Developing device

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING TWO SHEETS OF COPYING MATERIAL INCLUDING A FIRST SHEET CARRYING AN EXPOSED LATENT IMAGE ADAPTED TO BE DEVELOPED BY CONTACTING SAID SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL WITH A TREATMENT MEDIUM AND A SECOND SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN IMAGE TRANSFERRED FROM SAID FIRST SHEET, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A TROUGH INCLUDING A BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS FOR RECEIVING SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM, SAID TROUGH BOTTOM BEING FORMED AS A GUIDE FOR AT LEAST ONE SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL, EACH OF THE ENDS OF SAID TROUGH BOTTOM EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES RELATIVE TO SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY IN THE ZONE OF THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS; INLET MEANS AT ONE UPWARDLY EXTENDED BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TROUGH AND OUTLET MEANS AT THE OTHER UPWARDLY EXTENDED BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TROUGH; A PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS ARRANGED ABOVE SAID OUTLET MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID TROUGH; DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS, SAID TROUGH BOTTOM BEING FORMED BY A DOUBLE WALL INCLUDING AN INNER WALL AND AN OUTER WALL, SAID INNER WALL CONFORMING TO SAID OUTER WALL AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID TROUGH FOR RETAINING SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM ABOVE SAID INNER BOTTOM WALL, SAID INLET MEANS AND SAID OUTLET MEANS BEING FORMED RESPECTIVELY BY A FIRST AND A SECOND OPENING FORMED BETWEEN SAID INNER AND SAID OUTER BOTTOM WALL, SAID SECOND OPENING BEING ARRANGED RELATIVE TO THE LOWERMOST POINT OF SAID TROUGH AT LOWER LEVEL THAN THE ADJACENT UPWARDLY EXTENDED END OF SAID OUTER BOTTOM WALL WHICH IS DIRECTED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS; HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING GUIDE ELEMENTS IMPERVIOUS TO THE TREATMENT MEDIUM AND ARRANGED ON THE INNER BOTTOM WALL AT A LEVEL COINCIDING WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM, WHEREBY SAID FIRST SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL UPON SLIDING ALONG SAID GUIDE ELEMENTS IS CONTACTED WITH SAID MEDIUM, SAID OUTER AND SAID INNER BOTTOM WALLS OF THE TROUGH ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY ARCUATELY CURVED IN LONGITUDINAL SECTION; AND FRAME MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS, AND PROVIDED WITH SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TROUGH, SAID SUPPORT ELEMENTS HAVING SUPPORT SURFACES ARCUATELY CURVED IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE ARCUATE CURVATURE OF SAID TROUGH BOTTOM, THEREBY ALLOWING ADJUSTMENT OF SAID TROUGH TO INCLINE SAID TROUGH RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING TWO SHEETS OF COPYING MATERIAL INCLUDING A FIRST SHEET CARRYING AN EXPOSED LATENT IMAGE ADAPTED TO BE DEVELOPED BY CONTACTING SAID SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL WITH A TREATMENT MEDIUM AND A SECOND SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN IMAGE TRANSFERRED FROM SAID FIRST SHEET, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A TROUGH INCLUDING A BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS FOR RECEIVING SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM, SAID TROUGH BOTTOM BEING FORMED AS A GUIDE FOR AT LEAST ONE SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL, EACH OF THE ENDS OF SAID TROUGH BOTTOM EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES RELATIVE TO SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY IN THE ZONE OF THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS; INLET MEANS AT ONE UPWARDLY EXTENDED BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TROUGH AND OUTLET MEANS AT THE OTHER UPWARDLY EXTENDED BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TROUGH; A PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS ARRANGED ABOVE SAID OUTLET MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID TROUGH; DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS, SAID TROUGH BOTTOM BEING FORMED BY A DOUBLE WALL INCLUDING AN INNER WALL AND AN OUTER WALL, SAID INNER WALL CONFORMING TO SAID OUTER WALL AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID TROUGH FOR RETAINING SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM ABOVE SAID INNER BOTTOM WALL, SAID INLET MEANS AND SAID OUTLET MEANS BEING FORMED RESPECTIVELY BY A FIRST AND A SECOND OPENING FORMED BETWEEN SAID INNER AND SAID OUTER BOTTOM WALL, SAID SECOND OPENING BEING ARRANGED RELATIVE TO THE LOWERMOST POINT OF SAID TROUGH AT LOWER LEVEL THAN THE ADJACENT UPWARDLY EXTENDED END OF SAID OUTER BOTTOM WALL WHICH IS DIRECTED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS; HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING GUIDE ELEMENTS IMPERVIOUS TO THE TREATMENT MEDIUM AND ARRANGED ON THE INNER BOTTOM WALL AT A LEVEL COINCIDING WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TREATMENT MEDIUM, WHEREBY SAID FIRST SHEET OF COPYING MATERIAL UPON SLIDING ALONG SAID GUIDE ELEMENTS IS CONTACTED WITH SAID MEDIUM, SAID OUTER AND SAID INNER BOTTOM WALLS OF THE TROUGH ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY ARCUATELY CURVED IN LONGITUDINAL SECTION; AND FRAME MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZING AND TRANSPORT ROLLERS, AND PROVIDED WITH SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TROUGH, SAID SUPPORT ELEMENTS HAVING SUPPORT SURFACES ARCUATELY CURVED IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE ARCUATE CURVATURE OF SAID TROUGH BOTTOM, THEREBY ALLOWING ADJUSTMENT OF SAID TROUGH TO INCLINE SAID TROUGH RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME.