Photographic processing apparatus and product useful therein

Claim 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUCCESSIVE AREAS OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE-RECORDING SHEET WITH A FLUID COMPOSITION DISTRIBUTED IN CONTACT WITH SAID SHEET, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED MEMBERS FOR GUIDING SAID SHEET AND A SECOND SHEET ALONG CONVERGENT PATHS INTO SUPERPPSITION; SAID MEMBERS COOPERATING TO PROVIDE A CONVERGENT PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS THROUGH WHICH SAID SHEETS ARE MOVABLE IN SUPERPOSITION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING A CURVED SURFACE SUBTENDING AN ANGLE AT LEAST OF THE ORDER OF 90* AND DEFINING ONE SIDE OF SAID PASSAGE; A FLUID DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR DISPENSING SAID FLUID BEBETWEEN AND IN CONTACT WITH CONVERGENT PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS IN THE REGION OF SAID MEMBERS; SAID NOZZLE INCLUDING AN END SECTION, TERMINATING IN OPPOSED FLEXIBLE LIPS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A NARROW ELONGATED DISCHARGE MOUTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN LENGTH TO THE WIDTH OF SAID AREAS OF SAID IMAGE-RECORDING SHEET; SAID NOZZLE BEING SO POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEMBERS AS TO LOCATE THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID LIPS IN FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH THE INNER OPPOSED SURFACES OF SAID CONVERGENT PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS; MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID NOZZLE FOR SUPPLYING SAID FLUID TO SAID NOZZLE UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE SAID FLUID TO FLOW INTO A CAVITY DEFINED BY SAID LIPS AND TERMINATING IN SAID DISCHARGE MOUTH; MEANS MOUNTING AT LEAST SAID ONE MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID NOZZLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AT WHICH SAID MEMBERS PRESS ON SAID LIPS THROUGH SAID SHEETS TO CLOSE SAID MOUTH AGAINST THE FLOW OF FLUID BETWEEN SAID LIPS AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE PRESSURE ON SAID LIPS IS RELIEVED AND SAID MOUTH IS FREE TO OPEN, SAID ONE MEMBER BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM SAID FIRST POSITION INTO SAID SECOND POSITION IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS THROUGH SAID PASSAGE; MEANS FOR BIASING SAID ONE MEMBER INTO SAID FIRST POSITION; AND MEANS FOR GUIDING ONE OF SAID SHEETS AROUND AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID CURVED SURFACE OR MOVING SAID ONE MEMBER AGAINST SAID BIAS FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID ONE SHEET AROUND SAID ONE MEMBER AGAINST SAID CURVED SURFACE THEREOF.