Treatment of Photographic Prints or Pictures.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 12th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th Oct., 1887
Treatment of Photographic Prints or Pictures.
We, JOHN URIE, Senior, and JOHN URIE, Junior, both of 83 Jamaica Street,
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Photographic Artists, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode and means
or arrangement of mechanism for developing, clearing, toning, fixing, or other
ordinary chemical treatment or washing of photographs, which have been previously
exposed and printed by artificial or other light in long lengths, bands, or webs of
sensitised paper or fine surface cloth or other web fabric, all by and while traversing
the said webs or bands at a constant regulated speed simultaneously through the
required well-known chemical and other liquid baths required for the various
purposes stated; which improvements will produce work of more uniform excellence
and save much time and labour as compared with the modes and means heretofore
in use for treating said photographic prints, singly or in short lengths containing
a few prints, in the various baths at different times.
The improvements of our said invention consist all as follows:-According to
one arrangement and adaptation suitable for treating the photographic printed
bands of paper for book illustrations up to 12 inches or so broad, we take the
photographic bands, as printed in the photographic printing machine or otherwise,
and wind them on to rollers to be put into journal bearings in a dark box, and fed
forward to and through the new developing and treating process and arrangement
of mechanism; or when the printed bands are delivered loose into dark boxes, these
may be removed to and passed through a pair of feeding-in rollers at the entering
end of the new arrangement of mechanism. The web or band of printed paper from
the said dark boxes and supply rolls or feed rollers, is led over guide and reversing
rollers placed over and within the said developing and other treating baths, ranged in
their proper sequential order in advance of each other, as required to be used, on a
table or platform, which would preferably be in the form of a tray to receive and

page_text: convey away any liquid that may be spilt. The baths would preferably be constructed
in a deep narrow form for getting the greatest and best action of the chemicals with
economy of materials, and so that the deposit would settle to the bottom and not
pervade the whole bath; while the traversing of the paper would always cause a
motion of the liquid which would also aid in maintaining the liquids in the baths in
a uniform state throughout for action. The web of photographs would in this way be
led over the said upper guide rollers and down under the rollers in the lower part of
the baths, and may be thus undulated up and down one, two, or more times within the
bath to give a longer or shorter time of treatment within the bath, as within the first
or toning bath, which takes longer than either the second or clearing bath or the
after toning or fixing baths, or the intermediate washing baths. Beyond the fixing
bath the drawing and delivery drum or roller would be mounted by its central shaft
in journal bearings in side frames, preferably mounted in a portable form over a
cistern of washing water, so that the web of photographs would be led over the sides
and upper surface in a moist state from the fixing bath, and be delivered down into
the water washing cistern on the front side. The drawing drum would be considerably
larger than the width of the widest paper to be treated, and preferably large enough
in diameter to give sufficient circumferential surface that it could draw the web paper
over the guide and immersed rollers and through the several baths by the gripping
action of the wet paper on its surface and deliver it into the washing bath below.
But for large machines and wide webs of paper, weighted drawing rollers might be
laid on top of paper and drum to assist the gripping action. This drawing and
delivery drum which pulls the paper through the machine would be driven either by
motive-power machinery, or it might be by clockwork or other gearing actuated by
weights or springs at a uniform time speed, regulated as desired by the driving cone
pulleys when motive bands are used, or by small oscillating fan blades; or it might
be EL brake on the high speed gearing of the weight or spring clockwork mechanism
when that is employed; or a shifting pendulum might be used on an escapement
motion, or other equivalent governor which would regulate the velocity of the gearing
to actuate the drawing and delivery drum at the desired speed the paper was wished
to be drawn through the baths for the time being. To further regulate the time the
paper web and prints would be under treatment in the several baths to perform their
respective operations, the undulating and guide rollers immersing the paper within
the baths may be mounted on portable frames which can be raised and lowered into
the baths to give a longer or shorter time traverse of the material through the baths;
or the baths might be fitted with movable siphons which would regulate the height of
the liquid within the baths higher or lower to act on the paper for the greater time
length of the traverse of the paper through them. Or by another arrangement in
some cases the paper on leaving one bath might be passed over a movable raising
and lowering guide roller before allowing it to enter the next bath; or by an equi-
valent arrangement the baths might be removed further from each other, and in either
case allow the paper photographs to be under the action of the chemicals in the
last bath for a longer period, after leaving one bath before entering the next.
