Abstract: A darkroom contains a first film unwinding unit which receives reels with convoluted undeveloped customer films from a device serving to remove reels from their cassettes. Each film which is being unwound from its reel is normally advanced in a first channel to a splicer which connects its leader to the trailing end of the preceding film to form a long web which is collected into a large roll prior to transfer into a developing machine. A second unwinding unit in the darkroom can receive reels with damaged films from the first unit or from another source of undeveloped films and has a receptacle for reels. A second channel extends from an outlet of the receptacle to a portion of the first channel ahead of the splicer. The two units can be reached by hands which must extend through contractible openings of two cuffs and thereupon through a contractible opening between several curtains of the darkroom.

Abstract: A method and a reading station for processing a cassette containing an X-ray film coated with a layer of stimulatable phosphorus are proposed. The cassette with the film therein, before being positioned in the reading station, is exposed to X-rays to produce a latent image thereon. The film is then removed from the cassette and the phosphorus layer is brought by a laser beam scanner to luminescence so that the emitted light converts the latent image into digital electric signals stored in the central memory. The film is then erased and re-inserted into the same cassette within the reading station.

Abstract: A process for the production of multiple radiographic images in which a corresponding number of photosensitive layers is exposed in a single shot to penetrating radiation and to photons emitted by fluorescent material sensitive to such penetrating radiation, characterized in that during such exposure each said photosensitive layer is located between a layer of said fluorescent material and a visible light reflecting layer which comprises white pigment particles and has a diffuse white light reflection density of less than 0.30.

Abstract: In a known process of making biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate photographic film, a certain amount of curl in the longitudinal direction can be imparted to the film by carrying out the longitudinal stretching step of that process while the film is asymmetrically heated across its thickness to a temperature gradient Delta T across the film of at least 10.degree. C. while the longitudinal stretching tension applied to the film is less than 10 N/sq.mm.

Abstract: An ecologically clean method for processing an imagewise exposed photographic material having a silver halide emulsion layer which method comprises the steps of:(A) developing the image-wise exposed photographic material by means of at least one diffusible developing agent in the absence of such an amount of silver halide solvent that would reduce the coverage of developed silver metal (Ag/m2) by more than 20% using an aqueous alkaline liquid.

Abstract: Cartridges which contain exposed photographic roll films are admitted into a duct to descend past a reader which reads the bar codes of the cartridges and transmits to a microprocessor signals denoting the type and the length of each film. The microprocessor evaluates such signals and permits automatic splicing of films of a selected type end-to-end preparatory to introduction into a developing machine. Cartridges with films of other types are segregated from cartridges with films of the selected type, the same as cartridges which do not bear any bar codes. The microprocessor compares the encoded information pertaining to the length of each film with information denoting the actual length of the respective film and causes a printer to encode the information on envelopes for the exposed and developed films. The reels for films which are shorter than denoted by the respective bar codes are removed by an attendant and are inspected for the possible presence of one or more exposed frames.

Abstract: A method of checking the presence or absence of an X-ray sheet film in a cassette inserted into an automatic film unloading or loading apparatus, utilizes a proximity sensor arranged in the apparatus to sense position changes of a sheet film supporting foil which is arranged for a limited movement in the cassette. The proximity sensor is connected to an electronic control device which controls the operational sequence of the unloading and loading apparatus. When the gripping member preferably in the form of a suction cup seizes a sheet film on the supporting means in the cassette, the supporting means remain in its rest position after the sheet film is removed. However, if no film is present on the supporting means, the suction cup seizes the supporting means and displaces the same from its rest position. This change is sensed by the sensor and a signal is delivered to the electronic control circuit which modifies the operational sequence accordingly.

Abstract: Photographically produced black and white images (silver images) are stabilized against subsequent destruction of the image silver, in particular due to discoloration, by treating the finished silver image with an aqueous after treatment bath containing aminotetrazole or a mercaptotetrahydrotriazine.

