Apparatus and method for treating photographic products in a single bath

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING A STRIP OF EXPOSED LIGHT SENSITIVE MATERIAL BY DEVLOPING AND FIXING THE STRIP IN A SINGLE MONOBATH SOLUTIN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: FILLING A TANK WITH A MONOBATH SOLUTION CONTAINING BOTH DEVELOPING AND FIXING INGREDIENTS IN PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS IN WHICH THE DEVELOPING ACTION NORMALLY PREDOMINATES, AND DIVIDING THE SOLUTION INTO FIRST AND SECOND WELL DEFINED, HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED PROCESSING ZONES HAVING THE SAME PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS OF INGREDIENTS, IN WHICH THE SECOND ZONE CONTAINS A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER PORTION OF THE VOLUMNE OF THE SOLUTION, CONTINUOUSLY AGITATING THE PORTION OF THE SOLUTION IN THE SECOND ZONE AT A CONTROLLED RATE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE FIXING ACTION OF THE FIXING INGREDIENTS TO PREDOMINATE OVER THE DEVELOPING ACTION OF THE DEVELOPING INGREDIENTS IN THE SECOND ZONE, WHILE THE SOLUTION IN THE HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED FIRST ZONE REMAINS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY QUIESCENT STATE WHEREIN THE NORMAL PREDOMINATION OF THE DEVELOPING ACTION IS RETAINED, AND CONTINUOUSLY TRANSPORTING THE EXPOSED STRIP AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED CONSECUTIVELY INTO TAND THROUGHSAID FIRST PROCESSING ZONE FOR DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH THE HYDRRAULIC CONNECTION, AND THEN INTO AND THROUGH SAID SECOND PROCESSING ZONE FOR FIXING.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING A STRIP OF EXPOSED LIGHT SENSITIVE MATERIAL BY DEVLOPING AND FIXING THE STRIP IN A SINGLE MONOBATH SOLUTIN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: FILLING A TANK WITH A MONOBATH SOLUTION CONTAINING BOTH DEVELOPING AND FIXING INGREDIENTS IN PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS IN WHICH THE DEVELOPING ACTION NORMALLY PREDOMINATES, AND DIVIDING THE SOLUTION INTO FIRST AND SECOND WELL DEFINED, HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED PROCESSING ZONES HAVING THE SAME PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS OF INGREDIENTS, IN WHICH THE SECOND ZONE CONTAINS A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER PORTION OF THE VOLUMNE OF THE SOLUTION, CONTINUOUSLY AGITATING THE PORTION OF THE SOLUTION IN THE SECOND ZONE AT A CONTROLLED RATE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE FIXING ACTION OF THE FIXING INGREDIENTS TO PREDOMINATE OVER THE DEVELOPING ACTION OF THE DEVELOPING INGREDIENTS IN THE SECOND ZONE, WHILE THE SOLUTION IN THE HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED FIRST ZONE REMAINS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY QUIESCENT STATE WHEREIN THE NORMAL PREDOMINATION OF THE DEVELOPING ACTION IS RETAINED, AND CONTINUOUSLY TRANSPORTING THE EXPOSED STRIP AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED CONSECUTIVELY INTO TAND THROUGHSAID FIRST PROCESSING ZONE FOR DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH THE HYDRRAULIC CONNECTION, AND THEN INTO AND THROUGH SAID SECOND PROCESSING ZONE FOR FIXING.