Photographic sheet material liquid processing apparatus and process for constructing a sealing ring
AssigneeAgfa-Gevaert
InventorLuc De Roeck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The apparatus includes a path-defining roller (28) and a sealing roller (38, 39) in contact therewith to seal the path-defining roller from the housing of the apparatus. A sealing ring (82) surrounds one end of the sealing roller and is urged into contact with a sealing surface (68). The sealing ring, in its relaxed condition, is undersized with respect to the sealing roller and when mounted on the sealing roller exhibits a flat face (96) to the sealing surface. The performance of the sealing is predicable and reliable.
Claims9
A photographic sheet material liquid processing apparatus comprising a housing (14), a path-defining roller (28) mounted in said housing and biased towards a reaction surface (30) to form a nip (36) there-between through which a sheet material path (20) extends, a sealing roller (38, 39) in contact with said path-defining roller along the length thereof to seal said path-defining roller from said housing, and a sealing ring (82) which surrounds one end of said sealing roller and is urged into contact with a sealing surface (68), characterised in that said sealing ring has a configuration which, in its relaxed condition, is undersized with respect to said sealing roller and when mounted on said sealing roller exhibits a flat face (96) in the plane perpendicular to the sealing roller axis (98).
A process for constructing a sealing ring for use with a sealing roller in a photographic sheet material liquid processing apparatus, comprising forming a ring-like member (821) which is undersized with respect to said sealing roller and which includes a cut out portion (88, 89) opening onto an end of said ring-like member, forcing said ring-like member over a mandrel (90) having a size substantiality equal to the size of said sealing roller, and filling said cut out portion with elastomeric material so as to provide a sealing ring with a flat end face (96) in the plane perpendicular to the sealing roller axis (98).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.