Development of imaging sheets employing photosensitive microcapsules

Abstract

In an apparatus for developing a picture on a sheet of developing paper from an exposed sheet of photo-sensitive material by pressing together the sheets of developing paper and photo-sensitive material, and in which such sheets in contact with each other are intermittently transported in a predetermined direction of sheet travel across a back-up surface, and a rotatable roller having its axis of rotation extending substantially at right angles to a longitudinal median of the back-up surface is transported relative to the back-up surface in directions parallel to the longitudinal median thereof while the roller is urged toward the back-up surface with the sheets of developing paper and photo-sensitive material therebetween so as to be pressed together at a relatively narrow stripe-like area defined by the rolling path of the peripheral surface of the roller; standby surfaces extend from the opposite ends of the back-up surface and are raised relative to the latter for defining shoulders therebetween by which the sheets are guided in being transported across the back-up surface, and the roller is situated on one of the standby surfaces during the transporting of the sheets and, when the sheets are at rest, the roller moves from one to the other of the standby surfaces and rolls smoothly across the contacting sheets therebetween.