Abstract: Apparatus for processing a photographic sheet material in at least one processing stage which includes a feed roller array for transporting the material to or from the stage. The feed roller array has a pair of rollers supported on shafts for rotation and mounted with one superposed generally above the other. The upper roller is driven in a transport direction by a drive mechanism acting on an end of its shaft. The opposite ends of the shafts of the two rollers are journaled in frame members with the lower roller being supported for limited independent movement toward and away from the upper roller. The lower roller is normally biased into contact with the upper roller and is adapted to be displaced vertically away from the upper roller by a cam arrangement acting on the ends of its shaft. The upper roller is adapted to be shifted axially to disengage an end of its shaft from its journal to permit the upper roller to be removed manually from the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing photographic sheet material including at least two rollers which are rotatively supported on corresponding shafts and biased together by springs acting on one of the shafts is provided with a mechanism operable to separate the rollers. The mechanism consists of a cam carried in normally free-wheeling relation on at least one end of one of the shafts, a cooperating cam follower carried on at least one end of the other shaft and a clutch that can be actuated to engage each such cam on its shaft for temporary rotation therewith to thereby displace the cam into contact with a cam follower and bring about separation of the roller shafts and the rollers supported thereon. The ends of the shaft acted on by the springs is preferably journaled in bearing blocks arranged in a frame for sliding movement towards and away from the other shaft and biased by the springs toward the other shaft.