Film processor

Abstract

A photographic film processor comprises six juxtaposed processing tanks, a rack mechanism in each tank operable to circulate the film within processing solution in the respective tank for a certain time. A switch mechanism operable to direct the film from being circulated at the end of that certain time and to direct it to a transfer mechanism by which it is passed to the rack mechanism of the next tank for circulation in that tank. The penultimate tank is a washing tank and there is a transfer mechanism for transferring the film from that washing tank to a dryer which is the last processing station. The film is driven for circulation within and for transfer from one to the next of the six tanks by a first motor which drives a common shaft. A clutch couples or decouples the common shaft to a shorter coaxial shaft by which the film is circulated within the washing tank. Another clutch couples the shorter shaft to another slower motor when it is decoupled from the common shaft by the clutch so that the film can be circulated within the washing tank independently of circulation of film in the other five tanks and is transported out of the washing tank and transferred to the dryer at a speed which is slower than that of which it is circulated on and transferred between the first five tanks.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.