A Process and Means for Feeding Exposed Photographic Paper Strips through a number of Baths.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov.,
1897
A Process and Means for Feeding Exposed Photographic Paper
Strips through a number of Baths.
I, ARTHUR SCHWARZ of Berlin-Schoneberg Germany Manager of Works 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:
In the manufacture of photographs on a large scale, the exposed paper strips
are fed by a mechanical means through the various baths in order to develop,
tone and fix the photographic images.
The greater the production, the larger must obviously be the baths and as in
the treatment of such paper in over hanging tracks such as has been hitherto
practiced, a certain depth of bath could not be exceeded on practical grounds, the
number of baths had to be increased and such arrangement required a large space
which is not always available.
A further defect arises from the feeding of the paper strip through the baths
by means of one continuous travelling band or web whereby the paper as it passed
from one bath to the other carried with it some of the liquid of the preceding
into the following bath. It is obvious that the cleaner the solution, the more
efficiently it operates and the longer it can be used, and hence such treatment was
very imperfect.
To avoid such defects the heights of the baths are increased and the passage of
the travelling band from one bath to the other is prevented without interfering
with the passage of the paper through all the baths.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, guides rollers are arranged at each
side of the baths being made of material capable of withstanding the action of
the liquid in the baths. Near the wall of the adjoining bath II is arranged above
the bath I a feed roller band in proximity to the opposite wall is arranged the
guide roller c. Starting from the latter roller an endless band 1) of suitable
material descends to the lowermost roller and then passes to the roller opposite
the latter and thus continuously from one roller to the roller of the other wall
in a zig-zag way in order to pass finally over the feed roller to the guide roller c.
The feed-roller is rotated in any suitable manner, the band I travelling in the
manner set forth, so that as it leaves the guide roller its paper carrying side which
is turned outwardly remains in the same position when passing over the feed
roller of the second bath. This is an important feature of my invention as
otherwise the paper strip P could not be passed from one bath into the other by
reason of each travelling hand remaining in its bath. The end of the paper strip
which is fixed to the travelling band at the roller is drawn by the latter into the
bath, traverses the same with the band D in a zig-zag way and reaches the feed
roller turned towards bath No. II. The operative removes the end of the paper
strip as shown in the drawings and fixes it upon the band D of bath No. II
ti

page_text: which travels similarly to the former band through this bath, the said strip reach-
ing the feed roller where it is taken off the band D and fixed toithe band of the
third bath and so on throughout all the baths.
As each mah has its own band or web D it matters not how saturated the latter
is with the liquid contained in such bath. On its passage from one bath to the
other the liquid carried is only that which adheres to this paper strip and hence
the baths are soiled but to a very small extent. Owing to this horizontal arrange-
ment of the feed, one bath will suffice to treat as many paper strips us
hitherto treated in three or more baths. Thus the solutions used in this bath
last longer, the paper strip is better supported throughout its travel and less
space is required than heretofore.
Wera
From the last bath, that is to say from buth No. TV in the drawings, the wet
paper strip reaches the drying device consisting of a long tubular channel T hent
downwardly and connected to a suitable heating appliance such as H in such a
manner that the heated air ascends in the channel T, dries the paper strip P pass-
ing over the guide rollers and escapes outwardly through the flow pipe which
may be high enough to produce a natural draught of sufficient intensity to dry
the paper, or this pipe could if short he provided with an exhausting device the
paper is finely wound up on the roller W.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A process and means for feeding exposed photographic paper strips through
a number of adjacent developing toning and fixing baths, by successively fixing
such strips to separate travelling bands moving horizontally in a sorpentine or
zig-zag way over suitable feed and guide rollers through the various baths, sub-
stantially as herein described and shown.
2. The improved heating means for drying the photographic paper strips
after leaving the last bath, substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 16th day of October.
DE KATOW & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.