PHOTOTECHNICAL APPARATUS OF VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES

Abstract: A phototechnical apparatus of vertical arrangement for continuous development of photographic materials, particularly photographic plates, comprising between an input and an output terminal a series of at least two modules (1) of vertical arrangement and a forwarding unit (2) between each pair of the modules (1), wherein each module (1) includes passing rolls (3) arranged along three vertical columns and a reversing roll (4) in the lower part of the module (1) connected to two of the columns, characterized in that the modules (1) are arranged closely adjacent and separated by walls (5) of cross-section forming in both modules (1) a line crossing the tangential (plane) to the passing rolls (3) which are arranged in two adjacent columns separated by the walls (5). The invented apparatus makes development possible with low place requirements.

Description: PHOTOTECHNICAL APPARATUS OP VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT POR CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT OP PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, PARTICULARY PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES BACKGROUND OP THE INVENTION The invention relates to a phototechnical apparatus of vertical arrangement for continuous develop¬ ment of photographic materials, particulary photographic plates, comprising between an input and an output terminal a aeries of at least two modules of vertical arrangement and a forwarding unit between each pair of the modules, wherein each module includes passing rolls arranged along three vertical columns and a reversing roll in the lower part of the module connected to two of the columns. The invented apparatus renders possible the continuous develop- ment of different photographic materials as photographic pla ea, flat films in a way whereby place and chemiaala can be spared. A part of the known apparata for continuous development of photographic materials is constructed on the basis of modules. The chemicals needed for different development operations are placed in different vessels constituting modules, wherein cylindrical rolls forward the photographic material. The number of the rolls, the length of the way and the speed of forwarding in the module defined by the rolls, define the time through which the material to be developed resides in the module. During this the chemical medium of required quality heated to a required temperature ensurea the chemical processes needed for development. The chemicals are preferably circulated in modules and they are generally renewed by means of regenerat¬ ing media. The construction of the known apparata shows generally the intention to limit the space and especially the basic surface required by them. Thia aim follows from the fact that the basic surface of the apparata should be decreased in order to make their use in rooms of limited surface possible. Another aim is to limit the amount of the chemicals needed during processing, i.e. to develop as much photographic material aa possible by the use of a given amount of chemicals. In order to save place and ensuring the beat conditions of development the rolla are arranged with horizontal axles during work for fitting and forward¬ ing the photographic materials. A device of described construction is shown e.g. in the Test-German open-laid specification DE-AS 27 40 650, wherein Pig. 1 is a schematic view of a vertical arranged module. The module comprises passing rolls arranged along three vertical columns and it includea a reveraing roll beneath tne level of the two extreme columna in the lower part of the module. The inj>ut and the output of the modufe can be connected to a forwarding unit comprising a forwarding roll. The forwarding unit serves to leading the photographic material to be developed from one module to the other and to carrying out, if desired, chemical or other operations which may take place in relatively short time. The modules are arranged so that thex comprise the forwarding uπit3 between each pair of modules. This means that an apparatus for developing colour photography materials - it should contain generally three modules - has the width of three modules and two forwarding units at least. SUMMARY OP THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a photo- technical apparatus of vertical arrangement for continuous development of different photographic materials, whereby the desired phototechnical operations can be carried out in a place and chemicals sparing way. The invention is based on the recognition that the modules do not require separat¬ ing from each other and they comprise a lot of dead space which can be spared by advantageous arrangement of the passing rolls. According to the invention I recognized that in a photographic apparatus of vertical arrangement, compris¬ ing an input terminal and an output terminal, at least two vertical arranged modules therebetween and forwarding units connecting the modules, wherein each module includes pasaing rolls arranged along three vertical columns, the passing rolls being arranged with horizontal rotational axlea, it is a very useful improvement to arrange the modules adjacent to one another and to design them with suitable walls wherein the walls have a cross-section crossing in both adjacent modules the line tangential to the passsing rolls arranged in the columns separated by the wall, wherein said crossing is realised between the passing rolls in each pair therof. An advantageous embodiment of the invented apparatus comprises walls made of regular shaped segments, wherein in manufacture it is especially useful to select rectangular or circular shapes. The modules can be joined