Photographic developing apparatus

Claim 1

A SURFACE-DEVELOPING APPARATUS FOR EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC EMULSION CARRIERS WHICH ARE MOISTENED ON THE EMULSION SIDE TO EFFECT DEVELOPMENT THEREOF BY BEING GUIDED PAST A LIQUID MENISCUS WHICH THE EMULSION SIDE FACES, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A BATH CONTAINER FOR HOLDING TREATMENT LIQUID, GUIDE MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BATH CONTAINER FOR GUIDING EMULSION CARRIERS THROUGH SUCH BATH CONTAINER SO AS TO MOISTEN THE EMULSION LAYER SIDES THEREOF, CONSTANT LEVEL LIQUID RESERVOIR MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE MENISCUS LEVEL, A SUPPLY CONTAINER FOR SAID CONSTANT LEVEL LIQUID RESERVOIR MEANS, SAID RESSERVOIR MEANS BEING LOCATED ABOVE SAID BATH CONTAINER, FIRST PIPE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RESERVOIR MEANS AND EXTENDING FROM THE BASE OF SAID SUPPLY CONTAINER DOWN TO A POSITION BELOW THE MENISCUS LEVEL IN THE FILLED BATH CONTAINER, SECOND PIPE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RESSERVOIR MEANS AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY INSIDE THE SUPPLY CONTAINER AND DOWNWARDLY OUTSIDE SUCH CONTAINER TO A HEIGHT WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE LIQUID MENISCUS LEVEL IN THE BATH CONTAINER, A COMPRESSIBLE RESERVE TANK FOR DEVELOPER LIQUID, FIRST CONNECTING DUCT MEANS BETWEEN SAID RESERVE TANK AND THE SUPPLY CONTAINER, SECOND CONNECTING DUCT MEANS BETWEEN THE RESERVE TANK AND A LOWER PART OF THE BATH CONTAINER AND MEANS FOR COMPRESSING SAID RESERVE TANK.