US3152378A

US3152378A - Foil or film holder

Info

Publication number: US3152378A
Application number: US308989A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kazimierz R Szczepaniak
Original assignee: Metalphoto Corp
Current assignee: Horizons Research Inc
Priority date: 1963-09-16
Filing date: 1963-09-16
Publication date: 1964-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-13

Description

Oct- 13, 1964 K.R.szczEPAN1AK 3,152,378

F011. oR FILM HOLDER Filed Sept. 16, 1963 INVENTOR 32 Kazimierz R. Szczepaniak A'ITORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,15Z,378 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 3,152,378 FOIL OR FILM HOLDER Kazimierz R. Szczepaniak, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Metalphoto Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 308,989 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-255) This invention relates to a holder adapted to grip one edge of Very thin materials such as photographic film or metal foils while they are being immersed in a bath of photographic developer, to avoid the formation of wrinkles, folds or other irregularities in the film surface. More particularly i-t relates to a fiexible plastic material formed in the shape of a gripper which is adapted to be hung from the lower edge of the film or sheet material being processed and having a sufiflcient weight to hold the film taut One object of this invention is 'to provide a clamp which can be used in all photographic chemicals and dyes without fear of contaminating these solutions.

One object of the invention is to produce a clamping device for film or foil from relatively inexpensive and readily available materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Work holder which maintains a film or foil free from bends when hung from the lower edge thereof.

These and other objects are achieved by the device shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a View showing the gripper applied to a piece of foil on which an image is being developed in a processing tank;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the device taken in section;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing one manner in which the device is opened to receive a film or foil to be gripped therein; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragment thereof.

The holder shown in the drawings comprises a body portion 12 preferably formed of a fiexible Synthetic resin material and having two

handles

14, 16 of similar material welded to opposite sides of body 12.

The body portion consists of a short length of a thick walled tubing 20, in which a longitudinal slot 22 has been cut along the eutire length of the tube 20 leaving

faces

24 and 26 on the tube. An L-shaped insert 28 is welded or cemented or adhesively secured to the surface 26, in such fashion that the L extends into the bore of tube 20, and the Vertical leg of the L abuts face 26.

As seen in FIGURE 2 the L consists of a Vertical leg 30 which substantially fills slot 22 and a horizontal leg 32 which is preferably shaped with a slightly enlarged upwardly sloping 'toe 34 which extends to the inner wall of tube 30. As a consequence any sheet material inserted into slot 22 will slide down the sloped face of the horizontal leg 32 and will be urged to remain adjacent to the exposed Vertical face of the L.

Normally no gap exists between leg 30 and face 24 of ltube 20 due to the inherent resiliency of the plastic tube 20 and to the tendency of tube 20 to spring shut. When it is desired to clip the holder on one edge of a film or metal the

handles

14 and 16 are gripped in one hand as shown in FIGURE 3 to spread the tube and to open the slot and 'the film or foil F is inserted into the opening and rested on the foot of the L. Upon release of the handles the tube shuts and the film or foil is securely held, without wrinkling and without any marring of the sensi- 'tized surface thereof since the portion held in the jaws of the gripper is very small.

Attachment of a sirnilar clip or any other suitable clip to the opposite edge of the film permits the film F to be hung in a tank 8 containing a processing solution 6 as shown in FIGURE 1 without wrinkling.

I am aware that weights have been hung over looped film in order to keep the film from bending or wrinkling while it is being hung in a developer tank, e.g. as shown in Botz U.S. Patent 1,131,817, issued March 16, 1915, land it is not my intention to claim any such arrangement.

The holder shown in the drawings is readily fabricated from commercially available plastic stock in sheet, rod, bar and tube form. Thus body 12 is formed by cutting a slot 22 in a thick walled tube 20.

Handles

14 and 16, shaped from square rods are welded to tube 20. Thereafter a sheet is formed into the shape of L 28 or the L may be an extrusion, and cut to length, before or after it has been inserted in slot 22, opened .by

gripping handles

14 and 16 as in FIGURE 3, and secured to face 26 by welding or by adhesive.

Having now described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is not intended that i-t be limited except as required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary gripper for film adapted to be hung from the lower end of a piece of film while it is immersed in a processing tank containing a processing liquid, comprising:

a tubular body of inherently fiexible synthetic plastic having a slot extending the length of said tubular body, said slot having two opposed faces;

a pair of Synthetic plastic handle members each welded to one side of said tube between the ends thereof and on opposite sides of said slot;

and an L-shaped support welded to one face of said slotted tubular body, said support consisting of a Vertical leg the outer surface of which is welded to said face and the inner surface of which faces the other of said opposed faces in said tubular body and a horizontal leg extending into the hollow portion of said tube and terminating adajcent the curved inner wall of said tube, the inner surface of said vertical leg constituting a support for the surface of said film and one surface of said horizontal leg constituting a support for one edge of said film;

said tubular body having relatively thick walls to provide a flexibility of said tubular body such that when pressure applied to said handle members for the purpose of opening said slot is removed, the opposed faces of said slot close and said film or foil is held between one flat face of said slot and the inner surface of said L-shaped support.

2. The gripper of claim 1 wherein the horizontal leg of said L-shaped support has an enlarged toe so that film tends to move toward said inner Vertical surface when said gripper is applied to a film.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,638 Subers Apr. 27, 1886 460,754 Moxley Oct. 6, 1891 703,192 Gueth June 24, 1902 1,429,889 Lambert Sept. 19, 1922 1,554,437 Larsen et al. Sept. 22, 1925 2,535,728 Eisner Dec. 26, 1950 2,813,47l Lobachewski Nov. 19, 1957 2,885,758 Russo et al. May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 552,848 France Jan. 30, 1923

Claims

1. A UNITARY GRIPPER FOR FILM ADAPTED TO BE HUNG FROM THE LOWER END OF A PIECE OF FILM WHILE IT IS IMMERSED IN A PROCESSING TANK CONTAINING A PROCESSING LIQUID, COMPRISING: A TUBULAR BODY OF INHERENTLY FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC PLASTIC HAVING A SLOT EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBULAR BODY, SAID SLOT HAVING TWO OPPOSED FACES; A PAIR OF SYNTHETIC PLASTIC HANDLE MEMBERS EACH WELDED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT; AND AN L-SHAPED SUPPORT WELDED TO ONE FACE OF SAID SLOTTED TUBULAR BODY, SAID SUPPORT CONSISTING OF A VERTICAL LEG THE OUTER SURFACE OF WHICH IS WELDED TO SAID FACE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF WHICH IS WELDED TO SAID FACE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF WHICH FACES THE OTHER OF SAID OPPOSED FACES IN SAID TUBULAR BODY AND A HORIZONTAL LEG EXTENDING INTO THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID TUBE AND TERMINATING ADJACENT THE CURVED INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID VERTICAL LEG CONSTITUTING A SUPPORT FOR THE SURFACE OF SAID FILM AND ONE SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL LEG CONSTITUTING A SUPPORT FOR ONE EDGE OF SAID FILM; SAID TUBULAR BODY HAVING RELATIVELY THICK WALLS TO PROVIDE A FLEXIBILITY OF SAID TUBULAR BODY SUCH THAT WHEN PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID HANDLE MEMBERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPENING SAID SLOT IS REMOVED, THE OPPOSED FACES OF SAID SLOT CLOSE AND SAID FILM OR FOIL IS HELD BETWEEN ONE FLAT FACE OF SAID SLOT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID L-SHAPED SUPPORT.