Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US4464035?oq=5%2C666%2C293
Timestamp: 2018-05-24 16:10:36
Document Index: 262457638

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 23', 'art 23']

US4464035A - Processing unit for developing photosensitive materials - Google Patents
Processing unit for developing photosensitive materials Download PDF
US4464035A
US4464035A US06443906 US44390682A US4464035A US 4464035 A US4464035 A US 4464035A US 06443906 US06443906 US 06443906 US 44390682 A US44390682 A US 44390682A US 4464035 A US4464035 A US 4464035A
US06443906
Eberhard Schoering
Disclosed is a processing unit with three treatment zones for photosensitive materials which are exposed imagewise, especially printing plates, comprising a housing top part which can be lifted off from a housing bottom part. Located on the housing top part are two separate run-in tables inclined obliquely downwardly which lead into feed slits. One run-in table can be folded against the front plate, whereas the other run-in table is integrated into the top side of the housing top part. Located on the rear side of the housing top part is a discharge slit with a run-out table inclined obliquely downwardly, which is equipped with an adjustable stop and which can be folded against the rear side of the processing unit. A heated air stream flows through an air outflow slit against the underside of the run-out table.
The present invention relates to a processing unit for photosensitive materials which are exposed imagewise, and more especially to a unit for processing printing plates. The unit has at least two treatment zones in which are located removable tank inserts which contain transport and guide devices for the continuous arcuate and linear guidance of the material through the treatment zones. In the first treatment zone there is a developing device having a cover which projects partially into the treatment fluid.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved processing unit for photosensitive materials.
In the processing unit of the invention, there is a third treatment zone with a removable tank insert. A tank bottom part is made integral and receives the tank inserts of the three treatment zones, and in each of the treatment zones the treatment fluids are applied to the top and bottom sides of the material to be developed. The material is guided in a straight line, within each treatment zone, in the region of application for the particular treatment fluid.
The processing unit 1 illustrated in perspective in FIG. 1 consists of a housing bottom part 2 and a housing top part 3 which can be lifted off from the housing bottom part 2. In the front plate of the housing bottom part 2 there is a filling-level indicator panel 92, from which the particular fluid level of the various fluid baths in the interior of the processing unit 1 can be read. Located in the housing top part 3 are two separate feed slits 7 and 8 with run-in tables 4 and 5 inclined obliquely downwardly. The material 14 to be processed, for example, a printing plate exposed imagewise, is pushed into the feed slit 7 in the direction of the arrow B or into the feed slit 8 in the direction of the arrow D. The run-in table 4 is attached pivotably to the front side of the housing top part 3 and, when the processing unit 1 is stopped, is swung in the direction of the arrow A so as to reduce the space requirement. The run-in table 5 is integrated into the top side of the housing top part 3 and, like the run-in table 4 in the swung-out position, extends slightly obliquely downwardly. The angle of these two tables relative to the horizontal is from about 5° to 25°. Located on the rear side of the housing top part 3 is a discharge slit 9 for the material 14 to be processed, through which the latter passes onto a run-out table 6, which is fastened to the rear side of the housing top part 3. The run-out table 6 is inclined obliquely downwardly and is equipped with an adjustable stop 10. During the time when the processing unit 1 is stopped, the run-out table 6 can be swung against the rear side of the processing unit 1 in the direction of the arrow C.
