Agfa-gevaert Ag

Jurgen Leuchter

Gerald Plursch

Viktor Osegowitsch

Johannes Bierinckx

An apparatus for continuously developing travelling bands of film has a tank which accommodates a processing bath. A device for the removal of moisture from film leaving the tank is located in the region of the tank exit. The device includes a substantially airtight enclosure having registering slot-like inlet and outlet openings for the film. The inlet and outlet openings divide the enclosure into two portions. A suction nozzle is disposed in each portion and is provided with a suction opening which faces the path of the film. Flexible sealing strips are arranged adjacent to the inlet and outlet openings of the enclosure. When there is no film passing through the enclosure, the sealing strips essentially close the inlet and outlet openings so that a vacuum is maintained in the enclosure. The sealing strips are bent away from the inlet and outlet openings during the passage of film through the enclosure. The flexibility of the sealing strips is sufficiently great that the suction generated by the suction nozzles can cause air cushions to be developed and maintained between the sealing strips and the film. The device makes it possible to uniformly remove moisture from the film without contacting the latter.

Device for removing moisture from wet processed photosensitive material

A developing apparatus for photosensitive material has a processing bath and a conveying system for advancing photosensitive material through the path. A supply vessel accommodates a regenerating solution for the bath and a flow regulating device such as a pump or a valve is provided to regulate the admission of the regenerating solution into the bath. A sensing system senses the surface area of the photosensitive material advanced into the bath and supplies this information to a computer which then calculates the quantity of regenerating solution to be supplied to the bath. The control unit operates the flow regulating device at intervals in order to deliver the calculated quantity of regenerating solution to the bath. A measuring unit connected with the computer measures the actual quantity of regenerating solution supplied to the bath during operation of the flow regulating device. The actual and calculated quantities of the regenerating solution are compared by the computer which performs a correction in these quantities are different. The computer may also be programmed to generate an alarm if corrections must be made too frequently or if the difference between the actual and calculated quantity of the regenerating solution is excessively large.

Arrangement for and a method of processing photosensitive articles

A continuous film developing machine adapted for processing photographic films of different formats and different patterns of film perforations, includes a series of treatment baths arranged consecutively in the path of movement of the processed film. Dosing devices with feeding valves adjust the amount of additional filling into the respective baths. A set of pneumatic sensors in the form of air nozzles is arranged opposite one side of the processed film strip, whereas a corresponding set of pressure air operated switches is arranged at the other side of the strip opposite respective nozzles. The switches detect the air jets passing through the perforations characteristic of each film format and actuate relay controlled switches which in turn put into operation a dosing device pertaining to the format of the processed film.

Continuous film-developing machine

A developing apparatus for photographic material has at least two containers for treating baths. These are so arranged that the photographic material travels through them in succession. A light trap connects the containers and the photographic material issuing from the upstream containers travels in a straight-line path through the light trap to reach the downstream container.

Developing apparatus with contact-free light trap

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

The developing machine includes a plurality of processing stages including a bleaching stage comprised of a bath of bleaching fluid. Processing fluid is supplied to at least some of the processing stages. A device powered by the flow of processing fluid to one of the processing stages sucks out from the interior of the bleaching stage the vapors arising from the bath of bleaching fluid therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the sucking device is a water-jet pump powered by the flow of washing water to the washing stage of the developing machine.

Continuously operating developing machine with means for removing

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.

Daylight developing machine

Strips of photographic material which are treated during travel through liquid baths in a developing machine are relieved of surplus liquid during travel from a preceding bath into the next-following bath. The intercepting apparatus has a wiper with two elastic intercepting members engaging the respective sides of the moving strip and a pivotable support for the wiper. The support can move transversely of the direction of movement of the strip in order to insure that the intercepting members remain in continuous engagement with a fluttering strip as well as with a strip moving along a path which deviates from the path of movement of the preceding strip. The wiper is detachable from its support for convenience of cleaning. Each intercepting member has a strip-engaging lip which can resemble a wedge or a flat lamina and is connected to the adjacent part of the respective intercepting member by a flexible hinge.

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Tutzing, Germany

Jurgen Leuchter