Method and apparatus for automatically developing small film

Claim 3

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed co-planar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder co-extensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber; and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition wherein said annular film holder has a film-receiving-and-retaining portion in the form of circumferentially disposed internal groove means for holding the film generally in a medial plane thereof, and which medial plane is generally coplanar to the major plane of said film holder and wherein said inner circumferentially disposed groove means includes four generally rectangular-spaced film-receiving portions along an inner periphery of said holder for holding the film, and each of the film-receiving portions having two film-supporting pawls spaced apart from each other toward one side thereof, and another one film-retaining pawl complementally positioned between and oppositely adjacent said two spaced pawls and toward the opposite side of said medial plane.

Claim 4

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed co-planar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder co-extensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber; and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition wherein said annular film holder has a film-receiving-and-retaining portion in the form of circumferentially disposed internal groove means for holding the film generally in a medial plane thereof, and which medial plane is generally coplanar to the major plane of said film holder and wherein said inner circumferentially disposed groove means includes four generally rectangular-spaced film-receiving portions along an inner periphery of said holder for holding the film, and each of the film-receiving portions having two film-supporting pawls spaced apart from each other toward one side thereof, and another one film-retaining pawl complementally positioned between and oppositely adjacent said two spaced pawls and toward the opposite side of said medial plane.

Claim 5

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted in planar condition therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough, said developing case including a vertical partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case including a rotative sweep arm in each bath chamber which rotates in a generally circular path in each of said bath chambers and in operative engagement with said film holder to move it into an alignment position with said window therein.

Claim 6

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted in planar condition therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough, said developing case including a vertical partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case including a rotative sweep arm in each bath chamber which rotates in a generally circular path in each of said bath chambers and in operative engagement with said film holder to move it into an alignment position with said window therein.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said partition walls are generally uniformly spaced apart in succeeding relation to one another, and wherein said open partition windows of succeeding partitions are succeedingly oppositely offset, and wherein each sweep arm rotates in alternatingly opposite directions in each adjacent chamber so as to move said film holder in alternating directions in each successive chamber to an alignment position with the respective succeedingly oppositely offset windows for each successive partition wall.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each sweep arm has a portion with a slanting surface so as to effect lateral shifting movement of said film-holder through said partition open window into the adjacent bath chamber responsive to enagagement of said slanting surface by said annular film-holder.

Claim 11

The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said film holder is moved in alternatingly opposite directions for each successive chamber.

Claim 14

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein said developing case wall means includes a vertical partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window through which said annular film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein.

Claim 15

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein said developing case wall means includes a vertical partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window through which said annular film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said open partition windows each include an arcuate portion to complementally accommodate and pass said annular shaped film holder.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes power-driven shaft-and-gear means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said power-driven shaft-and-gear means include a pair of parallel shafts disposed transversely to said bath chambers, and coacting interengageable drive members mounted on said respective shafts, and wherein one of said rotative sweep arms is mounted on each of said shafts so as to have only one sweep arm operatively disposed within a given bath chamber.

Claim 19

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed co-planar portions comstitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively mOving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein said developing case has at least one intermediate partition wall to form the adjacent bath chambers, said partition wall having an open window through which said annular film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber, each of said bath chambers having in its interior a curved peripheral wall for rolling contact by said annular film holder therewith; and said means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough includes at least one pair of drive members for rollingly bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window.

Claim 20

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed co-planar portions comstitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively mOving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein said developing case has at least one intermediate partition wall to form the adjacent bath chambers, said partition wall having an open window through which said annular film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber, each of said bath chambers having in its interior a curved peripheral wall for rolling contact by said annular film holder therewith; and said means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough includes at least one pair of drive members for rollingly bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one pair of drive members include a pair of co-planarly disposed reel-like members rotatably mounted on transverse shafts in each of said bath chambers, said reel-like members having flange means including one planar flange member parallel to and spaced apart from said chamber-dividing partition wall so that said annular film holder is partially and freely disposed between said partition and said flange member, and pin-like elements transversely disposed on said flange of said rotatable reel-like members so as to engage and rotatably drive said annular film-holder along said interior curved peripheral wall of said bath chamber to a next chamber transfer-permitting window.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said means for automatically moving said annular film holder therethrough includes an inclined surface on at least one of said reel-like members and disposed so as to effect lateral shifting movement of said film-holder through said partition open window into the adjacent bath chamber responsive to enagement of said inclined surface by said annular film-holder.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein a guide with slanting face thereon is immovably provided adjacent said partition open window so as to effect lateral shifting movement of said film holder through said partition open window into the adjacent bath chamber responsive to engagement of said slanting surface by said annular film holder.

Claim 24

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding apiece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed co-planar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein the adjacent bath chambers of the developing case are defined by helically continuous partition wall means between said inlet and outlet casing ends; said bath chambers being communicatively spirally connected and having in their interior a concavely curved peripheral wall for contact by a peripheral portion of said annular film holder, and a drive member transverse to said spiral chambers which drive member rollingly transfers said film holder from one chamber to another along their respective peripheral walls in cooperation with said casing.

Claim 25

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an annular rigid, frame-like holder for holding apiece of film fitted therein; said holder having opposed co-planar portions by which an imaginary plane passing essentially through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said holder; said holder having means to hold said film in a planar condition by at least portions of two opposed sides thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and wall means forming therein a plurality of generally vertically disposed adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane through which bath chambers said film holder is rotatively passed with the major plane of said film holder coextensive with a corresponding major plane of each bath chamber, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder progressively through the bath chambers of said casing with means for passing said film holder from chamber to chamber essentially in a vertical condition and wherein the adjacent bath chambers of the developing case are defined by helically continuous partition wall means between said inlet and outlet casing ends; said bath chambers being communicatively spirally connected and having in their interior a concavely curved peripheral wall for contact by a peripheral portion of said annular film holder, and a drive member transverse to said spiral chambers which drive member rollingly transfers said film holder from one chamber to another along their respective peripheral walls in cooperation with said casing.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said drive member is disposed axially through said bath chambers and includes a cyLindrical surface common to all chambers, said cylindrical surface disposed relative to said concavely curved peripheral walls of said bath chambers so that said annular film holder has its outer periphery drivingly engageable with both the said cylindrical surface of said drive member and with said curved peripheral wall of said chambers throughout its travel through said developing case.

Claim 27

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said casing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and succeeding partition walls have their respective open windows alternatingly oppositely offset from one another.

Claim 28

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said casing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and succeeding partition walls have their respective open windows alternatingly oppositely offset from one another.

Claim 29

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said casing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and said casing and windowed partitions are relatively disposed so that said film holder simply drops under an influence of gravity without necessarily always beinng in contact with said means for moving said film holder through said casing; and further means engagEable with and for moving said film holder essentially only upwardly from a bottom of each of said bath chambers.

Claim 30

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said casing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and said casing and windowed partitions are relatively disposed so that said film holder simply drops under an influence of gravity without necessarily always beinng in contact with said means for moving said film holder through said casing; and further means engagEable with and for moving said film holder essentially only upwardly from a bottom of each of said bath chambers.

Claim 31

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite, ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said csaing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes a rotative sweep member in each of said bath chambers; and each of said sweep members formed with a slanting surface portion to effect lateral shifting movement of said film holder through said open window into the next adjacent bath chamber responsive to engagement of said slanting surface by said annular film holder.

Claim 32

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite, ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said csaing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes a rotative sweep member in each of said bath chambers; and each of said sweep members formed with a slanting surface portion to effect lateral shifting movement of said film holder through said open window into the next adjacent bath chamber responsive to engagement of said slanting surface by said annular film holder.

Claim 33

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said csaing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and a guide with slanting face thereon is immovably provided at the edge of said open window so as to be engageable by and effect lateral shifting movement of said film holder through said open window into the adjacent bath chamber.

Claim 34

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: a rigid, annular frame-like holder with means for holding a piece of film in planar condition therein, said frame-like holder having opposed coplanar portions by which an imaginary plane passing through said opposed coplanar portions constitutes a major plane of said film holder; said film being held generally in a medial plane thereof which is coplanar to the major plane thereof; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and vertically disposed plural partition walls interposed in spaced apart parallel relation between said opposite ends of said csaing and defining therewith a plurality of relatively narrow adjacent bath chambers each having a major plane in an upright position, and through which chambers said film holder is rotatively passed; said parallel partition walls being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than an overall thickness of said annular film holder and constituting means for keeping the major plane of said film holder in generally parallel relation with said partition walls while being passed within each of said bath chambers, means operatively engageable with said film holder to rotatively move it progressively and automatically through said casing chambers, said latter means including a member of which at least part thereof follows a generally circular path and wherein each of said partition walls is formed with an open window of a size greater than the film holder and through which said film holder is transferred to the next bath chamber and a guide with slanting face thereon is immovably provided at the edge of said open window so as to be engageable by and effect lateral shifting movement of said film holder through said open window into the adjacent bath chamber.

Claim 35

ApparatUs for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case includes a partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder to said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein and said open partition windows each include an arcuate portion to complementally accommodate and pass said annular shaped film holder.

Claim 36

ApparatUs for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case includes a partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder to said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein and said open partition windows each include an arcuate portion to complementally accommodate and pass said annular shaped film holder.

Claim 37

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein the adjacent bath chambers of the developing case are defined by helically continuous partition wall means between said inelt and outlet casing ends; said bath chambers being communicatively spirally connected and having in their interior a curved peripheral wall for contact with said annular film holder, and a drive member transverse to said spiral chambers which drive member rollingly transfers said film holder from one chamber to another along their respective peripheral walls in cooperation with said casing.

Claim 38

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein the adjacent bath chambers of the developing case are defined by helically continuous partition wall means between said inelt and outlet casing ends; said bath chambers being communicatively spirally connected and having in their interior a curved peripheral wall for contact with said annular film holder, and a drive member transverse to said spiral chambers which drive member rollingly transfers said film holder from one chamber to another along their respective peripheral walls in cooperation with said casing.

Claim 39

Apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein said drive member is disposed axially through said bath chambers and includes a cylindrical surface common to all chambers, said cylindrical surface disposed relative to said curved peripheral walls of said bath chambers so that said annular film holder has its outer periphery drivingly engageable with both the said cylindrical surface of aid drive member and with said curved peripheral wall of said chambers throughout its travel through said developing case.

Claim 40

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case includes a partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder to said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes power-driven shaft-and-gear means.

Claim 41

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case includes a partition wall between the adjacent bath chambers, each of said partition walls being formed with an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, and wherein said means for automatically moving said film holder to said case includes a rotative sweep arm in each of said bath chambers whereby said arm is movable for bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window therein and said means for automatically moving said film holder through said case includes power-driven shaft-and-gear means.

Claim 42

Apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said power-driven shaft-and-gear means include a pair of parallel shafts disposed transversely to said bath chambers, and co-acting interengageable drive members mounted on said respective shafts, and wherein one of said rotative sweep arms is mounted on each of said shafts so as to haae only one sweep arm operatively disposed within a given bath chamber.

Claim 43

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an aNnular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said annular film holder has a major plane and a film-receiving-and-retaining portion in the form of cirfumferentially disposed internal groove means for holding the film generally in a medial plane thereof, and which plane is generally coplanar to the major plane of said film holder and wherein said circumferentially disposed groove means includes four generally rectangularly-spaced film-receiving portions along an inner periphery of said holder for holding the film, and each of the film-receiving portions having two film-supporting pawls spaced apart from each other toward one side thereof, and another one film-retaining pawl complementally positioned between and oppositely adjacent said two spaced pawls and toward the opposite side of said medial plane.

Claim 44

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination an aNnular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said annular film holder has a major plane and a film-receiving-and-retaining portion in the form of cirfumferentially disposed internal groove means for holding the film generally in a medial plane thereof, and which plane is generally coplanar to the major plane of said film holder and wherein said circumferentially disposed groove means includes four generally rectangularly-spaced film-receiving portions along an inner periphery of said holder for holding the film, and each of the film-receiving portions having two film-supporting pawls spaced apart from each other toward one side thereof, and another one film-retaining pawl complementally positioned between and oppositely adjacent said two spaced pawls and toward the opposite side of said medial plane.

Claim 45

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case has at least one intermediate partition wall to form the adjacent bath chambers, said partition wall having an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, each of said bath chambers having in its interior a curved peripheral wall for rolling contact by said annular film holder therewith, said means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough includes at least one pair of drive members for rollingly bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window, said at least one pair of drive members include a pair of coplanarly disposed reel-like members rotatably mounted on transverse shafts in each of said bath chambers, said reel-like members having flange means including one planar flange member parallel to and spaced apart from said chamber-dividing partition wall so that said annular film holder is partially and freely disposed between said partition and said flange member and pinlike elements transversely disposed on said flange of said rotatable reel-like members so as to engage and rotatably drive said annular film-holder along said interior curved peripheral wall of said bath chamber to a next chamber transfer-permitting window.

Claim 46

Apparatus for automatically developing preferably relatively small size film comprising in combination: an annular holder for holding a piece of film fitted therein; an enclosed film-developing case having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends and a plurality of adjacent bath chambers through which said film holder is rotatively passed, and means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough and wherein said developing case has at least one intermediate partition wall to form the adjacent bath chambers, said partition wall having an open window for transferring said annular film holder to the next bath chamber, each of said bath chambers having in its interior a curved peripheral wall for rolling contact by said annular film holder therewith, said means for automatically rotatively moving said annular film holder therethrough includes at least one pair of drive members for rollingly bringing said film holder to an alignment position with said window, said at least one pair of drive members include a pair of coplanarly disposed reel-like members rotatably mounted on transverse shafts in each of said bath chambers, said reel-like members having flange means including one planar flange member parallel to and spaced apart from said chamber-dividing partition wall so that said annular film holder is partially and freely disposed between said partition and said flange member and pinlike elements transversely disposed on said flange of said rotatable reel-like members so as to engage and rotatably drive said annular film-holder along said interior curved peripheral wall of said bath chamber to a next chamber transfer-permitting window.

Claim 47

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said means for automatically moving said annular film holder therethrough includes an inclined surface on at least one of said reel-like members and disposed so as to effect lateral shifting movement of said film-holder through said partition open window into the adjacent bath chamber responsive to engagement of said inclined surface by said annular film-holder.