US3270654A - Roller transfer processing mechanism - Google Patents

Roller transfer processing mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
US3270654A
US3270654A US342991A US34299164A US3270654A US 3270654 A US3270654 A US 3270654A US 342991 A US342991 A US 342991A US 34299164 A US34299164 A US 34299164A US 3270654 A US3270654 A US 3270654A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
rollers
tanks
pairs
film
frame
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US342991A
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English (en)
Inventor
Harold D Russell
Charles F Amering
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Priority to US342991A priority Critical patent/US3270654A/en
Priority to BE659180D priority patent/BE659180A/xx
Priority to FR4203A priority patent/FR1423430A/fr
Priority to GB4877/65A priority patent/GB1099212A/en
Priority to DEE28643A priority patent/DE1291998B/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3270654A publication Critical patent/US3270654A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03D3/00—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion
    • G03D3/08—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion having progressive mechanical movement of exposed material

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a roller transfer processing mechanism and more particularly to a roller transfer processor adapted to transport photographic film sheets between developing process steps.
  • an object of our invention is to provide a simple and reliable automatic sheet film processing equipment adapted to process sheet films of relatively small dimensions.
  • a roller transfer mechanism is positioned over a series of tanks containing necessary film developing and fixing fluids.
  • One extra pair of rollers is provided, relative to the number of tanks whereby the initial set of rollers may be delivering a sheet film to the first tank at the same instant the final pair of rollers is delivering a developed print to a receptacle at the end of the processing equipment.
  • the rollers are intermittently driven between a pickup or receiving position and an insert or delivery position where they respectively receive sheets to be or being processed and deliver the sheets in a next tank of the processor.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view partially in section of one embodiment of our invention
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmented top plan view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective View of another embodiment of our invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a portion of the equipment shown in FIG. 3.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 we have shown a plurality of chemical fluid containing sheet film processing tanks including a developer tank 10, a fixer tank 11 and two wash tanks 12 and 13.
  • the provision of two wash tanks is to accomplish an additional time duration of the washing cycle compared to the time duration of the developing and fixing operations. Additional tanks may be added as required in accordance with well established processing techniques to accomplish any timing relationship or any number of processing steps required of our invention.
  • the last wash tank 13 is also provided with a circulating pump system 14, whereby the final wash water is circulated during the residence of the film sheets in this tank. Similar circulating means may be added to the other tanks if the anticipated through-put volume justifies the additional expense involved. However, if this processor is to be used only a few times between changes of developing and fixing fluids, such sophistications are not warranted.
  • the film sheets being processed in the processor of FIG. 1 are of greater density than the fluids of the several process baths as exemplified by various plastic identification cards or credit cards. Thus, they rest on a raisable rack 21 having lower platforms indicated at 22 which are sequentially raised by a motor 23.
  • a roller transfer mechanism 24 including a frame member and rotatably supporting pairs of rollers 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 is positioned in a receiving location (indicated in the drawings) above the tanks 10 to 13. As the rack 21 is raised, the film sheets will engage the nip of the pairs of rollers. The rotation of the pairs of rollers is sequentially controlled to assure receipt of the film sheets when raised thereto. This engagement is facilitated by deflectors 31 which deflect the top of any skewed film sheets inwardly as they are raised from the solution of the processing tank. Alternately the tanks may be made narrower whereby the deflectors 31 may be omitted.
  • one of the rollers of each pair (indicated as the leftward roller in FIG. 1) is driven by a sprocket 32 coupled by a chain 34 to be driven from a motor 36.
