographic tissue, thus causing particles of the paper to mix with the solution and render it unfit for further use. These objectionable characteristics are entirely obviated by the removal of the paper according to my method of development so that the solution is maintained in a state which renders it repeatedly useable if desired.

hen the removal of the paper strip has been accomplished, with the film in its eX- tended condition, shown in Figure 3, the open end of the bag is folded even with the end of the film and a second outside retaining clip 10 applied to serve the double purpose of holding the film securely in position and forming a light-proof closure for the end of the bah. However, it will be observed that the said retaining clip 10 does not extend entirely across the width of the bag. but is disposed at one side of one edge portion of the bag, thereby forming a lightproof closure and at the same time leaving a lateral liquid passage-way 11 through the end of the bag at one side thereof, as shown in Figure 4: of the drawings. This passage way permits the water or developer to pass in or out freely while filling or draining the bag. In the normal. developing position. the open end of the bag folds back over the clip 10, as shown in Figure 3, and the solu tion will not run out, as the fold maintains part of the end of the bag at a higher level than the level of the solution in the bag. l suallv the clip 10 only extends about halfway across the bag to leave a well defined passage-way 11 which may be utilized, with the open end portion of the bag in the position shown in Figure 4., for the filling operation.

and. for the draining operation the entire bag may be held by both hands in a straightened out position and canted to drain out the liquid through the passage-way 11. These are of course details in the handling of the bag for the developing. fixing and washing operations detailed. instruction for which will be furnished by the manufacturer.

The present invention involves no change in the use oi the developing and fixing soluv. tions, but ol? course provides a novel way of employing these solutions in connection with a sensitized film which is held in strip form in a collapsible developing bag, and in this connection it will be observed that other ways of introducing the liquids into the bag and draining the same therefrom may be resorted to without departing from the present inventioi'i. For instance as suggested in Figures 5, (5 and 7 of the drawings, the bag may have fitted thereto at or near the closed end portion thereolf a tiller tube 12 through which the liquids may be introduced. This tiller tube may be closed when not needed by a closing clip or clasp l3. and when in use a tunnel 1d: may be used to introduce the liquid. and for washing operations the spigot 15 may be directly connected with the tube l2. and the stream passed through the bag and out at the othe' end.

\Yhile l have illustrated and described certain llistltlll'ltliitttlltl(2S; such as the clip and clasp. which may be usefully employed in carryiirg out or practicing ot the inveu tion, these are mere conveniences and their use may be discarded since a skillful operator can practice the invention wholly by hand, manually unrolling the film in the bag and holding it in proper position therein during the entire operation by the use oil? his hands only.

From the 'loregi'iing it is thought that the novel method of manipulating and developing the film will be readily understood without further description.

Having thus described. my invention. what l claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. The method of developing photographic film. which inchu'les the step (it unrolling a film from the spool within a light-proo't co11- tainer by holding the free end of the film against movement and leaving the spool tree to move bodily while the covering protecting paper of the film. is being: withdrawn from the spool. thus causii'ig the spool to rotate and move bodily in the direction of movement of the paper.

The method oil developing photographic film. which includes the step of placing the roll of film in and near the bottom of an elongated light-proof bag by gathering the bag over the fore-arm. then unrolling and straightening the film. within the bag by holding the free end of. the film securely be tween the ails ot the bag, while the covering paper is being unrolled and withdrawn from the spool as the bag is being extended to normal position.

2). The method of developing photographic film which includes the step of unrolling a film from a spool tree to move bodily within a light-proof container and sinniltai'ieously removing the protecting paper from the film by drawing on the paper and thereby e'tl'ecting a bodily movement ot the spool with respectto the container.

4. The mother! of developing plnitographic film, which consists in 1. lacing a roll of film within a light-proof container, holding the tree end of the film statioi'iary, and drawing on the protecting paper and thereby moving the spool bodily in a. direction away from the stationary end of the him and unrolling the film trom the spool and simultaneously removing the protecting paper from the film.

The method of developing photographic films. which consists in manually unrolling the film from a bodily movable spool positioned within a light-proof container by drawing upon the paper strip on the spool while one end (it the film. is held stationary, and subsequently introducing the developing solution into the container.

6. The method of developing photographic films, which consists in unrolling the film from its spool within a light-proof extensible bag by holding one end of the film stationary and drawing out the paper strip on the spool in the direction ot and simultaneously with the extension of the bag, and subsequently introducing the developing solution into said bag.

7. The method of developing photographic films. which consists in manually uurolling a fihn from its spool within a light-proot extensible bag by holding the end of the film stationary within one end of the bag and drawing: upon the paper strip on the spool in the direction or and. through the opposite end portion of the bag, and subsequently introducing the developing solution into said bag with the film strip extended therein.

ERXEST J. SlVlCETLi-XND.

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