US3616742A - Porous roller film transport and processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES A TANK CONTAINING A FILM DEVELOPING FLUID, A FLIM FIXING SOLUTION OR WATER AND A HOUSING OVERLYING THE TANK IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, A SERIES OF VERTICALLY SPACED PAIRS OF FILM RECEIVING ROLLER ASSEMBLIES WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR PASSING A FILM THROUGH THE HOUSING FOR APPLICATION THERETO OF THE PROCESSING FLUID, TOGETHER WITH A PUMP AND MANIFOLD FOR CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING THE TANK FLUID TO THE ROLLER ASSEMBLIES, THE ROLLER ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING AN INNER PERFORATED SUPPORT TUBE MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING, A PERFORATED POWER ROTATED OUTER TUBE JOURNALLED UPON THE INNER TUVBE, AND A RESILIENT POROUS PLASTIC FILM ENGAGING ROLLER MOUNTED UPON THE OUTER TUBE.

Description

POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1969 Nov. 2, 1971 c. J- BOYLE ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II'I'IIIIIIII [VII/III) LIO 3 FIGZ INVENTORS CLIFFORD J'BOYLE RICHARD B. LANGER ATTORNEYS NOV. 2, 1971 Q J, BOYLE ETAL 3,616,742

I POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING: SYSTEM Filed uarcnzs, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I 'mvsmons F|G.4 LII-FORD a. OYLE ICHARD a. ELANGER final, p" (142;

nromsys United States Patent 3,616,742 POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM Clilford J. Boyle and Richard B. Belanger, Detroit, Mich.,

assignors of fractional part interest to DuWayne E.

Gilkey, Berkley, Mich.

Filed Mar. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 810,105 Int. Cl. G03d 3/00 US. Cl. 95-89 R 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A film transport and processing system which includes a tank containing a film developing fluid, a film fixing solution or water and a housing overlying the tank in communication therewith, a series of vertically spaced pairs of film receiving roller assemblies within the housing for passing a film through the housing for application thereto of the processing fluid, together with a pump and manifold for continuously circulating the tank fluid to the roller assemblies, the roller assemblies including an inner perforated support tube mounted on the housing, a perforated power rotated outer tube journalled upon the inner tube, and a resilient porous plastic film engaging roller mounted upon the outer tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore in the processing and developing of photographic films, various means have been employed on a commercial basis of first treating the film with a developing solution; thereafter treating with a fixing solution and thereafter with a rinsing solution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved film transport and processing system by which a light-sensitive material to be processed is projected into and through a series of aligned housings and wherein within each of the said housings there is provided a series of vertically spaced pairs of rollers for receiving therebetween film to be processed within the respective housings and for feeding the film therethrough in a continuous and automatic manner.

'It is another object to provide within each housing assembly a closed fluid circulating and pumping system by which the fluid delivered from the tank is directed to the roller assemblies and through said assemblies, the said roller assemblies being constructed of a porous character by which the fluid under pressure permeates the roller assemblies and is projected radially outward for engaging the film upon its opposite sides for saturating the film and for treating the film in a continuous manner and with the excess fluid returning by gravity to the tank for recirculation.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic diagram of the present film transport and processing system.

FIG. 2 is a partly broken away view of a single housing tank assembly as an end elevational view of FIG. 1 on an increased scale.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view taken in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partly sectioned and broken away elevation view taken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 2.

The present film and transport and processing system designated at 11, FIG. 1, includes mounted upon a suitable support |12, fragmentarily shown, a series of housings 3,616,742 Patented Nov. 2., 1971 13 through 17 whose respective lengths are dependent upon required time of process step. Housing 13 and its associated tank provides the initial circulation of film developing fluids for application to a film directed longitudinally through the said housings in a continuous line as designated at F, FIG. 1.

The respective housings 13 through 16 includes individual sets of power operated vertically spaced pairs of film engaging and feeding and treating rollers as hereunder described in detail with respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Housing 14 includes a fixing chemical for circulation therein and housing 15 includes water or other rinsing solution whereas the additional tandem arranged housing 16 feeds the film past drying means for longitudinal projection into receiving bin 17. It is noted that the drying assembly I16 includes sources of hot air under pressure directed to the film for drying the same before projection into bin 17.

The respective assemblies 13 through 17 are arranged in tandem so that the film F or other element to be treated projected through the inlet of the respective housing 13 such as shown at 4 8, FIG. 4, moves longitudinally in a unit plane through the respective housings 13 through 16 through corresponding outlets such as the outlet 49 shown in FIG. 4 for projection into bin 17.

Since the assemblies 13, 14 and 15 are exactly the same except for the use of the particular chemical solution involved, and the number of pairs of rollers, hence, the length, only the assembly 13 is described in further detail.

Thus, the present film transport and processing system includes with respect to the developing assembly 13 a closed tank 18, outlet 19 adjacent its lower end and with a suitable inlet 45, FIG. 2, the level of fluid being designated at 20 as being developing solution in the case of the assembly 13, a fixing solution as in the case of assembly 14 and a rinsing solution as in the assembly 15.

Flexible conduit 21 connects outlet 19 to the inlet 22 of the power operated pump 23 shown schematically in FIG. 2.

The pump outlet 28 is connected by flexible conduit 29 -to the inlet 30 of the elongated pump jacket 31.

Its base plate 32, FIG. 3, is peripherally joined and sealed and secured over side plate 3 3 of a housing assembly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Said housing includes the opposed upright side plates 33 and 34, cover plate 35, front plate 24 and rear plate 25.

The pump jacket 31 has a manifold chamber 36 for communicating the circulating fluid through the respective film engaging and treating roller assemblies hereafter described with respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Provided within the housing assembly 13 are the series of vertically spaced sets of roller assemblies of similar construction which are power operated.

Each roller assembly includes a transversely arranged elongated support tube 37 which extends between and is supported upon the housing side plates 33 and 34. The tube is transversely perforated throughout its length with a series of small fluid conducting radial apertures 38, FIG. 3.

The stationary support inner tube 37 is open at one end at 39 for communicating with manifold chamber 36', the other end of said tube being closed by the plug 40.

Elongated porous tube 41 is loosely journalled over tube 37 and it also has a series of transverse or radial apertures for the transmission of circulating fluid from the interior of the tube 37 outwardly of the tube 41 for direction into and through the outer porous plastic resilient roller 42 of appreciable diameter.

The porous plastic roller 42 fixedly secured over the outer tube 41 is adapted for rotation therewith and adapted to receive the pumped fluids which are directed through the manifold 31 into the inner perforated tube of the respective roller assemblies for transmission through the tubes and radially outward through the film engaging and treating plastic rollers 42.

The housing assembly 13, FIG. 2, includes the tapered funnel-like collector 42 which at its lower reduced end includes an outlet 43 which communicates with the inlet 45 of the tank by the hollow threaded coupling 44 which interconnects the housing assembly and said tank and provides a means by which the housing is supported so as to ovelie the tank and with the funnel outlet 43 in registry with the inlet fitting 45 forming an integral part of the tank 18.

The above construction of one of the rollers 42 FIG. 3, applies to all the rollers arranged in the longitudinally disposed series such as shown schematically in FIG. 4, except for the dryer rollers at 16.

Upon the exterior of the respective outer tubes 41 is provided a means for power rotation of the respective roller assemblies. In the illustrative embodiment a sprocket gear 46 is secured to the outer tube 41 and is adapted for driven engagement with respect to the sprocket chain 47 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Any other suitable drive may be employed such as a pulley with belt arrangement or other equivalent means by which respective of the vertically arranged pairs of rollers 42 are driven in opposite directions so as to feed the film F inwardly and there along in a horizontal plane such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The exterior surface of the respective plastic porous rollers 42 is sufliciently mottled as to provide suitable frictional contact with the film for passing the film between the respective roller assemblies in a horizontal path and for maintaining the films perfectly flat, which is achieved by closely spacing the respective sets of vertically arranged rollers 42.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front wall 24 of the respective housing has a horizontally elongated throated inlet means 48 adapted to receive the film which moves in the horizontal plane indicated in a continuous fashion so as to exit the housing through the horizontally elongated throated outlet 49. A similar construction is provided in the adjacent housings 1-4, 15 and 16 by which the film moves in a horizontal path from the respective housings and eventually into the drying housing 16 having a series of hot air assemblies 26 after which the dried film is received within the bin 17 or suitable roll film take-up mechanism as shown schematically in FIG. 1.

OPERATION The present film transport and processing system thus consists of a series of pairs of rollers 42 which are gear or belt driven to thus rotate at the same speed. Each roller is mounted upon a hollow stationary shaft or tube 37, each said shaft Opening into the manifold chamber 36 of the jacket 31 which is provided with a single inlet 30 to receive the particular fluid circulated.

The respective shafts 37 are drilled with numerous tiny randomly spaced apertures 38 sufficient for the adequate radial flow of circulated fluid outwardly from the respective shafts, shafts 41 are similarly drilled.

The yielda-ble flexible plastic and porous rollers 42 are of a sponge plastic construction having open pores and .these are snugly located over elongated perforated tubes 41 whose inside diameters are slightly larger than the outside diameter of the central support tube 37.

In operation, the power operated pump 23 fed from the tank 18 directs the chemical solution to the jacket 31 which feeds the rollers central shafts. The solution permeates through these shafts and the tubing of the rollers completely saturating them. In addition, the fluid provides lubrication for the surfaces between shafts 37 and 41 which thus provide a suitable bearing surface for the rollers. Therefore, the outer perforated tubes 41 serve as roller bearings for the mounting of the plastic rollers.

As the film enters the housing through the inlet 48, FIG. 4, it encounters and moves between the oppositely moving first pair of rollers 42 and due to their direction of rotation is propelled forward in a straight line as shown in F IG. 4.

As the film passes through the rollers it is continuously irrigated with fresh solution due to the continuous circulation of fluid from the tank through the rollers outwardly thereof and with excess fluid returning and collected within the storage tank.

The close spacing of the rollers maintains suflicient control of the film at all times to prevent curling.

At the end of the process such as developing, fixing and washing, the film moves into the dryer assembly 16 which is similar to the other modules 13, 14 and 15 as to the film transporting means though no fluids are applied. This assembly includes high pressure jets 26 of hot air which rapidly and evenly dries the film. It is then ejected into a suitable receiving bin 17 ready for final disposition.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to the following claims:

1. In combination with a transport and processing system for photosensitive material, a closed tank mountable upon a support and containing an appropriate processing solution;

an outlet and an inlet on said tank;

a motor operated pump having a fluid inlet and outlet;

a housing overlying and mounted on said tank including front, rear, top and side walls and open at its bottom adapted for drain communication with said tank;

a series of vertically spaced pairs of roller assemblies in said housing adapted to movably receive therebetween a film to be processed, said roller assemblies extending between said side walls;

each roller assembly including an elongated inner tube perforated along its length and with one end closed and stationarily mounted in a housing side wall and with the other open end extending through the other housing side wall;

all of the inner tubes from the roller assemblies opening outwardly of said other housing side wall;

an elongated chambered pump jacket sealed and secured over said other housing side wall enclosing the open ends of said inner tubes, and having a fluid inlet;

conduits respectively interconnecting said tank outlet and pump inlet, and pump outlet and jacket inlet;

each roller assembly including a rotatable perforated outer tube journaled upon said stationary inner tube, and an elongated flexible, porous, plastic film feed roller of appreciable thickness snugly mounted over and joined to said rotatable outer tube;

and power means for rotating each of said outer tube and said plastic film feed roller of a pair of roller assemblies in opposite directions;

the fluid in the tank being pumped continuously into said jacket and distributed through the stationary inner tubes of each roller assembly for radial passage outwardly through the outer tubes permeating and saturating said plastic rollers and for lubricating the surfaces between said stationary inner tubes and said rotatable outer tubes and for supplying a uniform flow of fluid over all surfaces of the film as it is frictionally passed between the sets of plastic rollers;

the excess fluid descending from said housing for communication with the tank inlet.

2. In the film transport and processing system of claim 5, the perforations in said stationary inner and rotatable outer tubes being co-extensive with and radially inward of the interior bore of the porous plastic roller.

3. In the film transport and processing system of claim 5, said power means including driven means on said rotatable outer tubes axially outwardly of said plastic rollers; and a drive means engaging said driven means.

5 4. In the film transport and processing system of claim 3,170,382 2/1965 Schwab 95-89 5, said housing front and rear Walls having respectively a 3,366,025 1/1968 Layne 95-89 X horizontally elongated throated inlet and outlet means in 3,490,908 1/ 1970 Shelffo. registry with a plane passsing between the respective upper and lower rollers, for receiving and delivering the film 5 FOREIGN PATENTS to be processed. Germany References Cited SA UEL E UNITED STATES PATENTS M rl T pmimy Exammer 720,708 2/1903 Latta 95-89 Ssstant Examme 1,929.1s0 10/1933 Teitel 95-89 UX

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