Improvements in Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing Photographic Films and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing
Photographic Films and the like.
I, NORMAN WIGHT, of 5, S. John's Avenue, Boscombe, Bournemouth, in the
County of Southampton, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The principal object of this invention is to treat photographic films without
handling thein or exposing them to the light and without the necessity of using
a dark room, but it is also useful for avoiding handling in a dark room.
The apparatus consists of a box divided into two compartments by a moveable
partition each compartment being provided with a door. The upper compartment
contains a drum or reel and the lower compartment has a false bottom free to rise
and fall being mounted as a parallel ruler or in other like way.
The mechanism for removing the partition turning the reel and raising and
lowering the falso bottom is so arranged that it can be operated from the outside
without admitting light.
In using the apparatus the doors are opened and the end of the film to be treated
is drawn into the upper compartment through a slit and fixed to the reel.
The upper door is shut and the reel turned drawing in the film through the
slit.
When the desired length has been wound on the reel it is automatically
secured and separated from the remainder by a knife working inside the box and
operated from the outside. A tray containing the proper solution or liquid is
placed on the false bottom, the lower door is shut and the partition removed. The
false bottom is then raised until the solution in the tray comes up to film on the
recl. The reel is then turned so as to bring all the film in turn into contact with
the solution for a sufficient time. When it is desired to change the solution the
false bottom is lowered the partition is replaced and the tray removed through the
lower door.
Sight holes covered with coloured glass may be provided to enable the film to
be inspected and one of these is preferably in a trunk projecting inwards from
one side of the box into the interior of the reel.
When the film is wound with a strip of paper into a roll, as is usual with
cartridges such as are used for loading cameras in daylight, this roll is brought to
the apparatus in a case having two slits one for the film corresponding to the slit
in the box and the other for the paper to pass out as the film is wound up on the
reel and the roll consequently unwound.
T
1
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page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Developing, Fixing, and Washing
Photographic Films and the like.
I, NORMAN WIGHT, of 5, St. John's Avenue, Boscombe, Bournemouth, in the
County of Southampton, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The principal object of this invention is to treat photographic films without
handling them or exposing them to the light and without the necessity
of using a dark room, but it is also useful for avoiding handling in a dark
room.
By films I intend to indicate all surfaces on which photographic positive and
negative images are produced.
The apparatus consists of a box divided into two compartments by a moveable
partition each compartment being provided with a door. The upper compart-
inent contains a drum or reel and the lower compartment has a false
bottom free to rise and fall being mounted as a parallel ruler or in other like
way.
The mechanism for removing the partition turning the reel and raising and lower-
ing the false bottom is so arranged that it can be operated from the outside without
admitting light.
In using the apparatus for treating a flexible film the doors are opened and the
end of the film to be treated is drawn into tho upper compartment through a slit
and fixed to the reel.
The upper door is shut and the reel turned drawing in the film through
the slit. When the desired length has been wound ou the reel it is
automatically secured and separated from the remainder by a knife work-
ing inside the box and operated from the outside. A tray containing
the proper solution or liquid is placed on the false bottom the lower door
is shut and the partition removed. The false bottom is then raised until
the solution in the tray comes up to film on the reel. The reel is then turned so as
to bring all the film in turn into contact with the solution for a sufficient time.
When it is desired to change the solution the false bottom is lowered the partition
is replaced and the tray removed through the lower door.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical central sections at right angles to each other.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Figure 2, the case m and reel being omitted.
Figures 4 are central sections at right angles to each other of the printing case o.
Figure 5 shows a stand for the reel.
a is a box provided with two doors a¹ a² and divided into two by a sliding
partition b. c is a shaft having one end working in a bearing a³ in the side of the
case and the other end in a bearing d¹ at the end of a spindle d working in a
sleeve a projecting inwards from the door a¹. The spindle d is normally pressed
inwards by the spring d² keeping the bearing d¹ in contact with the shaft c but it
can be pulled a short distanco outwards to disengage it and held in that position by
causing the pin to enter the bayonet joint slot in the sleeve a*. e is a sleeve
fitting on the shaft c and revolving with it by reason of a pin c¹ carried by the shaft
entering a notch in a flange on the sleeve. c² is a nut screwing on the shaft and
holding the sleeve in place. The sleeve e has fixed to it a disc el carrying bars e²
whose other ends are connected by an annular plate the whole forming a reel.
By unscrewing the nut c² the reel can readily be removed and the width of the box
is such that wider reels than that shown can be employed to receive wider films.

page_text: 3 is a worm wheel fixed to the shaft c and gearing with a worm ƒ on a shaft f1
turned by a handle f2 outside the box. g is a false bottom mounted on parallel
links g¹ and raised and lowered by a roller h bearing on its underside. The roller h
is carried by an arm h' fixed to a shaft h² turned by a handle h³ outside the box.
When raised the arm h is turned slightly beyond the vertical and rests on a stop so
remaining in that position until the handle h³ is turned back again. In Figure 1
the false bottom g is shown raised and in Figure 2 lowered. j is a mirror fixed to
the door al and going inside the reel. jjaro sight holes glazed with non-actinic
glass through which the film can be inspected either directly or by reflection. The
holos can be closed by shutters j³. k is a bath having a dovetailed foot k¹ fitting
in guides g² on the false bottom g. e is a bar having its ends fixed to the disc e¹
and annular plates e³. If it is intended to treat short lengths of films several such
bars are provided in suitable places or the bar may be moveable. I are a pair of
jaws pivotted to and normally pressed down onto the plate e' (fixed to e¹ and e³) by
the spring 12 is a lever pivotted to the plate e5 which when the parts are in the
position shown comes above the tail ends of the jaws and holds the jaws off the
plate e5. m is a case and m¹ its lid. This case fits into a hole in the box a
being prevented from entering too far by the ridges m². The case m receives a
frame m³ carrying a roller m and bearings for a spool n on which is wound the
film n and black paper n² (technically known as a cartridge). m³ is a spring arın
bearing on the cartridge and preventing it from accidentally unwinding. m is a
roller at the front of the case m. The caso m might be dispensed with, pivots for
the cartridge being provided inside the box but this arrangement is not so con-
venient. o (Figures 4) is a somewhat similar case fitting the same hole in the box a and
containing a spool o¹ of sensitive paper or film, a printing frame o² and a slide o³.
At its front end is a roller ot. P is a knife working in guides a in the box a
(these are omitted in Figure 1), and m7 05 in the cases m and o, it is operated by a
handle p from the outside of the box a. a are flaps or guards to receive drips
and return them into the bath.
All the openings into the box a and cases m and o are rendered light tight in well
known ways.
When employing the apparatus for developing a cartridge film which has been
exposed in a camera in the ordinary way the procedure is as follows:-
The cartridge n containing the exposed film is taken from the camera and placed
in the case m. A short length of the film n¹ and of the black paper n² are unwound
the one being led under the roller mt and forwards the other round the roller and
backwards. The lid m¹ is then put on and the case inserted into the hole in the
box the parts being in the positions shown in Figure 2. The door a¹ is opened
and the reel is turned by the handle f to bring the bar e close to the end of the
film n' which projects into the box. The film is then clipped or attached in any
convenient way to the bar e and the door a¹ is shut. The recl is then turned in the
direction of the arrow Figure 2 winding the film onto it, the corresponding length
of black paper being simultaneously drawn out of the rear of the case m.
Or the cartridge box may be provided with a receiving roller to take the backing
paper, which roller may either be operated by hand from outside the box or auto-
inatically, in such case the slit for the backing paper is not required as the paper
does not pass outside the box.
After a time the flange e of the plate e comes against the roller m² and prevents
the further movement of the reel and simultaneously the projection 13 on the lever 12
comes against the stop as (Figure 3) on the door and the lever is turned freeing
the jaws which are then caused by their spring to hold the filin against the plate e5.
The knife p is then forced down cutting off the length of film which remains
fastened on the reel. The knife is raised and the case m slightly withdrawn so as
to allow the reel to turn but not sufficiently to admit light. A bath / containing a
suitable developing solution is next put into place on the false bottom g, the door a²
is closed the partition b withdrawn and the false bottom g raised. The reel is then
turned by the handle 2 until the whole of the film has been sufficiently treated.

page_text: The bottom g is then lowered, the partition 6 put in, the door a² opened and the
The same
developing solution replaced by a fixing or other solution or water.
operations are repeated and so on until the treatment of the film is complete. The
door is then opened the nut c² unscrewed and the reel with the film on it
removed. A spindle q is passed through the sleeve e, and the reel, mounted on the
stand, Figure 5, is put under a stream of water, which causes it to revolve and
thoroughly washes the film.
In using the apparatus for printing, the procedure is very similar :-The end of
the sensitive paper is led from the bobbin o' (Figures 4) through the slots of o7 into
the box a (which is laid onto its back) its end being attached to the reel as above
described. The frame o containing the negative os is put into place, the slide o³ is
withdrawn and the frame pressed home to bring the surface of the negative into
contact with the film and the shutter o" of the frame is opened. After a sufficient
exposure the shutter o is closed, the frame o2 is pulled out sufficiently to allow the
paper to be drawn through but not sufficiently to allow light to enter, the reel is
turned a short distance and the frame pressed home again.
A second exposure is
then taken and so on until the reel is stopped by e. The knife p is then forced
down cutting off the paper, the length on the reel being treated in a similar manner
to that above described. On putting in the slide o³ the frame o² may be removed
and the negative changed before the whole length of film has been drawn in.
Pointers & may be provided capable of being clamped by a nut s¹ to the spindle d
so that they turn with the reel. These pointers can be set to indicate the position
of any parts of the film requiring special treatment and also to indicate the amount
to be wound on after each exposure in the printing frame.
If a dark room be employed the reel is placed on the stand 7 Figure 5 a handlo
being fitted to the spindle and the film or paper as the case may be attached to it,
the necessary baths being placed in succession under the stand. In this way the
photograph may be manipulated without any handling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of treating photographic films consisting in carrying them through
a bath on a revolving reel.
2. The combination of a reel, menus for atttaching a photographic film to the
reel, bearings supporting the reel, and a bath beneath it.
3. The combination of a box, a slide dividing the box into two compartments, a
door to each compartment, a reel in the upper compartment, means operated from
outside the box for revolving the reel, a bath in the lower compartment, and means
operated from outside the box for raising the bath.
4. The combination with the subject matter of the preceding claim of a knife
operated from outside the box.
5. The cartridge holder and printing frame substantially as described and illus-
trated in the drawings.
6. Apparatus for developing fixing and washing photographic films and the like
substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1898.
NORMAN WIGHT.