Patents Represented by Attorney G. Herman Childress
  • Patent number: 5048685
    Abstract: A carrier for a package containing a stack of sheets of x-ray film has a first wall located along one side of the stack of sheets and a second wall located along the opposite side of the stack of sheets. The dimensions of the walls relative to the film sheets is such that the first wall extends less than the full width of the sheets and the second wall extends less than the full length of the sheets. This enables a sheet removing device to engage and remove a sheet from either side of the stack of sheets. The package can be loaded in either of two kinds of equipment which require the package to be oriented in different ways when sheets are to be fed from the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kausch, Matthew DiPietro
  • Patent number: 5045874
    Abstract: Film is developed in a processor by passing it through a container of development solution, then a container of a fixer solution, and then the film is passed through a wash container where it is washed with water before delivery to a dryer. As the film is transported from the developer container to the fixer container, and from the fixer container to the wash container, it travels through crossover assemblies having a roller that is rotatable in a trough of water so that the roller is constantly cleaned of developer or fix solutions. A water distributor system for delivering water to the crossover assemblies has a channel for water which has one end located to deliver water to the trough in the first crossover assembly and a second end located to deliver water to the trough of the second crossover assembly. Water is metered from a single conduit to the channel and separated into separate streams for delivery to the two troughs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: William A. Craig
  • Patent number: 5044621
    Abstract: A device for moving film from a supply magazine to a cassette loading station, the film removing device being in a unit with a film holding channel formed by parallel groups of rollers which engage opposed edges of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Guenter Sachs, Hans-Peter Wuerschum
  • Patent number: 5042662
    Abstract: Container for a stack of sheets such as photographic film or paper, which is readily adaptable to a wide variety of formats by inserting plug-in elements into recesses in the bottom alone or in both the bottom and the cover of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Bernd Mirlieb, Alfred Trumpp, Gunter Weber
  • Patent number: 5031894
    Abstract: A mechanism registers a sheet of film and advances it toward an imaging station for exposure by a laser scanning system. A registration member is located along a surface that receives the sheet and the member is engageable by an edge of the sheet for registering and guiding the sheet toward the station. An urging guide located along another portion of the surface is skewed relative to the registration member and spaced from it so that the end portions of the guide and registration member nearest the station are spaced apart sufficiently to enable the sheet to lie flat on the surface while other portions thereof are sufficiently close together to prevent the sheet from lying flat on the surface. The guide projects above the surface and is tilted away from the registration member so that the guide imparts a component of force onto a sheet resting thereon which urges the sheet toward the registration member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mark D. Bedzyk, Roger S. Brahm
  • Patent number: 5025279
    Abstract: Processing solutions in a film processor for sheet film, for example, are replenished on the basis of the number of sheets processed during a predetermined time period. A first volume of replenishment solution is added to a tank for the processing solution each time a sheet is processed until a first predetermined number of sheets has been processed. If the number of sheets processed during the time period exceeds the predetermined number, then a smaller volume of replenishment solution is added to the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Roger D. Ellsworth
  • Patent number: 5019848
    Abstract: A magazine receives a package having a stack of film sheets, such as x-ray film sheets, enclosed within a light-tight flexible bag. When the bag is positioned within the magazine and the magazine closed, the bag is cut and then removed from the magazine through is lightlock. A pair of stripper bars in the magazine are located between the lightlock and the stack of film sheets in the bag. The bars form a curved slot that enables the bag to be withdrawn through the slot while the bars block movement of the film sheets through the slot with the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael L. Koelsch, John De Point, Jr., Matthew DiPietro
  • Patent number: 5006875
    Abstract: A processor for sheets of x-ray film has racks of rollers for transporting the film sheets sequentially through a series of stations including a washing station and a drying station. A pair of squeegee rollers located where the film leaves the washing station and enters the drying station squeezes most of the wash liquid from the sheet of film. However, a bead of water may remain on the tail end of the film as it leaves the squeegee rollers, and this bead of water can be deposited onto rollers in the drying station and then be deposited onto the next sheet of film to form water spots on the film after it is dried. In order to greatly reduced these water spots, an absorbent roller is located between the squeegee rollers and the rollers in the drying station so that after the film leaves the squeegee rollers it contacts the abosrbent roller which removes the bead of water from the tail end of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Oemcke, Evan P. Carmichael
  • Patent number: 5007075
    Abstract: In a device for holding down the lower cassette portion (19a) of an X-ray film cassette which is located in a cassette unloading and reloading apparatus, a hold-down lever (20, 21) is mounted to each of two parallely guided bars (10, 12) movable towards and away from each other respectively, said hold-down lever being pivotable into, and out of the transport path of the X-ray film cassette to accurately position said cassette. Each hold-down lever (20, 21) comprises a control arm (20a, 21a) resting against each of the two side walls (19d, 19e) of the upper cassette portion (19c). Since the control arms (20a, 21a) are upwardly inclined such that they form control surfaces facing the side walls (19d, 19e) of the upper cassette portion (19c), the hold-down levers (20, 21) are held in engagement with the lower cassette portion (19a) when the upper cassette portion (19c) is in its open position and are disengaged from the lower cassette portion (19a) when the upper cassette portion (19c) is in its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Bernd Mirlieb, Heinrich Killguss
  • Patent number: 5005036