Abstract: An easy-to-handle suspension device for a container, which is suitable preferably for putting magnetic tape cassettes into archives, is characterized in that at least at one lateral front wall (3) adjacent to the front face wall (4) a hinged bracket is injected, whose free end is bent in a U-shape and whose length is calculated so that when hinged in it does not project beyond the rim (11,11') of the base and lid parts (1,2) and wherein the U-shaped bent part of the bracket when hinged in sits in a recess (13) of the face wall (4) and wherein the bracket when hinged out may be tilted by upto 90.degree. to the face wall (3) and wherein a bar (9) or a rail of U-shaped profile or a hooking rail bent away at an obtuse angle can be used (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Propane or butane sultones are prepared by the thermal decomposition of the corresponding aryl sulfoalkyl ethers wherein the alkyl part has three or four carbons between the sulfo group and the ether oxygen. When a tertiary amine is present, the final product is the corresponding sulfoalkyl quaternary salt of the tertiary amine.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cassette, particularly a video tape cassette which is provided with a hinged front panel prestressed by a tension spring, the coil of which is positioned on an axle on the inside of the side wall of the front panel. The free end of the long spring leg grips beneath the front of an upper housing half of the cassette, which constrains the long spring leg. A lower housing half has a hinged locking plate on the inside, in the area of the front panel. The locking plate has a obliquely extending projection projecting over the plate, which projection being eccentric to the center of rotation of the plate has a surface off set from the axis of rotation of said hinged locking plate, and on the surface of oblique projection the long spring leg stressed between the upper housing half and the projection of the plate to produce a moment of force on the plate tending to swing the plate on the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A packing for a plurality of recording tapes wound on flangeless core hubs having central bores (so called pancakes) are described. The packing comprises plastic pallets in the form of discs which protect the outer reels of tape and a fixing device which extends upwards in the axial center, the diameter of which fixing device corresponds to the clear internal diameter of the bores of the core hubs and of the plastic disc. The fixing device is a centering sleeve (1,13, 22) which can be inserted through the outer walls (2, 30 and through the central bores of the core hubs (9) and has a closure clement which co-operates with another closure element so that the two parts cna be locked and tightened together, and the centering sleeve optionally has additional elements (7, 8) which prevent rotation of the centering sleeve against the outer walls of the plastic discs during opening or closing of the packing (FIG. 1).

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying method for optionally producing either reversal or positive-positive copies from any original using the same photoconductive element and the same toner developing material by varying the exposure and electrostatic charging conditions.

Abstract: A particulate material suited for serving as carrier particles for finely-divided toner particles in magnetic brush toner-carrier development of electrostatic charge patterns, said carrier particles comprising finely divided magnetite powder dispersed in a resin binder, characterized in that said magnetite powder is a mixture of magnetites wherein one type (A) of the magnetite has an oil absorption number in the range of 10 to 20 g/100 g pigment and another type (B) of the magnetite has an oil absorption number in the range of 20 to 40 g/100 g pigment. The binder contains hydrophilic functional groups and has an acid number in the range of 5 to 50 KOH/g.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of hardening a proteinaceous layer of a photographic silver halide element by incorporating a modified dextran in said proteinaceous layer, said modified dextran being the reaction product of dextran and an alkyl haloformate, a substituted alkyl haloformate, an aryl haloformate, or a substituted aryl haloformate. The invention also provides a photographic element comprising a said reaction product in at least one proteinaceous silver halide emulsion layer and/or in another proteinaceous layer coated thereon.

Abstract: A heat developable color photographic recording material is improved in its D.sub.min /D.sub.max ratio and sensitivity if it contains a silver halide emulsion in which the grains have at least three zones differing in their silver halide composition.

Abstract: A method of starting the bead coating of a moving web with a composite liquid layer comprising a higher viscous and lower viscous layer of coating compositon, by reducing the rate of flow of the higher viscous layer to zero, reducing the pre-starting distance between the coater and the web to at most the normal coating gap and initiating the wetting of the web by the lower viscous layer, and then adjusting the rate of flow of the higher viscous layer to the normal coating value.

Abstract: Light containing blue, green and red radiation is passed through a colored original which is to be printed on color copy material. The transmitted light is spread out into a color spectrum which extends across a first wavelength range generally corresponding to the blue portion of the spectrum, a second wavelength range generally corresponding to the green portion of the spectrum and a third wavelength range generally corresponding to the red portion of the spectrum. The intensity of the transmitted light is measured throughout the spectrum and average of the resulting raw intensities are taken oer each of a series of wavelength intervals which are much shorter than the first, second and third ranges. The copy material has a gamma value for each wavelength interval and such gamma value represents the spectral sensitivity of the copy material in the corresponding interval. The average intensity for each wavelength interval is multiplied by the respective gamma value to yield a corrected intensity.

Abstract: Compounds corresponding to Formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 denotes an acyl group andX denotes hydrogen, halogen, alkoxy, aroxy, SO.sub.3 H or a heterocyclic group attached through --O-- or --N<are prepared form a compound corresponding to Formula II ##STR2## wherein X has the meaning already indicated and Q denotes the group required for completing a dicarbonimide ringby reduction of the said compound to the amino compound and acylation into a compound corresponding to Formula III ##STR3## wherein X, Q and R.sup.1 have the meanings indicatedfollowed by conversion of the compound corresponding to Formula III into a compound corresponding to Formula I by hydrazinolytic or hydrolytic decomposition of the dicarbonimide ring.

Abstract: A color photographic recording material having at least one silver halide emulsion layer contains at least one coupler corresponding to the general formula I ##STR1## wherein K represents a coupler group,L a direct bond of a linking member,R.sup.1 alkyl, aralkyl, aryl or amino andR.sup.2 hydrogen or a group -L-K.The couplers of formula I are suitable for high temperature processing without the presence of benzyl alcohol.