US3798790A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat processor for photographic films
Assignee: Raytheon Co
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Filing: 1973-01-04
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Granted: 1974-03-26
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Expires: 1993-01-04
Abstract
Abstract In apparatus for processing photographic ribbon film that has a photosensitive coating on one side which is developed and fixed by heat, the film is moved along a spiral path through a heat chamber which accommodates a long length of film in a relatively small space, and in a manner such that the coated side of the film does not come in contact with any support surface. Heat is applied to the coating in a uniform manner by jets of hot air from nozzles spaced along the path of the film. The jets of hot air impinge on the coated side of the film at an acute angle and the nozzles are spaced so that the hot air sweeping over the coating carries the effluent gases, which are released by the developing photosensitive material, away from the coated surface of the film and into streams of exhaust gases which flow along in back of the nozzles to an exhaust port. The film is drawn from the heat chamber, out and through an adjacent cooling chamber prior to its collection on a take up reel. An exhaust port in the cooling chamber serves to draw cool clean outside air through the cooling chamber to cool the film. The heat chamber and cooling chamber exhaust ports straddle the film exit opening from the heat chamber to the cooling chamber and prevent the air from one chamber from contaminating the other chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 W Roman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:26
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03D; G03D13/00; G03D13/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
391 words
Apparatus for processing ribbon film which has on one side a photosensitive material that is developed and fixed by heating, comprising, a heating chamber, means moving a length of said film along a predetermined path through the chamber, a plurality of elongated hollow nozzle elements mounted in the chamber and extending across said path at spaced intervals to be adjacent one side of a film on said path, and means feeding heated air under pressure to the interiors of the nozzle elements, said nozzle elements having constricted openings from their hollow interiors located and dimensioned for producing jets of said heated air, and said nozzle elements being positioned for said jets to impinge on the adjacent side of a film on said path at an acute angle over an area extending at least across the width of photosensitive material on said side of a film on the path, said apparatus characterised in that a film moving through the heating chamber proceeds from a chamber entrance opening along increasingly larger convolutions of a spiral path to a chamber exit opening, said spIral path being defined by supports over which said film passes, said supports being arranged so that only the inward side of said film comes in contact with the supports whereby photosensitive material on the outward side of the length of film in the chamber is free from contact with any surface in the heating chamber, an exhaust port opening into the heating chamber at a location adjacent said exit opening, means for applying relative negative air pressure at said exhaust port for drawing effluent gases out of the heating chamber and for immediately exhausting any air entering the chamber through said exit opening, said nozzle elements being adjacent the outward side of a film on said path and being spaced apart for heated air from the nozzle elements after impinging on said film to circulate outwardly between adjacent nozzle elements, and the nozzle elements adjacent the convolutions of a film on said path being spaced respectively inward from the next outward convolution of said film and from the outward walls of the chamber to provide exhaust flow paths for air and effluent gases circulating outward from between the nozzle elements to be drawn along said flow paths to said exhaust port by relative negative pressure applied at the exhaust port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
391 words
Apparatus for processing ribbon film which has on one side a photosensitive material that is developed and fixed by heating, comprising, a heating chamber, means moving a length of said film along a predetermined path through the chamber, a plurality of elongated hollow nozzle elements mounted in the chamber and extending across said path at spaced intervals to be adjacent one side of a film on said path, and means feeding heated air under pressure to the interiors of the nozzle elements, said nozzle elements having constricted openings from their hollow interiors located and dimensioned for producing jets of said heated air, and said nozzle elements being positioned for said jets to impinge on the adjacent side of a film on said path at an acute angle over an area extending at least across the width of photosensitive material on said side of a film on the path, said apparatus characterised in that a film moving through the heating chamber proceeds from a chamber entrance opening along increasingly larger convolutions of a spiral path to a chamber exit opening, said spIral path being defined by supports over which said film passes, said supports being arranged so that only the inward side of said film comes in contact with the supports whereby photosensitive material on the outward side of the length of film in the chamber is free from contact with any surface in the heating chamber, an exhaust port opening into the heating chamber at a location adjacent said exit opening, means for applying relative negative air pressure at said exhaust port for drawing effluent gases out of the heating chamber and for immediately exhausting any air entering the chamber through said exit opening, said nozzle elements being adjacent the outward side of a film on said path and being spaced apart for heated air from the nozzle elements after impinging on said film to circulate outwardly between adjacent nozzle elements, and the nozzle elements adjacent the convolutions of a film on said path being spaced respectively inward from the next outward convolution of said film and from the outward walls of the chamber to provide exhaust flow paths for air and effluent gases circulating outward from between the nozzle elements to be drawn along said flow paths to said exhaust port by relative negative pressure applied at the exhaust port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the constricted openings in said nozzle elements are small generally circular holes for producing outwardly diverging conical jets of air therefrom, the holes being spaced so that the conical jets from adjacent holes overlap prior to their impingement on the adjacent portion of a film on said path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
151 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said heating chamber is an annulus defining a central compartment, said entrance opening of the chamber opening into said compartment, and including means for mounting a supply reel of said film in said compartment in position to feed film from a supply reel on the mounting means into the chamber through the entrance opening, means mounting a take up reel for said film outside the chamber in position for thereon film emerging from said exit opening in the chamber, first power drive means for rotating a supply reel of film on said mounting means therefor, second power drive means for rotating a take up reel on said mounting means therefor, and first and second feeler gauge means engaging said supply and take up reels, respectively, for controlling the speed and tension of a film moving from said supply reel to said take up reel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
145 words
The apparatus of claim 3 including a cooling chamber adjacent the exit opening in the heating chamber and enclosing at least a portion of said predetermined path of a film from the heating chamber exit opening to a take up reel on the mounting means therefor, an exhaust port opening into said cooling chamber adjacent said exit opening of the heating chamber, said cooling chamber being defined by walls having vents therethrough, for surrounding air to enter, said vents being located downstream along the path of a film through said cooling chamber from said exit opening of the heating chamber, and means to apply negative air pressure at said exhaust port opening into the cooling chamber for circulating air through the cooling chamber from said vents to said exhaust port in a direction opposite the direction of movement of a film through the cooling chamber.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-25 | 1977-09-24 | 1978-03-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-25 | 1981-09-24 | 1982-03-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-25 | 1985-09-24 | 1986-03-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |