Compact X-ray film processor

Claim 1

In a film processor including: (a) a plurality of containers for holding film processing fluids; (b) drying means for removing liquids from processed films; (c) motive means for moving and guiding a piece of film along a path passing through each of said plurality of containers and, subsequently, through said drying means, said motive means including a roller transport system with moving rollers, said rollers being the only moving components of said motive means contacted by said film; (d) structural means coupled to said containers, said drying means, and said motive means, for maintaining a predetermined spatial relationship between said containers and said drying and said motive means; (e) a receptacle coupled to said structural means and occupying a space below and substantially within the horizontal area of said containers and said drying means, said motive means, after moving a piece of film through said containers and said drying means, placing said piece of film in said receptacle and moving said piece of film no further; and (f) an enclosure with at least two of said containers located inside said enclosure, the improvement wherein (1) said motive means moves said film in a first direction at a first point on said path and in a second direction at a second point on said path, said first and second directions having respectively first and second horizontal components of motion differing by substantially 180°, (2) said enclosure has a first opening located therein near the top of said processor, said motive means initially moves film in said first direction along a first part of said path, with the beginning of said first part of said path being located near said first opening, the line of travel through said first opening in traveling from the inside to the outside of said enclosure being oriented in said second direction generally opposed to said first direction, said enclosure has a second opening along said path leading into said receptacle, said motive means deposits film into said receptacle along a second part of said path, said receptacle has a third opening therein, the line of travel through said third opening in traveling from the inside to the outside of said receptacle being said third direction generally parallel to said second direction and generally opposite to said first direction of said first part of said path and, (3) said processor has a side generally facing said second direction, whereby film may be fed into and removed from said processor with access only to said processor's top and said side.