Apparatus for transporting film strips on a fluid cushion

Claim 1

FILM STRIP PROCESSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING A FILM STRIP RECEIVING COMPARTMENT AND HAVING FIRST PORTIONS AND SECOND PORTIONS, SAID SECOND PORTIONS JOINING ADJACENT ONES OF SAID FIRST PORTIONS, SAID FILM STRIP RECEIVING COMPARTMENT BEING DEFINED BY AND SAID HOUSING COMPRISING TWO SPACED APART SIDE WALLS EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID FILM STRIP BEING POSITIONED IN SAID COMPRATMENT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID SIDE WALLS WITH BOTH MAJOR SURFACES OF SAID FILM STRIP EXTENDING ACROSS SAID COMPARTMENT AND BOTH EDGES OF SAID FILM STRIP ADJACENT THE OPENINGS IN SAID SIDE WALLS, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FILM PROCESSING LIQUID INTO SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING AND DIRECTING SAID LIQUID AGAINST BOTH OF SAID MAJOR SURFACES OF SAID FILM STRIP WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO MAINTAIN SAID FILM STRIP SUSPENDED IN SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID ONE SET OF SIDE WALLS AND WITH SAID EDGES ADJACENT THE OPENINGS IN SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS INTO SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING AND DIRECTING SAID GAS AGAINST BOTH OF SAID MOJOR SURFACES OF SAID FILM STRIP WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO MAINTAIN SAID FILM STRIP SUSPENDED IN SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND WITH SAID EDGES ADJACENT THE OPENINGS IN SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING, SAID LIQUID BEING EXPELLED FROM SAID FILM STRIP RECEIVING COMPARTMENT OF SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID OPENINGX IN SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING, SAID GAS BEING EXPELLED FROM SAID FILM STRIP RECEIVING COMPARTMENT OF SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING.