System for processing photographic material

Claim 2

In a system for treating one surface of a substantially flat sheet of photographic material with a fluid, the improvement comprising: a substantially enclosed processing chamber; a disc within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material into said chamber, through such spray and thence out of said chamber; and means for aligning such sheet of material concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray with its said one surface facing towards said disc.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said rotating means effects a rotation of said disc about its axis and said advancing means effects a movement of such sheet of photographic material through such spray along a path parallel to said axis.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 additionally comprising means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc.

Claim 5

In a system for treating s sheet of photographic material with a fluid, the improvement comprising: means for defining a processing chamber; a disc mounted within said processing chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through said processing chamber and such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means comprising a pair of members extending in a radial direction from said disc and positioned in substantially closely spaced relationship on respective sides of the path followEd by an average individual droplet of such fluid in leaving said disc.

Claim 6

In a system for treating s sheet of photographic material with a fluid, the improvement comprising: means for defining a processing chamber; a disc mounted within said processing chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through said processing chamber and such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means comprising a pair of members extending in a radial direction from said disc and positioned in substantially closely spaced relationship on respective sides of the path followEd by an average individual droplet of such fluid in leaving said disc.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 4 wherein said processing chamber is circular in configuration and its radial extremity comprises a substantially toroidal fluid collecting chamber and said suppressing means additionally comprises at least one baffle plate positioned in said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 8

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a processing chamber; a disc mounted for rotation within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto a face of said rotating disc whereby a fine spray substantially uniform such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means comprising a pair of members extending in a radial direction from said disc and positioned in substantially closely spaced relationship on respective sides of the path followed by an average individual droplet of such fluid in leaving said disc.

Claim 9

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a processing chamber; a disc mounted for rotation within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto a face of said rotating disc whereby a fine spray substantially uniform such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means comprising a pair of members extending in a radial direction from said disc and positioned in substantially closely spaced relationship on respective sides of the path followed by an average individual droplet of such fluid in leaving said disc.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 6 wherein said face of said disc is basically planar and is positioned horizontally within said processing chamber, the surface of one of said members adjacent such spray of fluid extends within said processing chamber in a horizontal plane above such path and the other of said members extends radially from a point substantially horizontally aligned with said face of said disc and adjacent thereto in gradually increasing spacing with respect to said one member.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 6 wherein said suppressing means additionally includes a plurality of baffle plates positioned circumferentially around said disc.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 6 additionally including a toroidal fluid collecting chamber having a common axis with said disc and spaced from the peripheral surface of said disc and wherein said suppressing means includes at least one baffle plate positioned in said collecting chamber.

Claim 13

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a circular processing chamber, the radial extremity thereof comprising a substantially toroidal fluid collecting chamber; a disc mounted for rotation within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto a face of said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means including at least one baffle plate positioned in said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 14

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a circular processing chamber, the radial extremity thereof comprising a substantially toroidal fluid collecting chamber; a disc mounted for rotation within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto a face of said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means including at least one baffle plate positioned in said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 10 wherein said baffle plate is positioned in the path of such fluid spray.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 10 wherein said suppressing means includes a plurality of baffle plates positioned in said fluid collecting chamber and equally spaced from one another therearound.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 12 wherein each said baffle plate includes a surface positioned substantially tangentially of a selected circular arc within said processing chamber.

Claim 18

The invEntion of claim 10 additionally including means for removing such fluid from said collection chamber as it is collected therein.

Claim 19

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a disc; first means for rotating said disc about its axis; a plate-like member positioned over said disc and extending radially of said disc; second means for cooperating with said plate-like member to define therewith a processing chamber of circular configuration having a toroidal fluid collecting chamber adjacent its radial extremity; third means for advancing such sheet of material through said processing chamber along a path parallel to said axis with such sheet of photographic material being disposed concentrically with said disc and spaced therefrom; and fourth means for feeding such processing fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; said second means including a member having a circular recess provided therein in which said disc is rotatably positioned and a surface extending radially from said recess adjacent the surface of said disc adapted to have such fluid fed thereonto to a circle adjacent the path of travel of such sheet of material through said processing chamber in closely spaced relationship to said plate-like member, whereby the open space within said processing chamber is minimized.

Claim 20

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a disc; first means for rotating said disc about its axis; a plate-like member positioned over said disc and extending radially of said disc; second means for cooperating with said plate-like member to define therewith a processing chamber of circular configuration having a toroidal fluid collecting chamber adjacent its radial extremity; third means for advancing such sheet of material through said processing chamber along a path parallel to said axis with such sheet of photographic material being disposed concentrically with said disc and spaced therefrom; and fourth means for feeding such processing fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; said second means including a member having a circular recess provided therein in which said disc is rotatably positioned and a surface extending radially from said recess adjacent the surface of said disc adapted to have such fluid fed thereonto to a circle adjacent the path of travel of such sheet of material through said processing chamber in closely spaced relationship to said plate-like member, whereby the open space within said processing chamber is minimized.

