Apparatus for photographic processing

Claim 2

Photographic sheet material processing apparatus which comprises a light-tight rotary processing vessel having an inlet for adding processing liquid to said vessel and an outlet disposed at one end of said vessel for draining processing liquid from said vessel, said outlet being spaced radially inwardly away from the side walls of said vessel, reversible driving means for causing said vessel to rotate in either a predetermined first direction or a second direction opposite to said predetermined first direction about a substantially horizontal axis, means for adding, through said inlet, processing liquid to act on a latent image-bearing sheet of photographic material located in said vessel while said vessel is rotating in said predetermined first direction, a liquid extractor in the vessel cooperating with said outlet for collecting the processing liquid and draining it out of said vessel through said outlet in response to the rotation of said vessel in said second direction, said extractor being ineffective when said vessel is rotated in said first direction, and means for tilting said vessel to slope towards said liquid extractor and said cooperating outlet while said vessl is rotating in said second direction whereby the liquid is extracted when said vessel is rotated in said second direction and not when said vessel is rotated in said first direction.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the driving means has a control for enabling the direction of rotation of said vessel to be reversed while it is being tilted.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the vessel has a longitudinal slat projection on its inner surface.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said vessel is provided with a partition plate located near the said outlet and extending across the said vessel so as to leave at least one peripheral space through which processing liquid may flow, there being collecting channel means leading from said at least one space to said outlet for conveying said liquid to said outlet.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said vessel is readily removably mounted in a frame for pivotal movement relative thereto, the frame containing in operation a substantially constant temperature bath.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the bath is provided with heater means and a temperature probe adjacent the said heater means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said tilting means is constituted by a manually operable lever.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein there is provided means for imparting a relatively small slope to said vessel towards the outlet without operating said lever.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interior of the vessel is provided with projections or an apertured liner to enAble processing liquid to be in contact with both sides of the said sheet.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein bypass means is provided for selectively by-passing the tilting means and for tilting the said vessel to a lesser extent than the tilting means.

Claim 12

Photographic sheet material processing apparatus which comprises a light-tight rotary processing vessel having an inlet for adding processing liquid to said vessel and an outlet disposed at one end of said vessel for draining processing liquid from said vessel, driving means for causing said vessel to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, means for adding, through said inlet, processing liquid to act on a latent image-bearing sheet of photographic material located in said vessel while said vessel is rotating, a liquid extractor in the vessel cooperating with said outlet for collecting the processing liquid and draining it out of said vessel through said outlet, means for tilting said vessel to slope towards said liquid extractor and said cooperating outlet while maintaining the rotation of said vessel, and bypass means to selectively bypass the tilting means and to tilt said vessel, to a lesser extent than said tilting means, including a manually operated three-position lever in the first position of which the bypass means is inoperative, in the second position the driving means is actuated to reverse the direction of rotation of the vessel for use when a prolonged wash is required, and in the third position the tilting means is bypassed to reduce the extent of tilting so as to permit processing of a small-sized sheet of photographic material in an economical manner.

Claim 13

Photographic sheet material processing apparatus which comprises a light-tight rotary processing vessel having an inlet for adding processing liquid to said vessel and an outlet disposed at one end of said vessel for draining processing liquid from said vessel, driving means for causing said vessel to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, means for adding, through said inlet, processing liquid to act on a latent image-bearing sheet of photographic material located in said vessel while said vessel is rotating, a liquid extractor in the vessel cooperating with said outlet for collecting the processing liquid and draining it out of said vessel through said outlet, means for tilting said vessel to slope towards said liquid extractor and said cooperating outlet while maintaining the rotation of said vessel, and bypass means to selectively bypass the tilting means and to tilt said vessel, to a lesser extent than said tilting means, including a manually operated three-position lever in the first position of which the bypass means is inoperative, in the second position the driving means is actuated to reverse the direction of rotation of the vessel for use when a prolonged wash is required, and in the third position the tilting means is bypassed to reduce the extent of tilting so as to permit processing of a small-sized sheet of photographic material in an economical manner.

Claim 14

Photographic sheet material processing apparatus which comprises a light-tight rotary processing vessel having an inlet for adding processing liquid to said vessel and an outlet disposed at one end of said vessel for draining processing liquid from said vessel, driving means for causing said vessel to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, means for adding, through said inlet, processing liquid to act on a latent image-bearing sheet of photographic material located in said vessel while said vessel is rotating, a liquid extractor in the vessel cooperating with said outlet for collecting the processing liquid and draining it out of said vessel through said outlet, said liquid extractor comprising a partition plate which extends chordally across the interior of said vessel to provide at least one peripheral space through which the processing liquid may flow to a plurality of collecting means which channel said processing liquid toward said cooperating outlet in response to rotation of the vessel in a predetermined direction so that said processing liquid drains out of said vessel through said outlet and means for tilting said vessel to slope towards said liquid extractor and said cooperating outlet while maintaining the rotation of said vessel.

Claim 15

Photographic sheet material processing apparatus which comprises a light-tight rotary processing vessel having an inlet for adding processing liquid to said vessel and an outlet disposed at one end of said vessel for draining processing liquid from said vessel, driving means for causing said vessel to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, means for adding, through said inlet, processing liquid to act on a latent image-bearing sheet of photographic material located in said vessel while said vessel is rotating, a liquid extractor in the vessel cooperating with said outlet for collecting the processing liquid and draining it out of said vessel through said outlet, said liquid extractor comprising a partition plate which extends chordally across the interior of said vessel to provide at least one peripheral space through which the processing liquid may flow to a plurality of collecting means which channel said processing liquid toward said cooperating outlet in response to rotation of the vessel in a predetermined direction so that said processing liquid drains out of said vessel through said outlet and means for tilting said vessel to slope towards said liquid extractor and said cooperating outlet while maintaining the rotation of said vessel.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the plurality of collecting means comprises a first curved guide member extending concavely inward from a point on the wall of the vessel to a position spaced from a second point on the wall of the vessel to provide a first channel along the periphery of the vessel through which the processing liquid may flow and a second curved guide member extending concavely inward from a point on the inner surface of said first curved member to a position spaced from a second point on the inner surface of said first curved member to provide a second channel along the inner surface of said first curved member through which the processing liquid may flow to the cooperating outlet.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the plurality of collecting means comprises an inwardly spiralling member attached at one end to the wall of the vessel and having its other end positioned about the axis of the cooperating outlet.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the outlet comprises a plurality of tubes and the liquid extractor cooperating with the outLet comprises a partition plate which extends chordally across the interior of said vessel to provide a multiplicity of peripheral spaces through which the processing liquid may flow to separate collecting means associated with each tube; each of said collecting means comprising a first curved guide member enclosing each of said separate tubes and extending concavely inward from a point one on the wall of the vessel to a position spaced from a second point on the wall of the vessel to provide a first channel along the periphery of the vessel through which the processing liquid may flow and a second curved guide member cooperating with said first curved guide member to enclose each of said tubes and extending concavely inward from a point on the inner surface of said first curved guide member to a position spaced from a second point on the inner surface of said first curved guide member to provide a second channel along the inner surface of said first curved guide member through which the processing liquid may flow to the respective tube associated with each said separate collecting means.