US3383996A - Portable daylight film processor - Google Patents

Description

y 1968 J. DOKULIL ET AL 3,383,996

PORTABLE DAYLIGHT FILM PROCESSOR Filed June 50, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l 00 0 80b 80 O 85 000C) as 34 T w as HI I6 J. DOKUL/L, CR. DUPREE, E. MESL/N, 5. MORGENSTERNAJLPLASENC/A INVENTORS May 21, 1968 J. DOKULIL ET AL PORTABLE DAYLIGHT FILM PROCESSOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 50, 1964 J. DOKUL/L, CR DUPREE, E. MESL/N, .S.MORGENSTERN,A.L PLASENC/A IN VEN TORS May 21, 1968 J. DOKULIL ET AL 3,383,996

PORTABLE DAYLIGHT FILM PROCESSOR Filed June 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

FIG. 4-

J. DOKULIL, CR. DUPREE, E. MESL/N, 5. MORGEN5TERMA.L. PLASENC/A INVENTORS Amen/Ex May 21, 1968 J, DOKULIL ET 3,383,996

PORTABLE DAYLIGHT FILM PROCESSOR Filed June 30, 1964 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 d. DOKUL/L CR DUPREE, EMESLIN, 5.MORGEMSTERMALPLASE/VC/A INVENTORS Aria/wax United States Patent 3,383,396 PORTABLE DAYiZlGI-IT FILM PROCESSOR John Dokulil, Flushing, N.Y., Qlyde Russell Bupree,

Denville, NJ., and Eli Meslin, Jericho, Sol Morgenstern,

New Hyde Park, and Armand J. Plasencia, llackson Heights, N.Y., assignors to J. A. Maurer Inc., Long lsland City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,302 14 Claims. (Cl. 95--94) The instant invention relates to photographic processing apparatus for exposed photographic film, and more particularly to such processing in daylight in self-contained, portable equipment requiring only a source of electric power.

An object of the invention is to provide a photographic film processor rendering possible almost immediate access to the photographic record whatever the type, the width, or even the length of the film and Whether the film is imperforate or perforated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a highly mobile film processor of simple and compact design with no external plumbing but having readily accessible means for manually effecting various controls, for example, varying the speed at which the film is processed.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a portable photographic film processor in which the controlled heated drying air is recirculated with resultant economy of required electrical power.

Still a further object is to provide means for semi-automatically threading the film to be processed through at least the processing and rinsing solutions in their respective tanks.

The above and other objects and features of the instant invention will be readily and fully understood from the description which follows of an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the form of a processor for completely processing film from its dry exposed condition to its dry fixed record film for five-inch aerial reconnaissance film, when read in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the five-inch processor of the invention for IOOO-foot reels of such film;

FIGURE 2 is a simplified diagram of the film threading through the processor of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of our processor with the rear cover removed;

FIGURE 4 shows a simplified plan diagram of the drying chamber and the heated air circulating system;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic of the liquid lines of the processing and rinse tanks with their interconnected pumps; and

FIGURE 6 is a schematic of the electrical connections of the illustrative embodiment of the processor of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the film processor of our invention has a central vertical panel 1 extending upwardly substantially centrally from base 2, to the front of which panel are positioned the various elements handling and guiding the film being processed, such as film supply cassette 3, processing tank 4, rinse tank 5, drying chamber 6 and take-up reel 7. To the rear of panel 1 are disposed the various mechanisms for driving the film, etc., such as the drive motor 8, blower 9, blower motor 9A, electrical heater 10 for the drying chamber, electrical heater 91 for the processing solution, twin pump 94, processing solution filter 11, and the various electrical and hydraulic connections as below described; all the mechanisms to the rear of panel 1 being enclosable by a rear cover 12, hinged at its bottom region to base 2, and latchable at its upper region to the top of panel 1 by 3,383,996 Patented May 21, 1968 quick release fasteners of any known type. At its lateral ends base 2 is preferably provided with handles (not shown) of known type for lifting the processor to trans port it short distances; for longer distance transportation, the processor is of course packaged in a trunk or the like.

As has been stated, the processor shown as our illustrative embodiment is for five-inch aerial reconnaissance film, perforate or imperforate, and is so dimensioned that one thousand feet of such film can be processed with a single filling of the chemical processing solution, at speeds which are relatively unlimited but in actual use of from 1 /2. to 15 feet per minuted determined by the type of film to be processed, for example, for aerecon film at about 5.4 feet per minute. The reel of exposed film 13, having been loaded into supply cassette 3, which previously had been removed from the processor, in a dark or dimly lighted room, by placing spool 14 on spindle pin 15 of cassette 3 and threading the leading portion of the film through light trap 16 so that the spool rotates clockwise as film is drawn through the light trap. Cassette cover 17 is fastened to cassette 3 by fasteners 17A provided therefor, sealing the cassette. A handle 18 is provided on the exterior curved surface of the cassette, and particularly to facilitate removal thereof from the processor by sliding (to the left in FIGURES l and 2) along its spaced bottom slides 13 on pad 21 for the cassette on the top face of processor base 2. The vertical wall of cassette 3 which, on properly positioning the cassette, abutts a vertical wall of processing tank 4, has a pair of spaced pins 21 which engage external apertures 22 in, but not through, such adjacent wall of the processing tank, as does the external portion 23 of light trap 16 into an aperture 24 defined between the top of such vertical wall and an overlapping portion 25 of the upper plate 31 of a dip rod and squeegee assembly. When film loaded cassette 3 is so positioned a sufficient amount of film is drawn from spool 14 to extend from light trap 16 to take-up reel 7.

An angular cover 26 having end walls 27 for drying chamber 6 is hinged to the upper region of the front face of panel 1, the walls of the cover, in its closed position, extending downwardly to substantially the horizontal plane of the upper face of properly positioned cassette 3 to cover a plurality of longitudinal, spaced vanes 28 extending horizontally and forwardly from a support plate 29 itself hinged at its top to the front face of panel 1. The lower end region of cover 26 and its side walls 27 has a rubber bumper 30 by which the cover in the closing position rests on the upper face of plate 31 of the dip rod and squeegee assembly, thus enclosing when so positioned vanes 28, support plate 29, and a plurality of film guiding and transporting rollers 32 and 32A rotatingly on tubular pins extending horizontally from panel 1 and positioned longitudinally beyond the ends of vanes 28 and is spaced that film threaded thereabout passes between them without touching them. Transport rollers 32A, uppermost to the right and left of vanes 28, are of the dry film type, that is the peripheral surface between the flanges of the roller contact the film even at the record bearing portions thereof, whereas transport rollers 32, consisting but of their spaced flanges held in position on tubes extending through panel 1 by retaining rings, contact the film only at such flange regions making no contact with the record bearing portions of the film. Centrally on cover 26, with its scale facing the front, an indicator 33 enables the user to note the temperature prevailing in drying chamber 6.

Immediately below drying chamber 6 and its cover 26, both processing tank 4 and rinse tank 5 are supported on base 2 and are covered by above-mentioned upper plate 31 of the dip rod and squeegee assembly. Plate 31 in position over tanks 4 and 5 is held tightly in such position by spring-pressed bayonet latches 34 rotatable in tubes extending horizontally from panel 1 beyond each end of plate 31. Tubes 35 each have an axial slit in their cylindrical surfaces extending from the pressed-in positions of latches 34 to their free ends, in which slit a pair of spaced radial pins 36, extending from latch 34, may slide when rotated out of arcuate slits in tubes 35 for locking them, and hence latch 34, to its tube 35. Each latch 34 at its free end is knurled providing a ready grip by which the latch, in its innermost position with pins 36 in the arcuate slots, may be rotated to permit the spring biasing the latch to push latch 34 forward when pins 36 are in the axial slit. In the locked position of the latches, their radial pins 36 press against plate 31 holding it tightly in position; when plate 31 with its dip rods and squeegee portions is to be removed, as when cleaning and filling the tanks, or to thread the film through the tanks, latches 34 are rotated a quarter turn (the length of the arcuate slits in tubes 35) thus removing radial pins 36 out of the upward path which must be taken in removing plate 31; at the same time latches 34, under the pressure of their springs, move forwardly in tubes 35. When plate 31 has been properly positioned, each bayonet latch is pushed inwardly and then rotated a quarter turn to lock the radial pins in their arcuate slits.

When on the tanks, plate 31 so positions its integral dip rods 37 (three being shown for processing tank 4 and two for rinse tank 5, altho the number for each tank may be different from that here shown) that they extend vertically downward in the tanks, positioning film guide rollers 38 lowermost in, but spaced from the bottom of, the tanks. Rollers 38 are rotatably supported on tubes by retaining rings 39, the tubes extending horizontally from the lower ends of the dip rods parallel to spindle 15 of cassette 3, the outermost ends of each roller 38 having an annular flange to guide film threaded over the lower portion thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2. When there are more than two dip rods to a tank--as here for the processing tankthe spacing between successive dip rods is substantially equal, and equal to that between the first, or the last, dip rod and the longitudinally nearer wall of the particular tank. Integral with plate 31 are also the upper portion 40A of a processing tank squeegee 40, and the left side portion 41A of a rinse tank squeegee 41, both being so mounted thereon that upon lowering plate 31 to its tank covering position, they are readily brought into registration, respectively, with the lower portion 40B of the squeegee attached within processing tank 4 to the upper end of wall 42 between tanks 4 and 5, and the right side portion 41B of squeegee 41 attached to the top of rinse tank Wall 43. Both process tank squeegee upper portion 40A and rinse tank left side squeegee portion 41A are pivotally supported on plate 31 so that they may be tilted somewhat out of the way and from the positions of exact registration with their cooperating squeegee portions 40B and 41B when removing, or positioning, plate 31. It will be noted that the upper end of wall 42 between tanks 4 and 5 is below the top of the remainder of the processor tank wall, enabling ready manual registration, by an inserted finger of the user, of squeegee portion 40A with portion 40B, and similarly, after the film is threaded through the tanks, squeegee portion 41A is registered with portion 41B.

At a predetermined distance below the top of tank 4, a cradle 44 is supported on a ledge 45 along the internal face of the walls of process or tank 4, a key 46 at the bottom of a portion of the cradle wall fitting into a vertical aperture 47 in the ledge assuring proper positioning of the cradle. A plurality of spaced support tubes 48 extend across the cradle through apertures in its longitudinal walls and a film guide roller 49 is rotatably mounted on each support tube. At the same horizontal level as support tubes 48 are properly positioned in processing tank 4, a plurality of spaced tubular supports 50, extending through panel 1, each support a film transport roller 51. It will be noted that with plate 31 of the dip rod and squeegee assembly properly positioned, rollers 38 of the dip rods interlace rollers 49 in the processing tank and rollers 51 in the rinse tank. Guide rollers 49, positionable in the processing tank, are made removable as a unit to facilitate threading of the film to be processed semi-automatically through both tanks. It is for the same reason that vanes 28 are supported by hinged plate 29 that they do not hinder removal of plate 31.

