US3368472A - Device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition - Google Patents

Device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition Download PDF

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Publication number
US3368472A
US3368472A US41972764A US3368472A US 3368472 A US3368472 A US 3368472A US 41972764 A US41972764 A US 41972764A US 3368472 A US3368472 A US 3368472A
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United States
Prior art keywords
solution
container
replenishing
siphon
maintaining
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Expired - Lifetime
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English (en)
Inventor
Leo Paul Van Bouwel
Tack Willy Pieter
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Gevaert Photo Producten NV
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Gevaert Photo Producten NV
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F11/00—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it
    • G01F11/28—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with stationary measuring chambers having constant volume during measurement
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J4/00—Feed or outlet devices; Feed or outlet control devices
    • B01J4/02—Feed or outlet devices; Feed or outlet control devices for feeding measured, i.e. prescribed quantities of reagents
    • 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
    • G03D3/02—Details of liquid circulation
    • G03D3/06—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks
    • G03D3/065—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks replenishment or recovery apparatus
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/2713—Siphons
    • Y10T137/2774—Periodic or accumulation responsive discharge

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composrtion.
  • the developing solution in developing large quantities of light-sensitive material on a continuous process basis, it is necessary to replenish the developer solution at substantially the same rate as is being consumed.
  • the volume of a replenishing liquid can be determined either by calculation or by experiment to restore a photographic processing solution to its former composition after processing a known amount of light-sensitive material under known conditions.
  • Such devices for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition wherein at a certain moment a constant amount of replenishing liquid or solution is added to a photographic processing bath.
  • Such devices usually comprise a small measuring container which is provided with a feed valve and a discharge valve and which is. arranged to contain a constant amount of solution.
  • valves Due to crystallization of the replenishing solution at the valves of the container these valves can no longer fully be closed. In case the valves are formed by flexible tubes which are pinched, the rapid ageing of the flexible material of the tubes causes troubles.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition, which does not show the mentioned disadvantages and which permits to add a constant amount of replenishing solution to a photographic processing bath.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide I plenishing solution which has to be added is adjustable in a very accurate way.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a device which is very simple of construction and which requires but little periodical maintenance.
  • the device for maintaining a photographic solution at a predetermined composition comprises a measuring container for holding a given quantity of replenishing solution, means for feeding replenishing solution from a storage tank to said container, a siphon in said container with the shorter leg extending in the lower portion of the container, thereby determining the lower level of the replenishing solution in the container, the longer leg of the siphon extending under the bottom of said container and conducting to the lower located photographic processing solution, and the intermediate elevation between both legs being located at the high level the replenishing solution attains in said container, the attainment of the said high level of the replenishing solution in the container being measured by a float which controls the means for feeding the replenishing solution from the storage tank to the container so as to arrest the feed of the replenishing solution once the level of the solution has attained the said intermediate elevation of the siphon, and means for measuring the amount of photographic material which has been treated in the photographic processing solution and for controlling the starting of the means for feeding the replenishing solution to the container after a given amount of photographic material has been processed.
  • amount of photographic material as used hereinbefore denotes theoretically a determined area of such material but, since in practice. the length of the processed photographic material is often measured instead of the area thereof, we wish to extend the scope of the said term in the present invention also to the latter significance.
  • the feeding of the replenishing solution from the storage tank to the measuring container may occur either by gravity or by a pump.
  • an over-pressure may be maintained in the storage tank, e.g. by means of a nitrogen atmosphere.
  • the siphon is in the form of a U bent tube with legs of uneven length. Said siphon is positioned vertically in the container so that the opening of the short leg is situated near the bottom of the container and the long leg passes through the bottom to extend outwardly.
  • FIG. 1 represents a diagrammatic view of the measuring containers and the storage tanks of a device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 represents the electric circuit controlling the device of FIG. 1.
  • FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of the short end of siphon of the arrangement in FIGURE 1, showing an adjustable collar to permit adjustment in the lower level of solution in the measuring container.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 show a device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition.
  • This device comprises the housing 11 which is divided into two measuring containers 13 and -14 by the partition 12.
  • the container 13 is filled with the replenishing solution for the developing bath and the container 14 is filled with the replenishing solution for the fixing bath of a photographic processing apparatus.
  • Each of the containers is provided with a float 15 which is vertically movable in a guider 16, a plunger 17 consisting of a cube with inward screw thread, this cube being fitted to a rotatably journalled screw bolt 18, and a siphon 19 having a short leg 20 and a longer leg 21.
  • a hose is connected to the leg 21, conducting to the lower located developing bath resp. fixing bath of the processing apparatus.
  • the high level of the solution in the containers is indicated by the broken line 22, the low level is indicated by the broken line 23.
  • the float in the container 13 In its highest position the float in the container 13 artuates the microswitch S the float in the container 14 actuates the microswitch S
  • the housing 11 and the partition 12, together with the floats 15, the guiders 16, the plunger 17 and the siphons 19, are made out of hard polyvinyl chloride.
  • One of the side walls of the housing 11 is made out of synthetic glass so that the level of the solution in the containers can be easily watched.
  • the pump 24 pumps the replenishing solution for the developing bath from a storage tank 25 to the container 13 by means of the feed line 26. Similarly replenishing solution for the fixing bath is pumped by the pump 27 from the storage tank 28 to the container 14.
  • the volume of replenishing solution can be reduced by providing an element such as the plunger 17 in the container. Moreover by making this plunger adjustable in the height, the volume of solution added to the bath at each cycle can be accurately controlled.
  • the plunger 17 can be adjusted by means of the screw bolt 18. The plunger 17 which has a square diameter will slide with one of its flat sides along the side wall of the container 13 upon turning the screw bolt 18. Consequently the plunger will not turn together with the screw bolt and a turning movement of the latter makes the plunger rise or lower.
  • the contact s of a microswitch which is provided at the entrance, of the processing apparatus and which is closed by a film sheet moving along, closes the circuit of the motor M
  • This motor is provided with a reduction gear and drives the cam disk 30.
  • the contact s is re-opened and the motor M is stopped. This opeeration is repeated for each film sheet.
  • the cam disk acts here as an integrator since its angular displacement is proportional to the total length of the processed film sheets.
  • the relays L and L remain energized over their respective hold-contacts 1 and 1 Their contacts 1 and 1 close the circuits of the pump motors M and M and the containers 13 and 14 become filled with replenishing solution. At the moment that the surface of the solution has reached the high level indicated by the broken line 22, the contacts s and s of the respective microswitches S and S are opened by the floats 15.
  • the electric diagram of the device according to the present invention also shows a contact s This contact, which belongs to a second microswitch situated near the first mentioned microswitch but laterally spaced therefrom at the entrance of the photographic processing apparatus, has the following function.
  • the quantity of solution to be replenished is theoretically direct proportional to the surface of the processed film sheets.
  • the microswitch With the contact s only measures the length of the processed film sheets and thus the integration which is made by the cam disk 30 is only correct for one defined film size. Since in practice film sheets of different sizes are processed arbitrarily among each other, an exact dosing of the replenishing solution is impossible. By taking an average value for the difierent sizes of film sheets, the theoretical dosing can be approximately very well in practice.
  • the resistors R and R can also be arranged in an adjustable way. Thereby corresponding resistance values may be set for a determined bath composition, bath temperature, processing speed, etc. said values assuring optimal results of the replenishing.
  • the cam disk 30 would be capable of performing one revolution during a time which is smaller than the time for filling and emptying a container, then the filling of the container during a following cycle could be started before the level of the solution in the container would be lowered again until reaching the level 23. An accurate dosing would then be excluded.
  • the adjustment of the volume of the replenishing solution is done by means of the plungers 17.
  • the short leg 20' of the siphon can be provided with a collar 20a arranged in a telescoping relationship with its lower end and having a sliding friction fit therewith.
  • the position of the eifective in take opening of the short siphon leg can be adjusted with respect to the container bottom. For example; by sliding the collar more downwardly the lower solution level indicated by the broken line 23 will decrease so that the replenishing volume increases.
  • the siphon in the container but it may also be positioned near the container, the extremity of the short leg communicating with the container.
  • the device according to the present invention can also be used in the photographic industry for replenishing stop baths, bleaching (fixing) baths, tanning bath, etc.
  • Device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition comprising a measuring container for holding a given quantity of replenishing solution, means operable to feed replenishing solution from a supply tank to said container, means for measuring the quantity of material being processed, means responsive to said measuring means when a predetermined quantity of material has been processed for operating said solution feeding means, means for halting said feeding means, when the solution level in said container attain a predetermined maximum, anda siphon having a short leg extending within said container with its lower end opening spaced from the container bottom to thereby determine a minimum level of solution in said container, a long leg for discharging the solution outside and below the container into the processing solution, and a bight connecting the upper ends of said legs, said bight being disposed at said maximum level, whereby said solution discharges through said siphon after reaching said maximum level and continues to discharge until said lower level is reached.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Photographic Processing Devices Using Wet Methods (AREA)
US41972764 1963-12-20 1964-12-21 Device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition Expired - Lifetime US3368472A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL302435 1963-12-20

Publications (1)

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US3368472A true US3368472A (en) 1968-02-13

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US41972764 Expired - Lifetime US3368472A (en) 1963-12-20 1964-12-21 Device for maintaining a photographic processing solution at a predetermined composition

Country Status (4)

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US (1) US3368472A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE657290A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1045450A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL302435A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3472143A (en) * 1967-01-12 1969-10-14 Itek Corp Apparatus for processing photographic material
US3947856A (en) * 1973-02-17 1976-03-30 Agfa-Gevaert Ag Equipment for controlling the supply of fresh liquid in liquid treatment of photographic emulsion carriers
US4414996A (en) * 1981-10-13 1983-11-15 Uop Inc. System for automatically dispensing liquid chemicals into an intermittently flowing liquid stream
US4652802A (en) * 1986-05-29 1987-03-24 S. J. Electro Systems, Inc. Alternator circuit arrangement useful in liquid level control system
US4740074A (en) * 1987-10-30 1988-04-26 Powell Charles S Film development system
US5357306A (en) * 1990-05-23 1994-10-18 Eastman Kodak Company Photographic processing apparatus
EP2071424A3 (de) * 2007-11-21 2011-08-10 Brabender GmbH & Co. KG Dosiereinheit

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4012753A (en) * 1975-05-02 1977-03-15 Cubic Productron, Inc. Film processor
CN112099307B (zh) * 2020-10-13 2022-08-02 青岛大学附属医院 一种x射线医学影像胶片自动成像系统

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US440325A (en) * 1890-11-11 George h
US2229122A (en) * 1938-12-06 1941-01-21 Jr Howell T Pershing Metering spout
US2778734A (en) * 1951-11-03 1957-01-22 Polaroid Corp Photographic apparatus and photographic product usable therewith
US2837988A (en) * 1954-08-02 1958-06-10 Technicolor New York Corp Apparatus for automatically processing a sensitized film in successive steps
US3062123A (en) * 1958-10-10 1962-11-06 Lumoprint Kindler Kg Photographic developing apparatus

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US440325A (en) * 1890-11-11 George h
US2229122A (en) * 1938-12-06 1941-01-21 Jr Howell T Pershing Metering spout
US2778734A (en) * 1951-11-03 1957-01-22 Polaroid Corp Photographic apparatus and photographic product usable therewith
US2837988A (en) * 1954-08-02 1958-06-10 Technicolor New York Corp Apparatus for automatically processing a sensitized film in successive steps
US3062123A (en) * 1958-10-10 1962-11-06 Lumoprint Kindler Kg Photographic developing apparatus

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3472143A (en) * 1967-01-12 1969-10-14 Itek Corp Apparatus for processing photographic material
US3947856A (en) * 1973-02-17 1976-03-30 Agfa-Gevaert Ag Equipment for controlling the supply of fresh liquid in liquid treatment of photographic emulsion carriers
US4414996A (en) * 1981-10-13 1983-11-15 Uop Inc. System for automatically dispensing liquid chemicals into an intermittently flowing liquid stream
US4652802A (en) * 1986-05-29 1987-03-24 S. J. Electro Systems, Inc. Alternator circuit arrangement useful in liquid level control system
US4740074A (en) * 1987-10-30 1988-04-26 Powell Charles S Film development system
US5357306A (en) * 1990-05-23 1994-10-18 Eastman Kodak Company Photographic processing apparatus
EP2071424A3 (de) * 2007-11-21 2011-08-10 Brabender GmbH & Co. KG Dosiereinheit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE657290A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1965-04-16
NL302435A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1900-01-01
GB1045450A (en) 1966-10-12

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