The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 05, 1995
Filed:
Apr. 12, 1994
Alan G Eeles, Bellingdon, GB;
Leslie J Pummell, Rickmansworth, GB;
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
It is usual for photographic material to follow a set path along which the material is transported through various processing stages in photographic processing apparatus. The apparatus is arranged so that the material is transported therethrough in one direction only, passing from one processing stage to the next in a pre-arranged sequence. However, it may be desired to re-visit a processing stage positioned upstream of the processing stage from which the material has just exited. Described herein is apparatus in which material being processed can be directed from one processing stage to any other processing stage regardless of its positioning within the apparatus. Two processing tanks (10, 20) containing processing solution (18, 28) and processing racks (11, 21) submerged therein, are connected together by means of two tracks (30, 40). Each track (30, 40) transports the material in either a forward direction or a reverse direction as indicated by arrows 32 and 42 respectively. A plurality of track portions (310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317) connect each processing rack (11, 21) with the two tracks (30, 40). A plurality of switches (102, 202, 300, 302, 400, 402) are provided for directing the material either from one of the tracks (30, 40) into respective ones of the processing racks (11, 21) or from one of the processing racks (11, 21) on to one of the tracks (30, 40).