IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BATHS FOR PHOTO- GRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES STURROCK Bank Street Dundee Forfarshire N.B. do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BATHS FOR PHOTO-
GRAPHIC PURPOSES to be as follows:-
I make my Bath square in form and fit it with any convenient number of Trays
laid one on top of the other. The Trays are 'made like sieves and are divided up
into small compartments with a protecting rim around each compartment; into
each of which I place à photo print and arrange them so that the water can
circulate round each print so as to secure greater efficiancy in the action of the
water in carrying off the soda and other chemicals and also that under the action
or motion of the water the prints cannot rub each other or be torn or injured by
the motion of the water in the process of washing.
.
I attach to the Bath a tap or valve with a ball or float for opening or closing the
valve made so as to allow the water to flow rapidly at first and slowly after the
bath is partly filled. I make openings with connections at the bottom of bath for
the water to pass in and out and I fix a syphon pipe so that it will begin to flow
as soon as the bath is full conveying the water' into a vessell under the bath, this
vessell is connected to mouth of syphon and ballanced on a fulcrum and as soon as
it is full it turns over and in doing so closes the inlet valve and keeps it closed
while the bath is being emptied by the syphon and as soon as the bath is empty it
relieves itself of its weight of water by a small outlet in its bottom and being
relieved it turns back into its place again and in so doing turns on the water into
the bath as before by opening the inlet valve.

page_text: I JAMES STURROCK Bank Street Dundee Forfarshire NB do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BATHS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC
PURPOSES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is the rapid filling and rapid emptying of a photo-
graphic washing bath or trough with or without a period of rest between these
actions Whereby a number of negatives or prints, or other photographic material
may be equally and thoroughly washed even with a limited supply of water."
To effect this object, I, by several means or methods to be afterwards described,
fill a Tank or vessel quickly to a height sufficient to cover the material to be
washed, and allow the water. to remain at, or near the same level for a definite
period, the duration of which is under the control of the operator. Further, by
means of the same apparatus I automatically empty the tank quickly. In this
manner I surmount the difficulty before experienced, of washing the top negatives
or prints of a batch equally with those lying at the bottom of the vessel.
I make my Bath or Tank square, or of any convenient form, and fit it with any
convenient number of Trays, laid one above, the other. The trays are made like
seives, and are divided up into compartments to suit the sizes of the negatives or
prints.
The rim of each tray rests immediately on the tray below, and is of sufficient
depth to allow the free circulation of the water around each print, and so more
thoroughly remove Hyposulphates or other chemicals.
I attach the water supply pipe to the tank, and provide it with a valve or tap of
peculiar construction. This tap (N° 1) or valve has two waterways, one of these is
very (1A) much larger than the other (1B), the larger opening is controlled by a
ball or float, while the smaller is free, and.not controlled in any way by the float.
This ball, or float is so situated and connected to the tap that when the water
reaches to a point above the highest print or negative in the bath, the main supply
of water is shut off in much the same manner as the water is shut off from an
ordinary water cistern. Instead of the tap or valve "being provided by two
separate or distinct water ways, it is (N°12) enough to have but one if it
it be so
constructed that the float controls only a part of the opening in such a manner as
to produce a result resembling a (2A) leaky valve. An imperfect. or leaky valve
would serve the purpose were it not for uncertainty in its action. In either case,
the larger opening in the tap or valve is of sufficient size to allow the water to
flow rapidly into the bath, until it reaches the desired height. The float now
operates so that the main supply of water is-shut off. This being accomplished the
water now flows only through the smaller water way, or the remainder of the
larger water way, as the case may be, and slowly enters the bath adding by small
degrees to the volume of the water already therein. This slow addition constitutes the
period of rest before referred to, between the filling and emptying processes. After

page_text: this slow addition of water has gone on for a length of time, the duration of which
is under the control of the operator, a point (No 3A) is reached when the water
overflows into (3. B) a balanced bucket or tank, situated under or in any con-
venient position near the main tank.
This bucket is so constructed, that when an amount of water has collected in it,
it pulls down below the level of the water in the tank, a flexible, or partially
flexible syphon (3 c), conveniently made of India Rubber. Immediately this action
takes place, the bath rapidly empties by the syphon, the water during this process
flowing through the bucket, with the object of keeping it down until the tank is
completely emptied.
The bucket is connected by a lever or system of levers, with the main supply
valve, in such a way that, whether the float or ball (No 4) is lowered or kept up
(No 5) during the emptying, no water enters the bath so long as the syphon is in
its. lower or emptying position. In the first instance the bucket actuates a
separate inlet valve (4A). In the second method the float is kept in its higher
position by a string, wire, or lever (5 A). After the tank is completely emptied, the
bucket itself empties by means of a small syphon (4 c) which is floated or started
at or near the moment of its falling. This small syphon although in operation
during the emptying of the large tank is from its inferior size, unable to empty
the bucket so long as the waste water coming from the main tank by the large
syphon, is passing through it. Immediately the large syphon has emptied the
main tank, this little syphon empties the bucket, and allows it to rise to its former
position.
.
During the time of emptying of the bucket by means of the small syphon ample
time is allowed for the lowest print or negative to drain. If the bucket be
carefully adjusted in its various parts a simple hole will serve in place of a syphon,
but it is safer to adopt the syphon.
By another method I allow the main valve to fill the bath at once. Through
an overflow, or opening, (7. A) at the side of the bath, the water runs over into a
bucket under or near the bath, (7 B) or in any convenient position as already
described this bucket, being balanced, tilts over or descends after receiving a
certain weight of water, and through its attachment by a rod (7. c) or lever to the
valve, this shuts off the supply of water in this instance completely.
Near the bottom, and at the side of the bath, I fix one or more small valves or
taps (7 D) which allow a small portion of the water to flow or drop into a second
small bucket (7 E) under or near the bath, or in any convenient position, similar to
the one for shutting off the supply. When this vessel is filled, it tilts over or falls,
and in so doing pulls down a syphon (7 F) conveniently made of India Rubber,
which at once empties the bath as before described.
Instead of the India Rubber syphon, another method may be adopted for
emptying the main tank. By connecting the bucket by means of rods, or levers,
with a plug, plunger, flap, or valve, (N° 6 A) fitted to an opening in the bottom of
the bath, and which opens immediately above the bucket. As previously described
the bucket, on being filled with water from the small valves or taps, tilts over, or
falls down, and in doing so, withdraws the plug, plunger, flap, or valve, and allows
the water to flow out of the bath.
In each case the water flowing out of the bath keeps down the bucket until the
bath is empty, when they themselves are emptied by the small syphon, or hole, as
already described, and immediately rise to their former positions. In so doing
they turn on the water supply, and replace the syphon, plug, flap, or valve. The
small valves or taps previously described, may be so adjusted by the operator, that.
the buckets may be filled and the water in the bath changed as often as he wishes,
and on being so adjusted, will not require any further attention on his part, but
will continue to act automatically, and with perfect regularity so long as water is
supplied. The two buckets (7 B + E) may be coupled together (7 G) in which case
the bath will fill and empty, quickly, without the period of rest.

page_text: Having now fully described my invention I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I do not limit myself to the exact methods herein described, as these may be
modified to a considerable extent without departing from the nature of my
invention, and what I claim is
Washing baths or tanks fitted with one or more tipping or falling buckets
in combination with one or more shut" off taps or valves, and flexible or partially
flexible syphons, and time regulating taps, or with a combination of one or
more floats, with or without tipping or falling buckets and time regulating taps,
whereby the filling and emptying of the bath with a period of slow action or rest
between these operations may be automatically obtained substantially as and for
the purposes described.
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