Any of these arrangements might give a nice adjustment as to seconds of time
under which the photographic prints might each be under treatment within the
respective baths; while the speed at which the drawing and delivery drum actuated
the paper might regulate a mean speed of the traverse of the paper which would
suit the treatment in the baths generally for being otherwise regulated as stated
within the individual baths.
Although deep narrow baths have been described as being generally preferable,
for giving longer chemical action or treatment with the least amount and waste of the
mixtures or liquid employed, yet many other forms of baths might be employed to
give the same effect, as by making a wide broad bath, and immersing an inverted
close hollow vessel within it, with the guide rollers at its under edges or angles to
keep the paper immersed and clear of either the lower or upper vessel, the immersion
of this upper vessel, which might be hung by cords and counterweights and pulleys
so as to immerse it to any desired depth.within the bath, raises the liquid higher or

page_text: lower within the narrow side spaces through which the web was made to travel, thus
giving a longer or shorter action of the chemicals on the paper. For giving a more
uniform strength of the chemicals and action in each bath, a cistern of the mixture
would preferably be mounted a few feet or so above the top level of their respective
baths, and a rubber or other pipe led down to each bath from its cistern above,
controlled by a small tap to regulate the supply of liquid to the bath and keep a
motion of liquid through the bath. A lower cistern would also be fitted below each
bath for allowing the overflow liquid from each bath to pass down to the lower cistern,
the liquid from which might be occasionally removed, or forced up by air pressure
into the upper cistern to keep up the constant current through the bath, the drawing-
off pipe or siphon regulating the height of the liquid within the bath.
Although only one drawing and delivery drum or rollers has been described, other
intermediate drawing rollers might be employed to lessen the strain on the web of
paper, these secondary drawing rollers being driven at the same speed as the others
by bands and pulleys, which bands might be tightened by a movable spring pulley
to regulate the driving tension and allow the bands to slip on their pulleys when the
strain on the paper became too great; and tension cords or friction levers might he
employed on the spindles of the supply rolls or rollers to keep the web tight.
1

page_text: Treatment of Photographic Prints or Pictures.
We, JOHN URIE, Senior, and JOHN URIE, Junior, both of 83 Jamaica Street,
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Photographic Artists, do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode and means,
or arrangement of mechanism for developing, clearing toning, fixing, or other
ordinary chemical treatment or washing of photographs, which have been previously
exposed and printed by artificial or other light in long lengths, bands, or webs of
sensitised paper or fine surface cloth or other web fabric, all by and while traversing
the said webs or bands at a constant regulated speed simultaneously through the
required well-known chemical and other liquid baths required for the various
purposes stated; which improvements will produce work of more uniform excellence
and save much time and labour as compared with the modes and means heretofore in
use for treating said photographic prints, singly or in short lengths containing a few
prints, in the various baths at different times.
And in order that the nature and novelty of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing or carrying our improvements into effect or practice may be properly
understood, we have hereunto appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which
the same reference letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures
where shown. Figures 1 and 2 show a sectional elevation and a plan respectively, of
one construction, or general arrangement and combination of the parts, of our
improved mechanism for carrying out our said Invention of continuously treating
webs of photographic prints previously printed in long lengths, all in accordance
with one arrangement of our improvements.
