US2762281A

US2762281A - Reproducing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2762281A
Application number: US359902A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kleinstra Harm
Original assignee: AB Dick Co
Current assignee: AB Dick Co
Priority date: 1952-06-07
Filing date: 1953-06-05
Publication date: 1956-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-11

Description

Sept. 11, 1956 H. KLEINSTRA REPRODUCING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 5, 1953 i ,A m

Sept. 11, 1956 H. KLElNsTRA REPRODUCING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1951 i; mw

Sept 1l, 1956 H. KLEINsTRA 2,762,281

REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1955 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 REPRODUCIN G APPARATUS Harm Kleinstra, Utrecht, Netherlands, assignor, by mesne assignments, to A. B. Dick Company, Niles, Ill., a coru poration of Illinois Application June 5, 1953, Serial No. 359,902 Claims priority, application Netherlands June 7, 1952 9 Claims. (C1. 95-89) The invention relates to an apparatus for developing and/or copying of light-sensitive or not light-sensitive papers and like objects, said apparatus being provided with guide faces for guiding these papers etc. through a developing tank above which a number of rollers are provided for pressing together the sheets or like objects.

This known apparatus has a disadvantage in that the developing cistern or tank has a large volume, so that it contains a large quantity of developing liquid. If one has to make only one or a few light-sensitive papers with such an apparatus it is nevertheless necessary to put substantially the same quantity of liquid in the developing tank. It is true that the liquid used for this purpose can be put into a bottle and stored until it is needed again for making fresh copies but the quality of such a liquid deteriorates considerably during storage. Moreover it is a cumbersome work.

The present invention avoids these disadvantages in that the liquid storage tank is closed and is connected by at least one conduit with the tank for the developing bath in such a manner that a substantially constant liquid level is always maintained in this last-mentioned tank whilst owing to a change of the position of the liquid storage tank with respect to the tank containing the developing bath the liquid contained in this last-mentioned tank can be introduced in the liquid storage tank. If the lowermost guide face also constitutes the bottom of the developing tank this tank may be of very small size, so that it contains only very little liquid. If it is necessary to make a great many copies the liquid storage tank constantly supplies fresh liquid according to the consumption of developing liquid, so that also the advantage is obtained that the liquid level in the developing tank is kept automatically constant.

A favourable embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the liquid storage tank is connected with a sidewall of the developing tank, this connection being effected in such a manner that the storage tank can be brought from a position in which it acts according to the bird cage water bottle principle into a position in which the liquid or part thereof in the developing tank ilows back into the storage tank. The emptying of the developing tank is effected automatically after bringing the storage tank in the last-mentioned position, so that one needs not omit this from love of ease. Moreover, one obtains the advantage that the cleaning of the device can be done quickly and easily. To this end it is only necessary to use a storage tank which has been filled with water. It is only necessary to bring this storage tank a few times from one position into the other position in order to clean the developing tank.

According to the invention a simple design is obtained by connecting the storage tank with the developing tank by means of two ilexible tubes or like objects of which the one is connected to the bottom of the developing tank and the other connects at substantially the height of the liquid level in the developing tank.

2,762,281 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 As in the apparatus according to the invention a place for the storage tank-is required said apparatus can be mounted with advantage on an exposure apparatus. In this manner one obtains a combined exposure and developing copying apparatus occupying little space.

According tothe present invention the apparatus can be provided with a second liquid storage tank capable of containing a quantity of liquid which is considerably larger than that of the liquid in the developing tank, this second liquid storage tank being also so positioned with respect to the developing tank that it can only supply liquid to this developing tank up to a predetermined level. lf required, this second liquid storage tank can be given such dimensions as to render it possible to work the apparatus for a whole day without interruption. After termination of the work the iirst liquid storage tank is turned in the position for taking liquid from the developing tank, so that the liquid contained in this tank flows into the said first storage tank. This offers the advantage that the liquid in the second liquid storage tank is not contaminated with liquid which has already been used. When the work is resumed the first liquid storage tank is turned in such a manner that the liquid contained therein liows into the developing tank. Thereafter the second liquid storage tank sees to it that the liquid level of the developing tank is kept constant. This design of the apparatus presents the advantage that the latter is suitable for continuous use, that is for treating a great number of light-sensitive, and/or non light-sensitive or like papers or sheets as well as for `making only a few copies of the papers or sheets without a large quantity of liquid being contaminated.

According to the invention the second liquid storage tank is secured to the developing tank by preference in a detachable manner, so that it can be removed when required, for instance if one wishes to take along the apparatus and to treat only a few papers or sheets.

The second liquid storage tank can be provided with a closing means, for instance a conical cap so that this tank can be put in or out of operation at will. Also the second liquid storage tank can be connected with the developing tank by means of a rubber hose which can be pinched if the supply of liquid is to be interrupted.

A favourable embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the developing tank is provided with a tube for connecting the second A liquid storage tank, one end of this tube terminating above the liquid level in the developing tank and the other end being connected with this developing tank in such a manner that the constant liquid level in this developing tank can be maintained.

The second liquid storage tank can be so designed that it can assume at least two positions whereby it is possible in the first position to supply liquid from this tank to the developing tank whilst in the other position the or each liquid discharge tube or like means has such a location and/or direction that no liquid can flow out of this second tank.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

Figure l shows a portion of this apparatus partly in side elevation and partly in section.

Figure 2 is a partial cross section of the said apparatus seen in the direction of the second tank.

Figure 3 shows a portion of the apparatus in front elevation.

The apparatus shown in the Figures l and 2 is mounted on a box 1 and comprises a frame 2 in which a developing tank 3 has been provided. The bottom of the said developing tank also serves as a guide face for the copies V6 andV theV bottom three,V spaces are formed. When this Vapparatus is used for transferring two negative copies in positive form unto the two sides of a sheet which is provided at both sides Withra sensitive layer, this sheet is stuck between the Yguide faces 4 and 5 whilst the two negatives are introduced into the spaces between the guide faces 3, 4 and 5, 6 on both sides of the first-mentioned space and are guided through the liquid in the developing tank towards two rollers 7 and 8 which press these sheets together in order to effect eventually a chemical transfer (diffusion). In order to obtain a rapid drying of the reproductions the rollers may eventually press part of the liquid held by the sheets out of the latter.

At the side of the developing tank 3 a liquid storage tank 9 is provided connected by two tubes or hoses 10 V.and 11 or other connecting means with the developing tank 3 in such a manner that the liquid storage tank 9 can beY turned from its shown position-in which it keeps, together with the developing tank 3, the level in the latter tank constant in the manner of a bird cage water bottleinto the position indicated in dotted lines. The tube or hose 10 is connected in such a Way to the lower portion of the side wall of the developing tank 3 that in the last-mentioned position the liquid in the tank 3 ows back into the storage tank, so that Vwhen the apparatus is not used this liquid is not exposed with a large surface to the inuence of the atmosphere. In this position of the storage tank the tube 10 can be closed, if desired, with the aid kof a clamp or in a similar way. This closing can also be effected by bringing the storage tank in its second position in Vsuch a manner that the hoses are pinched automatically, by providing a means effecting this operation when the storage tank is turned.

The tube 11 is connected substantially at the height of the liquid Vlevel in the developing tank'. WhenV liquid from the developing tank is used, liquid from the storage tank 9 ows through the tubev 10 into the developing tank 3 whilst air bubbles through the tube 11 into the storage `tank 9. This ensures a regular supply of liquid to the developing tank 3 as it is not necessary for the air to ow against the direction of the arriving liquid.

Instead of using a developing tank of which the bottom is constituted by the lowermost guide face itis also possible to provide a small reservoir under this guide face as indicated in dotted lines 14. In this way any existing developing apparatus can be rebuilt quickly according to the invention, as this small reservoir vis provided with 'stumps to which the Vhoses or tubes 10, 11Vof the liquid storage tank 9 can be connected.

As may be seen from Figure 2 a second liquid storage tank y12 is provided adapted to supply liquid through a tube 13 to the tank 3. This tube 13 ends at such a distance from the bottom of the tank 3 that the liquid level in this tank is kept constant. The tank 12 comprises a closing means with the aid of which the supply of liquid may be interrupted at will.

It is to be noted that the second liquid storage tank Vmay also be designed in such a manner that it can assume at least two positions, namely one position in which the tube or tubes destined to supply the liquid to the developing tank projects into the said developing tank at the correct height, and another position in which the said tube or tubes are pointed upwards in such a manner that no liquid can iiow from this second liquid storage tank. For this purpose the second storage tank can be provided for each of these two positions with a iiat face with which it may rest on arsupporting face. The said storage tank may also be adapted to be tipped over, turned, locked or to have another suitable design.

I claim:

l. In an apparatus for producing copy by diifusion transfer upon contact between a reproducing sheet and a copy sheet, each of which had been previously wetted with a developing uid, an enclosed housing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at theother dimensioned to enable the sheets to pass atwise therethrough, a bottom wall extending downwardly from the inlet end portion of the housing and upwardly curvilinearly toward the outlet with the lowermost portion therebetween, one or more guide plates extending downwardly from the inlet toward the lowermost portion of the bottom wall and in spaced relation therewith for feeding the sheets into the housing with a separated relation therebetween, a pair of fluid passages vertically spaced one from the other through the housing with the lowermost portion of the bottom wall and the other at a level above the lowermost ends of the guide plates but below the inlet and outlet of the housing, a fluid container having a pair of passages in one end portion for passage of fluid therethrough, means mounting the fluid container for shifting movement between a raised position in which the passages are lowermost in the container to bring the level of the Huid in the container above the uppermost passage through the housing and a lowered position with the passages at the top of the container to bring said passages at a level below the lowermost passage through the housing, and exible means communicating the lowermost passage through the housing with one of said passages in the container and the uppermost passage in the housing with the other opening in the container whereby, when the container is in raised position, uid flows from the container into the housing to maintain the fluid therein at a level corresponding to the uppermost passage through the housing and, when the container is in its lowered position, iiuid ows through the lowermost passage from the housing to the container to drain uid from the housing.

2. In an apparatus for producing -copy by diffusion transfer upon contact between a reproducing sheet and a copy sheet, each of which had been previously wetted with a developing uid, an enclosed housing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other dimensioned to enable the sheets rto pass i'latwise therethrough, a bottom wall extending downwardly from the inlet end portion of the housing and upwardly curvilinearly toward the outlet with the lowermost portion therebetween, one or more guide plates extending downwardly from the inlet toward the lowermost portion of the bottom wall and in spaced relation therewith for feeding the sheets into the housing with a separated relation therebetween, a pair of fluid passages vertically spaced one from the other through the housing with the lowermost portion of the bottom wall and the other at a level above the lowermost ends of the guide plates but below the inlet and outlet of the housing, a fluid container having a pair of passages in one end portion for passage of fluid therethrough, means mounting the uid container for shifting movement between a raised position in which the passages are lowermost in the container to bring the level of the iluid in the container above the uppermost passage through the housing and a lowered position with the passages at the top of the container to bring said passages at a level below the lowermost passage through the housing, and exible means communicating the lowermost passage through the housing with one of said passages in the container and the uppermost passage in the housing with the other opening in the container whereby, when the container is in raised position, fluid flows from the container into the housing to maintain the uid therein at a level corresponding to the uppermost passage through the housing and, when the container is in its lowered position, uid ows through the lowermost passage from the housing to the container to drain uid from the housing, a pair of squeeze rollers aligned with the curvilinear end portion of the bottom wall for receiving the sheets upon passage therefrom.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 which includes power means for rotating the squeeze rollers for delivery of the sheets passing therethrough to the outlet of the housing.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the guide plates terminate short of the lowermost section of the bottom Wall.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom Wall forms a means for guiding the sheets through the housing.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom wall is in the form of a basin in which the fluid is received in the depressed portions thereof with the ends of the bottom wall terminating short of the inlet and outlet.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the exible means interconnecting the container with the housing comprises separate flexible conduits extending continuously from the passages of the housing to the passages of the container.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes a second liquid storage container of greater capacity than the iirst and means detachably mounting the second conn tainer onto the housing and means communicating the second container with the housing for passage of liquid therefrom to the housing and means for maintaining the liquid supplied therefrom Within the housing at a predetermined level above the lowermost ends of the guide plates but below the inlet and outlet.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the second container is mounted for shifting movement between a liquid-supplying position and a position in which no liquid ilows therefrom into the housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS