Washing apparatus for photographic materials

Claim 1

A washing apparatus for washing photographic materials comprising: a tank for holding photographic materials, the tank having a generally rectangular shape with a rectangular bottom and rectangular sides, one side having a lower height than the other three sides to form a weir for water overflow, the top of the one side determining the water level in the tank, a raised flow within the tank, a plurality of parallel spaced apart partitions extending across the tank from the raised floor to the height of the one side, a plurality of fluid entrance holes in the raised floor of the tank between the partitions, a cover having a plurality of holes therein extending over the partitions and the one side adapted to allow the water level to rise in the holes above a bottom surface of the cover and keep the photographic materials in the tank below the water level, a fluid distribution system connecting the plurality of fluid entrance holes to an aperture below the raised floor, a removable aerator means removably connected to the aperture of the fluid distribution system where removal of said aerator allows said tank to drain, the aerator means having a connection to a water supply, a replaceable water jet within a tubular housing to allow different sized jets to be used, and an air control means for varying a flow of air into the aerator means downstream of the water jet, to mix with the water from the water jet.