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:
Oct. 20, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1996
Gareth B Evans, Potten End, GB;
Anthony Earle, Harrow Weald, GB;
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
Photographic processing apparatus in which both exposing and processing stages of a photographic process are combined to form a single unit or linked so that a continuous web of photographic film or paper is used in both units at the same time is known. However, due to differences in speed of the exposing and processing stages, there is a need to store a 'buffer' length of the material being processed between the two stages. Described herein is a method of varying the speed of the processing stage of photographic processing apparatus to compensate for changes in the capacity of a processor while maintaining a constant path length. This achieved by changing its activity of one of the steps in the processing stage, for instance, by changing the temperature of the development step. This is feasible without unacceptable time delays or energy or chemical consumption associated with changing the solution activity by the use of low volume tanks with low capacity. The system can be controlled by providing a means of maintaining the transport speed of the paper using the measured temperature of the solution.