Photographic processing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING RUPTURE OF A FRANGIBLE CONTAINER OF PROCESSING FLUID IN A FILM UNIT OF THE SELF-DEVELOPING TYPE WHEREIN SAID CONTAINER IS POSITIONED BETWEEN A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED SHEETS OF SAID FILM UNIT, AND FOR SPREADING SAID FLUID IN A UNIFORMLY THIN LAYER BETWEEN SAID SHEETS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A PAIR OF ELONGATED, CYLINDRICAL PRESSURE ROLLS BETWEEN WHICH SAID FILM UNIT MAY BE ADVANCED; (B) FIRST SUPPORT MEANS FOR MOUNTING A FIRST OF SAID ROLLS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIRST, FIXED AXIS; (C) SECOND SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEANS; (D) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SECOND ROLL UPON SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A SECOND AXIS SO ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST AXIS THAT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS IN A FIRST DIRECTION MOVES SAID SECOND ROLL TOWARD SAID FIRST ROLL IN PARALLEL RELATION THERETO;