Photographic apparatus

Claim 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR TREATING A PHOTOSENSITIVE SHEET MATERIAL WITH A FLUID, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED PRESSURE-APPLYING MEMBERS FOR SUPERPOSING SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE SHEET WITH A SECOND SHEET AND APPLYING COMPRESSIVE PRESSURE TO SAID SHEETS FOR SPREADING SAID FLUID IN A LAYER THEREBETWEEN DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE RELATIVE TO AND BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS; MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORT MEMBER FOR GUIDING SAID SHEETS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS TOWARD AND BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE-APPLYING MEMBERS; AND MEANS FOR RESTRAINING ONE OF SAID SHEETS AGAINST MOVEMENT ALONG SAID PATH DURING MOVEMENT OF ANOTHER OF SAID SHEETS RELATIVE TO AND INTO SUPERPOSITION WITH SAID ONE SHEET AND FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO AT LEAST THE MEDIAL PORTION OF SAID ONE SHEET FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID FLUID BETWEEN SAID SHEETS DURING SPREADING OF SAID FLUID BY SAID PRESSURE-APPLYING MEMBERS, THE LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING AN ENGAGEMENT MEMBER MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID PRESSURE-APPLYING MEMBERS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PATH IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND INCLUDING A SECTION EXTENDING TOWARD SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INTO SAID PATH IN POSITION FOR ENGAGING THE LEADING END OF SAID ONE SHEET DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER SHEET RELATIVE TO AND IN SUPERPOSITION WITH SAID ONE SHEET TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID ONE SHEET, AND FOR ENGAGING AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE MEDIAL PORTION OF SAID ONE SHEET DURING MOVEMENT OF BOTH OF SAID SHEETS IN SUPERPOSITION ALONG SAID PATH TOWARD SAID PRESSURE-APPLYING MEMBERS, SAID SECTION OF SAID ENGAGEMENT MEMBER INCLUDING A PORTION POSITIONED FOR ENGAGING SAID MEDIAL PORTION OF SAID ONE SHEET ALONG A LINE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS.