Film processor

Apparatus for receiving a film cassette containing a roll of exposed, self-developing type transparency film preparatory to processing the film, the roll of film being wound upon a rotatable spool with one end of the film being secured to the spool and its opposite second end being adapted to extend to the exterior of the film cassette via a film withdrawal slot, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a lighttight enclosure in which photographically exposed film is adapted to be processed, said housing including a loading door providing access to the interior of said housing;
• means for locating a film processing kit within said housing, the kit containing a strip of flexible sheet material wound about a rotatable drum with a first end attached to the drum and its opposite second end extending to the exterior of the kit, a rupturable container enclosing a supply of processing liquid, and a processing liquid dispenser which is adapted to apply a coating of processing liquid to one side of the sheet material as it is being withdrawn from the kit;
• means for supporting the film cassette containing the exposed roll of film;
• means for releasably receiving the second ends of the film and sheet material, said receiving means being adapted to be driven in a direction so as to withdraw the film and sheet material from the film cassette and the kit, respectively, and orientate them in superposition;
• rupturing means mounted for movement into the kit and into engagement with the container of processing liquid when the kit is located at said positioning means, and said loading door is closed, so as to rupture the container and thereby enable the processing liquid to flow to the processing liquid dispenser and thence onto the sheet material prior to the coated surface of the sheet material being superposed with the film;
• means for locking said loading door in its closed position;
• means for rotating said receiving means so as to wind the sheet material and the film in superposition thereupon with a layer of processing liquid located therebetween;
• stop means normally mounted in engagement with said rotating means for rendering said rotating means inoperative to rotate said receiving means;
• movable means coupled to said locking means and said stop means for moving said locking means into latching engagement with said loading door and said stop means out of engagement with an element of said rotating means as said movable means is moved from a first position to a second position;
• and
• manually operable means drivingly coupled to said rupturing means and said movable means in a manner such that said rupturing means is moved into engagement with the container of processing liquid so as to rupture the latter and allow its contents to flow into the dispenser prior to said movable means being moved into said second position, thereby insuring that the container of processing liquid has been ruptured prior to the sheet material and the film being wound upon said receiving means under the influence of said rotating means, and that said loading door cannot be opened during the period that such winding is taken place.

Apparatus for receiving a film cassette containing a roll of exposed, self-developing type transparency film preparatory to processing the film, the roll of film being wound upon a rotatable spool with one end of the film being secured to the spool and its opposite second end being adapted to extend to the exterior of the film cassette via a film withdrawal slot, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a lighttight enclosure in which photographically exposed film is adapted to be processed, said housing including a loading door providing access to the interior of said housing;
• means for locating a film processing kit within said housing, the kit containing a strip of flexible sheet material wound about a rotatable drum with a first end attached to the drum and its opposite second end extending to the exterior of the kit, a rupturable container enclosing a supply of processing liquid, and a processing liquid dispenser which is adapted to apply a coating of processing liquid to one side of the sheet material as it is being withdrawn from the kit;
• means for supporting the film cassette containing the exposed roll of film;
• means for releasably receiving the second ends of the film and sheet material, said receiving means being adapted to be driven in a direction so as to withdraw the film and sheet material from the film cassette and the kit, respectively, and orientate them in superposition;
• rupturing means mounted for movement into the kit and into engagement with the container of processing liquid when the kit is at said positioning means so as to rupture the container and thereby enable the processing liquid to flow to the processing liquid dispenser and thence onto the sheet material prior to it being superposed with the film;
• power transmission means including a first power path which is adapted to transmit rotative power to said receiving means, a second power path which is adapted to transmit rotative power to the kit's drum and to the film spool, and an element mounted for movement between a first position wherein it is in drivable engagement with said second power path and a second position wherein said element is in drivable engagement with said first power path;
• power input means coupled to said element;
• means for moving said element from said second position to said first position;
• and
• manually operable means mounted for movement into a film processing position during which it drives said rupturing means into engagement with the container so as to cause its rupture and the flow of the processing liquid into the dispenser, and it drives said element moving means in a direction which permits said element to be moved from its first position into its second position wherein it will direct power from said power input means to said receiving means so as to rotate said receiving means in a manner which withdraws the sheet material from the kit as a coating of processing liquid is being applied to one surface thereof and superposes that surface with the film as it is being unwound from its spool to thereby form a laminate which is wound upon said receiving means where the laminate is allowed to stay until a visible image has been formed in the laminate.