Referring to these Drawings, the improvements of our said invention consist
generally and mainly all as follows:-According to this arrangement and adaptation
suitable for treating the photographic printed bands of paper a for book illustrations
say from 12 to 15 inches or so broad; we take the photographic bands, as printed
in the photographic automatic printing machines, or otherwise, and wind them on to
rollers A one at a time, having their spindles 6 put into journal bearings through

page_text: slots 6, or through the rollers A and bushes in a dark box B, carefully closed with a
lid B', and it might be with black cloth, that no light can enter, and fed forward to
and through the new developing and treating process and arrangement of mechanism
all as hereinafter described. Or the printed bands a might be delivered loose from
the printing machine into deep dark boxes, from which the bands a may be removed
to and passed through a pair of feeding-in rollers at the entering end B of the new
arrangement of mechanism. In either case the web or band a of printed paper from
the said dark boxes B or supply feed rollers, is led over guide and reversing rollers c, c¹,
², c³, placed over and within the first or developing bath and then through the other
treating or clearing, toning and fixing baths D, E, F, ranged in their proper sequential
order in advance of each other, as required to be used, on a table or platforni, which
might be in the form of a tray as indicated at Z to receive and convey away any
liquid that may be spilt. The chemical baths C, D, E, F, would preferably be
constructed in a deep narrow form for getting the greatest and best action of the
chemicals with economy of materials, and so that the deposit would settle to the
bottom and not pervade the whole bath and be easily drawn off; while the traversing
of the web of paper a would always cause a motion of the liquid which would also
aid in maintaining the liquids in the baths in an uniform strength and state throughout
for action. The web of photographs a would in this way be led over the said upper
guide rollers c and down under the rollers c¹ c¹ in the lower part of the baths and over
a roller or rollers c³ at the upper part of the bath within the liquid and out over an
upper guide roller c³ of the various baths, and may be thus undulated up and down
one, two, or more times within the baths to give a longer or shorter time of treatment
within the baths, as within the first or strong bath C, which takes longer than either
the second clearing bath D, or the after toning or fixing baths E, F, in which
latter E, F, the paper a is shown as only making one undulation under a roller c¹,
at the bottom of the moving frames E, F, and it might be also under rollers in the
intermediate washing water baths G, H, although this is not preferred. Beyond the
fixing and clearing baths C, D, a drawing and delivery drum or roller I would be
mounted by its central shaft in journal bearings in side frames or brackets ",
preferably mounted in a portable form over the first cistern G of washing water, so
that the web a of photographs would be led over the sides and upper surface in a
moist state from the clearing bath D, and be delivered down into the water washing
cistern G on the front side of the roller I. The drawing drum I would be considerably
larger than the width of the widest paper a, to be treated, and preferably large enough
in diameter to give sufficient circumferential surface that it could draw the web
paper a over the guide and immersed rollers of and through the several baths C, D,
by the gripping action of the wet paper on the surface of the drawing roller I, and
deliver it into the water of the washing bath G below in undulations over each other
as shown. But for large machines and wide webs of paper, weighted drawing rollers
might be laid on top of paper and drum to assist the gripping action. This drawing
and delivery drum I which pulls the paper through the machine would be driven
either by motive-power machinery, or it might be clockwork as shown at J, or other
gearing, actuated by weights W or springs at an uniform time speed, regulated as
desired by the driving cone pulleys P when motive bands p are used as shown on the
spindles,, of the succeeding drawing drums 11, 12, and the spindle 63, of the
delivery roller A³, carrying the web of paper a, subsequently through the baths E, F,
and second washing trough H; or it might be by speed controlling small oscillating
or sliding fan blades j; or it might be by a friction pressure spring or brake with
controlling pressure screws acting on a pulley j³ on the high speed gearing J¹ of
the weight or spring clockwork mechanism J, J', when that is employed; or a shifting
pendulum might be used on an escapement motion, or other equivalent governor
which would regulate the velocity of the gearing J', to actuate the drawing and
delivery drum I, at the desired speed the paper a was wished to be drawn through the
baths for the time being. To further regulate the time the paper web and prints a
would be under treatment in the several baths to perform their respective operations,
the undulating and guide rollers c², c², immersing the paper within the baths may

page_text: be mounted on portable frames C, D, E, F, which can be raised and lowered into
the baths to give a longer or shorter time traverse of the material through the baths;
either fixed by pins at d, in the sides of the trough, or these trays might be carried by
counterbalancing cords and weights over pulleys above, so as to instantaneously
raise and lower them within the baths. One of these immersing frames C¹ is shown
in detached side and end elevation in Figure 3; or the baths might be fitted with
movable siphons which would regulate the height of the liquid within the baths
higher or lower to act on the paper for the greater time length of the traverse of
the paper a, through them, although this is not seen in the modification shown in the
illustrated Drawings. Or by another arrangement in some cases the paper a on
leaving one bath might be passed over a movable raising and lowering guide roller
before allowing it to enter the next bath; or by an equivalent arrangement the baths
might be removed further from each other, and in either case allow the paper photo-
graphs to be under the action of the chemicals in the last bath for a longer period,
after leaving one bath before entering the next.
