US716598A - Photographic developing-tray. - Google Patents

Description

No. 7l6,598. Patented Dec. 23, I902.- J. N. TOLPA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING TRAY.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1902.]

(No Model.)

alzwfi'faa, 1 8 m 1 I V I v @AIiQPIJQ YS m: warns PETERS so I ?HOTO-\ mm wnsumc-Yow, u c.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES NIOOLAUS TOLPA, OF LOW-ELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,598, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed September 8,1902. Serial No. 122,582. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES NICOLAUS TOLPA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Photographic Developing Tray, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to certain improvements in devices employed for developing, fixing, and washing photographic negatives, and has for its principal object to provide a closed tray or box in which the negative may be placed and developed or otherwise treated in the open air and without the necessity of employing a dark room.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterin the form of a small compact tray or box, which may be carried around with the camera in order that the plates may be developed immediately after exposure, if desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a closed tray or box in which the action of the developing or other agent may be closely observed and stopped at any desired point and in which the several solutions may be placed successively within the tray or box without danger of exposing'the negative to the actinic properties of light.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in- Vention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a photographic developing tray or box constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same when disposed in horizontal position for developing a negative.

The walls of the casing are formed for the most part of wood or they may be of thin sheet metal; butin all cases the inner surface is coated with black paint, as is usual in cameras, plate-holders, and other photographic devices. The casing is divided into two chambers 1 and 2 by a partition 3, the chamber 1 being the developing-chamber, in which the plate is exposed to the action of the developer or other fluid, and the chamber 2 acts as a receiver for fluid at the beginning of the operation or at intervals between the commencement and completion of the developing when it may be desired to examine the plate. In the partition 3 is a contracted passageway 4, through which the liquid may flow, and the chamber 2 is provided with a fillingopening 6, which may be closed by a suitable coverplate 7. The liquid is introduced through the opening6 while the tray is standing in the vertical position, (shown in Fig. 1,) and the passage of light-rays through the chamber 1 is prevented by the plate or partition 8, extending almost completely across the chamber 2 and forming a continuation of one wall of the passage 4. The chamber 2 is further provided with a drainage-opening for convenience in emptying the developer or other liquid, said opening being normally closed by a plug 9.

One of the walls of the developing-chamber 1 is formed of a sheet of tinted glass 10, which may be of ruby or other color to prevent the passage of actinic rays, and during the action of the developing solution on the negative this sheet of glass forms the'bottom of the developing chamber. The sheet of glass is protected by a hinged shield or cover 11, which may be adjusted with respect to the sheet of glass when the tray is in the position shown in Fig. 1 to permit the operator to examine the negative, and when the tray is turned to the vertical position accidental passage of the negative into or through the passage 4 is prevented by a number of crossbars 12.

The top of the developing-chamber is provided with an opening for the introduction of the negative tobe developed, this being accomplished in the usual manner by the employment of a light-proof transfer bag or box. The open top of the chamber is provided with a cover 13, formed partly by a sheet of glass 14: of the same or of different color from the sheet of glass 10, but in all cases of such nature as to prevent the action of the actinic properties of light on the mega tive. The cover is hinged, as indicated at 15, and is provided with one or more securing devices 16 in order to confine it in place, while light is excluded and the passage of the liquid prevented by rabbeting or by the employment of suitable packing-strips between the wall of the opening and the cover.

In operation the negative to be developed is introduced into the tray by means of abag of light-proof material and the cover is then closed. The tray being placed in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, a developing, fixing, or other solution may be introduced into the chamber 2 through the opening 5, and as the interior of the tray is blackened there will be no danger of light-rays afiecting the negative. The tray is then gradually turned to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 in order to permit the passage of the liquid into the developing-chamber and its action on the negative. When it is desired to ascertain the condition of the negative and the extent to which it has been affected by the solution, the tray is raised to the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 and the shield 11 opened to a greater or less extent to permit the operator to look through the two sheets of glass 14 and 10 and examine the negative. The tray may be employed for any of the various developing, fixing, toning, or other processes in the treatment of either negatives or prints and the several solutions drained from the tray in order to permit the introduction of others for different steps of the process.

On the hinged cover is a sliding bar 20, having end portions adapted to fit in grooves between the glass panel and the hinged frame, and this bar carries a flexible shield or cover 21, formed of light-proof material, to act as an additional shield over the glass panel 14 and to permit inspection of the plate in order that the operator may ascertain the progress of the developing operation. By moving the cross-bar longitudinally of the tray light may be allowed to pass through the glass panel at one side of the bar, while the operator by the employment of the screening-cloth is enabled to observe the condition of the plate by reflected light-rays, using, if necessary, a magnifying-glass for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing adjustable to either a vertical or a horizontal position, said casing being divided into two communicating chambers of which one forms a drainage-reservoir for a developing solution or other liquid and the other a plate-receiving chamber, there being a contracted passage for placing the two chambers in communication with each other, and a plurality of cross-bars for supporting the negative within the plate-receiving chamber when the casing is moved to vertical position.

2. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing adjustable to either a horizontal or a vertical position and divided into two chambers of which one forms a plate-receiving chamber and the other a drainage-reservoir, the plate-receiving chamber having oppositely-disposed translucent walls, and an adjustable shield of opaque material adapted to cover one of said translucent walls.

3. Aphotographicdeveloping-tray comprising a closed casing adjustable to either a horizontal or a vertical position and divided into two chambers of which one forms a plate-receiving chamber and the other a drainage-reservoir, there being filling and drainage openings in the walls of the drainage-reservoir, and an auxiliary guard disposed within the drainage-reservoir to prevent the passage of light-rays to the plate-receiving chamber when one or other of said openings is uncovered.

t. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing having a partition 3 dividing the casing into two chambers 1 and 2, there being a contracted passage 4 between said chambers, filling and draining openings for the chamber 2, a partition 8 disposed within the chamber 2, a fixed wall 10 of translucent material, and a hinged cover 13 having a translucent panel 14 forming a part of the chamber 1, a hinged shield 11 adapted to cover the translucent wall 10, and guards 12 extending across the chamber 1 at a point adjacent to the communicating passage 4:, substantially as specified.

5. A photographic tray comprising a closed casing having translucent sides, in combination With a fiexible screen disposed at one side of said casing and adjustable to expose a greater or less area of said translucent side.

6. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing having translucent sides, a slidable bar having its opposite sides adapted to grooved portions in one side of the casing, and a flexible shield carried by said bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES NICOLAUS TOLPA.

Witnesses:

STANISLAUS MONAROZYNSKI, CASIMIR GIERTOWSKI.

Images