Modular transport device for processing a work piece

Claim 2

A modular device adapted to be grouped with one or more similar modular devices for processing a workpiece carrying photographic film through a plurality of baths; which includes: a tank adapted to hold a processing fluid; a workpiece-holding means positioned above the tank, said holding means adapted to permit said work piece to move therealong, said workpiece-holding means including spaced members on opposite sides of said tank, each cam member having a cam surface; a lifting rod adjoining each of said spaced cam members; a transverse member supported by said spaced cam surfaces, said workpiece depending from said transverse member; means to actuate said lifting rods to lower and raise the holding means so that the workpiece positioned thereon may be lowered into the tank and raised out of the tank; and a releasable stop to hold said transverse member at a first position on a high cam surface of said cam member and to allow said workpiece to move along said cam member to a transfer position at a low cam surface of the cam members upon release thereof, and control means to selectively determine the actuation of the lifting rods so that predetermined time periods transpire during lifting and raising, during movement of the transverse member down the cam members, and during transfer to an adjoining modular device.

Claim 3

A device as in claim 1 further characterized in that said actuating means include a motor driven endless chain on one side of the tank, another endless chain on the other side of the tank, the lower ends of said lifting rods being fixed to said endless chains, and transmission means extending between the spaced endless chains, whereupon actuation of the motor raises and lowers the lifting rods as the endless chains are Turned.

Claim 4

A device as in claim 1 further characterized in that the lifting rods have a polygonal cross-sectional configuration, and such lifting rods pass through a fixed sleeve of like configuration, whereby a tendency towards rotation of the lifting rods is resisted, which tendency is incurred from lifting and lowering weights of the photographic films and their supports.

Claim 5

A device as in claim 1 further characterized in that said means to release the transverse member include an elongated rod which in the stop position projects above the top of the high surface of the cam members to hold the transverse member in the initial position; said elongated stop rod being releasably mounted to the cam member so that the rod is raised with the cam member, a flange member being at the bottom of the stop rod; an intercepting means being adapted to abut the flange and stop the rod while the cam member continues to rise to thereby pull the stop rod below the high cam surface and permit the transverse member to move down the cam surfaces; and means to urge the rod back to its stop position after the lifting rod is lowered to remove the flange from abutting relationship with the intercepting means.

Claim 6

A device as in claim 1 further characterized by an including a frame structure, said tank being within said frame structure: a pair of upper and lower sprockets rotatably mounted on the frame on one side of the tank, another pair of upper and lower sprockets rotatably mounted on the frame on the opposite side of the tank, endless sprocket chains rotatably mounted on each of said sprocket pairs; a motor mounted on the frame, transmission means between the motor and one of the endless chains, other transmission means to transmit driving force from one endless chain to the other endless chain, said lifting rods connected to aligned sides of each endless chain; the bottoms of said cam members having a flange member; an elongated rod extending through an opening in each flange member, an upper flange on said rod, a lower flange on said rod, a spring between the upper flange rod and the cam member flange, said elongated rods being raised with their cam members as the lifting rods are actuated, the top of said rods projecting over the high surface of the cam members, said tops of the elongated rods being pulled down when the lower rod flanges abut intercepting portions of the frame structure, whereupon, the transverse member may move down the surface of the cam member to the transfer position of said cam member; and said control means selectively starting, stopping and reversing said motor to allow expiration of said predetermined time periods.

Claim 7

A device as in claim 1 further characterized by and including the combination of a plurality of said modular devices, each of said devices adapted to receive a processing fluid which, in the sequence of the assembly, is adapted for the processing of a particular workpiece, and the control means of each device raising, transferring and lowering the particular workpiece in accordance with a predetermined program to complete the processing of the workpiece in a predetermined manner.

Claim 8

A combination as in claim 6 further characterized in that the spaced cam members of the plurality of devices are interrelated so that when said transverse member with the attached support for the photographic film is moved to said transfer position at the low surfaces, the transverse member may thereafter be transferred to a succeeding first stationary position on an adjoining pair of spaced cam members of an adjoining modular device.

Claim 9

A combination as in claim 7 further characterized in that the low surfaces of a pair of spaced cam members are in offset relationship with the high surfaces of an adjoining pair of spaced cam members so that the transverse member at the transfer position at the low surfaces can be transferred to the stationary position of the high surfaces by picking the transverse member up as the aDjoining cam members are being raised.

Claim 10

A combination as in claim 7 further characterized by and including processing structures to provide an assembled photoprocessing unit, said unit including: a loader to receive a holder with photographic film; a required plurality of said modular devices to provide a first set for a required processing, conveyor means between said loader and said first set to transfer the holder to the initial position on the high surfaces of the spaced pair of cam members in the first module of said first set; a pass box; second conveyor means between said first set and said pass box to pickup the film holder from the transfer position at the low surfaces of the spaced cam members in the last module of said first set; a second set of modular devices, said second conveyor means adapted to transfer said film holder to the required plurality of said modular devices in said second set; an unloader and dryer compartment; and conveyor means in said unloader to pickup the film holder from the transfer position at the low surfaces of the spaced pair of cam members in the last module of said second set.

Claim 11

A combination of modular devices for processing a workpiece through a plurality of separate baths, including: a plurality of modular devices, each of said devices adapted to receive a processing fluid which, in the sequence of the assembly, is adapted for the processing of a particular workpiece; each of said modular devices having a tank for holding a processing fluid, oppositely disposed means to hold a transverse member to which a workpiece is mounted, means to lower and raise the holding means and the workpiece therewith, said holding means having a first position to support the transverse member while the holding means are raised to move the workpiece out of the tank, said holding means having a second position to support the transverse member while the holding means are lowered to move the workpiece adjacent to said tank, means to move said workpiece from said first position to said second position on said holding means; and the second position on said holding means of one modular device being in overlapping relationship with the first position on said holding means in an adjoining modular device, whereby when said transverse member and mounted work piece is moved to the second position of said one modular device, the transverse member and mounted work piece is thereafter transferred to the first position of a holding means in said adjoining modular device.

Claim 12

A combination of modular devices for processing a workpiece through a plurality of separate baths, including: a plurality of modular devices, each of said devices adapted to receive a processing fluid which, in the sequence of the assembly, is adapted for the processing of a particular workpiece; each of said modular devices having a tank for holding a processing fluid, oppositely disposed means to hold a transverse member to which a workpiece is mounted, means to lower and raise the holding means and the workpiece therewith, said holding means having a first position to support the transverse member while the holding means are raised to move the workpiece out of the tank, said holding means having a second position to support the transverse member while the holding means are lowered to move the workpiece adjacent to said tank, means to move said workpiece from said first position to said second position on said holding means; and the second position on said holding means of one modular device being in overlapping relationship with the first position on said holding means in an adjoining modular device, whereby when said transverse member and mounted work piece is moved to the second position of said one modular device, the transverse member and mounted work piece is thereafter transferred to the first position of a holding means in said adjoining modular device.

Claim 13

A combination of modular devices as in claim 10 wherein the workpiece is adapted to carry photographic film for processing in the separate tanks of plurality of modular devices, and wherein controlled means are included to raise, transfer and lower the photographic film in the workpiece in accordance with a predetermined program to complete the progressing of the photographic film in a predetermined manner.

Claim 14

The combination of a plurality of modular devices as in claim 11 wherein said spaced holding means of each modular device includes cam members on opposite sides of the tank, the opposite end portions of said transverse member being engageable with cam surfaces on said cam members so that said first position of the transverse member on the holding means is associated with a high surface of the cam members and said second position on said holding means is associated with a low surface of the cam member.