  • the direction of rotation of the motor 36 during receiving of film sheets is such that the pairs of rollers will raise any materials presented to them as when the rack platforms 22 raise the film sheets.
  • Both rollers of each pair are driven by interconnecting gearing 37 (FIG. 2).
  • the frame and rollers of transfer mechanism convey them toward the right when driven by an eccentric drive means 38 under the control of a motor 39.
  • This drive results in intermittent oscillatory motion as indicated by the double-ended arrow 40.
  • the transfer mechanism 24 is returned to the receiving location in time for a next trans-fer.
  • Each of the motors 23, 36 and 39 is sequentially operated in accordance with a timer 41.
  • this timer 41 may include various contact switches operated by the terminal position result-ing from a sequentially preceding equipment movement as is well known in the machinery and :materials handling arts.
  • a single timer 41 is illustrated to simplify the presentation of our invention.
  • the motor 36 is reversed promptly whereby the chain drive 34 rotates the sprockets 32 and thereby the gearing 37 and the pairs of rollers in the opposite direction and moves film sheets into the solution one tank downstream from their previous positions.
  • the motor 23 is reversed during the period between receiving step and the completion of the delivery step so that the platforms 22 are again lowered in the tanks.
  • the pair of rollers 25 serves the singular function of moving a dry film sheet 16 to the first tank while the second pair of rollers 26 serves the singular function of moving the wet film sheet 17 from the developing tank to the fixing tank 1 1, etc. that none of the fluids are mixed by use of the rollers as illustrated.
  • the pair of rollers 25 remains perfectly dry; the pair 26 is wet only with developing fluid from the tank 10; etc. Thus, no fixing solution contaminates the developer, etc.
  • FIG. 3 we have illustrated a similar roller transfer mechanism 24' utilizing pairs of rollers 25, 26', 27 and 28' in a processor where only three processing tanks are used, a developing tank 10', a fixing tank 11 and a wash tank 12'.
  • the film sheets being processed as indicated at 44 and 45 are substantially different from those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that they are less dense than at least one of the process fluids being used in the tanks 10'-1-2' and in that they are each pro- Wldd with a raised portion or code mark 47.
  • Their being lighter than at least one of the fluids of the processing equipment means that if allowed to freely move within the tank of that solution they would tend to float.
  • the code mark 47 is a relatively tough deformation such that if the pairs of rollers 25'2-8' are rigidly journaled and of rigid material the passage of a film sheet between these rollers would cause it to be skewed or otherwise misplaced with a result of overlapping and other interference between the various sheets being processed.
  • the roller drive arrangement of FIG. 3 drives only one of each pair of rollers whereby all of the lefthand rollers are driven by a chain 49 and none of the righthand rollers are positively driven by the chain or other gearing (such as 37 of FIG. 2).
  • the righthand rollers, as illustrated in FIG. 3 are coupled to the lefthand driven rollers by magnetic coupling by use of magnetic material within one of the rollers and a magnetizable material within the other.
  • magnetic material within one of the rollers and a magnetizable material within the other.
  • an eight-inch long, /2-inch diameter magnetic rod provides suitable attraction.
  • this magnetic coupling is reduced as the thickness increases so that less resistance is encountered by the code mark 47 than would be encountered by the edges of a film initially as thick as the code marks.
  • Bearings 50 of these magnetic rollers allow lateral movement and may be spring loaded. We prefer that any spring loading be less eflective than the magnetic attraction so as to attain the desired soft pressure against the code mark 47 or against film sheets having swollen emulsions.
  • the sequential receiving and delivery reversal of the gearing which accomplishes drive of the chain 49 results automatically from the position of the frame of the transfer mechanism 24' whereby a single drive gear 52 engages an idler 53 in a rear or receiving position as illustrated or engages another idler 54 in a forward position as indicated at 52 (in phantom). Since an additional idler gear 55 reverses the drive of the idler 54 compared to the driving arrangement of the idler 53 from the main gear 56, it is obvious that a reversal of rotation of the gear 52 is thus accomplished. With such a reversal arrangement, the motor 57 driving the main gear 56 may continuously operate without causing any deleterious efiect and without timer control. Movement of the roller transfer mechanism 24 is again accomplished by the eccentric drive 38 under the control of the motor 39 in accordance with signal information provided by the timer 41. The signal information provided to the timers 41 and 41' is selected in accordance with processor timing requirements.
  • a second pair of rollers 60 are provided which operate within the fluids to maintain the film sheets fully submerged and under mechanical control during processing. It is preferred that these pairs of rollers 60 continuously rotate when the film sheets 45 are within the processing fluids to maintain the film sheets under a downward force during the processing period.
  • the film sheet 45 is bowed slightly by the downward pressure of the pair of rollers 60 with its engagement and the amount of its deflection being controlled by the elevation of a trough 62 which elevation is regulated by a set screw as indicated at 63.
  • the tanks 10, 11 and 12' may be adapted to receive film sheets of dimensions of several sizes such as from less than 1 inch to more than 5 inches.
  • the mutual driving of the pair of rollers 60 is similar to that of the pairs of rollers 25'28' with one of these rollers as indicated at 64 being of a magnetic core material and the other roller 65 being of a magnetizable core material.
  • each of the magnetizable rollers 65 is driven by an integral gear 66 which is in turn driven by one idler 67 in accordance with the rotation of a gear 68 coupled to the pair of drive rollers 27 (FIG. 3).
  • all of the Wet rollers 60 are driven to rotate in the same direction as the pairs 2528', inclusive.
  • rollers are selected to minimize potential damage to the film surfaces. Because no transport during a processing step is required, the likelihood of damage to film surfaces is reduced substantially over clip racks and other transport systems. plastics or soft neoprene rubber will provide adequate roller surfaces.
  • a loading rack 70 providing a plurality of slots 71 in which the film sheets 44 may be inserted.
  • the transfer mechanism 24' is moved to the receiving location (as illustrated in FIG. 3) the film sheets 44 in the rack 70 are dropped to the first set of rollers 25 by displacement of a gate 73 normally supportingly positioned below them.
  • This gate 73 may be hand operated by moving a handle 74 upward as indicated by an arrow 75 or may be operated directly by the backward motion of the transport assembly 24' by means of a pin drive illustrated at 76.
  • the developed film sheets as indicated at 78 are deposited in a receiving tray 79 during the delivery operation of the transfer mechanism 24' when it is in the forward position as indicated in phanton at in FIG. 3.
  • the receiving tray 79 can well be replaced with a belt conveyor which conveys these developed sheets to standard drying equipment. If the process is to be used for developing, by way of example, a large number of dental X-ray plates, such a dryer is more economically feasible. For small installations, the small film sheets may most economically be hand placed in a dryer device.
  • a roller transfer mechanism useable in a photographic film sheet developing processor comprising:
  • a series of adjacent tanks for containing processing a plurality of pairs of rollers in a frame moveably positioned over said tanks, said pairs collectively being selectively driveable to present film sheets to each of said tanks and receive film sheets from each of said tanks;
  • a roller transfer mechanism as in claim 1 having:
  • a roller transfer mechanism useable in a photographic film sheet developing processor comprising:
  • a series of equally spaced tanks for containing processa plurality of pairs of rollers in a frame moveably positioned over said tanks, said pairs collectively being selectively driveable to present film sheets to each of said tanks and receive film sheets from each of said tanks;
  • a roller transfer mechanism as in claim 6 having:
  • gear means coupling said pairs of lower rollers to said pairs in the frame to be driven in accordance with the receiving or delivery rotation thereof;
  • adjustable depth control means in each tank for limiting the lower excursion of each film sheet to maintain engagement thereof by said pair of lower rollers during processing.
  • a roller transfer mechanism useable in a photographic film sheet developing processor comprising:
  • a series of equally spaced tanks for containing processa plurality of pairs of rollers in a frame selectively moveable over said tanks, said pairs collectively being selectively driveable to present film sheets to each of said tanks and receive film sheets from each of said tanks;
  • reversible drive means coupled to said pairs of rollers to rotate them in one direction during receiving and in an opposite direction during delivery
  • a processor mechanism useable for a photographic film developing process comprising:

