Rapid processing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING A RECORDED IMAGE ON A FILM STRIP HAVING A RADIATION SENSITIVE SURFACE AND A SUPPORT MEANS, SAID APPARATUS HAVING AHOUSING; SUPPORT MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF FILM; FILM PROCESSING MEANS INCLUDING A STATIONARY POROUS APPLICATOR ADAPTED TO APPLY A RELATIVELY THIN LAYER OF PROCESSING FLUID HAVING CAPILLARITY ND MENISCAL BOUNDARIES TO AN EXPOSED PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE FILM, SAID PROCESSING MEANS INCLUDING A FIXED SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SUPPORT SPACED FROM SAID POROUS APPLICATOR AND PROXIMATELY LOCATED RELATIVE THERETO FOR FORMING A NARROW PASSAGE THEREWITH FOR RECEPTION OF SAID FILM STRIP AND FOR ENGAGING THE SUPPORT MEANS OF THE FILM ADJACENT THE EXPOSED PREDETERMINED PORTION SUCH THAT THE SENSITIVE SURFACE OF THE FILM IS DISPOSED A RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE IN THE ORDER OF A CAPILLARY SPACE FROM THE POROUS APPLICATOR SUCH THAT THE FILM IS FREE FROM CONTACT WITH THE POROUS APPLICATOR AND THE THIN LAYER OF PROCESSING FLUID IS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE POROUS APPLICATOR AND THE FILM; GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID FILM THROUGH SAID PROCESSING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CONTROLLED TIME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FILM TRANSPORT THROUGH THE PROCESSING MEANS AND APPLICATION OF THE PROCESSING FLUID SUCH THAT AN EXCESS OF THE PROCESSING FLUID IS PRESENTED BY THE APPLICATOR AT ALL TIMES.