Processing system for photographic apparatus

Claim 2

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other, and wherein said mounting means include a pair of support members each of which includes means for rotatably mounting at least one of said spreader elements therebetween and means for linearly guiding the movement of said spreader elements relative to each other; and manually operable means for adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements, said manually operable means cooperatively acting with said linearly guiding means to facilitate adjustment of the spacing between said spreader elements.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during the passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a base positioned so that said pair of support members are perpendicular thereto.

Claim 5

The apparatus in claim 3 wherein said manually operable means includes a pair of adjustments each located adjacent opposite ends of said mounting means base cooperatively acting with said base to facilitate relative displacement of said spreader elements with respect to each other so that the spacing between said spreader elements can be differentially adjusted across their elongated dimension.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 additionally comprising means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising means for releasably detaching saId spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 8

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other, and wherein said mounting means include a pair of support members each of which includes means for rotatably mounting at least one of said spreader elements therebetween and means for linearly guiding the movement of said spreader elements relative to each other; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween, said biasing means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension; and means for manually adjusting said biasing means, said adjusting means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension so that the resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means can be differentially adjusted across the elongated dimension of said spreader elements, said manually adjusting means cooperatively acting with said linearly guiding means to facilitate adjustment of biasing forces created thereby.

Claim 9

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other, and wherein said mounting means include a pair of support members each of which includes means for rotatably mounting at least one of said spreader elements therebetween and means for linearly guiding the movement of said spreader elements relative to each other; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween, said biasing means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension; and means for manually adjusting said biasing means, said adjusting means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension so that the resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means can be differentially adjusted across the elongated dimension of said spreader elements, said manually adjusting means cooperatively acting with said linearly guiding means to facilitate adjustment of biasing forces created thereby.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mounting means includes a base positioned so that said pair of support members are perpendicular thereto.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for manually adjusting said biasing means includes a pair of adjustments each positioned adjacent opposite ends of said mounting means base cooperatively acting with said base to facilitate differential adjustment of the resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 additionally comprising means for establishing a predetermined minimum spacing between said spreader elements.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 7 additionally comprising means for releasably detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 14

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other, and wherein said mounting means include a pair of support members each of which includes means for rotatably mounting at least one of said spreader elements therebetween and means for linearly guiding the movement of said spreader elements relative to each other; first means for manually adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements, said first adjusting means cooperatively acting with said linearly guiding means to facilitate adjustment of the spacing between said spreader elements; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during the passage of the pair of sheet elements therebetween; and second means for manually adjusting said biasing means.

Claim 15

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other, and wherein said mounting means include a pair of support members each of which includes means for rotatably mounting at least one of said spreader elements therebetween and means for linearly guiding the movement of said spreader elements relative to each other; first means for manually adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements, said first adjusting means cooperatively acting with said linearly guiding means to facilitate adjustment of the spacing between said spreader elements; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during the passage of the pair of sheet elements therebetween; and second means for manually adjusting said biasing means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said mounting means includes a base positioned so that said pair of support members are perpendicular thereto.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said first adjustment means includes a pair of adjustments each located adjacent opposite ends of said mounting means base cooperatively acting with said base to facilitate relative displacement of spreader elements with respect to each other so that the spacing between said spreader elements can be differentially adjusted across their elongated dimension.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said second adjusting means includes a pair of adjustments each positioned adjacent opposite ends of said mounting means base cooperatively acting with said base to facilitate differential adjustment of The resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 12 additionally comprising means for releasably detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 20

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; manually operable means for adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements; means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 21

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials, comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; manually operable means for adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements; means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 22

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween, said biasing means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension; means for manually adjusting said biasing means, said adjusting means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension so that the resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means can be differentially adjusted across the elongated dimension of said spreader elements; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 23

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween, said biasing means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension; means for manually adjusting said biasing means, said adjusting means positioned adjacent opposite ends of said spreader elements elongated dimension so that the resiliently urging force caused by said biasing means can be differentially adjusted across the elongated dimension of said spreader elements; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 24

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; first means for manually adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween; second means for manually adjusting said biasing means; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.

Claim 25

Photographic apparatus, including means for spreading a processing fluid between a pair of sheet materials comprising: a pair of elongated spreader elements; means for mounting said spreader elements in juxtaposition, said mounting means being structured to facilitate the displacement of said spreader elements away from each other; first means for manually adjusting the spacing between said spreader elements; biasing means for resiliently urging one of said spreader elements toward the other spreader element during passage of the pair of sheet materials therebetween; second means for manually adjusting said biasing means; and latch means for readily detaching said spreading means from said photographic apparatus.