US3202074A

US3202074A - Trays

Info

Publication number: US3202074A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Carlson
Original assignee: Speed O Print Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: Speed O Print Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 1962-01-29
Filing date: 1962-01-29
Publication date: 1965-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-24

Description

Aug. 24, 1965 J. W. CARLSON TRAYS Filed Jan. 29, 1962 A TTORNE YS United States Patent O 3,202,074 TRAYS John W. Carlson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Speed-O-Print Business Machines Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corporation of illinois Filed Jan. '29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,687 4 Claims. (Cl. 95-95) This invention relates to printing devices, and, more particularly, to trays which are particularly well adapted for holding developing liquid for use in photocopying machines, and the like.

It is a primary object of the present invention to enable a novel tray for holding developing liquid, and the like, to be afforded.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel tray which is particularly well adapted for use in photocopying machines of the type disclosed in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 420, filed January 4, 1960, now Patent No. 3,031,942.

In photocopying operations, and the like, wherein sheets to be developed are passed through a liquid bath in a tray, or the like, it is commonly desirable that a predetermined minimum level of the liquid in the tray bemaintained throughout the operations so as to insure proper submergence and wetting of the sheets being passed through the liquid. Heretofore, this has cornmonly meant that a sufficient quantity of liquid be maintained in trays heretofore known in the art to fill the entire tray to at least the aforementioned minimum level. incertain instances, and, particularly, when only a few sheets were to be processed, this has required an amount of liquid in such trays whichwas far in excess of the amount required for the processing of such sheets. Such procedure has several disadvantages, such as, for example, being wasteful of liquid; requiring the draining of an excessive amount of liquid from such trays at the completion of each such series of operations; or requiring the storage of an excessive amount of previously used liquid between such series of operations, or the like. It is an important object of the present invention to overcome such disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to enable the same liquid level to be maintained in such a tray, in a novel and expeditious manner, with different quantities of liquid.

Another object of the present invention is to enable the liquid level in such a tray to be adjusted in a novel and expeditious manner.

A further object of the present'invention is to afford a novel tray of the aforementioned type which is practical and efiicient in operation and may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fro-rn the following description and claims andare illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof andl what Inow consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without'departing from the present invention and the purview of' the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a front perspective view of a tray embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, lateral sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. l;

ZiZ'i Patented Aug. 24, 1965 FIG. 3 is a top plan View of the tray shown in FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the tray shown in FIG. 2.

A tray 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate the prefer-red embodiment of the present invention.

The tray 1 includes a body portion 2 having a front wall 3 and oppositely disposed

end walls

4 and 5, FIGS. l and 2. The body portion 2 also embodies a substantially rectangular-shaped, upwardly opening container 6 having a bottom wall 7 disposed above the lower edge portions of the walls 3 5. The container 6 is defined by the aforementioned bottom wall 7, theV aforementioned front wall 3 and

end walls

4 and 5 of the body portion 2, and a rear wall 8 of the body portion 2, which projects upwardly from the rear edge portion of the bottom wall '7. The rear wall 8 has an opening 9 in the lower, longitudinal central portion thereof for feeding liquid into and out of the container 6.

A valve lil, which may be of any suitable type but which is preferably of the type shown in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 827,903, filed July 17, 1959, now Patent No. 3,097,585, is mounted in the passageway 9 in the container 6 in position to be in communicationwith the interior of the container 6, FIGS. 2 and 3. The valve 10 may be opened and closed to control the drainage of liquid from the container 6. lf desired, the valve 10 may be connected to a suitable source of supply of fluid for feeding liquid into and out of the container 6 in a manner similar to that disclosed in my aforementioned veo-pending application, Serial No. 420.

A false bottom 11 is removably mounted on the body portion 2 in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall 7, the false bottom il rests on a front flange l2 and a rear iiange 13 on the front wall 3 and the rear wall 8 of the body portion 2, respectively, FIG. 2. The false bottom 11 is substantially arcuate in shape, FIG. 2, and has a plurality of upwardly projecting parallel spaced ribs lli extending substantially from the front to the rear thereof.

The false bottom lll also has four wall members 15, liti, i?, and i8 projecting substantially vertically downwardly from the front edge portion thereof, and terminating at their lower ends in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall 7, FIGS. 2 and 3. The walls l5 and 16 are disposedin substantially parallel spaced relation to each other, and extend substantially the full length of the container 6, the wall l5 being disposed parallel to, and closely adjacent to the inner face 19 of the front wall 3 of the body member 2, when the false bottom 11 is disposed in normal operative position in the body member 2, FIG. 2, and the wall lid being disposed forwardly of, but relatively closely adjacent to the longitudinal center line of the container 6. The walls 1'7 and 13 are disposed substantially parallel to, and closely adjacent to the

end walls

4 and 5, respectively, of the body portion 2. The walls iii-l are imperforate, and are sealed together to form a continuous, imperforate side wall portion lid-ld, which is open at the bottom, for a purpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The false button 11 has a boss 20 projecting downwardly from the longitudinal central portion of the front edge portion thereof, within the area defined by the walls 1548. An internally threaded opening 21 extends vertically through the boss 2@ and the false bottom l1, FIGS. 2 and 4. A plug 23 having an enlarged head 24 on one end thereof, and an enlarged lower end porti-on 25 on the other end thereof, is mounted in and extends through the opening 2l in the boss 20, FIGS. 2 and 4. The lower end portion 25 of the plug 23 has external threads 26 formed thereon, and the threads 26 are threadedly engaged with the threads 22 in the boss 20 when the plug 23 is disposed in operative position in the boss 20. The plug 23 also has an intermediate portion 27 disposed between the head 23 and the end portion 25, the intermediate portion 27 being of smaller diameter than either the head 23 or the end portion 25. An O-ring made of suitable material such as, for example, rubber or neoprene, is mounted on the intermediate portion 27 below the head 24, and, when the plug 23 is disposed in fully inserted position in the boss 20, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, the O-ring 28 is firmly clamped between the head 24 of the plug 23 and the upper face 29 of the false bottom 11 to thereby effectively sealingly close the opening 21 through the boss 20, for a purpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The threads 22 in the boss 20, and the threads 26 on the end portion 25 of the plug 23 are relatively coarse and engage each other in such a manner that when the plug 23 is only partially inserted in the boss 20 with the head 24 disposed in raised position, relative to the false bottom 11, such as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, wherein it is ineffective to clamp the O-ring 28 against the upper face 29 of the false bottom 11, air may pass vertically through the boss and the false bottom 11 around the plug 23.

A suitable removable retaining member, such as, for example, a snap ring 30, is mounted in a slot 31 in the lower end portion of the lower end portion of the plug 23 in such position that when the plug 23 is disposed in fully inserted position in the boss 20, the snap ring is disposed in downwardly spaced relation to the lower end of the boss 20. With this construction, the plug 23 may be withdrawn a substantial distance from fully inserted position to a fully raised position, such as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, but is releaseably held against complete withdrawal from the boss 20 by the snap ring 30. The snap ring 3f) is preferably so disposed on the plug 23 that it is effective to limit the upward movement of the plug 23 so that, when the plug 23 is disposed in fully raised position, the top thereof is disposed below the adjacent upper surface of the false bottom 11, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4.

Rearwardly of the wall 16, the false bottom 11 has a plurality of openings 32 extending through the bottom thereof, whereby liquid may flow upwardly and downwardly through the false bottom 11 into and out of the bottom portion of the container 6'. However, forwardly of the wall 16, the false bottom 11 is imperforate except for the opening 21 therethrough. rI`he walls 15-18 are sealed to the lower face of the false bottom 11 throughout their length. With this construction, the

walls 15-18 and the forward end portion of the false bot-r tom 11 afford an open-bottomed air chamber 33, the top of which may be opened and closed to the atmosphere for controlling the level of liquid in the tray 1, as will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The tray 1 includes an elongated, downwardly and rearwardly curved separating plate 34, which extends across the front of the tray 1 and projects rearwardly and downwardly across the false bottom 11, in substantially parallel relation thereto, the plate 34 terminating at its rear edge portion 35 in substantially vertical alignment with the bottommost portion of the false bottom 11. The separating plate 34 has two spacing blocks 36 projecting downwardly from respective ends of the front edge portion thereof, the blocks 36 resting on the upper face of the front flange 12 of the false bottom 11 to support the separating plate 34 in upwardly spaced relation to the false bottom 11.

A cover plate 37, which is somewhat similar in shape to the separating plate 34, is mounted on the separator plate 34 in upwardly spaced, substantially parallel relation thereto, and covers the front portion of the false bottom 11 in such position that the rear edge 3S of the cover plate 37 terminates in substantially vertical alignment with the lowermost portion of the false bottom 11. Like the separating plate 34, the cover plate 37 has two spacing blocks 39 projecting downwardly from respective ends of the front edge portion thereof, the spacing blocks 39 being disposed vertically above respective blocks 36 on the separating plate 34, resting on the upper face of the front edge portion of the separating plate 34 to thereby support the cover plate 37 in substantially parallel, upwardly spaced relation to the separating plate 34.

The -

plates

34 and 37 have downwardly projecting, substantially

parallel ribs

40 and 41, respectively, extending rearwardly thereacross from the front edge portions thereof, to afford relatively narrow Ytrackways for guidingly engaging the upper faces of photocopy paper, or the like, when the latter is fed rearwardly between the

plates

34 and 37 and between the plate 34 and the false bottom 11 into the container 6 during a developing operation.

The false bottom 11, the separater plate 34, and the cover plate 3 7, are releaseably secured to the body portion 2 of the tray 1 in covering relation to the plug 23, by two bolts or thumb screws 42 which extend downwardly through the

blocks

39 and 36 and the front flange 12 of the false bottom 11 at respective ends of the front portion of the body portion 2, the bolts 42 being threadingly engaged in the front wall 3 of the body portion 2.

In the use of a tray in an operation, such as, for example, in a developing operation in a machine of the type disclosed in my aforementioned application, Serial No. 420, it is desirable that the liquid be maintained at or above a predetermined minimum level in the tray, such as, for example, the level indicated by the reference numeral 43 in FIG. 2 of the drawings. In trays heretofore known in the art, this has been normally accomplished by lling the entire container portion of the tray with liquid to a level at or above the desired level. This procedure was followed whether the liquid was to be used to process a substantial number of documents, or just a few documents. With my novel tray 1, when only a few documents are to be processed, a smaller amount of liquid may be used, while still maintaining the desired level of liquid in the processing portion of the container 6. On the other hand, when a substantial number of documents are to be processed, a larger quantity of the liquid may be introduced into the chamber 6, while still maintaining the same level of the liquid therein.

Thus, for example, if it is desired to fill the entire conatiner 6 of the tray 1 to capacity with a developing liquid, the bolts 42 may be removed, and the

plates

34 and 37 may be lifted from the tray 1. The plug 23 may then be unscrewed into raised position, such as, for example, the position shown in broken line in FIG. 4, to thereby vent the air chamber 33 to the atmosphere through the false bottom 11. The

plates

34 and 37 may then be replaced in operative position on the body por` tion 2 of the tray 1, and secured in said position by the bolts 42. The desired quantity of liquid may then be fed into the container 6, and under these conditions, the liquid levelY in the container 6 will be uniform throughout the container 6 such as, for example, at the level indicated by the reference numeral 43 in FIG. 2. With such a quantity of developing liquid disposed in the tray 1, an adequate supply of such liquid is disposed in the tray 1 for treating a substantial number of photocopy' sheets, or the like.

However, if in conducting a photocopying operation, or the like, with my novel tray 1, only a few documents are to be treated with developing liquid, a substantially lesser quantity of developing liquid may be used in the tray 1, while still maintaining the liquid level at the same desired height. VFor example, with the tray 1 constructed in the manner shown in the drawings, the liquid level may be maintained at the same desired level, such as, for example, the levelindicated by the reference numeral 43, ,with slightly more than half of the aforementioned quantity of liquid necessary to ill the container 6 completely to that same level 43. This may be accomplished by first removing the

plates

34 and 37, and then completely closing the plug` 23, so as to seal the passageway `21 through' theboss 20 and the false bottom 11. The plates' 34 and 37 may then Abe reinserted in operative position on the body portion 2 of the tray 1, andisecured in such position by the bolts 42. The liquid may then be poured or fed into the container 6 of the tray 1, However, under these conditions, as the liquid level rises in the container 6, the air pressure in the air chamber 33 prevents the vliquid' from rising any substantial distance into the air chamber 33. As a result, the major 'portion of the liquid fed into the container 6 is disposed rearwardly of the air chamber 33, and a substantially lesser quantity of liquid is required to raise the level of the liquid 'in' the container 6 to the level 43, rearwardly of the airA chamber 33.

The air chamber 33l is disposed forwardly of the

rear end portions

35 and 38 of the

plates

34 and 37, FIG. 2, and when the level of the liquid rearwardly of the air ychamber 33 has raised to the level 43, with the plug 23 closed, the photocopy papers, or the like, passing between the

plates

34 and 37, and between the plate 34 and the false bottom 11, pass through the same quantity of liquid as if the container 6 were lled throughout its width to the level 43.

With the air chamber 33 occupying the portion of the container 6 illustrated in the drawings, the liquid level may be raised in the container 6 to the level 43, with the plug 23 completely closed, with only about sixty percent of the quantity of liquid necessary to raise the liquid level to the same level 43 when the plug 23 is open. For example, approximately the same quantity of liquid which would be necessary to raise the liquid level throughout the entire container 6 to a level such as that indicated by the reference numeral 44 in FIG. 2, when the plug 23,l is open, would be suliicient to raise the liquid level in the container 6 to the level 43 when the plug 23 was closed during the insertion of the liquid into the container 6.

Also, it Will be seen that if it is'desired, for any reasonto lower the level of liquid in the container 6, when the liquid has been placed therein While the plug 23 was closed, this may be readily accomplished by partially opening the plug 23 to thereby permit air to escape from the air chamber 33 to the atmosphere and, when the liquid has raised in the air chamber 33 sufficiently to lower the level of the liquid in the remainder of the container 6 to the desired level, again close the plug 23.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention aifords a novel tray wherein the quantity of liquid therein may be varied to a considerable extent,

while maintaining the same liquid level in the tray.

Also, it will be seen that the present invention aiords a novel tray wherein the liquid level therein may be controlled in a novel and expeditious manner.

In addition, it will be seen that the present invention alTords a'novel tray wherein the liquid level therein may be adjusted in a novel and expeditious manner.

Also, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel tray which is practical and eicient in operation` and may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understoodA that this iscapable of variation and modification, and Itherefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A developing tray comprising (l) a body portion including a container for holding a predetermined quantity of liquid,

(2) said container having a bottom wall,

(3) an air chamber mounted in said container,

(4) said air chamber having (a) an opening in the `bottom thereof, and

(b) a top wallfhaving a portion disposed above the maximum permissible operating level of the predetermined quantity of liquid in said container, and another portion disposed below said maximum permissible operating level of the predetermined quantity of liquid,

(5) vent means in said tirst-mentioned portion for opening and closing the interior of said chamber to Athe atmosphere above said level of said liquid to thereby control the amount of air in said chamber andthereby control the actual level of said quantity of saidliquid in said container.

2. A developing tray for use in treating sensitized papers comprising (l) a body portion including (a) a container for holding a predetermined quantity of developing liquid,

(2) said container havig a bottom wall,

(3) a false bottom mounted on said container above said bottom wall,

(4) said false bottom having (a) a perforate portion for permitting said liquid to pass upwardly and downwardly therethrough into and out of position to treat such papers, and

(b) an imperforate portion,

(5) an imperforate continuous side wall sealed to and extending downwardly from said imperforate portion of said false bottom in position to define, with said imperforate portion, an open-bottomed air chamber spaced upwardly from said bottom wall,

(6) and valve means mounted in and extending through said imperforate portion of said false bottom for `controlling the amount of air in said chamber to thereby control the level of said quantity of liquid in said container.

3. A developing tray comprising (l) a body portion having (a) a substantially rectangular-shaped, upwardly opening container therein,

(2') a false bottom (a) mounted on said body portion and (b) extending across said container,

(3) said false bottomvhavig openings therethrough for the passage of liquid upwardly and downwardly therethrough, and

. (4) means for controlling the level of liquid in said container, said means comprising (a) imperforate wall members projecting downwardly from said false bottom in position to dene a laterally closed, downwardly opening area of substantially rectangular horizontal crosssection extending across said container below said false bottom in closely adjacent, substantially parallel relation to one longitudinal edge of said container, and

(b) a valve mounted in said false bottom Within said area,

(5) said false bottom being imperforate throughout all portions of said area disposed exteriorly of said valve,

(6) said valve being actuatable between (a) an open position, effective to vent said area through said false bottom to the atmosphere, and

(b) a closed position effective to close the top of said area to the atmosphere.

7 4. A developing tray comprising (l) a body portion having a substantially rectangularshaped, upwardly opening container therein,

Y (2) a false bottom (a) mounted on said body portion and (b) extending across said container,

(3) imperforate wall members projecting downwardly froin said false bottom in position to dene a laterally closed, downwardly opening area of substantially rectangular horizontal cross-section extending across said container below said false bottom in closely adjacent, substantially parallel'relation to one longitudinal edge of said container,

(4) said false bottom having a passageway therethrough withinthe area enclosed by said wall members,

(5) said portion of said false bottom exteriorly of said passageway and within the area enclosed by said Wall members being imperforate,

A (6) .saidfalse bottom having openings therethrough in the area adjacent Ythe longitudinal edge of said container remote from said one longitudinal edge for the passage of liquid upwardly and downwardly through said openings,

(7) a plug threaded into said passageway,

(8) said plug beingmovable in'sraid passageway be- References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,072 7/50 Kantor 141-39 v2,742,838 4/56 PaulasV 95-89 2,925,025 2/ 60 Conner 95-89 2,996,969 8/61 Kaufman 95-89 EvoN C. BLUNK, Primary Examinar, DBLBERT B. Lowe, NORTON ANSHER, Examiners,

Claims

1. A DEVELOPING TRAY COMPRISING (1) A BODY PORTION INCLUDING A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID, (2) SAID CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, (3) AN AIR CHAMBER MOUNTED IN SAID CONTAINER, (4) SAID AIR CHAMBER HAVING (A) AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AND (B) A TOP WALL HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED ABOVE THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE OPERATING LEVEL OF THE PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID IN SAID CONTAINER, AND ANOTHER PORTION DISPOSED BELOW SAID MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE OPERATING LEVEL OF THE PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID, (5) VENT MEANS IN SAID FIRST-MENTIONED PORTION FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE SAID LEVEL OF SAID LIQUID TO THEREBY CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF AIR IN SAID CHAMBER AND THEREBY CONTROL THE ACTUAL LEVER OF SAID QUANTITY OF SAID LIQUID IN SAID CONTAINER.