The material 14 introduced into the processing unit 1 first passes into the pretreatment zone or pre-chamber Io in which a pair of run-in rollers 33, 34 is located. The pre-chamber Io is separated from the developer fluid bath in the first treatment zone I by a separating web 27 containing orifices 28 which can be closed by plugs 45. When these plugs 45 are removed, the same fluid level as in the first treatment zone I is established in the pre-chamber Io, so that the lower run-in roller 34 dips into the developer fluid and moistens the upper developer roller 33, with the result that preliminary development of the material 14 takes place by means of the run-in rollers 33 and 34 which are wetted with developer. If such preliminary development is not desired, the orifices 28 are closed by the plugs 45, so that there is no developer fluid in the pre-chamber Io, and the pair of run-in rollers 33, 34 merely transports the dry material 14 further. The tank bottom part 23 is made trough-shaped in the treatment zone I and receives a tank 24 or a tank insert which contains, among other things, the separating web 27 and all the racking devices of the first treatment zone I and the pre-chamber Io. During further transport of the material 14 along the material path 20, a pair of transport rollers 35, 36 grasps the front edge of the material in the curved portion of the material path 20 and conveys it further in the form of an arc. To support the material 14 there is a support roller 46 which has no counter-roller opposite it. Located at the lowest point of the material path 20 in the treatment zone I is a pair of deflecting rollers 37, 38 which deflects the material 14 obliquely upwardly from the curved path, so that it runs through the brushing rollers in a straight line. Connected after the pair of deflecting rollers 37, 38 is a further support roller 48, adjacent to which is a device for applying the developer fluid to the material 14. This application device consists of brushing rollers 40, 41 located respectively underneath and above the ascending material path 20, with associated counter-rollers 39 and 42, respectively. These brushing rollers 40, 41 revolve at a predetermined speed of, for example, 150 revolutions per minute, different from the material transport speed. At the same time, the brushing rollers 40, 41 rotate in the direction of transport of the material 14. The counter-rollers 39 and 42 corresponding to the brushing rollers are driven only at the material transport speed and are, for example, rubber rollers. The tank bottom part 23 or the tank insert 24 is inclined in a straight line upwardly underneath the application device consisting of the brushing rollers and of the counter-rollers and contains a heating device 30 which ensures temperature control of the fluid in a range from about 20° to 30° C.
1. A processing unit for photosensitive materials which have been exposed imagewise, comprising:
an integral tank bottom member having at least three recesses and tank inserts inserted in said recesses to form three separate tanks to define three separate treatment zones for the photosensitive materials, one treatment zone in each tank, said tanks being adapted to receive and hold a treatment fluid for each treatment zone;
means positioned in each of said treatment zones for applying a treatment fluid to both the top and bottom sides of the photosensitive material, wherein the applying means in the first treatment zone includes a cover which projects partially into the treatment fluid contained in the first tank;
means, attached to said inserts which are selectively removable from each of said tanks, for transporting and guiding the photosensitive material through said treatment zones in a continuous manner, said guiding and transporting means including means for guiding the photosensitive material in a substantially straight line in the region of said means for applying treatment fluid in each of said treatment zones; and
a housing top part having two separate feed slits for the photosensitive material, and first and second run-in tables inclined obliquely downwardly, said first run-in table being positioned to feed the photosensitive material via a first feed slit to said first treatment zone, and said second run-in table being positioned to transport the photosensitive material via the second feed slit to said second treatment zone.
2. The processing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inclination of the first and second run-in tables relative to the horizontal is from about 5° to 25°, wherein said first run-in table is hingedly connected to said housing top part so that it can be swung down against the housing top part, and wherein said second run-in table is an integral part of said housing top part.
US06443906 1981-11-27 1982-11-23 Processing unit for developing photosensitive materials Expired - Fee Related US4464035A (en)
DE3147002 1981-11-27
DE19813147002 DE3147002A1 (en) 1981-11-27 1981-11-27 Verarbeitungsgeraet for bildmaessig exposed photosensitive materials
US4464035A true US4464035A (en) 1984-08-07
ID=6147310
US06443906 Expired - Fee Related US4464035A (en) 1981-11-27 1982-11-23 Processing unit for developing photosensitive materials
US (1) US4464035A (en)
EP (1) EP0080659B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH0347496B2 (en)
DE (1) DE3147002A1 (en)
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JP1680607C (en) grant
EP0080659B1 (en) 1987-04-08 grant
EP0080659A3 (en) 1984-03-07 application
EP0080659A2 (en) 1983-06-08 application
DE3147002A1 (en) 1983-06-01 application
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:SCHOERNIG, EBERHARD;REEL/FRAME:004257/0941
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SCHOERNIG, EBERHARD;REEL/FRAME:004257/0941