Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 24th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Nov., 1887
I, ARTHUR MARRIOTT, of 13 Swann Street, Loughborough in the County of
Leicester, Coppersmith and Ironplate Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the washing of photographic prints by the action of cold
water, and it has for its object the improved construction of apparatus whereby this
operation can be automatically performed in a more expeditious and thorough manner
than heretofore.
The invention comprises the use of a cylindrical vessel of suitable dimensions and
constructed of any suitable material at or near the lower end of which is fixed a
water tight bottom; at the bottom of this vessel and rotating close to it is a water
wheel with a convenient number of arms, this wheel is a little less than the inner
diameter of the vessel and is secured to a vertical axis working freely in a lower
bearing secured to the bottom and an upper bearing formed in a bar placed across the
top of the vessel.
This wheel is driven by a number of water jets set at a suitable angle on the
bottom of the vessel, each jet being supplied with water from a central reservoir
underneath the bottom provided with a supply pipe or by any convenient
arrangement.
Immediately above this water wheel is a false bottom resting on bearings secured
to the sides of the vessel. It is formed in the shape of an air propeller with a
convenient number of propellers and to prevent the prints from slipping through
them the space between each is filled with a perforated metal plate placed in a
vertical position.
To prevent the prints from collecting in the centre by the action of the water the
centre space above the false bottom is occupied by a hollow perforated cone and to
prevent the vessel from overflowing there is an opening in the side near the bottom
connected with a pipe which is carried up the side to a convenient height and then

page_text: bent down again in the form of a syphon; at the upper bend of this pipe or syphon
is a small air inlet provided with a tap and by opening or closing this inlet the pipe
may be used as an overflow pipe or as a syphon to empty the vessel.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The prints to be washed are placed in
the vessel above the false bottom and the water entering by the jets turns the
water wheel the action of the water wheel forces the water through the false bottom
in waves in a circular direction and the whole of the water in the vessel is kept
moving by this action the prints are gently turned over and over and are kept
constantly in motion until they are removed.

page_text: Improvements in Washing Photographic Prints and in Apparatus
therefor.
1, ARTHUR MARRIOTT of 13 Swann Street, Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, Copper smith and Ironplate Worker, 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 relates to apparatus for washing photographic prints by the action
of cold water and it has for its object the improved construction of such apparatus
whereby this operation can be automatically performed in a more expeditious manner
than heretofore.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section and figure 2 a plan of the apparatus.
Figs. 3 and 4 are elevation and plan of the water wheel. Fig. 5 is an elevation and
fig. 6 an isometric view of the false bottom. The invention comprises the use of a
cylindrical vessel A of any suitable dimensions and material, at or near the lower
end A of which is fixed a water tight bottom B. Immediately above the bottom B
and rotating close to it in a horizontal plane is a water wheel C provided with a
convenient number of arms D (see figures 3 and 4); this wheel is a little less than
the inner diameter of the vessel A and is secured to a vertical axis E working freely
in a lower bearing F secured to the bottom B of the vessel and an upper bearing Ġ
carried by a bar H placed across the top of the vessel A.
At the upper end of the vertical axis E which is carried through the bearing G is
secured a small hand or indicator I to show the speed at which the water wheel is
turning a suitable dial J being secured to the bearing bar H.
The wheel C is driven by a number of water jets K set at a suitable angle on the
bottom B of the vessel each jet K being supplied with water from a central
reservoir L underneath the bottom B provided with a supply pipe M or by any
convenient arrangement. Immediately above the water wheel C is a false bottom N
resting on bearing brackets O secured to the sides of the vessel A ; it is made up of
a number of sectors P (see figures 5 and 6) preferably equal to the number of arms
in the water wheel C; each sector P is set at an angle to the plane in which the
water wheel C revolves thus leaving radial slots or openings between the sectors P
through which the water can pass; to prevent the prints from slipping through
these openings perforated metal plates Q are secured in them or wires may be placed
across at a convenient distance.
The water wheel C revolves in the direction indicated by the arrows in figure 6
from which the water receives a circular motion, as it is forced through the openings
in the false bottom N an upward motion is also imparted to it by the sectors P, this
upward motion may be increased or reduced by altering the angle of the sectors P
of the false bottom N.

page_text: To prevent the prints from collecting in the centre a cone or cylinder R provided
with projections R¹ is placed on the vertical axis E with which it revolves; if preferred
this cylinder may be perforated.
To prevent the vessel A from overflowing there is an opening in the centre of
the bottom B connected with a pipe S which is carried up the side to a convenient
height and then bent down in the form of a syphon; at the upper bend of this
pipe S is an air inlet provided with a tap T and by opening or closing this inlet the
pipe S may be used as an overflow pipe or as a syphon to empty the vessel.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The prints to be washed are placed on
the vessel A above the false bottom N and the water entering by the jets K turns the
water wheel C the action of which forces the water through the openings in the false
bottom N in circular waves to which an upward tendency is also imparted by sectors P
and the whole of the water in the vessel A is kept moving. By this action the prints
are gently turned over and over and are kept constantly in motion. The impurities
washed from the prints work to the centre of the vessel and sinking to the bottom
are carried away by the pipe S.
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
1. In an apparatus for washing photographic prints the employment of a water
wheel such as C driven by jets such as K located in the same vessel that contains the
water wheel both wheel and jets being submerged during the operation of washing
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for washing photographic prints the combination with a water
wheel C and jets K of a false bottom such as N substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The complete apparatus for washing photographic prints constructed and
operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1887.