A New Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing of Photographic Dry Plates Without the use of a Dark Room.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing of
Photographic Dry Plates Without the use of a Dark Room.
LADISLAS NIEVSKY, Photographer of 14 Gransden Road, Shepherd's Bush, W.,
in the County of Middlesex, Loudon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
When the exposed plate has fallen into the tank A, Fig. I. and the slide Bis
closed, the tap C of the india-rubber ball D containing developing solution is
turned for the purpose of opening the way and the liquid pressed into the
tank as high as deemed necessary to cover the plate with, this operation being
watched through the red glass E which glass serves equally for watching the action
of developing. When this is completed the liquid is reabsorbed by release of the
ball and secured in it by closing of the tap C. The plate is fixed in the same way
by the ball D' and washed by the water contained in the ball D" when it is finished
and ready to be delivered. The number of indiarubber balls may be increased
in case of necessity to introduce into operation some other liquid or liquids.
(Fig. No. I.)
Fig. II. shows the side section of the apparatus indicating the sliding
grooves F. F¹.
Fig. III. shows the slides G. G¹.
The tank is provided at its upper part with a sliding lid and necessary grooves to
receive a darkslide (B) which has been provided with corresponding grooves and
slide placed exactly above the tank in such a manner that when the plate has been
impressed by light it is dropped into the tank through the sliding bottom of the
darkslide.
Having now particularly described the working and the nature of my invention
I declare that what I claim is :-
An apparatus for developing, fixing and washing in a broad daylight of exposed
photographic dry plates by means of emission and absorbtion of liquids through
pneumatic action in the same tank and without touching liquids during the
operation.
Dated this Seventeenth October 1891.
LADISLAS NIEVSKY,
14, Gransden Road, Shepherd's Bush, London, W.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing of
Photographic Dry Plates Without the use of a Dark Room.
1, LADISLAS NIEVSKY Photographer of 14 Gransden Road, Shepherd's
Bush W., in the County of Middlesex, London, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists mainly of a cheap and convenient apparatus for developing,
fixing and washing exposed photographic dry plates in broad daylight without the
use of the ordinary dark room and in an expeditious manner.
For this purpose [
provide a tank into which the plate is dropped from a superposed camera body
having by preference a magazine for dry plates mounted on the top of it. The tank
is charged pneumatically from hollow india rubber balls which contain the liquids
and which by means of taps can be put into and out of connection with the

page_text: tank as required for the respective operations of developing, fixing and washing
and all without the operator touching the liquids. The body of the camera is
adapted to slide on the tank so as to come over the opening in the tank for the
entry of the plate, and the plate after having been exposed drops into the tank
when the sliding bottom of the camera body is drawn aside from under the edge of
the plate. When the camera is moved away from the opening in the tank, the
same is closed by a sliding or other lid.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical longitudinal section through
an apparatus constructed according to my invention and adapted for instance to the
production of ferrotype photographs, Figure 2 is front view partly in section and
Figure 3 a part sectional plan. Figure 4 is plan of underside of camera body.
A is the tank wherein the plate is developed and fixed. The tank is fitted back
and front with a nonactinic glass pane E for examining the interior and with a
sliding lid B for closing the aperture in its upper part. D D¹ and D" are. hollow
india rubber balls adapted to contain respectively developing liquid, fixing liquid,
and water.
CCC are taps in the flexible pipes H H H for closing and
opening communication between the tank A and the balls D D' D". In order to
prevent undue splashing up of the liquids when admitted to the tank I prefer to
provide the latter with a deflector plate A'. The tank is made of metal or other
suitable material not injuriously affected by the liquids used and made detachable
from the apparatus so that when the day's work has been done the tank and its
appurtenances can be thrown into water and rinsed.
The body of the camera I is mounted on the top of the tank A so as to slide on
dovetail guides F or otherwise for covering or uncovering the aperture of the tank A.
When in the position Figure 2, the aperture is covered by the lid B. G Figure 1
is a slide at the bottom of the camera and K Figures 1 and 4 a lever for pulling it
back against the action of one or two helical springs L. On the top of the camera
body is by preference mounted a magazine M for holding a convenient number of
dry plates N with pusher piston O having lugs O¹ which are guided in slots and
with helical springs P which work in chambers P¹. The front of the magazine M
is covered by a lid Q which can be slided up for inserting a fresh number of plates
and in which works a slide R. The lid Q can be held in the down position by
means of a hook or button S so that it is held in such position when the slide R is
drawn up.
The action of the combined apparatus is as follows. The magazine having been
filled with plates the slide R is raised so that the piston O and spring P push the
dry plates forward whereby the foremost dry plate takes the position of the slide R.
By again depressing the slide R the said plate is pushed down into the camera
body 1. When it has been duly exposed and the picture thereon is to be developed
and fixed the camera is pushed over the opening in the tank A. the slide G drawn
back by the handle K and the dry plate dropped into the tank. The tap C is then
opened and developing liquid forced up into the tank by squeezing the ball D
till the required level of liquid is obtained in the tank as can be observed through the
panes E whereupon the tap C is closed the ball D retaining its compressed con-
dition by the pressure of the atmosphere. When the picture on the plate has been
sufficiently developed the tap C is opened the liquid allowed to run back into the
ball D and the tap C closed. In the same manner the fixing liquid is thereupon
forced into the tank A and in due course returned to the ball D₁ and subsequently
the washing water forced into the tank A and returned into the ball D". The
picture having been fixed and washed the plate is removed from the tank by means
of a suitable pair of pincers. While one photograph is being developed and fixed
another can be taken."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
First. An apparatus for the developing, fixing and washing without the use of a

page_text: dark room of photographic pictures taken on dry plates the said apparatus consisting
essentially of a tank which can be successively charged with the required liquids
and emptied of same pneumatically by means of hollow elastic liquid containers and
taps substantially as set forth.
Second. An apparatus as firstly claimed in combination with a camera body
provided with aperture at top for admitting the plate to be exposed and a slide at the
bottom for allowing the plate after exposure to drop into the tank substantially as
set forth.
Third. An apparatus as secondly claimed in combination with the pusher slide R
in a superposed magazine substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The construction of apparatus described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th dox of Tule 1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.