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US 4,067,035 AGranted
Daylight developing machine
AssigneeAgfa-Gevaert
InventorsGerald Plursch, Jurgen Leuchter
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAgfa-Gevaert
InventorsGerald Plursch, Jurgen Leuchter
Estimating the term…
A continuously operating developing machine includes, arranged one after the other, a first strip attachment station, an infeed accumulator, a second strip attachment station, at least one processing fluid stage, at least one drying stage, and a discharge station. Film strips and leader strips are transported through the processing fluid and drying stages to the discharge station along a predetermined path. When the trailing end of a strip which extends through the accumulator and has already entered the predetermined path reaches the first attachment station, it is detained at the latter and there is attached thereto the leading end of the next strip. During such detention, the accumulated strip inside the infeed accumulator feeds into the predetermined path. When the attachment operation is finished, the trailing end enters the accumulator and the amount of strip within the accumulator increases anew. When the strip in the accumulator breaks, the trailing end of the broken strip section as it is leaving the accumulator is engaged, and there is attached thereto the leading end of a leader strip. The trailing end of such broken strip section is then fed into the predetermined path with the leader strip attached thereto entering thereafter.
In a continuously operating developing machine for film strips of the type comprised of at least one processing fluid stage, at least one drying stage located downstream of the processing fluid stage and a discharge station located downstream of the drying stage, with film strips being guided connected one to the other through said stages and to said discharge station along a predetermined path, in combination, a first strip attachment station upstream of said stages provided with means for attaching the leading end of a new strip to the trailing end of a strip section which has already entered said path, an infeed accumulator located intermediate said first attachment station and said stages and provided with means for accumulating a length of strip being fed into said path so that strip can continue to be fed into said path during the detention of the trailing end of the strip in said accumulator at said first attachment station for attachment purposes, and a second strip attachment station intermediate said accumulator and said stages provided with means for attaching to the trailing end of a broken strip section leaving said accumulator the leading end of a leader strip so that as the trailing end of the broken strip section enters said path the leader strip will enter thereafter.
A method of effecting the transport of film strips and leader strips through a continuously operating developing machine of the type comprised of at least one processing fluid stage, at least one drying stage located downstream of the processing fluid stage, a discharge station located downstream of the drying stage, a first strip attachment station upstream of said stages, an infeed accumulator intermediate said first attachment station and said stages, and a second strip attachment station intermediate said accumulator and said stages, the method comprising the steps of guiding film strips connected one to the other through said stages and to the discharge station along a predetermined path, at said first attachment station attaching to the trailing end of a strip which extends through said accumulator and which has already entered said path the leading end of a new strip and during such attachment detaining such trailing end at said first attachment station, during the detention of such trailing end at said first attachment station letting accumulated strip inside the infeed accumulator feed into said path, upon the completion of the attachment operation at said first attachment station permitting the trailing end of the strip in the accumulator to enter the accumulator and then accumulating a new accumulation of strip within the accumulator, when a strip in the accumulator breaks taking the trailing end of the broken strip section as such trailing end is leaving the accumulator and attaching thereto the leading end of a leader strip, and feeding the trailing end of such broken strip section into said path with the leader strip attached thereto entering thereafter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.