    Abstract: Processing apparatus for photographic film, particularly intraoral xray film, in which the various processing stations are positioned in a circle about a central rotatable column. The column has an external spiral groove in which rides a pin carried by, and extending into the bore of, a hub which fits around the column. Rotation of the column moves the hub up or down, depending upon the direction of rotation. The hub carries a plurality of arms equal in number to the number of stations, seven in the apparatus disclosed. Each arm has a magnet for attaching a novel film holder which is detachable at the unloading station. After loading a film holder with film to be processed, the holder is loaded into the machine through a spring-pressed loading door onto a loading platform which moves the film holder upwardly to engage it with one of the arms when the door is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: William B. Wilson, Matthew DiPietro, Richard K. Neace, Vincent B. Dethier, Raymond G. Hauss, James R. Louk
  • Patent number: 4998658
    Abstract: An unported vacuum drum has a system of closely spaced small grooves in the outer surface thereof and holes drilled in the drum provide communication between the grooves on the outer surface and a space on the interior of the drum. The interior drum can be connected to a source of vacuum for applying the vacuum through the holes to the grooves. In order to avoid defects that may occur in a web brought into contact with a drum, the outer surface of the drum is covered with a porous sleeve. The pores in the sleeve enable the vacuum to be applied from the grooves to the outer surface of the sleeve for holding the web onto the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joseph Distefano, Roger Haas, Mark Nestle, Fred D. Kelley
  • Patent number: 4999660
    Abstract: A dual chamber pump assembly comprises two separate bellows pumps driven from a single motor. The belows pumps can be operated independently, or simultanously, by selectively engaging clutches coupled to the motor and the pumps. A replenishment system for a film processor incorporating such a pump assembly has a plurality of tanks for solutions used in processing film, and each of the pumps is connected to one of the tanks and to a source of replenishment solution for its respective tank. By selectively engaging the clutches for the bellows pumps, the tanks can be replenished independently or simultaneously, as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Thomas S. Wright
  • Patent number: 4994840
    Abstract: Factors affecting the quality of the development of a photosensitive material include the characteristics of a processing fluid flow in contact with the material. A uniform turbulent fluid flow is created in a photographic processing apparatus by utilizing the height of the fluid in a tank for retaining the processing fluid. The height of the fluid creates a fluid pressure which is utilized in determining the flowrate of the fluid in the processing apparatus. An uncomplicated, low friction fluid flow is also created which allows for a more efficient, lower cost photographic processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Douglas O. Hall, Bruce R. Muller
  • Patent number: 4994837
    Abstract: An automatic film processor sets new reference developer chemical temperatures and film transport speeds in accordance with user input at a keypad and disengages the film transport motor under microcomputer control to prevent further introduction of film until sensed actual developer temperature is within an acceptable tolerance of the new set temperature. A "wait" light is modulated to flash with increasing frequency as the gap between actual and set reference temperature is narrowed. Manual override is provided to re-engage the film motor even though the new set temperature has not been reached. A buzzer signals a feed in the override mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James T. Samuels, Roger D. Ellsworth
  • Patent number: 4989028
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus for processing light sensitve material includes a plurality of fluid suspension devices each having an upper applicator housing and a lower applicator housing situated to form an elongated fluid chamber. Processing fluid application means are located adjacent an entrance and exit of the upper and lower applicator housings for applying the fluid to both sides of the light sensitive material to create upper and lower fluid layers, thus suspending the film between the fluid layers as the film travels through the processor. Such suspension minimizes scratches or abrasions to the emulsion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Douglas O. Hall, Lee F. Frank, Bruce R. Muller
  • Patent number: 4989036
    Abstract: In a film duplicator original and copy sheets are initially brought together in unaligned relationship and permitted to drop under the influence of gravity along a predetermined path past an exposure station and into an alignment box where the ends of the sheets strike the bottom of the box to align the sheets. The aligned sheets are then transported back to the exposure station to expose the copy sheet. The sheets are then separated and exited from the duplicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: William B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4980903
    Abstract: A light shield for an x-ray film sheet cassette is provided with increased flexibility in its end portions to prevent bowing of the shield when it is subjected to abnormal forces in its center portion. This is accomplished by notching the front lip of the light shield in the end portions of the shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mansour Messalti, Bruce R. Muller
  • Patent number: 4977656
    Abstract: A roller for conveying a web is manufactured by applying a layer of nickel to a steel roller and blasting the surface ofo the nickel layer with steel shot to create on the surface a deep texture with well rounded down features and sharp up features with peaks. The blasted surface is finished with a grinding action for removing the peaks to produce plateaus surrounded by interconnected channels. The interconnected channels of the surface allow air entrained between the roller surface and a web to be vented through the channels while the web is in contact with the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Daniel C. Lioy, Edward F. Hurtubis, Edward R. Schickler
  • Patent number: 4970768
    Abstract: A stainless steel roller for conveying a web has a surface prepared by blasting the surface of the roller with steel shot to create on the surface a deep texture with well rounded down features and sharp up features with peaks. The blasted surface is finished with a grinding action for removing the peaks to produce plateaus surrounded by interconnected channels. The interconnected channels of the surface allow air entrained between the roller surface and a web to be vented through the channels while the web is in contact with the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Daniel C. Lioy, Edward F. Hurtubis, Edward R. Schickler
  • Patent number: D312690
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Michael Reibl