Claim 21

The invention of claim 15 additionally including means within said fluid collecting chamber for suppressing the movement of air therein responsive to the movement of such fluid from said disc.

Claim 22

The invention of claim 16 wherein said suppressing means comprises a plurality of baffle plates spaced around said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 23

The invention of claim 15 wherein said radially extending surface gradually tapers away from the plane of said disc surface in its direction of extension away from said disc.

Claim 24

The invention of claim 17 wherein each of said baffle plates includes a surface positioned substantially tangentially of a selected circular arc within said processing chamber.

Claim 25

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material having a predetermined length with processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a processing chamber; a disc mounted for rotation about its axis within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of material through such spray along a path parallel to said axis, said advancing means including a plurality of cooperating pairs of rollers, each said pair of rollers adapted to grip such sheet of material between the respective rollers thereof and at least two said pairs of rollers being positioned on each side of such spray with said pairs of rollers being spaced apart predetermined distances so that such sheet of material is continually gripped by at least two of said pairs of rollers as such sheet of material is moved into such spray, passed through such spray and withdrawn from such spray, whereby said pairs of roller serve to maintain the alignment of such sheet of material at such times.

Claim 26

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material having a predetermined length with processing fluid, the improvement comprising: a processing chamber; a disc mounted for rotation about its axis within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such processing fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of material through such spray along a path parallel to said axis, said advancing means including a plurality of cooperating pairs of rollers, each said pair of rollers adapted to grip such sheet of material between the respective rollers thereof and at least two said pairs of rollers being positioned on each side of such spray with said pairs of rollers being spaced apart predetermined distances so that such sheet of material is continually gripped by at least two of said pairs of rollers as such sheet of material is moved into such spray, passed through such spray and withdrawn from such spray, whereby said pairs of roller serve to maintain the alignment of such sheet of material at such times.

Claim 27

The invention of claim 20 wherein two of said pairs of rollers are positioned on each of two opposite sides of said processing chamber.

Claim 28

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a fluid the improvement comprising: means for defining a processing chamber through which such sheet of photographic material is adapted to be advanced, said processing chamber being circular in configuration and its radial extremity comprising a substantially toroidal fluid collecting chamber; a disc mounted within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disC whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means including at least one baffle plate positioned in said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 29

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a fluid the improvement comprising: means for defining a processing chamber through which such sheet of photographic material is adapted to be advanced, said processing chamber being circular in configuration and its radial extremity comprising a substantially toroidal fluid collecting chamber; a disc mounted within said chamber; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disC whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray; and means for suppressing the movement of air within said chamber responsive to movement of such fluid from said disc, said suppressing means including at least one baffle plate positioned in said fluid collecting chamber.

Claim 30

The invention of claim 22 wherein said suppressing means includes a plurality of baffle plates positioned in said fluid collecting chamber and equally spaced from one another therearound.

Claim 31

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a fluid, the improvement comprising: a disc; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray, said advancing means including a plurality of cooperating pairs of rollers, each said pair of rollers adapted to grip such sheet of material between the respective rollers thereof and at least two said pairs of rollers being positioned on each side of such spray with said pairs of rollers being spaced apart predetermined distances so that such sheet of material is continually gripped by at least two of said pairs of rollers as such sheet of material is moved into such spray, passed through such spray, and withdrawn from such spray, whereby said pairs of rollers serve to maintain the alignment of such sheet of material at such times.

Claim 32

In a system for treating a sheet of photographic material with a fluid, the improvement comprising: a disc; means for rotating said disc; means for feeding such fluid onto said rotating disc whereby a fine spray of such fluid is dispersed radially of said disc in a substantially uniform pattern; and means for advancing such sheet of photographic material through such spray with such sheet of material being disposed concentrically with said disc as it passes through such spray, said advancing means including a plurality of cooperating pairs of rollers, each said pair of rollers adapted to grip such sheet of material between the respective rollers thereof and at least two said pairs of rollers being positioned on each side of such spray with said pairs of rollers being spaced apart predetermined distances so that such sheet of material is continually gripped by at least two of said pairs of rollers as such sheet of material is moved into such spray, passed through such spray, and withdrawn from such spray, whereby said pairs of rollers serve to maintain the alignment of such sheet of material at such times.