PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM HANDLING AND PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 3,648,584 A
• Filed: 01/02/1970
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael F. Eacock
• Original Assignee: Michael F. Eacock
• Inventors: Eacock, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moses, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US05/000,007
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 156/524,547,549,550,551,575 95/13,89R,89L
• US Class Current: 396/32
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/52 of the Land type
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 9/02 using rupturable ampoules of liquid

Abstract

A carriage is mounted for reversible displacement across an exposure station of a camera and mounts in sequence an applicator, a guide bar and a resiliently compressible roller. A supply of photosensitive material is initially mounted adjacent one end of the exposure station while a supply of image-receiving material is mounted on the carriage. In its initial pass across the exposure station, the carriage draws a first section of photosensitive material onto the exposure station. After exposure and as the carriage is returned across the exposure station towards the supply of photosensitive material, a processing liquid is expressed from the applicator onto the section of exposed photosensitive sheet while a section of image-receiving material is simultaneously, progressively played out around the guide bar over the wetted photosensitive sheet and firmly pressed thereagainst by the resilient roller. In its next pass across the exposure station, the carriage advances the superposed sheets from the exposure station and draws a new section of photosensitive material thereonto. As the superposed sheets leave the exposure station, they are separated and the first section of image-receiving material ejected from the camera while the processed photosensitive sheet is stored within the camera. Other features include an edge control arrangement on the carriage and a unique application configuration.

Claims

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said pressing means comprises a roller.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said roller is resiliently compressible.

4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said motion effecting means comprises a displaceably mounted carriage on which said applicator and said pressing means are mounted.

5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said motion effecting means comprises a displaceably mounted carriage including means for mounTing such other sheet of material thereon.

6. The improvement of claim 4 additionally including means on said carriage for mounting such other sheet of material.

7. In photographic apparatus for applying a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, at least one of which comprises a photosensitive sheet, the improvement comprising:

an enclosed opaque housing;

an elongated applicator adapted to be disposed across one of such sheets of material in juxtaposed spaced apart relationship thereto from which processing fluid may be expressed onto such one sheet of material;

means for effecting relative motion between said applicator and such one sheet of material within said housing whereby such processing fluid is progressively applied as a layer across such one sheet of material;

means for pressing progressive sections of the other of such sheets of material into firm contact with such one sheet of material behind said applicator whereby such other sheet of material is superposed over such one sheet of wetted material; and

means for preventing such fluid from escaping from between the edges of such materials as such materials are pressed together.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said motion effecting means comprises a carriage on which said applicator, said pressing means and said preventing means are mounted.

9. In photographic apparatus for applying a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, at least one of which comprises a photosensitive sheet, the improvement comprising:

an enclosed opaque housing;

an elongated applicator adapted to be disposed across one of such sheets of material in juxtaposed spaced apart relationship thereto from which processing fluid may be expressed onto such one sheet of material;

means for effecting relative motion between said applicator and such one sheet of material within said housing whereby such processing fluid is progressively applied as a layer across such one sheet of material;

means for pressing progressive sections of the other of such sheets of material into firm contact with such one sheet of material behind said applicator whereby such other sheet of material is superposed over such one sheet of wetted material; and

means for subsequently separating such superposed materials within said apparatus.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein such other sheet of material comprises an image-receiving sheet and such one sheet of material comprises a photosensitive sheet of material additionally including means for ejecting such separated image-receiving sheet from said apparatus and for storing such separated photosensitive material within said apparatus.

11. In photographic apparatus for applying a processing liquid between a pair of sheet materials, at least one of which comprises a photosensitive sheet, the improvement comprising:

an enclosed opaque housing;

an elongated applicator adapted to be disposed across one of such sheets of material in juxtaposed spaced apart relationship thereto from which processing liquid may be expressed onto such one sheet of material;

means for effecting relative motion between said applicator and such one sheet of material within said housing whereby such processing liquid is progressively applied as a layer across such one sheet of material; and

means for pressing progressive sections of the other of such sheets of material into firm contact with such one sheet of material behind said applicator and for aligning respective sections of such other sheet of material at a small acute angle to such one sheet of material immediately in advance of the point at which such materials are pressed together whereby such other sheet of material is superposed over such one sheet of wetted material and a sharply tapered pool of such liquid is formed between such materials in advance of such point.

12. The improvement of claim 11 additionally including means for preventing such fluid from escaping from between The edges of such materials adjacent such pool.

13. In photographic apparatus, the improvement comprising:

an enclosed opaque housing;

first means for positioning a strip of exposed photosensitive material across a station;

second means, mounted for reversible displacement across said station between an initial position adjacent one end thereof to a second position adjacent the opposite end thereof, for applying a processing fluid onto progressive sections of such exposed photosensitive material and pressing progressive sections of a strip of photographic image-receiving material against such strip of wetted exposed photosensitive material whereby such image-receiving material is superposed over such wetted exposed photosensitive material during the displacement of said second means from its said initial position to its said second position and for advancing such superposed materials from said station during the return of said second means to its said initial position.

14. The improvement of claim 13 additionally including means for preventing such fluid from escaping from between the edges of such image-receiving and photosensitive materials as such materials are pressed together.

15. The improvement of claim 13 additionally including means for separating such superposed materials within such apparatus as such superposed materials are advanced from said station.

16. The improvement of claim 14 additionally including means for separating such superposed materials, ejecting such separated image-receiving material from said apparatus and for storing such separated photosensitive material within said apparatus as such superposed materials are advanced from said station.

17. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said second means comprises a carriage, an applicator mounted on said carriage and a roller mounted on said carriage.

18. The improvement of claim 17 additionally including means on said carriage for mounting such image-receiving material.

19. In photographic apparatus, the improvement comprising:

an exposure station;

first means for positioning a strip of photosensitive material across said exposure station;

second means for exposing such strip of photosensitive material to image-carrying light rays to record a latent image thereon;

third means, mounted for reversible displacement across said exposure station between an initial position adjacent one end thereof to a second position adjacent the opposite end thereof, for applying a processing fluid onto progressive sections of such exposed photosensitive material and for pressing progressive sections of a strip of photographic image-receiving material against such strip of wetted exposed photosensitive material whereby such image-receiving material is superposed over such wetted exposed photosensitive material during the displacement of said third means from its said initial position to its said second position, and for advancing such superposed materials from said station during the return of said third means to its said initial position.

20. The improvement of claim 19 additionally including means for advancing another strip of photosensitive material into position across said exposure station during such return of said third means to its said initial position.

21. The improvement of claim 19 additionally including means for preventing such fluid from escaping from between the edges of such image-receiving and photosensitive materials as such materials are pressed together.

22. The improvement of claim 19 wherein at least such image-receiving material is ejected from said apparatus during such advancement thereof.

23. The improvement of claim 19 wherein said second means comprises a carriage, an applicator mounted on said carriage and a roller mounted on said carriage.

24. The improvement of claim 19 wherein said second means comprises a carriage and means on said carriage for mounting such strip of image-receiving material.

25. In photographic apparatus, the improvement comprising:

an exposure station;

first means for positioning a strip of photosensitive material across said exposure station;

second means for exposing such strip of photosensitive material to image-carrying light rays to record a latent image thereon;

third means, mounted for reversible displacement across said exposure station between an initial position adjacent one end thereof to a second position adjacent the opposite end thereof, for applying a processing fluid onto progressive sections of such exposed photosensitive material;

fourth means, mounted for displacement behind said third means in synchronization therewith as said third means moves from its said initial position to its said second position, for pressing progressive sections of a strip of photographic image-receiving material against such strip of wetted exposed photosensitive material whereby such image-receiving material is superposed over such wetted exposed photosensitive material; and

fifth means for advancing such superposed materials from said station during the return of said third means to its said initial position.

26. In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing liquid, the improvement comprising an applicator adapted to express processing fluid progressively across such sheet of photographic material responsive to relative motion being effected therebetween including a reservoir chamber, a face adapted to be positioned in a predetermined spaced apart relationship to such strip of photographic material having a recess extending thereacross at least as long as the width of such photographic material to be treated with such liquid and means for connecting said reservoir chamber with said recess, and a lip extending forwardly of said face to be positioned closer to such sheet of photographic material when said applicator is disposed in operative relationship therewith, whereby when such fluid is expressed from said reservoir chamber through said connecting means said recess enhances the uniform distribution of such fluid across said face in advance of said lip and said lip further tends to effect a uniform distribution of such fluid across such sheet of photographic material as it moves therealong to meter such liquid applied along such material.

27. In a process for exposing and subsequently treating a strip of photosensitive material with a processing liquid within a photographic apparatus, the improvement comprising:

positioning a strip of photosensitive material across an exposure station;

exposing such strip of photosensitive material to image carrying light rays to record a latent image thereon;

wetting such strip of exposed photosensitive material with such processing liquid while retaining same across said exposure station;

overlaying such strip of wetted exposed photosensitive material with a strip of image-receiving photographic material while retaining such strip of exposed photosensitive material across said exposure station;

advancing the assemblage comprising such strip of wetted photosensitive material overlaid with such image-receiving material from said exposure station; and

separating such image-receiving photographic material from such assemblage.

28. The improvement of claim 27 wherein said wetting and overlaying steps are at least in part performed simultaneously.

29. The improvement of claim 27 wherein the said advancing and separating steps are at least in part performed simultaneously.

30. The improvement of claim 27 wherein said separating step is performed within said apparatus and such separated image-receiving material is ejected from said apparatus and such separated photosensitive material is stored within such apparatus.

31. The improvement of claim 27 additionally including the step of simultaneously positioning another strip of photosensitive material across said exposure station as such assemblage is advanced therefrom.

32. The improvement oF claim 27 wherein said overlaying step comprises the step of progressively pressing sections of such strip of image-receiving material against respective sections of such wetted exposed photosensitive material at a given rate and said separating step comprises progressively separating respective sections of such overlaid materials at substantially the same such rate.