Agfa-Gevaert Ag

Gerald Plursch

Jurgen Leuchter

Johannes Bierinckx

The developing machine includes a plurality of processing fluid stages arranged one after the other and a plurality of drying stages arranged one after the other. Film strips are guided along a predetermined winding path through the processing fluid stages and then through the drying stages. A pulling device located downstream of the most downstream one of the drying stations pulls film strips through the developing machine along the predetermined path. A control arrangement controls the operation of the pulling device in dependence upon the tension in film strips being pulled by the pulling device. The control arrangement includes a tension-sensing device operative for sensing the tension in film strips being pulled through the developing machine at a tension-sensing location intermediate the most downstream of the processing fluid stages and the most upstream of the drying stages.

Continuously operating developing machine with filmstrip tension control

A continuously operating developing machine includes, arranged one after the other, a first strip attachment station, an infeed accumulator, a second strip attachment station, at least one processing fluid stage, at least one drying stage, and a discharge station. Film strips and leader strips are transported through the processing fluid and drying stages to the discharge station along a predetermined path. When the trailing end of a strip which extends through the accumulator and has already entered the predetermined path reaches the first attachment station, it is detained at the latter and there is attached thereto the leading end of the next strip. During such detention, the accumulated strip inside the infeed accumulator feeds into the predetermined path. When the attachment operation is finished, the trailing end enters the accumulator and the amount of strip within the accumulator increases anew. When the strip in the accumulator breaks, the trailing end of the broken strip section as it is leaving the accumulator is engaged, and there is attached thereto the leading end of a leader strip. The trailing end of such broken strip section is then fed into the predetermined path with the leader strip attached thereto entering thereafter.

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Munich, Germany

Gerald Plursch