After in succession tilting upwardly drying chamber cover 26 and plate 29 supporting vanes 28, while holding the leading film end region, which has been drawn out of cassette 3 a sufiicient amount to extend to takeup reel 7 as above stated, the dip rod and squeegee assembly plate 31 is lifted directly upward out of processing tank 4, cassette 3 is placed with its slide 19 on base pad 20 and slid toward processing tank 4 until its two guide pins 21 are engaged in apertures 22 in the adjacent tank wall. The withdrawn leading end region of film 13 is now placed on top of the successive guide rollers 48 and 51, and its free end temporarily clamped between driving metering roller 52 and its co-operating pressure roller 53, each of which is on an individual horizontal shaft extending from the front of panel 1. Dip rod and squeegee plate 31 is thereupon carefully replaced with its dip rods extending vertically downward with the flanges on each roller 38 straddling film 13, the downward replacement movement of plate 31 obviously unwinding additional film from reel 14 in cassette 3 since the leading portion of the film is held by rollers 52 and 53, of which metering roller 52 is normally driven by motor 8 which, at this time, is not energized and hence not rotating. Upon completion of the replacement of plate 31 with its assembly, film 13 for the length thereof from cassette 3 to and through rinse tank squeegee 41, will be along the path shown in FIGURE 2, passing over the top of the adjacent end wall of cradle 44 through the now registering upper and lower portions 40A and 40B of the processing tank squeegee 41), and through an opening 54 defined between the top of wall 42, common to both tanks, and the correctly replaced plate 31, into rinse tank 5, from which it exits by way of the now registering left and right side portions, 41A and 41B, of rinse tank squeegee 41. Thereupon the spring-biased rotatable latches 34 are manually pressed inwardly and rotated through a quarter turn and released, locking and securing dip rod assembly plate 31 in its correct position. Dlying chamber vane support plate 29 is swung downwardly, and the leading end of film 13 is now removed from its clamped condition between rollers 52 and 53. The loose film leading end portion now extending beyond rinse tank squeegee 41 is passed about the successive rollers of the film path beyond the tanks as follows: the lowermost wet-film rollers 32 at the end of the vanes 28 the nearer to rinse tank squeegee 41, between the adjacent vanes above and below such lowermost wet-film roller 32 (at the right in FIGURE 2), about the lowermost wet-film roller 32 at the other end of the vanes (at the left in FIGURE 2), etc., and finally from the uppermost dry-film roller 32A to the left of vanes 28 to uppermost dry-film roller 32A to the right of the vanes, then about a lower roller 55, thereafter about viewing roller 56 to between metering roller 52 and pressure roller 53, and about end-of-film roller 57 to take-up reel 7. The surfaces of vanes 28 are covered with a thin layer of polytetrafiuoroethylene to guard against damage to the record being processed on the still wet film which may, as the wet film whipping in its passage, at times contact the vane surfaces. Having attached the end of the film leader to the take-up reel, the latter is repositioned on drive hub 58 by inserting knobend locking pin 59 through the ventral hole of the takeup reel and manually screwing its threaded end into a threaded receptacle 60 on reel drive hub 58, with the usual pins extending from the hub engaging the usual apertures in the reel flange facing the hub. Take-up reel 7 is peripherally supported on a multi-roller arcuate support 61, movable along base 2 by a longitudinal screw 62 having a knurled outer end to facilitate rotating it, the screw being rotated, generally clockwise, until the rolls of support 61 are again lightly in contact with the rims of the flanges of the replaced take-up reel. To illuminate the processed, hardened and dried film for viewing it as it comes from the drying chamber, a viewing light, for example incandescent fluorescent lamp 63 and its starting switch 64, is preferably located on the front upper portion of panel 1, enabling immediate direct observation and viewing of the processed film.

Also on the front face of panel 1 is a conveniently accessible and viewable region mounting a control plate 75 in which are positioned a plurality of indicators and controls of which the user of the processor may have need during the operation thereof. Included are a driving motor speed switch and control 65, a drying chamber temperature control 66; a processor-ready light 67 which lights up, and remains illuminated, when the processing solution in tank 4 is at a predetermined temperature; the on-oif switch 64 of viewer lamp 63; a toggle switch 68 by which the heater may be energized with the pump motor and blower motor, and selectively with the film drive motor 8 or without the latter motor being actuated; and an indicator type fuse holder 82 of which an internal lamp glows on fuse failure.

An access door 69 is hinged to a longitudinally front surface portion of base 2 and normally covers a recess into which drain tube 76 from processing tank 4, and drain tube 71 from rinse tank 5, extend. Each of flexible drain tubes, when access door 69 is opened, may be pulled further out from the recess in that it has sufficient length of slack to do so, for example, to feed liquid into the respective tanks 5 and 6 through such drain tubes, or to empty the liquid in the tanks into external discard receptacles, etc. Adjacent to each aperture through which a drain tube extends into such recess, an individual push button, 72 for drain tube 70, and 73 for drain tube 71, is depressable to actuate a twoway valve, 95 and 100, in the particular line to permit outflow of liquid from the drain tubes. This ready accessibility of the drain tubes, with potential and available increases in the lengths of their extending portions, is particularly advantageous not only when emptying the tanks, but also when charging them for a new processing run, as also when cleaning the hydraulic lines and the tanks, particularly for the processing solution. Note is here made that the processing solution may include not only a film developer but also a film fixing solution, i.e., a monobath, and that the rinse liquid, water, may include a film hardener. Obviously our herein described illustrative embodiment of our inventive processor contemplates the use of monobaths. At its rear, base 2 is provided with a socket 76 for insertion thereinto of an electric line supply plug connector.

The central upper surface of panel 1 (FIGURES 3 and 4) supports a horizontal square housing 77 over a relatively large aperture 78 through panel 1, aperture 78 being located longitudinally inward from one end of heating chamber 6 and vertically central of-vanes 28, housing 77 mounting blower 9 and blower motor 9A. The output side of blower 9 is connected over aperture 78, and drying chamber heater 10 is positioned in such output side across aperture 78. Obviously electric heater 10 must be energized to heat the output air from the blower and is conveniently in the electric circuit of the processor so that it heats when toggle switch 68 is on its Orr-contacts 68B. Similarly positioned inwardly of the other end of the drying chamber, a second relatively large aperture 79 is connected by flexible tubing 80, of a heat resistant material, to the intake of blower 9, so that the air moved by blower 9 is continuously circulated through drying chamher 6. At the region close to the intake side of the blower, flexible tubing 80 is provided with an orifice 80A in the form of an annular slit B of some therethrough, coverable by an annular ring 80C rotatable on the exterior of tubing 80, ring 80C likewise having an annular slit 80D. The two slits register with each other so that on rotation of ring 800, orifice 80A may be opened or closed to the extent as may be required to draw in sufficient ambient air to compensate for the moisture taken up by the heated air from wet film in the drying chamber. This enables control of the heated circulating air and keeps it dry at the predetermined temperature in the drying chamber, at from about F., to about F. As above stated, the circulated air is heated to a predetermined temperature by electric heater 10 and is kept at such temperature by a thermostat 82, for example for the previously mentioned aerecon film at 110 F.

Drive motor 8 for transporting the film 16 through our processor is supported on a motor bracket affixed to the upper rear surface of panel 1 above the level of take-up reel hub '58, with a gear transmission of known type and hence not further shown or described in detail, and includes a pulley 84 which by belt 85 drives upper pulley 86 on the shaft extending through panel 1 on the front end of which metering roller 52 is mounted. To facilitate threading of film about metering roller 52, and between it and pressure roller 53, the shaft mounting pressure roller 53 in roller bracket 87 to the front of panel 1 (FIG- URES 2 and 3) is supported by an eccentric 88 enabling roller 53 to be moved somewhat to the left to space pressure roller '53 from metering roller 52 to facilitate inserting the film between the two rollers; after the film is so inserted and threaded, roller 53 is moved to the right against the metering roller and latched in such position by a prior known, and hence not further described, latching means acting, for example, between eccentric 8'8 and F bracket '87, to maintain pressure roller 53 tightly against metering roller 52. Shaft 89 of the end-of-film roller 57 is rotatable in, and extends through, a slit 57A of panel 1 with the portion of the shaft to the rear of panel 1 car rying the blade of a microswitch '90 which, just as long as roller .57 bears against film, remains closed while, just as soon as it no longer bears against film, opens to break the circuit to drive motor 9, as clearly follows from the wiring diagram of FIGURE 6.

A plurality of electric strip heaters 91 is built into an appropriately dimensioned aperture through panel 1 and is controlled by a thermostat 92 preset to maintain a pre determined temperature of the processing solution in tank 3, for example, of the order of 92 F. The various mechanisms of which the indicators and controls appear on the front face of plate 75 are enclosed behind such plate in a housing 75A, while immediately therebelow a bracket supports filter .1 1 in the processing solution line. Twin pump 93 can be energized and driven independently of film driving motor 8- by positioning toggle-switch 6-8 to connect the line supply to the by-pass contacts @821 thereof, to circulate the liquids in each of the tanks to clean them and to remove silver which may have deposited out in the processing tank and its solution containing lines. At the same time, when toggle switch 68 is on its by-pass contacts 68 A, strip heaters 91 are energized to bring to, and maintain the temperature of the solu- -tions at, the predetermined temperature.

Referring now to the schematic of the hydraulic system of our illustrative embodiment of our inventive processor of FIGURE 5, some of the components of which are also shown in FIGURE 3, a plurality of jets 92 for supplying processing solution to processing tank 4 are conveniently disposed in a longitudinal wall of tank 4. Jets 92 are disposed preferably at a distance below the normal level to which tank is filled by the processing solution thereby avoiding foaming of the solution as it enters the tank under pressure from filter 11 by tubing 108 from valve 96 at the bottom of filter 11. Jets 92 are also so situate relative to the portions of the film being processed which, at the time, are between lower rollers 38 of the dip rods and upper rollers 48 of the cradle, so that each jet 92 is about midway the vertical portions of the film, thus assuring substantially intimate contact thereof with the liquid of the processing solution, as also continuous and active circulation of the processing solution in the tank. During normal operation of the processor, processing solution is continuously drained from the tank, preferably from the bottom thereof, through flexible tubing 104 and delivered to the input of impeller 93 of pump 94, from the output of which it is delivered under pressure to a first two-way valve 95, provided with push button 72, previously mentioned, accessible through door 69. With such pushb utton in its normal position two-way valve 95 feeds the solution to filter 11 through flexible tubing 105 for reactivation; the reactivated and reuseable solution being fed through jets 92 back into tank 4. When the solution is exhausted, or is to be replaced for any other reason, push button 72 is manually depressed and the spent solution, by way of drain tube 70, passes into a waste receptacle (not shown) while button 72 is maintained depressed. It will be noted that the processing solution fed through jets 92 is under pressure thus causing rather violent agitation in the processing tank resulting in intimate contact with different portions of the liquid of the solution with the film being processed. By running pump 94 and processing solution impeller 93 when putting a new charge of processing solution in tank 4, obviously any air in the processing solution line is purged and the line filled only with liquid. *In operation of our processor, processing solution is used in the tank, and returned from the bottom region of tank 4 back into filter housing 11, through tubing 105 as stated, where the solution passes through a plurality of replaceable commercial filter cartridges, and then to a valve 96 at the bottom of the filter housing. Valve 96 is normally and permanently connected by flexible tubing 10-3 to jets 92, but is also provided with a bypass valve 97 connected to a length of open ended flexible tubing 98 to drain off the processing solution when exhausted. Also when initially filling the processing solution hydraulic system, the free open end of tubing 98 is placeable directly in processing tank 5, thereby by-passing tubing 103 and jets 92. Energization of only the twinpump motor 10"]. without energizing film drive motor 8 (or blower motor 9A) is rendered possible by positioning toggle switch 68 on its by-pass contacts 68A. Filter housing .11 is provided with a removable cover and the entire filter housing may be removed from its mounting in the processor and readily disassembled to permit not only renewal of the cartridges but also removal of excess waste silver from its inner surfaces.

'Impeller 99 of the other pump of twin pump 94 similarly circulates the rinse solution in a closed circuit from rinse tank 5 through a second two-way valve 100' normally so positioned as to return the rinse solution under pressure by way of tubing 107 to tank 5 from the bottom of which it drains to the input of pump impeller 99 through tubing 106. Valve 100 is provided with push button 73 which, as has been stated, on being pushed inwardly and held in such position, causes the rinse liquid to outflow from drain tube 71. All flexible tubing of the hydraulic systems is preferably of a transparent, plastic, pliable, non-corrosive material, for example of tigon.

Referring to the wiring diagram of FIGURE 6 of our processor, on connecting the line supply to socket 75, end-of-film switch 90 will be open since the film to be processed has not been threaded into the processor as above discussed. To start circulation of the processing solution in tank 4 and of rinse liquid in rinse tank 5, as also to energize drying chamber heater 10', strip heaters 91, blower motor 9A and twin-pump motor 101, toggle switch 68 is thrown from its off-contacts to its by-pass contacts 68A, thereby closing obvious circuits of our processor. On actuation of thermostat 92 controlling the processing solution ready light 66, the latter lights up, whereupon the film to be processed is threaded into the processor as above described. So threading the film automatically involves closing end-of-film switch 90, the closure of which energizes the coil of relay 192, attracting its armature to bridging normally open relay contacts 102A to connect the other side of the line supply to motor 9A of the blower and N1 of the twin-pump, and at the same time toggle switch *68 engages its on-contacts 683 by movement of the attracted rclay armature. Film driving motor 8 is thus energized and now rotates to advance the threaded film at a speed depending on the adjustment of the speed control switch 66, which is manually adjustable and readily accessible in panel 75. The film thereupon continues to be advanced by motor 8, being processed as it moves along, until the trailing end of the film passes over roller 57, after which time the end-of-film switch opens as hereinabove described, the electrical circuit of the processor is opened, stopping the energization of all the motors and heaters of our processor.

We have found it beneficial to thoroughly rinse and clean our processor after each run of about 18,000 feet 35 mm. film, and about 1000 feet of five-inch aerial film, so as to thoroughly remove all traces of the spent developer, with the old filter cartridges in the filter housing and the pumps running; and thereafter adding a cleaning solution to the processing tank and circulating the cleaning solution for about a half hour. It is further recommended then to circulate rinse water through the processing tank until the rinse Water no longer contains any visible traces of the cleaning solution. Only then should the circulating pumps be stopped and the new filter cartridges be installed.

The processor above described and shown in the drawing is illustrative only, being in no way limitative, it being expressly understood that various modifications in details will occur to the skilled worker in the art without departing from our instant invention as set forth in the claims.

What we claim is:

1. A daylight film processing mechanism including at least one open-topped processing tank for a film processing solution, an open-topped rinse tank for a rinsing liquid for processed film, a film drying chamber, means for transporting film into the processing tank and therethrough and successively through the rinse tank and drying chamber, a removable cover for each tank supporting a portion of the film transporting means within each tank, a pump, a filter, a hydraulic circuit interconnecting the processing tank, the pump and the filter, and electrical means for selectively driving only the pump and both the pump and the film transport means.

2. A daylight film processing mechanism according to claim 1 in which an additional pump is interconnected with the rinse tank by an additional hydraulic circuit, and the electric driving means in both of its selective driving positions also drives the additional pump.

3. A daylight film processing mechanism according to claim 1 in which the hydraulic circuit includes a plurality of aligned jets opening into the process tank for emitting pumped processing solution into the tank positioned below the level to which the tank is normally filled with processing solution.

4. A film processing apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a processing tank within said housing;

(0) a rinse tank within said housing;

((1) a removable cover for said processing and rinse tanks;

(e) a drying chamber within said housing and above said processing and rinse tanks;

(f) means for transporting film through the processing and rinse tanks in succession, said transporting means including, a group of spaced rollers located in the upper region of the processing and rinse tanks, said spaced rollers in the processing tank being mounted on a cradle which is removably supported in the processing tank, a plurality of spaced dip rods depending downwardly from the cover into the lower region of the processing and rinse tanks, and an individual film roller at the free end of each dip rod, each dip rod extending when the cover is in place on the tanks between the spaced rollers in the processing and rinse tanks to form a succession of loops in the film being transported; and

(g) another transporting means for passing the film exiting from the rinse tank through the drying chamber, said another transporting means including a plurality of roller means which guide the film in a looped path through the drying chamber.

5. A film processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising: a plurality of spaced vanes in the drying chamber, said vanes being mounted on a plate which is hingedly supported in the drying chamber, said vanes during operation of the apparatus being positioned between the loops of film in the drying chamber.

6. A film processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising: a first squeegee positioned where the film leaves the processing tank and a second squeegee positioned where the film leaves the rinse tank.

7. A daylight film processing machine comprising at least one open-top processing tank for a processing solution, an open top rinse tank for a rinse liquid, means for mounting an enclosed reel of exposed film adjacent to the processing tank for feeding film from the reel into the processing tank, a film drying chamber, means for mounting a film take-up reel adjacent to the rinse tank, the mounting means for the film-feeding reel, the processing tank, the rinse tank and the mounting means for the take-up reel being substantially aligned in the stated order in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism while the drying chamber is positioned above the tanks, a cover removably positioned over the open tops of the tanks and film transport means for transporting film through the processing tank, rinse tank, the drying chamber to a reel in the take-up reel mounting means, including a first group of spaced rollers mounted on a cradle removably positioned in the upper region of the processing tank, a second group of spaced rollers individually rotatably mounted in the upper region of the rinse tank, a plurality of spaced dip rods extending downwardly from the cover into the lower region of the processing and rinse tanks, individual film rollers mounted on the free ends of the dip rods in an interlaced relation with the first and second group of rollers to provide a looped path for the film in the processing and rinse tanks, a third plurality of spaced rollers in the drying chamber to provide a looped path for film therein and a drive means for rotating a reel positioned in the take-up reel mounting means.

8. A film processing machine as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising a plurality of aligned jets for injecting a processing fluid into the processing tank positioned in the processing tank below the first group of spaced rollers mounted on the cradle.

9. A film processing machine as claimed in claim 8 and further comprising a pump, a filter, and a hydraulic line interconnecting the processing tank, pump, filter and jets whereby processing fluid may be Withdrawn from the processing tank and recirculated to the jets for reintroduction to the processing tank.

10. A film processing machine as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising a second pump and a second hyt0 draulic line for passing fluid from the rinse tank to the pump and back to the rinse tank, said first and second hydraulic lines each being provided with a drain valve for removing fluid.

IL A daylight film processing machine comprising at least one processing tank for a processing solution, a rinse tank for a rinse liquid, means for mounting an enclosed reel of exposed film adjacent to the processing tank for feeding film from the reel into the processing tank, a film drying chamber, means for mounting a film takeup reel adjacent to the rinse tank, the mounting means for the film-feeding reel, the processing tank, the rinse tank and the mounting means for the take-up reel being substantially aligned in the stated order in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism while the drying chamber is positioned above the tanks, and film transport means including a first plurality of rollers in the tanks disposed to provide a looped path for the film within the tanks, a second plurality of rollers in the drying chamber likewise so disposed to provide a looped path for the film in the drying chamber, a drive for a take-up reel in take-up reel mounting means, a blower having both its intake and output side connected to the drying chamber at mutually opposite regions thereof to circulate the air therein, first electrical heating means for the air cir culating in the drying chamber to heat it to a first predetermined temperature, and second electrical heating means cooperating with the process-tank to heat the processing solution to a second predetermined temperature.

12. A daylight film processing machine according to claim 11 in which each heating means is provided with a thermally responsive device for maintaining the air and the solution, respectively at its predetermined temperature.

13. A daylight film processing machine according to claim 11 in which the intake side of the blower is provided with a manually adjustable orifice to draw ambient air into the heated air circulating in the drying chamber to compensate for moisture taken up from the wet film transported in the drying chamber by the circulating air.

14. A daylight film processing machine according to claim 11 in which the rollers of the first plurality of rollers engage the film being processed only at regions thereof beyond that carrying the record, and the initial and intermediate rollers, in the direction of film movement, of the second plurality of rollers likewise to engage only the non-record bearing film regions while the final rollers of the second plurality engage also the recordbearing portions of the film.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,005,430 10/1911 Hoops s -94 1,880,450 10/1932 Hickman 95--94 2,097,059 10/1937 Ensign 9594 2,177,706 10/1939 Gage 9594 2,475,973 7/1949 Luboshez 9594 2,541,353 2/1951 Goetz 95-94 2,786,736 3/1957 Roughsedge 9594 3,087,405 4/1963 Sachs 95--94 1,967,889 7/1934 Kitroser 95-94 2,932,902 4/1960 Copenhefer 34-159 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

I. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 4. A FILM PROCESSING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING; (B) A PROCESSING TANK WITHIN SAID HOUSING; (C) A RINSE TANK WITHIN SAID HOUSING (D) A REMOVABLE COVER FOR SAID PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS; (E) A DRYING CHAMBERR WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ABOVE SAID PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS; (F) MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING FILM THROUGH THE PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS IN SUCCESSION, SAID TRANSPORTING MEANS INCLUDING, A GROUP OF SPACED ROLLERS LOCATED IN THE UPPER REGION OF THE PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS, SAID SPACED ROLLERS IN THE PROCESSING TANK BEING MOUNTED ON A CRADLE WHICH IS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED IN THE PROCESSING TANK, A PLURALITY OF SPACED DIP RODS DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE COVER INTO THE LOWER REGION OF THE PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS, AND AN INDIVIDUAL FILM ROLLER AT THE FREE END OF EACH DIP ROD, EACH DIP ROD EXTENDING WHEN THE COVER IS IN PLACE ON THE TANKS BETWEEN THE SPACED ROLLERS IN THE PROCESSING AND RINSE TANKS TO FORM A SUCCESSION OF LOOPS IN THE FILM BEING TRANSPORTED; AND (G) ANOTHER TRANSPORTING MEANS FOR PASSING THE FILM EXCITING FROM THE RINSE TANK THROUGH THE DRYING CHAMBER, SAID ANOTHER TRANSPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ROLLER MEANS WHICH GUIDE THE FILM IN A LOOPED PATH THROUGH THE DRYING CHAMBER.

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