IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR USE IN WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND OTHER ARTICLES OR MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I FREDERICK HAZELDINE of Lant Street Borough in the County of Surrey
Contractor do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR USE IN WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND OTHER ARTICLES OR
MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to a simple construction of trough for washing photographic
prints, negatives or chemical compounds, whereby the whole body of the washing
water and particularly the portion containing the salts dissolved out, is changed at
frequent intervals with the least necessary waste of water the operation of the
washing trough being entirely automatic without the use of any mechanism.
The trough is divided into two compartments of which the first or washing
compartment receives a constant stream of water that flows from the one compart-
ment to the other, whilst the second compartment is provided with an outlet
siphon or valve. The trough is so balanced that when the second compartment
fills to a certain height, the trough assumes suddenly a tilted position thereby
violently agitating the water among the prints or materials being washed separating
them and starting the siphon or opening the valve. The arrangement is such that
the outflow shall gain on the inflow so that the water will be run off from the
second compartment faster than it flows into the first, until, the second compart-
ment having been almost emptied, the counterpoise preponderates and returns the
trough to its horizontal position again agitating the water & whereupon the trough
refills and the same operation is repeated.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I have illustrated
it in the accompanying drawings and will proceed to describe it more fully with
reference thereto.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the trough in its normal position and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same. Figure 3 is a similar section showing the trough
in its tilted position. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all
the figures.
A and B are the two compartments of the trough separated by a partition C
which rises from the bottom to within a certain distance of the top of the trough.
The compartment A is the larger of the two and in it are placed the prints or
substances to be washed. D is another partition dipping into compartment A at

page_text: a short distance from partition C, and reaching from the top of the trough to
within a short distance of the bottom so as to compel the water at the lower part
holding in solution the salts washed out (and which being of greater specific
gravity sink to the bottom of the trough) to pass out through the space between
the two partitions CD into compartment B. E is a syphon of which the short
leg dips into compartment B and reaches within a very short distance of the
bottom whilst the bend of the syphon is sufficiently below the top of the trough to
ensure the syphon being started automatically when the trough assumes the
inclined position Figure 3. The longer leg of the syphon extends sufficiently below
the bottom of the trough to ensure the action of the syphon continuing until the
compartment B is sufficiently emptied. The trough oscillates on a transverse
fulcrum formed by a downwardly projecting rib or plate F fixed or hinged to, and
extending across, the bottom of the trough and in its normal position (Figure 1)
the trough rests partly on the fulcrum F and partly on a downwardly projecting
part G at the end opposite to the syphon, which part G is sufficiently loaded to
preponderate and to bring the trough back to its horizontal position when the
compartiment B is nearly empty, but is overcome when the compartment B fills up
to about the top of the partition C the relative position of the partition C and of
the fulcrum F being such as to enable this action to take place by the alternate
preponderance of the weight G and the full chamber B. The compartment A
receives a constant supply of water so regulated that the inflow is somewhat less
than the outflow through the syphon E.
Figure 4 shows an example of a valve which may be substituted for the syphon.
The valve is opened by its spindle coming in contact with the surface on which
the apparatus rests when the apparatus tilts as in Figure 3, and is closed by a
spring or by gravity when in the position Figure 1. Other forms of valves than
that shown might be used.
The apparatus may be made of tinware or other suitable material such as
earthenware or ebonite and if of metal should be protected on the inner surfaces
against the action of the chemicals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of any said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
A photographic or chemical washing trough or tray divided by partitions as
described and provided with a syphon or valve outlet and counterweight and
arranged to rock automatically upon a fulcrum substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of Tenu1001