Dryer for photographic film

Claim 2

hA dryer for photographic film comprising: a. a dryer housing having a film inlet and film outlet defined therein, b. a plurality of spaced rollers mounted for rotation within first and second coplanar axes within said housing, said rollers defining between said first and second coplanar axes a film transport path from said inlet to said outlet, said rollers being positively driven to effect the positive transport of said film through said dryer, c. plenum means mounted on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means defining a drying zone on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means also defining a plurality of air inlets and air outlets for said drying zone, d. a plurality of vertically oriented laterally spaced fingers each formed from a thin sheet of material and mounted immediately adjacent at least one of said rollers, each of said fingers defining a single point of contact with said roller, said fingers being pivotably mounted and lightly biased toward said roller in normal operation to engage the roller in the event a leading edge of a sheet of photographic film adheres to said roller.

Claim 3

A dryer for photographic film as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fingers are pivoted about a pivot point, said fingers defining on one side of said pivot point a photographic film engaging edge, and on the other side of said pivot point the center of gravity for said fingers.

Claim 4

A dryer for photographic film as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plenum means defines a plurality of air inlet slots mounted behind said rollers to direct air which has been heated and pressurized against said rollers in a tangential plane, said plane intersecting said rollers along the leading circumference of the rollers to dry and heat the circumference just before it contacts said film.

Claim 5

A dryer for photographic film as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rollers are positioned relative to said film to provide that the outermost surface of said rollers slightly overlaps said path on both sides of said path to effect a positive transport of said film through said dryer.

Claim 6

A dryer for photographic film as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing is vertical and formed of two halves, the rollers lying within said first coplanar axis being mounted in one half and the rollers lying within said second coplanar axis being mounted in said second half, said first and second halves being pivotably joined together to provide that said dryer may be opened along a vertical axis between said rollers.

Claim 7

A dryer for photographic film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface of each roller is slightly roughened to provide a plurality of surfaces for removing moisture from the surface of a sheet of photographic film.

Claim 8

A dryer for photographic film comprising: a. a dryer housing having a film inlet and a film outlet defined therein, b. a plurality of spaced rollers mounted for rotation within first and second coplanar axes within said housing, said rollers defining between said first and second coplanar axes a film transport path from said inlet to said outlet, said rollers being positively driven to effect the positive transport of said film through said dryer, c. plenum means mounted on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means defining a drying zone on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means also defining a plurality of air inlet slots and air outlets for said drying zone, d. a plurality of vertically oriented fingers mounted immediately adjacent at least three of said rollers, each of said fingers being pivotably mounted on a pivot point and defining on one side of said pivot point the center of gravity for said finger, said fingers being lightly biased into engagement with said roller by gravitational force whereby said fingers will engage said film in the event a leading edge of a sheet of film adheres to said roller, e. said fingers being formed from a thin sheet of material and defining a photographic film engaging edge on one side of said pivot point, said edge also defining a single point of contact with said roller, each of said fingers also defining an upwardly extending notch which extends above the center of gravity of said finger, f. said pivot point further defining a longitudinal and upwardly extending flange member, said flange defining a plurality of slots for receiving said vertically aligned fingers.

Claim 9

A dryer for photographic film comprising: a. a dryer housing having a film inlet and a film outlet defined therein, b. a plurality of spaced rollers mounted for rotation within first and second coplanar axes within said housing, said rollers defining between said first and second coplanar axes a film transport path from said inlet to said outlet, said rollers being positively driven to effect the positive transport of said film through said dryer, c. plenum means mounted on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means defining a drying zone on either side of said film transport path, said plenum means also defining a plurality of air inlet slots and air outlets for said drying zone, d. a plurality of vertically oriented fingers mounted immediately adjacent at least three of said rollers, each of said fingers being pivotably mounted on a pivot point and defining on one side of said pivot point the center of gravity for said finger, said fingers being lightly biased into engagement with said roller by gravitational force whereby said fingers will engage said film in the event a leading edge of a sheet of film adheres to said roller, e. said fingers being formed from a thin sheet of material and defining a photographic film engaging edge on one side of said pivot point, said edge also defining a single point of contact with said roller, each of said fingers also defining an upwardly extending notch which extends above the center of gravity of said finger, f. said pivot point further defining a longitudinal and upwardly extending flange member, said flange defining a plurality of slots for receiving said vertically aligned fingers.