US1683883A - Photographic-print-drying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1928. 1,683,883

J. s. GREENE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DRYING APPARATUS` Filed May 12, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 11, '1928. 1,683,883

J. s. GREENE PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINT DRYING APPARATUS Filed may 12, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 z5 A TToRNEY Patented sept. "11, 192s.

UNITED STATES t 1,683,883. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. GREENE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PHOTOSTAT CORPORATION,

A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. Y

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINT-DRYING- APPARATUS.

Application md may 12,

My present invention relates to photogra phy and more particularly machines for developing photographic prints and it has for its object to provide an improved drying apparatus that will take the freshly developed and washed print and dry it expeditiously and thoroughly in a simple and convenient way. While, as stated, the drier is primarily an adjunct of the developing apparatus itself,

my invention is particularly applicable to cameras of the type known as commercial cameras whichv photograph directly upon 'a sensitized paper that is then automatically developed in the same machine. To these and other ends the inventionresides in certain improvements and'combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end ofthe specification.

In the drawings: v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a camera pro-r vided with automatic developing means and tted with a drying apparatus constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central section Vthrough the dryer and a fragment of the' adjacent developing apparatus.

Figure 3 is a rear view ofthe drier.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a conveyor showing one of the sheet c-arrying devices detail and Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

` the several views indicate the same parts.

As before stated my drier is particularly adapted .for use with commercial cameras in which sensitive pa r in the continuous 4U roll `is-exposed, severe developed and iixed through the use of a semi-automatic develop- 4 ing apparatus from which it is v delivered either Washed ornnwashed ready for drying. Such a machine is lshown in my prior Patent No. 1,421,079 J une 27, 1922. There is therein shown. a Apluralit of tanks and a tray or` other inal deposlto for the prints all arranged in a small dar room. After the print has. been severed it is picked up by an endless conveyor provided with suitableimpaling de vices for the purpose and carried through the several tanks after which it is deposited lin the tray in a Wet condition. vThe present invention contemplates providing for the developing Yapparatus an improved construc- Similar reference numerals throughout 1923. Serial No. 638,644.

t1on of drier into which the washed print is carrled bythe conveyor and thoroughly dried ibefore being returned to the tray or deposiory.

Referring .to the drawings 1 indicates gen.- erally a famlhar type of commercial camera supported on a stand or table 2. The developlng apparatus embodied therein comprises a housing 3 beneath the camera body forming a dark room in the bottom of which are three vertical tanks ,4, 5 and 6 constituti respectively the develop-ing bath, the fixing bath vand the rinsing bath, the latter-only with the rearward portion of the dark oom belng shown in Figure 2. Running through the dark room near the bottom thereof is a conveyor consisting of side chains 7 running vover sprockets 8 and thence around s rockets 9 atthe bottoms of the respective tanks. Connecting the side chains 7 of the conveyor at intervals are a plurality of cross bars 10 each provided with a plurality of impaling devices ll'having the present form of barbed spurs o r pms as bestshown in Figure 4. The exposed print after being severed in the camera at the front end of the 'dark room is picked' up by onev or another of these impaling dev1ces in a manner explained in my said prior patent but not of interest here and isretained on the carrying bar at its forward edge in 35 the manner indicated in Figure 4 wherein a yfragment of the sheet is shown at A. After emerging from the washing tank 6 into which 1t 1s thus drawn by the conveyor, the sheet` or print passes between rolls 12 at the rear end of the dark chamber 3 (one of which is fitted with sprockets 13A for the conveyor chains) and out through a narrow slotted opening 14 in the rear wall of the dark chamber to the drier hereinafter described.

In "thepractice of my invention I attach to the rear end of the dark chamber housing 3 by brackets 15 or otherwise a dryingapparatus embodying a downwardly extending casing 16 which isl independent of the'l00 stand or table 2 for the reason that itmust move with the housing 3 as the camera is focused. Within this casing is a series of inclined slides 17 in zigzag arrangement so that the lower end of'one is in position to 105( deliver to the upper end of the next ,lower one. These slides are supported at their upper ends on the walls of the casing including a partition wall 18 and at their lower ends upon transverse shafts 19 and 110 are of such a nature asto permit the free passage of air upwardly through the chamber. In the present instance the slides consist of rods or wires as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Turningonthe shafts 19 near their ends'are sprockets 20 for the conveyor chains 7 so that the latter carry the wet print downwardly dragging it from one to another. of the slides upon which it rests and finally across slides 21 on a false bottom 22 with which the'casing is provided. From thence The print driesduring its travel down through Ithe casinglbeing exposed to a circulation of air on both sides and to hasten this drying actionI provide for a forced circulation of warm a1rwithin the casing. Between the false bottom 22 and the bottom 28 is a chamber 29 containing a fan or blower 30 rotating on a. vertical axis to force al current of air upwardly as shown by the arrows through an opening 31 in the false bottom 22. This air is drawn into the chamber 29 through suitable lateral openings 32 in the casing and, before reaching the blo-wer, passes over heatingelements 33 in the present form of electrical heating coils'having the terminals 34. Baiiles 35 at the sides of the blower cause the air'to pass through the coils to the opening 31 and the blower is mounted with its motor on a platform 36 extending between the baies.

The conveyor chains 7 are driven through a motor 37 (Figure 1) through a shaft 38 (Figure 2) provided within the dar-k cha1n` .ber 3 with sprockets 39.

I claimas my invention: 1. In a photographic print drier, the combinationh with a drying chamber having a pluralityof inclined slides therein one above the other zigzag arrangement, of continuousmeans constantly engaged with the print 'at a definite point for conveying sa-idprint progressivelv downward across first one slide then the other in reverse directions.

2. In a photographic print'drier, the combination vwith a. drying chamber having a plurality of inclined slides therein one above the other in zigzag arrangement, of an endless conveyor adapted to conduct a print into the drying chamber. progressively downward across first one slide then the other, in lreverse directions and thence outv of the chamber. v

3. In a photographic print drier, the combination with a drying chamber having a plurality of inclined slidesthercin one above the other in zigzag arrangement, each of said slides being open for the circulation of air therethrough, of means for dragging` a print progressively downward across first one slide and then the other in reverse directions and means for driving a current of air upwardly through the chamber. i

4. In a photographic print drier, t e com bination with a drying chamber havingja( plurality of inclined slides therein one above the other in zigzag arrangement, of a support for the lower end of each slide, sprockets associated with said supports, and an endless conveyor chain arranged to run over the sprockets and provided with print carriers adapted 'todrag a print progressively downward across first one slide and then the other in reverse directions.

5. In a photographic print'drier, the combination with a drying chamber having a plurality of slides therein arranged adjacent each other in staggered'relatiOn, of endless conveying means cooperating successively with each of said slides and engaging the print at a definite point for conveying the print progressively along first one slide then the other in reverse directions.

' *JOHN S. GREENE.

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