Stability of rapid-processed photographic materials

Claim 1

IN A RAPID PROCESS FOR THE FORMATION OF A SILVER IMAGE IN A SILVER HALIDE PHOTOGRAPHIC LAYER WHICH COMPRISES: (A) EXPOSING SAID LAYER, (B) DEVELOPING A SILVER IMAGE IN SAID LAYER WITH A SILVER HALIDE DEVELOPING, AND (C) STABILIZING SAID SILVER IMAGE AND SILVER HALIDE BY TREATING SAID LAYER WITH A SOLUTION OF A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE ALKALIL METAL THIOCYANATES, THE ALKALI METALL THIOSULFATES, AMMONIUM THIOCYANATE, AMMONIUM THIOSULFLATE, THIOUREA AND THIOGLYCOLIC ACID, UNTIL SUBSTANATIALLY ALL THE RESIDUAL SILVER HALIDE IS CONVERTED TO A LIGHT STABLE SILVER COMPLEX, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEP OF (1) CONTACTING THE STABILIZED SILVER IMAGE AND SILVER COMPLEX IN SAID LAYER WITH ANA AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF FORMALDEHYDE AND A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF AN ALKALI METAL BISULFITE, AMMONIUM BISULFITE, AN ALKALI METAL METABIISULFITE AND AMAMONIUM METABISULFITE TO PRESERVE THE SAID STABILIZED IMAGE AND SILVER COMPLEX IN SAID LAYER AGAINST FADING PRODUCED BY STORAGE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND ELEVATED HUMIDITY.