Any of these arrangements might give a nice adjustment as to seconds of time
under which the photographic prints might each be under treatment within the
respective baths; while the speed at which the drawing and delivery drums actuated
the paper, might regulate a mean speed of the traverse of the paper which would suit
the treatment in the baths generally for being otherwise regulated as stated within
the individual baths.
Although deep narrow treating baths have been described as being generally
preferable, for giving longer chemical action or treatment with the least amount and
waste of the mixtures or liquids employed, yet other forms of baths might be employed
to give the same effect, as by making a wide broad bath K, and immersing an
inverted close hollow vessel K' within it as indicated at Figure 4, with guide rollers c¹
at its under edges or angles to keep the paper a immersed and clear of either the
lower or upper vessel while passing through the liquid, the immersion of this upper
vessel K, which might be hung by cords and counterweights or pulleys at d¹, so as
to immerse it to any desired depth within the bath K, raises the liquid higher or
lower within the narrow side spaces K through which the web a was made to travel,
thus giving a longer or shorter action of the chemicals on the paper. For giving
a more uniform strength of the chemicals and action in each bath, a cistern C³, D³,
E, F, of the mixture would preferably be mounted a few feet or so above the top
level of their respective baths C, D, E, F, and a rubber or other pipe e led down to
each bath from its cistern above, each controlled by a small tape to regulate the
supply of liquid to the upper part of the bath and keep a motion of liquid through
the bath. An equivalent lower cistern would also be fitted below each bath although
not shown in the Drawings, for allowing the overflow liquid from each bath to pass
down to the lower cistern, the liquid from which might be occasionally removed, or
forced up by air pressure into the upper cistern to keep up the constant current
through the bath. For this purpose a drawing-off pipe or siphon might be used to
regulate the height of the liquid within the bath although not shown in the Drawings,
or taps e may be fitted at the lower of the baths to regulate the drawing-off of the
liquid or the sediment into the said lower receiving cisterns.
Although only one drawing and delivery drum or roller I has been described, other
intermediate drawing rollers I, I, would be employed to lessen the strain on the web
of paper a while passing through the machine to the subsequent baths and washing
troughs E, F, and H; these secondary drawing rollers being driven at the same speed
as the first I either by clockwork J, J', as shown actuating the drum 12, or by bands,
and cone reducing speed pulleys P, which bands might be tightened by a movable
spring or weighted pulley as shown at p¹ steadied in a guide p³ to regulate the driving
tension on the web of paper a and allow the bands p to slip on their pulleys P when
the strain on the paper becomes too great; and tension cords, or friction springs
or levers such as ',, shown on the clockwork J, J¹, might be employed on the
spindle b, or a pulley on the spindle b, of the supply rolls or rollers A to regulate
the tension and keep the web a tight while passing over its guide pulleys.

