US3886575A - Apparatus for treating photographic material in closed cassettes - Google Patents

Apparatus for treating photographic material in closed cassettes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3886575A
US3886575A US396429A US39642973A US3886575A US 3886575 A US3886575 A US 3886575A US 396429 A US396429 A US 396429A US 39642973 A US39642973 A US 39642973A US 3886575 A US3886575 A US 3886575A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cassette
housing
apparatus defined
opening
row
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Expired - Lifetime
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US396429A
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English (en)
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Kurt Gall
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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
    • G03D3/10—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion having progressive mechanical movement of exposed material for plates, films, or prints held individually
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03D13/00—Processing apparatus or accessories therefor, not covered by groups G11B3/00 - G11B11/00
    • G03D13/02—Containers; Holding-devices
    • G03D13/04—Trays; Dishes; Tanks ; Drums
    • G03D13/06—Light-tight tanks with provision for loading in daylight
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03D15/00—Apparatus for treating processed material
    • G03D15/02—Drying; Glazing
    • G03D15/027—Drying of plates or prints
    • 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

Definitions

  • each cassette is automatically 354/315 32 H1325 opened by engagement of a knob on a slidable door as 340 it is set down in the drying station where a magnet on the cassette operates a reed switch to set a drying [56] Relerences cued blower in motion.
  • the cassettes are open at the bot- UNITED STATES PATENTS tom and provided with baffles to prevent light en- 2,212,357 8/1940 Vanderwalker 354 311 trance; Similarly light-blocked Openings are Provided 2,368,079 H1945 Stiffler 354/3l1 at the top of each cassette.
  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for treating photographic material and, more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically developing exposed sheets, plates, or the like of film.
  • Another object is the provision of such a device which does not have to be kept in a darkroom.
  • a further object is an automatic film developer which is relatively simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
  • Each cassette in accordance with yet another feature of this invention, is provided with a door so that the exposed sheet or plate film material is loaded into the cassette in the darkroom and then these cassettes are closed and set on the machine. Once the doors on the cassettes are closed they no longer need be kept in the dark.
  • the various treatment tanks are open so that servicing them, as well as checking the strength, level, and temperature of the treatment liquids is a very simple operation, as is cleaning these tanks.
  • the transporter according to the present invention has a lifter engageable with the top of the cassettes, which to this end are generally T-shaped so that the lifter may engage under the T-arms to raise and lower the cassette.
  • the entire transporter is displaceable along the row of treatment tanks so as to lift a cassette out of an upstream holding area, dip it successively in each treatment tank, and finally set it down in a downstream drying station.
  • the door on each cassette is vertically slidable and is provided with an outwardly projecting knob.
  • Means, in the form of a lip on the housing of the apparatus at the drying station, is provided to engage this knob and slide the door up when the cassette is set down in the drying station. In this manner, once the film is developed and can be exposed to light, the cassette is opened.
  • Blowers are provided at the drying station to direct currents of air into the interior of the cassette.
  • the blowers are arranged in a row and each blower is controlled by a respective reed switch operated by a magnet carried on the cassette, so that only the blower adjacent a cassette is operated.
  • each tank for circulating a treatment liquid and/or a gas through the cassettes, and means is provided on the cassettes for admission of the fluid without the entry of light.
  • a plurality of nozzles on the bottom of each tank can fit into a matching set of tubes on the bottom of the cassette.
  • Baffles are provided in some of the tubes to prevent light entrance, and at least one of the tubes is provided with a perforated manifold. Water may be injected into the base of the cassette and allowed to rise in it and flow out the top. In the developer tanks the developer can be pumped into the bottom of the cassette like the water or gas can be bubbled up through the liquid in the cassette to insure thorough treatment of the film with the liquid.
  • the apparatus according to this invention is controlled by a programmer reading a program card for the particular type of film being treated.
  • This program card contains ata minimum only the commands for the transporter: how long to hold the cassette in each bath. It can also operate dosing units which automatically add some chemicals to certain of the baths after a predetermined number of films have been treated, so as to keep their strength up.
  • the control unit may monitor and control the temperatures of the baths, or this may be set at each tank. The operation of the circulating pumps and injection valves at each tank are controlled individually by reed switches in the tanks which sense thhe presence of the cassette so that the device is very simple.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus according to this invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a section taken along line II II of FIG. I;
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are partially broken-away front and side views, respectively, of a cassette forming part of the apparatus according to the present invention
  • FIG. 5 is a front view of a film holder usable in the cassette of FIGS. 3 and 4',
  • H68. 6 and 7 are Sections taken along lines VI VI and VII VII of FIGS. 5 and 1, respectively;
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an element of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
  • the apparatus according to this invention as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a control station 1 housing the various circuits for operating the elements described below according to a program carried on a punch card 98.
  • a control station 1 housing the various circuits for operating the elements described below according to a program carried on a punch card 98.
  • Extending downstream from the control console I is a support 2 on which a plurality of treatment tanks 3 rest.
  • the device shown has 13 such tanks for the processing of color film. Fewer or more tanks can be provided if desired, or it is possible to use only some of the tanks provided by proper programming of the device.
  • Downstream of the succession of tanks 3 is a drying station 4.
  • each vessel or tank 3 is made of a chemically resistant synthetic resin and has side walls 26 and a bottom 17.
  • Guide ribs 24 on the walls 26 have inclined surfaces 25 to position a cassette 15 when it is lowered as shown by arrow 16 into the tank 3.
  • the bottom 17 is provided with three upwardly open in-line nozzles 21, 22, and 23 which are connected to respective feed pipes 18, 19, and 20.
  • the central pipe 18 is connected through a valve 18 to a supply 18" of compressed nitrogen and the other two pipes are connected together to a pump 27' which forces a liquid out of the nozzles 22 and 23 and draws it in through an overflow pipe 27 at the top of the tank 3 or through a bottom drain 115.
  • the overflow 27 serves to maintain a liquid level shown at 28 in the tank.
  • a beam 29 extends along the back of the apparatus and supports a plurality of reservoirs 31 each holding a supply 30 of a treatment or regenerating fluid.
  • This reservoir 31 is kept full via a pipe 32 from an outside supply 33 and has a bleed tube 34 in its upper wall. Projecting from its lower wall is an inclined fill tube 35 having a mouth 36 above the respective tank 3.
  • a valve 38 operated by a solenoid 37 controlled by the circuits of control unit 1 is provided in the tube 35 to insure that the bath in the respective tank is always fresh. Before replenishing the bath with fresh chemicals the level is dropped to level 39 by operating of a valve 39' in a lower overflow line 103.
  • each cassette 15 comprises a boxlike body 40 up from which extends a cylindrical tube 41 having a pair of hollow arms 42 each having a downwardly directed end 43 adapted to ride on a conical or round bump 44 on one of the arms 14 so that as shown in FIG. 2 the entire cassette can be hung on the outrigger 13.
  • the positioner 101 is formed on its arms with downwardly pointed positioning bosses 102 each having the form of a half of a right circular cone.
  • the cassette 15 is therefore hung on the arms 14 and prevented from swinging laterally by the arms 100.
  • the cassettes 15 are each formed at one side with an opening 45 blocked by a door 47 which is slidable in and against the direction shown by arrow 46.
  • This door 47 has an outer face 48 provided near its bottom with an outwardly projecting bump or knob 49 which serves to slide and open or close the door 47.
  • baffle disks 50 each formed peripherally with a notch 52 are provided in the neck 41, spaced apart by a distance a and with the notch 52 of each disk 50 set diametrically opposite to that of the neighboring disk 50 so as to form a circuitous path indicated by arrow 51 up through the neck.
  • Two diametrically opposed laterally opening holes 53 are formed in the hollow neck 41, the baffles preventing any light from entering the body 40 of this cassette 15 from these holes.
  • the cassette 15 has an open bottom 54 which allows fluid to enter, but prevents the entrance of light by means of baffles 55 and 56.
  • the baffles 55 are secured to the front and back walls 45 and the end walls 57 and 58.
  • the baffles 56 are merely attached to the two end walls 57 and 58 and all of these baffles 55 and 56 are inclined so as not to catch fluid. Fluid must follow a circuitous or labyrinthian path as shown by arrows 59 to rise in the cassette l5 and the overlap of the longitudinal edges of these baffles 55 and 56 prevents the entrance of any light through the open end 54.
  • Supported on the central four baffles 56 are two outside tubes 61 and one central tube 60.
  • the tubes 61 are each provided with these spaced baffles 65 each formed with a notch 66 so that fluid must follow a Switchback path as shown by arrow 67 before exiting from the upper end of the tube 61 through holes 64 at its tip. It is therefore also impossible for light to enter the cassette through these tubes 61.
  • the tube is provided at its upper end with an oval manifold 63 formed with a multiplicity of small holes 62 so that a fluid may be injected into the body 40.
  • Exposed sheets or plates 68 of photographic material are suspended singly in individual square frames 69 having holders 70 for the film.
  • Each frame 69 has four corners 71 each provided on one face with a projecting spacer 72 formed with a cylindrical large diameter portion 73 against the respective frame 69 and a smaller diameter cylindrical portion 74 adapted to fit into a corresponding hole 75 in the neighboring frame 69 so as to hold the frames 69 apart by a distance b.
  • Three of the frames 69 are adapted to fit together and be held together by a square holding frame 76 having short transverse members 77 and longer longitudinal members 78 so as to form a neat unit or block that can be slid into the body 40 of the cassette and be supported on ribs or ridges 80 on the insides of the face walls 79 of this cassette.
  • FIGS. 1 and 7 show how the drying station 4 is provided with four longitudinally spaced squirrel-cage blowers 88 whose outputs open through holes 89 in a side wall 87 of the apparatus.
  • a flap 90 pivoted about an axis bisecting all of these holes is attached via a tie rod 93 to a crank 92 on a motor 91 so that air expelled through the holes 89 is directed in a continuously vertically deflected stream shown by arrows 113.
  • the floor 81 of the station is formed with a pair of longitudinally extending slots 82 in which upper stretches 83 of belts 84 run. These belts 84 are spanned over wheels 86 car ried in pairs on common shafts 85 driven by a motor 85' controlled from the programmer 1.
  • the drying station 4 is provided with a pair of spacing elements 94 and 96 each having inclined guide surfaces 95 and 97 to insure the exact positioning of a cassette 15.
  • the wall 87 of this station 4 is formed with an inwardly directed overhang 111 having an edge 110 engageable with the knob 49 to open the door 47 as will be described below.
  • Sensors 112 in the station 4 are connected to the control station 1 to operate the blowers 88 as is described below.
  • This apparatus functions as follows:
  • the operator first loads the cassettes by sliding blocks of frames 69 into the cassettes 15 in a darkroom and then closing the doors 47 of these cassettes. Thereafter the closed cassettes 15 are set in a row at the upstream end of the apparatus, a spring serving to urge them against the upstream side of the first tank 3.
  • the transporter 7 is then moved into the position illustrated in FIG. 1 and the outrigger 13 is lowered to bring the bosses 44 directly below the ends 43 of arms 42.
  • the drive 99 is actuated then to lift the furthermost downstream cassette from the position shown in FIG. 1 in phantom lines to the position shown in dot-dash lines, wherein the bottom of the cassette is above the tops of the tanks 3 and the cassette 15 is embraced and steadied by the positioner 101.
  • the entire transporter 7 is moved downstream into a position with the cassette 15 directly above the first tank 3. Meanwhile the remaining cassettes 15 at the upstream end of the machine are pushed downstream by the spring.
  • each tank 3 is successively dipped and treated in each tank 3 along the row in the same manner, except that the central tanks contain various chemical bathsdeveloper, fixer, and the like.
  • the treatment time in each bath is controlled by the program, and the strength and temperature of each bath is also controlled automatically.
  • the transporter 7 can also be employed to take the furthest .downstream cassette out of the station 4 once it is full chine, so that a large number of such cassettes can be treated automatically.
  • An apparatus for treating photographic material comprising:
  • a film-containing cassette having a closed housing having a bottom formed with at least one liquidtraversable opening affording access of said liquids to said material in said housing,
  • blocking means for preventing light from entering said housing through said opening and including a plurality of overlapping baffle vanes at said opening, and at least one outwardly open tube at said bottom with an inner end terminating inwardly of said bafile vanes and provided with a spray manifold;
  • transport means displaceable along said row of said vessels for immersing said cassette successively therein.
  • each of said vessels is provided with upright guiding ribs having inclined surfaces and snugly engageable with said cas sette with same lowered completely into said vessel by said transport means.
  • drying means has a bed dimensioned to receive a plurality of said cassettes.
  • said means for holding includes a spacer body on one sur face of each frame and formed with a projection, each frame being formed with a hole adapted to receive said projection.
  • An apparatus for treating photographic material comprising:
  • a film-containing cassette having a closed housing having a bottom formed with at least one liquidtraversable opening affording access of said liquids to said material in said housing, blocking means for preventing light from entering said housing through said opening and including a plurality of overlapping baftle vanes at said opening, and at least one outwardly open tube at said bottom with an inner end terminating inwardly of said baffle vanes; and
  • transport means displaceable along said row of said vessels for immersing said cassette successively therein, a plurality of such tubes being provided in line at said bottom, said baffle vanes being provided in a first set fixed to one wall of said housing adjacent said tubes, a second set fixed to the other wall of said housing adjacent said tubes and two further sets on said tubes and meshing with said first and second sets.
  • An apparatus for treating photographic material comprising:
  • a film-containing cassette having a closed housing formed with a hole adapted to allow loading of said material and with at least one liquid-traversable opening affording access of said liquids to said material in said housing and blocking means for preventing light from entering said housing through said opening;
  • transport means displaceable along said row of said vessels for immersing said cassette successively therein;
  • stop means engageable with said projection for opening said door upon displacement of said cassette by said transport means adjacent said stop means.
  • An apparatus for treating photographic material comprising:
  • a film-containing cassette having a closed housing formed with at least one liquid-traversable opening affording access of said liquids to said material in said housing and having a top formed with a pair of laterally extending arms, and blocking means for steadying arms engageable with said cassette and each provided with a steadying boss having the shape of half of a downwardly directed axially bisected cone.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Photographic Processing Devices Using Wet Methods (AREA)
  • Photographic Developing Apparatuses (AREA)
US396429A 1972-09-13 1973-09-12 Apparatus for treating photographic material in closed cassettes Expired - Lifetime US3886575A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2244860A DE2244860A1 (de) 1972-09-13 1972-09-13 Vorrichtung zum behandeln von photografischem entwicklungsgut

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US3886575A true US3886575A (en) 1975-05-27

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Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4001852A (en) * 1974-12-10 1977-01-04 Kurt Gall Rotating auger arrangement for pumping processing fluid through a film developing container
FR2466795A1 (fr) * 1979-10-04 1981-04-10 Dainippon Screen Mfg Procede et dispositif pour determiner la quantite supplementaire de solution de developpement a fournir a une machine de developpement de pellicules photographiques
EP0078772A1 (de) * 1981-11-04 1983-05-11 Ciba-Geigy Ag Behandlungseinrichtung für belichtetes photographisches Material
US4429981A (en) 1982-09-28 1984-02-07 Frazier William J Tank apparatus with floating agitator for processing photographic film
US5270762A (en) * 1992-03-02 1993-12-14 Eastman Kodak Company Slot impingement for a photographic processing apparatus
US5452043A (en) * 1993-02-19 1995-09-19 Eastman Kodak Company Rack and a tank for a photographic low volume thin tank insert for a rack and a tank photographic processing apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS649247U (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1987-07-07 1989-01-18

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2212357A (en) * 1939-04-06 1940-08-20 Joseph E Vanderwalker Apparatus for developing and otherwise treating photographic film
US2368079A (en) * 1943-09-10 1945-01-23 Harold F Stiffler Photographic negative holder
US2405160A (en) * 1943-03-27 1946-08-06 John F Morse Photographic developing tank
US2829575A (en) * 1956-03-23 1958-04-08 William V Collins Film processing apparatus
US3353470A (en) * 1965-04-19 1967-11-21 Ronald S O Zane Automatic conveying device
US3779147A (en) * 1972-07-25 1973-12-18 Colorapid Ltd Apparatus for processing photographic material

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2212357A (en) * 1939-04-06 1940-08-20 Joseph E Vanderwalker Apparatus for developing and otherwise treating photographic film
US2405160A (en) * 1943-03-27 1946-08-06 John F Morse Photographic developing tank
US2368079A (en) * 1943-09-10 1945-01-23 Harold F Stiffler Photographic negative holder
US2829575A (en) * 1956-03-23 1958-04-08 William V Collins Film processing apparatus
US3353470A (en) * 1965-04-19 1967-11-21 Ronald S O Zane Automatic conveying device
US3779147A (en) * 1972-07-25 1973-12-18 Colorapid Ltd Apparatus for processing photographic material

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4001852A (en) * 1974-12-10 1977-01-04 Kurt Gall Rotating auger arrangement for pumping processing fluid through a film developing container
FR2466795A1 (fr) * 1979-10-04 1981-04-10 Dainippon Screen Mfg Procede et dispositif pour determiner la quantite supplementaire de solution de developpement a fournir a une machine de developpement de pellicules photographiques
EP0078772A1 (de) * 1981-11-04 1983-05-11 Ciba-Geigy Ag Behandlungseinrichtung für belichtetes photographisches Material
US4456359A (en) * 1981-11-04 1984-06-26 Ciba-Geigy Ag Flat photographic sheet processing cassette
US4429981A (en) 1982-09-28 1984-02-07 Frazier William J Tank apparatus with floating agitator for processing photographic film
US5270762A (en) * 1992-03-02 1993-12-14 Eastman Kodak Company Slot impingement for a photographic processing apparatus
US5452043A (en) * 1993-02-19 1995-09-19 Eastman Kodak Company Rack and a tank for a photographic low volume thin tank insert for a rack and a tank photographic processing apparatus

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JPS4969331A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1974-07-04
DE2244860A1 (de) 1974-03-21

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