Apparatus for developing and fixing heat sensitive film

Apparatus for developing film having a substrate and a previously exposed light sensitive emulsion carried thereon, the apparatus comprising:

• a film developing station including a pair of opposing, spaced apart first and second platens, the spacing between the platens being greater than the thickness of the film, the first platen facing the emulsion;
• means for heating the first platen to a predetermined temperature;
• means for flowing pressurized gas through the first platen to heat the gas, the first platen defining a plurality of orifices distributed over the surface of the first platen facing the emulsion and fluidly connected with the gas flowing means;
• whereby heated gas is discharged from the orifices to form a gas bearing for the film and heat the emulsion to the developing temperature;
• transport means including means for feeding the film in a downstream direction to the developing station and means for withdrawing the film from the developing station, the withdrawing means including at least one surface engaging the film and moving at the same rate at which the film moves to prevent relative movements between such surface and the film and possible surface damage to the film.

Apparatus for developing and fixing exposed film having a light sensitive emulsion comprising:

• a support structure defining an upstream and a downstream end for positioning of the upstream end adjacent a supply of exposed film, the support structure defining first, second and third cavities along a film travel path between the upstream end and the downstream ends;
• first and second film heating platens for developing exposed film disposed in the first cavity in opposing relationship, the spacing between the platens being greater than the thickness of the film, means for heating the platens, and means defining a fluid flow passage through at least one of the platen facing the film emulsion;
• means defining a multiplicity of orifices distributed over the face of said at least one platen, the orifices communicating with the flow passage so that pressurized air introduced into the flow passage is heated by the heating means and discharged through the orifices and against the film emulsion to thereby heat the film and form an air bearing for the film as it moves past the platens;
• cooling means disposed in the second cavity in alignment with a gap between the platens in the first cavity and defining a narrow channel of a width greater than the thickness of the film for passing the film in a downstream direction through the channel, the cooling means defining a multiplicity of openings communicating with the channel for flowing cooling air into the channel to thereby cool film in the channel;
• means positioned in the third cavity for fixing developed film moving past the third cavity;
• means for passing cooling air into the second cavity to thereby flow the cooling air through the openings into the channel to cool film therein;
• and
• transport means for moving the film from the upstream end of the support structure to the downstream end thereof.

Apparatus for developing and fixing an exposed microfiche having a light sensitive emulsion carried on a substrate comprising:

• a closed housing having an inner chamber, an intake at an upstream end of the housing and an outlet at a downstream end for the housing for passing the microfiche through the chamber;
• the housing chamber defining serially arranged first, second and third cavities between the intake and the outlet;
• a developing station positioned in the first cavity and including means for heating the fiche to the developing temperature for the emulsion as the fiche passes the developing station;
• a fiche cooling station positioned in the second cavity;
• an emulsion fixing station positioned in the third cavity for fixing the previously developed and cooled emulsion of the fiche;
• a pair of rollers positioned between adjacent cavities and adjacent the intake and the outlet;
• at least rollers positioned between cavities and adjacent the outlet having a hollow interior and means communicating the hollow interior with the housing chamber, the rollers further including a polished surface finish so that film positioned between and in contact with the rollers is not damaged by surface irregularities of the rollers;
• means for rotating the rollers of each pair in opposite directions to thereby move film disposed between each roller pair in a downstream direction through the housing;
• and cooling means including a source of pressurized cooling air in fluid communication with the second and third cavities and with the communicating means in the rollers downstream of the developing station for cooling film at the cooling station, cooling the fixing station, and cooling such rollers.

Apparatus for developing and fixing film having a substrate and a previously exposed light sensitive emulsion carried thereon, the emulsion being of the type that is developed by heating it to its developing temperature, the apparatus comprising:

• a film developing station including opposing, spaced-apart first and second film guide means forming a path for the film past the developing station, the spacing between the film guide means being greater than the thickness of the film, the first film guide means facing the emulsion;
• means for flowing pressurized gas in contact with the first film guide means into a space between the first film guide means and the emulsion;
• means for heating the first film guide means to thereby heat the gas between first film guide means and the emulsion to at least the developing temperature;
• a fixing station downstream of the developing station for fixing the developed emulsion;
• and transport means for moving th film in a downstream direction between the film guide means past the developing station and thereafter past the fixing station;
• whereby the pressurized air forms an air bearing for the emulsion of the film as it moves past the film guide means and simultaneously therewith heat develops the emulsion without physically damaging it.