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Photographic Processing Devices Using Wet Methods (AREA)
  • Photographic Developing Apparatuses (AREA)
US342991A 1964-02-06 1964-02-06 Roller transfer processing mechanism Expired - Lifetime US3270654A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US342991A US3270654A (en) 1964-02-06 1964-02-06 Roller transfer processing mechanism
BE659180D BE659180A (da) 1964-02-06 1965-02-02
FR4203A FR1423430A (fr) 1964-02-06 1965-02-03 Appareil de traitement photographique à rouleaux transporteurs
GB4877/65A GB1099212A (en) 1964-02-06 1965-02-04 Sheet film processor
DEE28643A DE1291998B (de) 1964-02-06 1965-02-06 Entwicklungsvorrichtung fuer photographische Blaetter

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US342991A US3270654A (en) 1964-02-06 1964-02-06 Roller transfer processing mechanism

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3270654A true US3270654A (en) 1966-09-06

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US342991A Expired - Lifetime US3270654A (en) 1964-02-06 1964-02-06 Roller transfer processing mechanism

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US (1) US3270654A (da)
BE (1) BE659180A (da)
DE (1) DE1291998B (da)
FR (1) FR1423430A (da)
GB (1) GB1099212A (da)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3315583A (en) * 1964-10-15 1967-04-25 Beattie Coleman Inc Photographic processing apparatus
US3336853A (en) * 1964-11-04 1967-08-22 Visual Graphics Corp Apparatus for treating sheet-form materials
FR2592021A1 (fr) * 1985-12-23 1987-06-26 Kodak Pathe Procede et dispositif de convoyage d'un produit passant dans un ou plusieurs liquides de traitement

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3941492A1 (de) * 1989-12-15 1991-06-20 Jobo Labortech Vorrichtung zur entwicklung von fotomaterial
GB9421812D0 (en) * 1994-10-29 1994-12-14 Kodak Ltd Processing apparatus
DE102005038049A1 (de) * 2005-08-10 2007-02-15 Protec Medizin Technik Gmbh & Co. Kg Vorrichtung zum Entwickeln von Röntgenfilmen

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1842890A (en) * 1926-08-06 1932-01-26 Walter J Williams Apparatus for and method of handling films or other articles
US2440314A (en) * 1944-03-06 1948-04-27 Turner Charles Roger Method and means for photographic developing or the like
US2805856A (en) * 1953-06-26 1957-09-10 Metal Box Co Ltd Metal sheet feeding devices
US3067919A (en) * 1960-09-16 1962-12-11 Eastman Kodak Co Transport and guide mechanism
US3093051A (en) * 1958-08-14 1963-06-11 Ritzerfeld Wilhelm Apparatus for treating printing foils
US3116913A (en) * 1961-05-29 1964-01-07 Lane Kingdon Liquid agitating apparatus
US3156173A (en) * 1961-10-16 1964-11-10 James R Meyer Magnetic conveyance and transfer system for photographic processing

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1141182B (de) * 1960-03-26 1962-12-13 Pako Corp Filmentwicklungs- und -behandlungsgeraet

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1842890A (en) * 1926-08-06 1932-01-26 Walter J Williams Apparatus for and method of handling films or other articles
US2440314A (en) * 1944-03-06 1948-04-27 Turner Charles Roger Method and means for photographic developing or the like
US2805856A (en) * 1953-06-26 1957-09-10 Metal Box Co Ltd Metal sheet feeding devices
US3093051A (en) * 1958-08-14 1963-06-11 Ritzerfeld Wilhelm Apparatus for treating printing foils
US3067919A (en) * 1960-09-16 1962-12-11 Eastman Kodak Co Transport and guide mechanism
US3116913A (en) * 1961-05-29 1964-01-07 Lane Kingdon Liquid agitating apparatus
US3156173A (en) * 1961-10-16 1964-11-10 James R Meyer Magnetic conveyance and transfer system for photographic processing

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3315583A (en) * 1964-10-15 1967-04-25 Beattie Coleman Inc Photographic processing apparatus
US3336853A (en) * 1964-11-04 1967-08-22 Visual Graphics Corp Apparatus for treating sheet-form materials
FR2592021A1 (fr) * 1985-12-23 1987-06-26 Kodak Pathe Procede et dispositif de convoyage d'un produit passant dans un ou plusieurs liquides de traitement
EP0231489A1 (en) * 1985-12-23 1987-08-12 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Apparatus and method for preventing the formation of a deposit from a processing solution on a film transport member

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1423430A (fr) 1966-01-03
GB1099212A (en) 1968-01-17
DE1291998B (de) 1969-04-03
BE659180A (da) 1965-05-28

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