Film sheet advancement apparatus

Claim 2

Film sheet moving apparatus comprising: a frame; a pair of screws rotatably mounted on said frame, said screws being laterally spaced and extending substantially parallel to each other to receive therebetween opposite edges of a film sheet in their threads; a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame at predetermined end portions of said screws and laterally spaced by approximately the same distance as said screws, said wheels located to engage therebetween the edges of said film sheet means for rotating said screws to advance said film sheet towards said predetermined end portions of said screws; and means for rotating said wheels to lift said film sheet.

Claim 3

The improvement described in claim 1 wherein: each of said wheels is located coaxially with a different one of said screws, and each has an inner face portion adjacent to an end of the corresponding screw, said inner face portion having a diameter no greater than the screw diameter at the deepest part of the thread at said screw end, each wheel also having a greater diameter section at a region spaced from said inner face portion.

Claim 4

The improvement described in claim 2 including: at least one pair of additional wheels spaced above said first mentioned pair of wheels at locations to engage opposite edge of said film sheet after it has been at least partially lifted by said first mentioned wheels, each of said additional wheels having a concave surface for receiving an edge of a film sheet; and means for rotating said additional wheels to further lift said film sheet after it has been lifted by said first mentioned wheels.

Claim 5

Apparatus for moving a sheet of film comprising: a frame having an input portion and an output portion; a pair of elongated screws extending between said input and output portions and spaced from each other to hold a sheet of film between them, said screws being spaced from one another by a smaller distance at said output portion than at said input portion, as measured at their minor diameters, to bow the film sheet as it approaches said output portion: a pair of sheet engaging means for carrying the film sheet between them, said sheet engaging means positioned at said output portion of said frame and spaced apart by approximately the same distance as said screws to engage the edges of the film sheet; and means for rotating said screws to advance the sheet of film from said input portion to said output portion and for driving said sheet engaging means to move the sheet of film away form said screws.

Claim 6

Apparatus for moving a sheet of film comprising: a frame having an input portion and an output portion; a pair of elongated screws extending between said input and output portions and spaced from each other to hold a sheet of film between them, said screws being spaced from one another by a smaller distance at said output portion than at said input portion, as measured at their minor diameters, to bow the film sheet as it approaches said output portion: a pair of sheet engaging means for carrying the film sheet between them, said sheet engaging means positioned at said output portion of said frame and spaced apart by approximately the same distance as said screws to engage the edges of the film sheet; and means for rotating said screws to advance the sheet of film from said input portion to said output portion and for driving said sheet engaging means to move the sheet of film away form said screws.

Claim 7

The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein: said screws are tapered in diameter.

Claim 8

The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein: each of said sheet engaging means includes a wheel; and said means for driving includes mans for rotating each wheel in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the screw which engages the same sheet edge.

Claim 9

Apparatus for moving a sheet of film comprising: a frame having upper and lower portions; a pair of laterally spaced screws rotatably mounted on said frame, one of said screws being right-handed handed and the other left-handed, each of said screws having a first end and said first end being substantially laterally spaced; a pair of wheels, each rotatably mounted at the first end of a different screw; and means for rotating said screws in opposite directions so that the sides nearest each other are moving primarily downwardly, and for rotating each of said wheels in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the screw whose end it lies at, so that the sides of said wheels nearest each other are moving primarily upwardly.

Claim 10

Apparatus for moving a sheet of film comprising: a frame having upper and lower portions; a pair of laterally spaced screws rotatably mounted on said frame, one of said screws being right-handed handed and the other left-handed, each of said screws having a first end and said first end being substantially laterally spaced; a pair of wheels, each rotatably mounted at the first end of a different screw; and means for rotating said screws in opposite directions so that the sides nearest each other are moving primarily downwardly, and for rotating each of said wheels in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the screw whose end it lies at, so that the sides of said wheels nearest each other are moving primarily upwardly.

Claim 11

The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein: said screws are mounted with the closest portions of their threads at the minor thread diameters thereof lying on imaginary lines that are spaceD from one another at progressively smaller distances at locations progressively nearer said first ends of said screws, so that the space between said threads progressively decreases at decreasing distances from said first ends thereof where said wheels are mounted.