page_text: Referring to details of the operation and arrangement of parts not yet referred to :-
The continuous traverse developing operation with this arrangement of machine can
be done all as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, in day light to observe the effects
and get perfection of results at the various stages, the dark box B, B', into which the
web of paper a is put, is preferably portable and removable as at B³, for being
removed to a dark room and having the roll of printed paper A, a, inserted into it,
and replaced from time to time as used up. The developing bath may be made of
metal such as sheet iron as the usual chemical salts of oxalate of potash or sulphate
of iron do not materially affect this. But as the usual chemical salts employed in the
clearing, toning and fixing baths D, E, and F, such as sulphuric or acetic acid or
alum, chloride of gold or calcium, and the hypo-sulphite of sodium respectively,
would act on metallic baths, it is preferred to construct these of wood, or wood
coated with gutta percha, or of vulcanite or porcelain, which would resist the action
of these chemicals, and so not deteriorate the mixtures in the baths and the action
on the paper.
But the washing troughs G and H might be made of wood alone,
or wood lined with zinc or other metal for ease in cleaning. And the water would
be led to the upper part of these troughs by tubes as indicated at
9, fitted with
regulating taps, not shown in the Drawings, and be drawn off by a siphon, at a fixed
height as indicated at g¹, also controlled by a tap at g², as seen and indicated by arrows
in Figure 1. For the better removal and treatment of the damp web of paper a
being delivered into the troughs G and H from the drawing drums I and I, water
is preferred to be played on to it, both in the upward and downward directions
on opposite sides, from a perforated forked tube h, h, between the forks of which the
paper is made to pass, leading the water from service pipes /', ', controlled by taps /*
from a common supply pipe h³, as particularly seen in Figure 2.
But the driving
drums I, I, I, might, in some cases, be partially immersed in the water within their
troughs G and H which would also facilitate the removal of the paper from the
drawing rollers.
Although we have only shown the web of paper a regularly and continuously
drawn through the machine by weighted clockwork small water pressure or other
convenient motive engines might be used, of which the speed could easily be regulated,
driving the spindles of all the drums by light friction cords as p, the driving tension
of which would be regulated on their pulleys to slip before the strain was too much
for the damp web of paper being drawn through the machine. The paper after
passing through the machine would preferably be wound up and delivered in a wet
roll at A' after being thoroughly washed in the last trough H, which might be made
of any desired length for thoroughly washing the chemicals out of the paper, before
being so rolled up; and the rollers A would be removed successively as each web was
treated and rolled up, to be unwound in a drying room over cords or otherwise; or
otherwise instead of the paper being so rolled up in rolls, it might be conducted over
a guide roller at the end of the machine A³, and conducted into a drying room adjacent
to this developing mechanism, over rollers or traversing carrying cords.
And although we have only referred to treating prints on webs of paper, it will be
understood that the prints might be made on webs of cloth or other web fabric and
treated all in an equivalent, manner. And that although we have described the
arrangement of the mechanism for completely treating the fabric from the beginning
to the end of the process it will be understood that any section of this process may
be taken and treated separately, such as toning and clearing the web in a continuous
inanner, and rolling the paper up in rolls at I, after being thoroughly washed in first
water trough G; and afterwards taking those rolls and treating them in a separate
machine in a continuous manner for toning and fixing in baths as E and F and
trough H, as a separate division of the process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The construction of a machine or general arrangement and combination of

page_text: the parts, of mechanism for chemically treating, or developing, clearing, toning,
fixing and washing photographic prints or pictures traversed at a regulated speed
continuously in a web or band of paper or other web fabric, all substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. For the chemically treating and washing of photographs in a continuous
web or roll, the use of drawing and delivery drums, driven at a regulated speed for
carrying forward the web of paper, either with or withont spray jets of water for
removing and delivering the paper from the surface of the drawing drums, sub-
stantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. For the chemically treating of photographs in a continuous web or roll,
the traversing of the web through deep or other baths, which would regulate the
duration of time the web was under treatment, substantially as herein described, in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
D
1
101
T
1007