Agfa-gevaert Ag

Agfa-gevaert Ag-phototechnik

Wilfried Hehn

Viktor Osegowitsch

Georg Fryda

Werner Sieber

Harald Fengler

Franz Kocourek

Ubbo Wernicke

Gerhard Benker

Bernhard Lorenz

Stefan Huber

Thomas Hammer

Werner Sperber

Josef Glass

Ernst Schweiger

Manfred Schlechte

Avelino Fernandez

Siegfried Kurths

Rainer Regber

A device for removing moisture from individual sheets of a photographic material has a pair of transport rollers at the incoming side and another pair of transport rollers at the exit side of the device. Arranged between the roller pairs is a squeeze-out surface with a wiper blade set against the squeeze-out surface.

Device for removing moisture from sheets of photographic materials

A device (,) for the intermediate storage of photographic material (,) in sheet form includes an entrance (,) for receiving the material (,), an exit (,) for discharging the material (,) and several rotatably supported rollers (,) which are provided to transport of the material in sheet form (,) from the entrance (,) to the exit (,) and can be driven by at least one drive means (,). A monitoring means (,A,,B) for monitoring positions of intermediately stored sheets (,) of the photographic material (,) is also provided. A control means (,) controls the rotation speeds of the driveable rollers (,) in such a way that during operation the rotation speed of at least one of the rollers (,) can be adjusted independently of the rotation speeds of the other rollers (,) in response to the monitored positions.

Device for intermediate storage of photographic sheet material

A carrier for photosensitive sheets of copy paper is cleaned to remove adherent paper particles. The carrier can be an endless belt in which case a cleaning member bears against the lower run of the belt. The carrier can also be a turntable. If the turntable is unable to move horizontally, a cleaning member for the turntable is mounted on a pivotal arm so that the cleaning member can be brought to the turntable. On the other hand, if the turntable is shiftable along a horizontal direction, the cleaning member can be stationary and the turntable is then moved to the cleaning member when the turntable is to be cleaned.

Apparatus and method for the handling of light-sensitive layer carriers

A system for processing photographic material has a series of processing vessels containing different water-based processing baths. A reference vessel is mounted on one of the processing vessels and serves to compensate for the evaporation of water from the processing vessels. To this end, the reference vessel accommodates a body of water as well as a float switch having an upper contact and a lower contact. The reference vessel and processing vessels are open at the top and a feeding arrangement is provided to admit water into the respective vessels through their open tops. The feeding arrangement includes one or more pumps connected to a control unit which is further connected to the float switch. When evaporation causes the water in the reference vessel to fall to the level of the lower contact of the float switch, the control unit activates the pump or pumps to replace the water lost from each of the vessels by evaporation.

Compensating for evaporation from a photographic processing vessel

An apparatus for developing exposed sheets of photographic material has a developing tank and a fixing tank which are separated by a vertical dividing wall, Each of the tanks has a transporting system for continuously transporting the exposed sheets through the respective tank, A transferring unit is located adjacent the upper end of the dividing wall and functions to transfer the sheets from the developing tank to the fixing tank without interruption, The transferring unit includes a pair of withdrawing rollers which grip the sheets as they emerge from the developing tank and a pair of feeding rollers which receive the sheets from the withdrawing rollers and advance the sheets into the fixing tank, The axes of the rollers are parallel to one another. The axes of the withdrawing rollers lie in a first plane which is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees and the axes of the feeding rollers lie in an oppositely inclined second plane which likewise makes an angle of 30 to 60 degrees with the horizontal, The withdrawing rollers cooperate with the feeding rollers to define a trough-like space and a guide roller projects into this space, The guide roller intercepts the leading ends of the sheets as they emerge from the withdrawing rollers and directs the leading ends to the feeding rollers,

Apparatus for wet processing photographic sheets

Successive or selected sheets of a series of exposed sheets of photosensitive material which are to enter a developing machine are shifted sideways through identical distances or through randomly selected distances so that each next-following sheet partially registers with one or more preceding sheets. The series can consist of a single row or of plural rows of exposed sheets. Such lateral staggering of the sheets ensures that the sheets contact each portion of each advancing roll in the developing machine so that the rolls cannot gather layers of impurities which could affect the quality of next-following sheets. The sheets of the series have identical formats.

Method of and apparatus for positioning photosensitive sheets

A process for the treatment of a photographic material with a bath containing at least one processing chemical, in which, after the treatment bath, the photographic material is guided upwards through a sloping compartment which closely surrounds the photographic material and is washed from above with water which, under the effect of gravity, flows in countercurrent to the photographic material, leads to a surprisingly marked reduction in the chemical load of the material.

Method for processing photographic materials

That side of a running web of photographic material issuing from a bath of a developing machine which is not coated with photosensitive material is relieved of entrained liquid by a rigid stationary wiping member which constitutes or forms part of a cylinder extending transversely of the path of movement of and contacting the uncoated side of the running web. The coated side can be wiped by a lip which engages the web opposite the area of contact between the uncoated side and the wiping member.

Device for wiping liquids off running webs of photographic material

An arrangement for wet processing running lengths of exposed photographic reversal film has a pair of rinsing tanks downstream of a developing tank in which the film undergoes an initial development. The film consecutively advances through the two rinsing tanks. A liquidtight container is mounted on the inner surface of the second rinsing tank adjacent to the path of the film and spans the width of such path. At least a portion of the container is disposed below the level of the bath in the second rinsing tank and this portion of the container is provided with a window which is transparent to light and extends across the width of the path followed by the film. A light source is arranged in the container behind the window. The film travels by the window with the emulsion facing the latter and is subjected to an additional exposure as it traverses the window.

Wet processing arrangement and method for photographic reversal material

A tank for the wet processing of photographic material has a container mounted on the inside of one of its walls. The container communicates with a source of processing liquid and has at least one nozzle for spraying the liquid against photographic material being conveyed through the tank. The nozzle defines a constriction in the tank and an enlargement is present below the constriction. A movable rack has several pairs of rolls which serve to advance the photographic material through the tank, and one or more sheet-like guides for directing the photographic material to the nips of the rolls. At least one such guide is located below the constriction when the rack is mounted on the tank in working position and a portion of this guide is then disposed in the enlargement. To prevent the guide from catching on the nozzle upon removal of the rack from the tank, the guide is mounted on the rack for pivotal movement between an inoperative position and an operative position. In the inoperative position, the guide is pivoted towards the interior of the rack so that it can pass by the constriction and is unable to provide guidance for photographic material. In the operative position, the guide is pivoted towards the exterior of the rack and is capable of directing photographic material along the latter. A spring normally urges the guide to its inoperative position.

Tank with rack for wet processing photographic material

Sheets or webs of color photographic material are conveyed at a relatively low speed through a developing bath in a first vessel and thereupon through a fixing bath in a second vessel. Some liquid is drawn from the second vessel or from a source of fresh fixing solution and is sprayed uniformly and at an elevated pressure against the photosensitive layer of photographic material at or close to the upper level of liquid in the second vessel so as to remove streaks or droplets of developing solution which adhere to the photosensitive layer downstream of the first vessel.

Apparatus for wet treatment of photosensitive material

A dryer for photosensitive material has a main housing. A blower housing with a blower is mounted inside the main housing. A container defining a drying compartment is also mounted inside the main housing on top of the blower housing. An inlet opening in the bottom of the container establishes communication between the blower and the drying compartment. A transporting unit consisting of a support which carries a series of transporting rollers, a series of guides and drive means for at least some of the rollers is removably mounted in the container. The main housing is provided with an aperture, and the transporting unit functions to draw photosensitive material into and to discharge photosensitive material from the drying compartment via the aperture. The main housing is further provided with an air admitting opening for the admission of fresh air to the blower. The blower housing and the container cooperate with the main housing to define air flow channels so that drying air which has traveled through the drying compartment can be recirculated to the blower. The container has an open upper end, and the main housing has a removable cover which overlies such end. This allows the transporting unit to be withdrawn from the container in the event of a malfunction, or for maintenance or repair. The transporting unit can subsequently be reinserted in the container.

Dryer for photosensitive material

A wet processing arrangement for photosensitive articles has a container for a processing bath. A rack is mountable in the container and includes a set of rollers which define nips for advancing photosensitive articles through the bath. A drive for the rollers is disposed inside the container. Means is provided to eliminate air bubbles which tend to form beneath the nips of the rollers as the rack is immersed in the bath.

Wet processing arrangement for photosensitive articles

An arrangement for the wet processing of photographic materials includes a container for a processing bath. A rack for transporting the materials through the bath is removably mountable in the container. The container has a longitudinally extending bottom wall as well as a pair of longitudinally extending side walls, and these walls are constituted by a one piece extrusion consisting of a synthetic resin. The extrusion is shaped to match the outline of the rack. The container further has a pair of injection molded end walls which likewise consist of a synthetic resin. The end walls are fused to the respective ends of the extrusion. The rack is divided into two sections to facilitate introduction of the rack into, and removal of the rack from, the container.

Arrangement for wet processing photosensitive materials

Apparatus for drying sheets of photographic material has a group of parallel lower horizontal shafts and a group of parallel upper horizontal shafts which are staggered with reference to the lower shafts. All of the shafts extend transversely of the direction of travel of sheets therebetween and carry elastic rollers which engage and advance the sheets. Certain shafts carry holders for U-shaped guide members which flank the path of the sheets between the rollers on the upper and lower shafts and prevent the leaders of the sheets from curling into the spaces between the upper or lower shafts. The distance between the axes of two neighboring lower or upper shafts is at least 2D and the distance between the upper and lower guide members is less than D, wherein D is the outer diameter of a roller. The spaces between the rows of rollers on neighboring upper and lower shafts serve (a) to provide room for nozzles which discharge streams of hot gaseous fluid to expel moisture from advancing sheets and (b) to provide room for evacuation of moisture-laden fluid.

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Munich, Germany

Wilfried Hehn