Patent
1984-05-29
1987-01-06
Mathews, A. A.
354323, 354324, 354330, G03D 1304
Patent
active
046342516
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an apparatus for developing photographs inter alia colour photographs and photographic strips with the aid of a developing drum that can be heated "au bain-marie" and be driven rotatably about its longitudinal axis, to which and from which the fluids required for the development can be fed and evacuated respectively.
Such an apparatus is commercially available. In this known apparatus the developing drum can be closed by means of a cover. For introducing and evacuating the fluids required for development the drum has, each time, to be lifted out of the heating bath, after which the introduction and/or evacuation of fluids can be manually carried out.
The very serious disadvantage thereof is that the temperature of the developing process is insufficiently controlled. It should be noted that the temperature fluctuations in a developing process of colour photographs must not exceed an order of magnitude of 0.3.degree. C. Obviously the known developing apparatus cannot satisfy this requirement so that the inadequate control of the process may result in great differences of colour reproduction. Usually the developing drum is cleaned by flushing with tap water so that it is drastically cooled. A limitation of the known device resides in that in consequence of the large number of processes involved in the development, particularly of colour photographs the probability of faults, for example, inaccurate dosing or false time setting is inadmissibly high. In practice it is found that this limitation gives rise to deviations from the desired dosings and times and hence to colour differences.
Summarizing it is noted that the prior art is not sufficiently capable of controlling the temperature during all process steps of development and the setting of the required time intervals in a manner such that even utmost care cannot sufficiently guarantee that photographs of constant colour quality can be produced.
The invention has for its object to obviate the mentioned drawbacks and limitations of the prior art and provides to this end apparatus of the kind set forth in the preamble, in which not only the developing drum but also all stock containers for the fluids required for development are placed in the fluid bath heating the developing drum and held therein during development.
Preferably the developing drum comprises three coaxial compartments separated by transverse partitions, the first serving to receive the photograph or photographic strip to be developed, for which purpose it is closed at its free and remote from the transverse partition by a liquid-tight cover, the second containing means for supplying the fluids required for development in a liquid-tight and light-tight manner and the second and third compartments comprising means for the introduction and evacuation of the fluids used in a light-tight manner.
A given embodiment is characterized in that the second compartment has a spiral-shaped wall of more than 360.degree. extending around the rotary axis, the inner space of which communicates with one or more feeding ducts for the or all fluids required for development and the outer space is closed at its end by a partition and is in open commucation through an orifice in the transverse partition with the first compartment and in that the third compartment also has a spiral-shaped wall extending around the rotary axis, the outer end of which is in open communication channel extending across the second compartment along the peripheral wall thereof with the first compartment and the inner space is in open communication with a central outlet orifice
The first compartment preferably comprises a shell plate extending along the whole length thereof, the communication channel being connected below said shell plate with the third compartment.
In a preferred embodiment the stock containers can be subjected to gas pressure and selecting and dosing means are provided for successively feeding at will and in the desired amounts the fluids required for development to the second compartment.
Very simp
REFERENCES:
patent: 3703860 (1972-11-01), Wilkinson
patent: 4005463 (1977-01-01), Kowalski
patent: 4035818 (1977-07-01), King
patent: 4169671 (1979-10-01), Culler
patent: 4219269 (1980-08-01), Bernhardt
patent: 4227794 (1980-10-01), Tabin
patent: 4248514 (1981-02-01), Watkins
patent: 4277159 (1981-07-01), Descotes
patent: 4346979 (1982-08-01), Faubert
501 Elektrotechnisch Bureau Moekotte B V
Mathews A. A.
Snyder John P.
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