Eastman-Kodak Company

Walter Johannes

Donald E Eaton

Daniel J Wooster

Eric L Dillenbeck

Lawrence D Meston

Errol S Francis

Paul A Corbelli

Peter J Despard

Robert Waters

A liquefying apparatus for melting solid materials has a hopper with a coiled heating element disposed therein which supports and melts the solid materials into a liquid form. The liquid is stored below the heating element in a bottom section of the hopper, and is continually adjusted to a predetermined level, in order to insure that 1) the liquid in the lower section has a substantially constant temperature distribution and 2) a skin or film is not formed on the heating element which would reduce the liquefying rate.

Passive liquifier

The present invention is the use of stellite material for all contact surfaces between moving parts and a metering pump pumping silver photographic emulsion. All parts that are in contact with the solutions containing silver made of stellite will prevent failure of rotating assemblies due to metallic silver plateout between rotating parts. Prior art pumps exhibited silver plateout after very few hours of operation.

Use of stellite to prevent silver plateout

A process for degassing a continuously flowing liquid stream is executed using an apparatus that comprises an air-tight housing, in which is mounted for rotation a centrifuge bowl of circular cross-section and having an inner surface for spreading centrifugally impelled liquid to be degassed and an annular peripheral trough for retaining centrifugally impelled degassed liquid. The liquid stream is fed into the bowl and the degassed liquid is withdrawn through a tube extending from an exit line outside the housing to an open end of elongate cross-section which is positioned within the trough of the bowl and is immersible in the degassed liquid. The pressure of the exiting degassed liquid is measured, the pressure measurement being used to regulate the flow of liquid into the bowl so as to maintain a substantially constant level of the liquid therein. Gas is withdrawn to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure within the apparatus housing, and the flow of the degassed liquid stream is regulated so that the liquid level in the bowl remains substantially constant.

Vacuum degassing process

The present invention describes a method and apparatus in which solid gelatin chunks are liquefied, tempered, and debubbled in a single operation. The debubbling step is accomplished by evacuating and sealing off the loaded solid reservoir and heat exchanger before initiating the liquefying step. After the vacuum is applied, the gelled chunks are pressed into the heat exchanger, where heat is applied to the gelled chunks of photographic material. This liquefies the gelled chunks of photographic material. When the liquefied product gives a positive pressure at the heat exchanger outlet, the liquefied product is allowed to flow from the heat exchanger. Liquefying and tempering are performed as the solid chunks are pushed through the heat exchanger by the reservoir piston.

Direct coupled degasser and liquefier

The present invention describes a passive membrane degasser device in which solid chunks of photographic materials (15) are pumped past a hydrophobic membrane (10). Air from in between the chunks is forced through the membrane by pump pressure including a screw auger (11) and a vacuum (12) on the outer side of the membrane. The solid chunks of photographic material (15) are then transferred to a liquefier where conventional ultrasonic deaeration is performed. This device causes no sensitometric problems and permits using a continuous liquefaction system without the use of a centrifugal vacuum degasser.

Passive inline membrane degasser and liquefier

An apparatus for degassing a continuously flowing liquid stream comprising an air-tight housing, in which is mounted for rotation a centrifuge bowl of circular cross-section and having an inner surface for spreading centrifugally impelled liquid to be degassed and an annular peripheral trough for retaining centrifugally impelled degassed liquid. The liquid stream is fed into the bowl and the degassed liquid is withdrawn through a tube extending from an exit line outside the housing to an open end of elongate cross-section which is positioned within the trough of the bowl and is immersible in the degassed liquid. The apparatus further provides for measuring the pressure of the exiting degassed liquid, the pressure measurement being used to regulate the flow of liquid into the bowl so as to maintain a substantially constant level of liquid therein. The apparatus also provides for the withdrawal of gas to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure within the apparatus housing, and for the regulation of the flow of the degassed liquid stream.

Vacuum degassing apparatus

A nonmechanical shearing mixer uses fluid velocity to create sufficient turbulence to completely mix two fluid components. Mixing is accomplished in an annular mixing chamber defined by inner and outer cylindrical walls. A first fluid is forced under pressure outwardly through openings in the inner cylindrical wall, the openings being oriented and arranged to cause the first fluid passing therethrough to undergo a generally rotational fluid flow pattern in the annular mixing chamber. A second fluid entering the annular mixing chamber through openings in the outer cylindrical wall is similarly caused to undergo a generally rotational fluid flow pattern but in the opposite direction of the rotational fluid flow pattern of the first fluid. The two opposing rotational fluid flow patterns thus 'clash' in the annular mixing chamber and create a large amount of turbulence and shearing action resulting in effective and complete mixing of the two fluids. The mixed fluid components are continuously discharged from the annular mixing chamber.

Nonmechanical shearing mixer

A device for use in discharging a fluid from a fluid processing apparatus. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the device is suitable for those applications requiring both a low level of surface turbulence and a relatively high level of sub-surface turbulence. Low levels of surface turbulence generally result in small amounts of splashing and foaming, and also enable an effective fluid level to be established. Higher levels of sub-surface turbulence are often necessary in order to redisperse particles which might have migrated or settled in the fluid.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Walter Johannes