Data processing apparatus

Claim 1

PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR RAPID FLUID PROCESSING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC STRIP MATERIAL MOVING THROUGH SAID APPARATUS IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING INLET AND EXIT OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN: A PAIR OF SPACED SYMMETRICAL FJUID APPLICATOR MEANS POSITION WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING OPPOSED SURFACES PROVIDING A PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN SAID INLET AND EXIT OPENINGS, SAID OPPOSED SURFACES EACH HAVING FLUID COMMUNICATIONS MEANS FORMED THEREIN FOR PROVIDING MOVING FLUID LAYERS BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED SURFACES, ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, AT A FIRST VELOCITY; FLUID SUPPLY MEANS COUPLING SAID FLUID COMMUNICATION MEANS AND A SOURCE OF PROCESSING FLUID FOR PROVIDING SAID FLUID; AND TRANSPORT MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SAID STRIP OF PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY AT A SECOND VELOCITY WITH BOTH SURFACES OF SAID STRIP IN SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT WITH SAID MOVING FLUID TO ESTABLISH RELATIVE VELOCITY BETWEEN SAID STRIP AND SAID FLUID FOR PROVIDING SIMULTANEOUS FLUID SUPPORT FOR SAID STRIP AND FLUID AGITATION FOR THE SURFACE THEREOF, WHREBY SAID PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS PROCESSED.