Claim 12

The apparatus described in claim 7 including; transfer apparatus including a main roller, a belt, and a plurality of guide rollers, said belt extending in an endless path about said main roller and guide rollers, said transfer apparatus also including means for driving said belt around said endless path; and means for mounting said transfer apparatus with a portion of said main roller where said belt first engages said main roller lying above said wheels at the end of said screw, whereby a sheet of film moved upwardly by said wheels is received between said belt and main roller.

Claim 13

In photographic processing apparatus wherein sheets of film are moved down into a chemical processing tank unit and up out of the tank unit for movement down into the next unit, the improvement comprising: a carry roller: frame means for rotatably mounting said carry roller above first and second of said chemical processing tank units; a plurality of additional rollers rotatably mounted on said frame means; an endless belt extending in an endless path about said carry roller and additional rollers, so that a sheet of film rising out of the first tank unit is received between said belt and carry roller; each of said additional rollers being spaced from said carry roller by a distance greater than the thickness of said belt, so that a film sheet is pressed against said carry roller only by the tension in said belt; a pair of screws extending along the first tank unit, said screws mounted to rotate about their axes and spaced from one another to receive said film sheet between them; and a plurality of pairs of wheels mounted at one end of said screws for receiving the film sheet between them to lift it out of the first tank unit and insert it between said belt and carry roller.

Claim 14

In photographic processing apparatus wherein sheets of film are moved down into a chemical processing tank unit and up out of the tank unit for movement down into the next unit, the improvement comprising: a carry roller: frame means for rotatably mounting said carry roller above first and second of said chemical processing tank units; a plurality of additional rollers rotatably mounted on said frame means; an endless belt extending in an endless path about said carry roller and additional rollers, so that a sheet of film rising out of the first tank unit is received between said belt and carry roller; each of said additional rollers being spaced from said carry roller by a distance greater than the thickness of said belt, so that a film sheet is pressed against said carry roller only by the tension in said belt; a pair of screws extending along the first tank unit, said screws mounted to rotate about their axes and spaced from one another to receive said film sheet between them; and a plurality of pairs of wheels mounted at one end of said screws for receiving the film sheet between them to lift it out of the first tank unit and insert it between said belt and carry roller.

Claim 15

Apparatus for moving sheets of film comprising: a frame having a region for holding a series of tanks; a plurality of power take-off means along said frame; a plurality of sheet transport units for reception in the tanks, each unit including a pair of spaced members for reception in the lower portion of a tank with the spaced members having recesses for engaging the edges of a sheet to carry it between them, first transmission means for driving said spaced members to advance the recesses thereof and the sheet engaged in them along the tank, the recesses which engage the opposite edges of the sheet being laterally spaced from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which they are moved by said first transmission means, means for raising the sheet of film from between said members upwardly out of said tank, and means for engaging at least one of said power take-off means to transmit power to said first transmission means; a transfer unit; and means for holding said transfer unit over a pair of said sheet transport units for transferring the film sheet from one sheet transport unit to another.

Claim 16

Apparatus for moving sheets of film comprising: a frame having a region for holding a series of tanks; a plurality of power take-off means along said frame; a plurality of sheet transport units for reception in the tanks, each unit including a pair of spaced members for reception in the lower portion of a tank with the spaced members having recesses for engaging the edges of a sheet to carry it between them, first transmission means for driving said spaced members to advance the recesses thereof and the sheet engaged in them along the tank, the recesses which engage the opposite edges of the sheet being laterally spaced from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which they are moved by said first transmission means, means for raising the sheet of film from between said members upwardly out of said tank, and means for engaging at least one of said power take-off means to transmit power to said first transmission means; a transfer unit; and means for holding said transfer unit over a pair of said sheet transport units for transferring the film sheet from one sheet transport unit to another.

Claim 17

The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein: each of said members includes a screw; and said means for raising the sheet upwardly out of said tank includes a pair of spaced wheels engaging the edges of the sheet.

Claim 18

The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein: said transfer unit includes a carry roller, an endless belt, means having belt engaging surfaces for guiding said belt in a path that wraps partially about said carry roller, all belt-engaging surfaces of said means for guiding said belt being spaced from said carry roller by a distance greater than the thickness of said belt so that the pressure of said belt on said carry roller is determined only by belt tension, and means for driving said belt, said carry roller positioned to rEceive the sheet facewise between it and said belt.