US2943555A

US2943555A - Developing apparatus for sensitized materials

Info

Publication number: US2943555A
Application number: US572938A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Hill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-03-21
Filing date: 1956-03-21
Publication date: 1960-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1977-07-05

Description

J. H. HILL 2,943,555 DEVELOPING APPARATUS FOR SENSITIZED MATERIALS July 5, 1960 Filed March 21, 1956 FIG. 2

v v V (3:?! i

INVENTOR. H. HILL JOHN A TTOENEYS United States.

DEVELOPING APPARATUSFOR' SENSITIZ' D MATERIALS Johnl-I'. mu, so PineSL, MouutfClemens, Mich.

Filed Mar. 21,1956, Ser. No; 572,938

4 Claims. or. 95-89 Thisinvention relates to apparatus fordeyelopinglight sensitive. materials and, more particularly to;apparatusi utilizing a gaseous developing-agent such;as-.vaporized ammonia.

Atypical application of the invention is in the develop ment of blue-print paper or the like;which is. -relatively insensitive to.- ordinary light.

An object of theinvention is toprovide asimple inexpensive developing apparatus of .this type having improved,; more rapid operation -than- ,apparatus heretofore known.

The vinvernion.generally contemplates a flexible screen from the apparatus when the developing is completed."

One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a generally elevational view of apparatus according to this invention with parts broken away and shown in section to illustrate structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the upper end of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of screen forming a holder for the sensitized material.

Fig. 4 is a partly diagrammatic end view of;the screen rolled up with sensitized material to be developed...

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. l.

The developing apparatus shown in thedrawings atent has round, elongate, cylindrical form with a hollow base 11 and a hollow body 12 cooperating in operative relation to form a closedchamber or vessel 13 for gaseous developing agent such as vaporized ammonia. Base 11 and body 12 are formed of material such as aluminum or a plastic material which resist the corrosive action of the ammonia vapors. In the form shown, base 11 is formed of aluminum and body 12 is formed of a transparent plastic. A handle 15 may be mounted on body 12 by means of an encircling band 16 as shown.

Base 11 has a generally radially inwardly projecting flange 15 providing a shoulder for detachably supporting the open lower end portion 19 of body 12. Flange 18 terminates in an axially upwardly turned portion 26 which provides a centering ring for end '19 of body 12. A vaporizer 22 for an aqueous solution of ammonia is mounted adjacent one side of bottom portion 23 of base 11. Vaporizer 22 is preferably of a type which operates for so long as there is solution in it, but which ceases to operate when all of the developer solution has evaporated. For this purpose the vaporizer is shown as being of the electrolytic resistance type having a cup 24 I" E Q@ 2,943.53.) Patented July iii 1 360 for holding the ammonia solution with exposed

electrodes

25 and 26 therein. This particular type vaporizer is known to th'eiart.

A fan. 28 rotatedby an electric motor 29 is removably mounted generally concentrically on base 11 above heater 22 by means of brackets 30 secured as by screws 31 to the casing of motor 29 and having hook portions 32 whichtengage overring- 20 at the top of base 11. Fan motor 29 and vaporizer 22 are connected in parallel by an. electrical circuit which includes a cord 34 preferably equipped with a standard plug 35 for plugging into a wall socket and a switch 36having amanually operable toggle 37; Bodyv 12-has -anupperclosed end 40, portions of which are apertured as at 4-1 and other portions of which are imperforate. A valve plate 42 is pivotally mounted on closed end 40 through pivot 43. The valve plate is arranged so'-that-it can be'turned selectively to cover openings, .41 or uncoverthem. v

A holder 45 for sensitive material 46 to be developed comprises agenerally flat flexible, preferably 'foraminous element which is resistant to the corrosive effects of ammoniavapors. The holder is formed with projections extending laterally of the major plane of the holder, and for this :purposemay becorrugated as shown in Fig. 3. Theholder may be formed of ordinary aluminum screen.

In use it may be assumed that plug 35 has been connectedintoawall outlet and that switch 36 is open so that there is no current in fan motor 29 or vaporizer 22. DeveloperbodylZhas been lifted off of base 11. A quantity ,of aqueous ammonia solution is placed'in vaporizer, cup .24. This may be done if desired without removing the fanassemblyfrom base 11 because ofthe eccentric positioning of vaporizer 22 relatively to the fan assembly The sensitized sheet of material '46 to be developed is laid over holder sheet 45. and the two sheets are rolled up together to the form shown generally in Fig. 4. Sheet 46 .is contacted onlyby the crests of the corrugated hol-der so that the sheet is spaced from intermediate portions of't'he holder and so that adjacent layers of the. sensitized material in the roll are spaced radially from each.other. The roll is slidably'inserted in the openend 19 of developer body 12'. When the roll is releasedwithin the body,.holder sheet45 tends resiliently to. .unrollior expand into frictional engagement against the walls'fof body 12 to secure the roll against movement .in the body .during ordinary handling and during developin g.

Body'12 withthe inserted roll is mounted on base 11 by. resting end 19 of the body on shoulder 18 of the base. Ringltl facilitates centering body 12 on base 11. Toggle. 37 istripped to close switch 36 for'actuating fan 28 and vaporizer 22 As the ammonia solution is vaporized fan 28 moves the vapors upwardly into body 12 through screen -45 and around sensitive material 46. Maximum circulation is provided around the sensitized material by the foraminous nature of screen 45 and by the spacing between adjacent convolutions of the material and be tween the material and the screen itself.

When the solution in cup '24 has been entirely vaporized, the contact between

electrodes

25 and 26 opens to deactuate the vaporizer. However, fan 28 continues to operate because of the parallel connection of the vaporizer and fan. The fan is allowed to continue to operate until the developing is complete. The transparent nature of body 12 facilitates visual inspection to determine when the developing is complete.

After material 26 has been completely developed, valve plate 42 is rotated to uncover openings 41 in the top of body 12, and the fan purges vessel 13 of the ammonia fumes. The fan may then be turned ofi by tripping toggle 37 and developer body 12 lifted upwardly from base 1-1 so that roll 47 may be manually removed from the body through its open end 19. Roll 47 is unrolled,

The fan assembly is replaced by again hooking hooks 32 over the ring.

In practice it has been found that only about a half teaspoon of ammonia solution is required for one developing cycle, so that the cycle is very short. About three minutes is required for one cycle, even when a relatively large amount of material is to be developed. A given holder 45 can accommodate a wide range of sizes of sensitized material and frequently can accommodate a number of sheets of sensitized material. Holder sheets 45 of various sizes can be used in body 12.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for developing light sensitive sheet material comprising, means forming a vessel for a fiuid developing agent with which said apparatus is adapted to be used, a holder for the material to be developed, said holder being removably positioned in said vessel, said holder being formed of a generally fiat form-retaining foraminous material so that the developing agent can circulate therethrough, said holder being flexible so that to be developed for holding the same, said holder including a plurality of lateral projections engaging the sheet of material around which said holder is formed, whereby I to space portions of said holder from the sheet of material to facilitate circulation of developing agent around the material, said projections being distributed generally uniformly throughout the area of said holder to facilitate holding sheets of material of random sizes, said projections having generally uniform height for supportingly engaging sheets of material at points generally uniformly distributed throughout their areas.

2; Apparatus for developing light sensitive sheet material comprising, means forming a vessel for a fluid developing agent with which said apparatus is adapted to be used, a-holder for the material to be developed, said holder being removably positioned in said vessel, said holder being formed of a generally fiat foraminous screen so that the developing agent can circulate therethrough,

said screen being flexible so that it can be formed around it can be formed around a sheet of the sensitive material said screen to facilitate holding sheets of material of random sizes, said deformations having generally uniform height for supportingly engaging sheets of material at points generally uniformly distributed throughout their areas.

3. Apparatus for developing light sensitive sheet material comprising, means forming a vessel for a fluid developing agent with which said apparatus is adapted to be'used, a holder for the material to be developed, said holder beingremovably' positioned in said vessel, said holder being formed of a generally flat foraminous screen so thatthe developing agent can circulate therethrough, said screen being corrugated, said screen being flexible and the corrugations therein being arranged in generally parallel relation so that said screen can be rolled up with a sheet of generally parallel sensitive material to be developed for holding the same with the corrugations in said screen engaging the sheet of material to space adjacentlayers of the rolled material apart, whereby to facili- 'tate circulation of developing agent around the material said corrugations being ,arranged generally uniformly throughout the length of said screen and extending substantially throughout its width to facilitate holding sheets of material of random sizes.

4. Apparatus for developing light sensitive sheet material comprising, means forming a vessel for a fluid de veloping agent with which said apparatus is adapted to be used, a holder for the material to be developed, said holder being removably positioned in said vessel, said holder being formed of a generally flat flexible screen which can be placed in laminar relation with the sheet material to be developed and rolled up therewith, said screen having a series of generally parallel corrugations tions engaging the sheet material and spacing adjacent circulation of developing agent around the sheet material layers thereof apart, said screen including said .crest portions being foraminous throughout its area to facilitate and to minimize the area of contact between said crest portions and sheet material.'

References'Cited in the the of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,621,291 'Unger Mar. 15, 1927 1,624,586 Czako Apr. 12, 1927 1,659,841 Spaulding Feb. 21, 1928 2,288,165 Krupa et al June 30, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,909 Great Britain 1913 194,060 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1923 376,590 Germany June 1, 1923 453,215 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1934