Photographic processing apparatus

Claim 1

IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR EXPOSING AND PROCESSING A SUCCESSION OF LIGHT-SENSITIVE SHEETS TO PRODUCE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES IN SAID SHEETS, MEANS FOR APPLYING A VISCOUS PROCESSING LIQUID AS A LAYER OF PREDETERMINED THICKNESS AND EXTENT TO ONE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID SHEETS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN APPLICATOR COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS COOPERATING TO PROVIDE A CHAMBER FOR HOLDING SAID LIQUID, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS INCLUDING ADJACENT PORTIONS DEFINING A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN LENGTH TO ONE DIMENSION OF SAID LAYER OF LIQUID AND BEING PIVOTABLE WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID PASSAGE, SAID PORTIONS INCLUDING OUTER SURFACES ADJACENT AND PASSAGE LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE; LIQUID FEEDING MEANS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FOR FORCING SAID LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID PASSAGE; RESILIENT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SECTIONS FOR BIASING SAID SECTIONS INTO RELATIVE POSITIONS AT WHICH SAID PASSAGE IS CLOSED; SUPPORT MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID SHEETS AGAINST SAID OUTER SURFACES DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEETS ACROSS SAID SURFACES AND SAID PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN;