US1902281A - Feeding mechanism for photographic strips - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1933. Q w. L. HELMS 17902381 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC STRIPS Filed July 25 1932 Patented Mar. 21, 1933 onirso stares earner series WATERS LEE HELMS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, TO THE NEYV PHOTO- MATON, ING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PEOTOGRAPHIC STRIPS Application filed July 25, 1932. Serial No. 624,638.

This invention relates to improvements in eral wheel-like enlargementshm and the inner devices for feeding strips of emulsified paper roll preferably having the soft rubber ring and the like through developing or other 6% at each end thereof (Fig. 4E). tanks containing liquids, in such manner that The outer roils of each set are carried by e the margins of the strips are engaged by feed shafts 2 and the inner roll by shaft 8, a train 55 rollers, and the object of the invention is to of three gears 9 exterior of plate 100 belng in provide a device of this character which shall mesh to drive the rol s in unison.

be positive in its action, the strip being fed Intermediate the two trains of gears, one

without binding thereof, particular attention for each set of feed rolls 5, 6, is a large driv- I 10 being paid to the relation between the devices ing gear 10 on a shaft 1000. 69

which directly engage and propel the strip At the top of the device are three feed rolls and the guide elements. comprising the outer rolis 11 and the inner The invention will be described with refroll 12, the outer rolls having, at their ends, erence to the accompanying drawing in the annular wheel-like projections 11m and which the inner roll having at its end soft rubber 65 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodirings 1290. The outer rolls are carried by ment of the invention. shafts 13 and the inner roll by shaft 14, these Fig. 2 is a plan view of the said embodishafts carrying a train of gears indicated at ment. 15 in mesh with a pinion 16 on a shaft 16%, 20 Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, the pinion being driven by a large gear 17 on Fig. 1. a shaft 17 m in mesh with one of the train of Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line gears 9. 4-4:, Fig. l. Opposite cut away area 4- intermediate two Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the blocks and spaced therefrom, is a reversing 25 reversing block. block 18 constructed as a hollow member hav- Referring to the drawing, it will be seen ing opposed spaced and connected walls, the that the invention comprisesadevice adapted top surface of each of the opposed walls to be inserted within a liquid holding tank being curved at 18x, 5, to afford a guidand which will receiveastrip of photographic ing and reversing surface for the strip. In 00 paper, or the like, at the top thereof, which other words, assuming the strip to be moved so will feed it downwardly and thence upwardly downwardly along channel 2 by means of the either to a place of ejection or to suitable feed roll, the lower end ofthe strip will means for guiding the strip into another finally meet curved surfaces 1800 of tie guidtank via a second feed device. ing block, which surfaces will guide the strip The device comprises opposed plates which in a curvilinear path until its direction is reare normally disposed in vertical position versed and it enters between a pair of the within a tank, these plates being shown at rolls 5 and 6 and is moved thereby upwardly 1 and 1m in the drawing. into channel 200.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that In the reversing movement of the strip,

40 each plate is formed with parallel guide the margins thereof are free, the block being, channels 2, 2:0, which are broken by horizonas shown in Fig. 1, spaced from the inner tal sections 3 at which the material of the walls of the assembled plates 1, 1x. I have plate is cut away at 3 and a to the depth of discovered that by such arrangement, there the channels 2 and 200. is less binding and likelihood of amming of 45 Intermediate the two plates and seated the strip than in thecase of reversing grooves within the cut away sections 3 are, in the cut U-shaped in the wall of the plate. It is present embodiment, two sets of three feed also to be noted that at 2 and 2m, relatively rolls, each set comprising the outer rolls 5 wide channels are formed, as contrasted wit-h and the inner roll 6, the outer rolls preferably grooves slightly wider than the thickness of being formed at their ends with the periphthe paper to be guided,'by providing wide mediate channel sections to receive channels, the paper is free for substantial lateral deflection in its movement downwardly and upwardly with relation to the side plates. Thus, while the paper may be guided with the accuracy required, there is such freedom of movement that jamming is avoided.

To further add to the flexibility of the device, I have so mounted certain of the feed rolls that they themselves may have bodily movement. To this end, the shafts 7 are held in channels formed in the side plates, as shown in Fig. 3, being maintained in position by springs 19 held by screws 20. Likewise, one of the shafts 13 is held in position by springs 21 held by screws 22.

Reversing block 18 is mounted upon a supporting base 23 and studs may pass through the plates and through base 23 to aid in holding the assembly together, the studs being indicated in Fig. 3, at 24:. Similar holding studs 25 carrying spacer sleeves 26 may be employed for holding together the assembly at various points.

In the operation of the device, it wll be assumed that it lies vertical within a tank and that means are provided for delivering the photographic strip to the grooves 2 or the grooves 200 depending upon the direction of rotation of the feed rolls. Assuming the strip to be fed into groove 2, the rolls will carry it downwardly until the striprmeets the reversing block 18, whereupon the end of the strip will be moved upwardly and pass between the lowermost roll 6 and its adjacent roll 5 and the action of the device will be reversed until the end of the strip is carried above the feed device out of channels 250 and means will be provided at that point for receiving strip and guiding it to another tank or to an ejection point.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows 1. In feeding mechanism for photographic strips, means for conveying a strip in reverse directions with n a tank, comprising opposed plates, a plurality of setsof feed rollers supported intermediate said plates, driving means for the rollers, parallel channels in each plate for guiding a margin of the strip, and a reversing block intermediate the plates and having a curved guiding face for receiving the strip fed to the base of one channel and for conveying it to the base of the second channel, said block contacting with the strip intermediate its marginal edges.

2. In feeding mechanism for photographic strips, means for conveying a strip in reverse directions within a tank, comprising opposed plates, a plurality of sets of feed rollers supported intermediate said plates, driving means for the rollers, parallel channels in each plate for guiding a margin of the strip, cut away sections the ends formed in the plate inter of the feed rollers so that acting faces of the feed rollers extend within the plates to approximately the depth of the channels, and a reversing block intermediate the plates and having a curved guiding face for receiving the strip fed to the base of one channel and conveying it to the base of the second channel, said block contacting with the strip intermediate its marginal edges.

3. In feeding mechanism for photographic strips, means for conveying a strip in reverse directions within a tank, comprising opposed plates, a plurality of sets of feed rollers sup ported intermediate said plates, driving means for the rollers, parallel channels in each plate for guiding a margin of the strip, the channels being broken by cut away sections of the plates substantially to the depth of the channels, a set of feed rollers being disposed within said cut away sections contiguous to the channels, and a reversing block intermediate the plates and having spaced curved guiding sections for receiving the strip fed to the base of one channel and conveying it to the base of the second channel, said block being of less width than the strip and contacting therewith in such man ner as to leave margins thereof free.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification WATERS LEE HELM S.

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