into one unit by aegmenta with concave parts whereby a self-supporting construction can be realised. The segments constitute generally a wall of homogeneous material * It is especially desired to choose the shape of the wall in the way that the laat dipa into the other modi le to a depth reaching at least the line connecting the axles of the passing rolls in the extreme columns, whereby it is possible to have considerable place savings. Por place savings it is advantageous to arrange a forwarding roll over the passing rolla in the forwarding unit, the rotational axle of which is between the planes covering the passing rolls in the adjacent columns of two modules separated by the wall of desired shape. The passing rolls can be arranged by threes in parallel horizontal planes or by fours in two rectangular planes with axles defining a parallelepiped being rectangular to the axles. Another possibility is to arrange them by fives wherein a central roll ia connected to four rolls arranged in two parallel planes. If it were a spacing in the central column of passing rolls because of the wall dipping into the space between the passing rolls of the extreme columns, it is of advantage to arrange therein means for filling up these spacings which can be exploited for batching, circulating chemicals or water, reacting substances needed e.g. for flus ' hing the inner space of the modules. It ia possible to diminish or stop the evapora- tion from the inner spaces of the modules when the modules are equipped with an upper conduit connecting their inputs and outputs whereby air is sucked away. The apparatus.according to the invention can be prepared with a ahape saving a lot of space and rendering a safe construction possible. BRIΞP DESCRIPTION OP THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail by way of example and with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a cross-section of a preferred complete module of the invented apparatus with an adjacent module, Figure 2 ia a partly croas-section of a module with concave self-supporting wall configuration and with passing rolls arranged by threes in the inner space, an Figure 3 is a partly croaa-aection of a module with a wave-form wall having passing rolls aaanged by fives with axles in three parallel vertical planes. DESCRIPTION OP THE PREPERRED EMBODIMENTS The pho otechπical apparatus according to the invention (Pig, 1) consists of modules 1 and is equipped with different means for actuating movable elements, batching and recirculating chemical substances, water etc,(not shown in the drawings). The modules 1 comprise in their upper part a forwarding unit 2 connecting them to one another in series. In the inner space of the modules 1 there are passing rolls 3, arranged generally in three vertical columns, along respective vertical planes. The rotational axles of the passing rolls 3 are horizontal and they define in each column a surface which may be a straight plane, however, it can consists of declined planes, too. In a module 1 it can be of course also an odd number of columns of the passing rolls, if desired. A reversing roll 4 is arranged in the lower part of the module 1 connecting the extreme columns in the three mentioned columns. A similar reversing roll 4 can be arranged beneath each further pair of columns of passing rolls 3, The reversing roll 4 is surrounded in known way by passing rolls 3 which are of less diameter than the passing rolls 3 in the inner space of the module 1, They are capable of pressing the photographic material to be developed to the outer surface of the reversing roll 4, The essence of the invention is to equip the modules (1) with a wall 5 which is not straight as in the art. The modules 1 have walls 5 ensuring the conformabilifcy of adjacent modules, Thia means that the wall 5 separates the modules not along a straight plane but it ia wave- -shaped, rectangular shaped or haa a croaa-aection of another favourable ahape, aa shown in Pigs, 1,, 2 and 3, The wall 5 can be concave curved, i.e. ensures a self- -supporting construction of the appaatus (?ig. 2). The wall 5 is advantageously shaped with dimensions in order to reach at least the depth of the surface defined by the - b - rotational axlea of passing rolls 3 arranged in the extreme columns. This means, the passing rolls 3 arranged in two adjacent modules 1 along the wall 5 separating them are • situated between two surfaces spaced by a distance less than the sum of the diameters of two adjacent passing rolls 3 separated by the wall 5, These two surfaces can define the place of a forwarding roll 6 arranged over the columns determining the mentioned surfaces• It is advantageous, of course, to select for the forwarding roll 5 a shape whereby the photographic material can be passed from a module 1 to another without causing any demage in it. As mentioned above the wall 5 of the module 1 can.be made of e.g. circular, rectangular shaped segments . with roundings or of concave elements whereby the modules 1 support one another. Experience shows that it is very advantageous to prepare walls with parallel surface elements. In this caae the modulea 1 can be joined easily into an apparatus. The module 1 is advantageously covered by a closing element 7 arranged over the forwarding roll 6 and defining an input 8 and an output 9, The advantage of this arrangement is the possibility of having a conduit over the closing element 7 wherein an air stream can be realised for limiting the evaporation of chemical compounds filling the modules 1, The horizontal rotational axlea of the passing rolls 3 can be arranged in the modules 1 in one plane, two and three planes. One plane is enough to place the rolls by threes, two perpendicular planes serve for placing them by