Apparatus for the automatic processing of photographically exposed materials

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING A PHOTOGRAPHICALLY EXPOSED EMULSION ON A MATRIX SHEET AND FOR TRANSFERRING AN IMAGE FROM THE DEVELOPED EMULSION TO A PLATE USABLE AS AN OFFSET DUPLICATING MASTER, COMPRISING A TANK CONTAINING DEVELOPING SOLUTION FOR THE EXPOSED EMULSION ON A MATRIX SHEET, FIRST MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH A MATRIX SHEET TO POSITION THE LATTER IN SAID TANK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ITS EMULSION BY SAID SOLUTION AND THEREAFTER TO INITIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET FROM SAID TANK, PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET UPON INITIAL WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID TANK AND BEING OPERATIVE TO COMPLETE THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE SHEET FROM THE TANK AND TO MOVE THE SHEET IN A PREDETERMINED PATH TOWARD A TERMINUS THEREOF, MEANS DISENGAGING SAID FIRST MEANS FROM THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET UPON ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATTER BY SAID PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS, MEANS OPERATIVE DURING WITHDRAWAL OF THE MATRIX SHEET FROM SAID TANK TO FEED A PLATE INTO FACIALLY ABUTTING RELATION TO THE DEVELOPED EMULSION OF THE MATRIX SHEET IN ADVANCE OF SAID PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS SO THAT THE LATTER PRESSES TOGETHER THE MATRIX SHEET AND PLATE AND EFFECTS THE TRANSFER OF AN IMAGE TO THE PLATE FROM THE DEVELOPED EMULSION DURING CONJOINT MOVEMENT OF THE MATRIX SHEET AND PLATE IN SAID PATH, AND MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID TERMINUS OF THE PATH AND BEING OPERATIVE TO STRIP THE MATRIX FROM THE PLATE UPON THE EMERGENCE THEREOF FROM SAID PATH.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING A PHOTOGRAPHICALLY EXPOSED EMULSION ON A MATRIX SHEET AND FOR TRANSFERRING AN IMAGE FROM THE DEVELOPED EMULSION TO A PLATE USABLE AS AN OFFSET DUPLICATING MASTER, COMPRISING A TANK CONTAINING DEVELOPING SOLUTION FOR THE EXPOSED EMULSION ON A MATRIX SHEET, FIRST MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH A MATRIX SHEET TO POSITION THE LATTER IN SAID TANK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ITS EMULSION BY SAID SOLUTION AND THEREAFTER TO INITIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET FROM SAID TANK, PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET UPON INITIAL WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID TANK AND BEING OPERATIVE TO COMPLETE THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE SHEET FROM THE TANK AND TO MOVE THE SHEET IN A PREDETERMINED PATH TOWARD A TERMINUS THEREOF, MEANS DISENGAGING SAID FIRST MEANS FROM THE DEVELOPED MATRIX SHEET UPON ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATTER BY SAID PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS, MEANS OPERATIVE DURING WITHDRAWAL OF THE MATRIX SHEET FROM SAID TANK TO FEED A PLATE INTO FACIALLY ABUTTING RELATION TO THE DEVELOPED EMULSION OF THE MATRIX SHEET IN ADVANCE OF SAID PRESSING AND CONVEYING MEANS SO THAT THE LATTER PRESSES TOGETHER THE MATRIX SHEET AND PLATE AND EFFECTS THE TRANSFER OF AN IMAGE TO THE PLATE FROM THE DEVELOPED EMULSION DURING CONJOINT MOVEMENT OF THE MATRIX SHEET AND PLATE IN SAID PATH, AND MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID TERMINUS OF THE PATH AND BEING OPERATIVE TO STRIP THE MATRIX FROM THE PLATE UPON THE EMERGENCE THEREOF FROM SAID PATH.