Developing apparatus using the spray of developer

Claim 1

IN A DEVELOPING APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING A POSITIVE SHEET PRINT FROM A LIQUID DEVELOPER TREATED PHOTOGRAPHIC SHEET NEGATIVE, A TANK INCLUDING VERTICAL SIDEWALLS, AND AN IMPERFORATE BOTTOM SLOPING DOWNWARD TO A CENTRAL LIQUID DISCHARGE AREA, A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL AXIS ROTATING COMPRESSION ROLLS TOP MOUNTED AT A PRINT DISCHARGE REAR END PORTION OF THE TANK, A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SHEET FEED-IN TOP PORTION OF THE TANK LOCATED IN AN OPPOSITE OR FRONT END OF THE TANK, AN IMPERFORATE GUARD PLATE EXTENDING AT THE TOP OF THE TANK FROM THE FRONT FEED-IN PORTION TOWARDS THE PRINT DISCHARGE-PORTION OF THE TANK, THE FEED-IN PORTION OF THE GUARD PLATE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND THE PLATE CURVING SLIGHTLY DOWNWARDLY AS IT APPROACHES THE ROLLS IN THE PRINT DISCHARGE PORTION OF THE TANK, A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING PLATE UNDERLYING THE GUARD PLATE AND POSSESSING IMPERFORATE PORTIONS ADJACENT THE FEED-IN PORTION OF THE TANK AND ADJACENT THE ROLLS, AND A POLY-HOLED MIDPORTION THEREBETWEEN, A HORIZONTAL SPRAY PIPE WITH AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE SAID COMPRESSION ROLLS, THE PIPE HAVING AT AN INLET END A DEVICE TO FEED THEREIN A LIQUID DEVELOPER, A ROW OF VERTICAL HOLES ALONG THE WALL OF THE PIPE, AND A PIPE CLOSURE AT AN OPPOSITE END OF THE PIPE FROM THE INLET END, A VERTICAL GAP BETWEEN THE SPRAY PIPE AND THE SUPPORTING PLATE OF SUCH SIZE AS TO JUST FREELY ALLOW PASSAGE OF A SHEET NEGATIVE WITH ITS SENSITIZED SURFACE FACING UPWARD, A HORIZONTAL PARTITIONING PLATE POSITIONED VERTICALLY BETWEEN THE GUARD PLATE AND SUPPORTING PLATE, AND EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT THE SPRAY PIPE TO THE FRONT END OF THE TANK AT THE FEEDIN PORTION, THE PARTITIONING PLATE ADJACENT THE SPRAY PIPE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY WIDENED BOTTOM PORTION FROM THE FEED-IN PORTION AND A CONNECTING VERTICAL FACE CLOSE TO THE SIDE OF THE SPRAY PIPE, A SECOND VERTICAL GAP BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE PARTITIONING PLATE AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE GUARD PLATE JUST OF SUCH SIZE AS TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF A SHEET OF SENSITIZED UNEXPOSED POSITIVE WITH ITS SENSITIZED SURFACE FACING DOWNWARD, WHEREBY WHEN AN EXPOSED NEGATIVE SHEET AND AN UNEXPOSED POSITIVE SHEET ARE FED PAST THE PARTITIONING PLATE WITH THEIR SENSITIZED SURFACES FACING EACH OTHER, THE LIQUID DEVELOPER WILL BE SPRAYED UPON THE NEGATIVE SHEET, AND THEN FLOW THEREFROM THROUGH SOME OF THE HOLES IN THE SUPPORTING PLATE AND THEN DRAIN TO THE LIQUID DISCHARGE AREA IN THE TANK BOTTOM, AND THE SHEETS WILL THEN CONTACT EACH OTHER ADJACENT THE COMPRESSION ROLLS, BE TIGHTLY PRESSED TOGETHER WHILE PASSING BETWEEN THE ROLLS, AND EMERGE AS A UNIT AT THE DISCHARGE PORTION OF THE TANK.