Patent · US Expired

Processing apparatus

US5687418A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
19References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 1995
Grant dateNov 11, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03D3/10
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

It is known to process photographic materials in sheet form in deep, narrow processing tanks. In these tanks, the material needs to be supported so that it can be removed from the tank once processing is complete. This may result in insufficient agitation of the processing solution over the surface of the material due to the presence of the support or restraint. Described herein is improved processing apparatus in which pairs of D-shaped rollers are located within respective ones of the processing tanks. When material is being processed, flat portions of each pair of D-shaped rollers are parallel to one another allowing clear access to the processing tanks. When processing is complete in a particular processing tank, rotation of each D-shaped roller of the pair associated with that tank about its respective axis brings the circular circumferential surfaces of each pair of rollers into contact to grip the material and direct it out of the processing tank.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.