fours and three paralle 1 planes for placing rolls by fives, Thia can be easily seen in the Figures 1, 2 and 3, The passing rolls 3 define in each caae three columns, wherein the middle column comprises empty spaces which can be filled by means 10, being capable of filling out the empty spaces and of conducting dif& rent liquids needed during work. They can serve to recirculating, too. In the module 1 the reversing roll 4 together with the passing rolls 3 and the threes, fours or fives of the passing rolls 3 forming a part of the three columns advantageously constitute replaceable units which can be placed in different parts of the module 1, In this case modules 1 of equal length can form the apparatus accord¬ ing to the invention. If it were desired, of course, modules of different lengths can be used, too. By placing the reversing roll 4 the length of way of forwarding the photographic material, i.e. the length of the active part of the module 1 can be regulated according to the require¬ ments, Thia means, the module 1 can be consisted of parts of equal inner dimensions for receiving the passing rolls 3 arranged with or without the forwarding roll 4, Of course, other embodiments can be also realized The given embodiment forming an apparatus according to the invention depends on the requirements of the development, wherein the dimensions of the rolls should be selected according to the features of the photographic material to be developed. In a module 1 it can be advantageous to prepare a part with dimensions equal or not to those of the parts receiving the rolla, wherein means for regulating the quantity of liquids filling the inner apace can be displaced. The walla and the forwarding elements of the apparatus according to the invention can be made of plastics or light metal, therefore it can be manufactured with relativ ly small dimensions. The apparatus made according to the features -shown above can be hanged e.g. on a wall (Pig, l) of a small room, as a bath-room of a little flat. It can be connected according to the well-known principles to water .supplying unit and to electric network and aciaated easily. These features are obvioua and form no subject of this inven- tion. Prom the above description, it should be understood that a lot of different shaped walla equivalent to those ahown above will be ithin the acope of the claimed invention and such shapes will depend on the materials used and the given circumstances.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 01 April 1985 (01.04.85); original claims 1-13 replaced by amended claims 1—14 (2 pages)] 1, Phototechnical apparatus of vertical arrangement for continuous development of photographic materials, particularly photographic plates, comprising between an input and an output terminal a series of at least two development units of vertial arrangement and a forwarding unit between each pair of development units, wherein each development unit includes passing rolls arrang along three vertical columns and a reversing roll in the lower part of the development unit connected to two of the columns, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the development units (1) are arranged closely adjacent and separated by a wall (5) of cross-section forming in both development units (1) a line crossing the tangential (plane) to the passing rolls (3) which are arranged in two adjacent columns separated by the walls (5)« 2, Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall (5) dips the depth of the rotational axles of the passi rolls (3) in the development units (l). 3. Apparatus aβ claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall (5) is made of circular surface elements. 4 Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall (5) is made of rounded rectangular surface elements 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall (5) is made of concawe surface elements. 6. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5» wherein the wall (5) is made of plastics by injection mouldi 7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein a forwarding roll (6) is arranged over the passin rolls (3) with rotational axle lying between two planes defined by the two columns of passing rolls (3) separated by the walls (5). 8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7. herein the development units (1) comprise passing rolls ( _ _ arranged in parallel horizontal planes by threes, 9, ..Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the development units (l) comprise passing rolls (3) arranged by fours in horizontal planes and in a perpendicular planes, each of the horizontal planes defined by the rotational asles of two passing rolls (3), 10, Apparatus as claimed in aay of claims 1 to 9, wherein the development units (1) comprise passing rolls (3) arranged by fives in three vertical planes, wherein the passing rolls (3) of tJae middle plane are assembled each to two passing rolls (3) in both extreme plan 11, Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the darelop ent units (1) comprise means (10) in the middle column of the passing rolls (3) for filling in the space between them, 12, Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein means (10) are connected to inlet and outlet means for liquids, 13, Apparatus as claimed in any of clains 1 to 12, wherein the development units (1) comprises means for regulating the quantity of liquids used for developing, 14, Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 * wherein each development unit (1) forms a module and the modules are connected by the walls (5) to one another.

Inventors: SCHNEIDER LASZLO, SCHNEIDER, LASZLO
Applicants: SCHNEIDER LASZLO, SCHNEIDER, LASZLO
Application year: 1984
Main classification: G03D3
IPC codes: G03D3