Abstract: A conveyor system for transporting a web is described especially suitable for photographic development equipment, including a plurality of rotatable web transporting members such as rollers, which are driven at uniform surface speed, a plurality of power transmitting gears which are driven together and a plurality of cluster drive gears coaxially connected to respective power transmitting gears and driven thereby at the same rate of rotation. The pitch diameter of the power transmitting gears is larger than the pitch diameter of the cluster drive gears. The system also provides a plurality of clusters of gears which are driven by cluster drive gears to rotate the rollers.The web is transported through the system at uniform speed.

Abstract: Liquid level responsive apparatus is provided which includes a tube having a lower terminal end immersed in the liquid in a container uncovered when the liquid level is below the terminal end for discharge of air from the tube, the tube having a small electric motor driven air pump supplying air thereto, the tube having a pressure tap connected to one side of a diaphragm for normally maintaining the diaphragm in one control position, the diaphragm being collapsible to another control position, the tube having a vent of predetermined size for limited venting of air from the tube while the diaphragm is maintained in its one control position. The diaphragm can control a microswitch which in turn can control any desired operation such as shut-off of delivery. A plurality of tubes can be connected in parallel with their terminal ends in different liquid containers.

Abstract: Two or more reciprocating pumps are controlled to deliver fluids in adjustable proportions. The pumps are connected to respective actuating levers. Each lever is reciprocated about a pivot, whose position along the lever is adjustable to vary the stroke length of the pump connected to that lever. By so controlling the stroke lengths of the different pumps, the proportions in which they deliver fluids can be adjusted.

Abstract: The invention relates to the processing of photographic material such as photographic film which has a tendency to curl in roller type photographic processing equipment, without attaching a separate leader portion to the film. After removing the curl from an end portion of the film, it is processed in a roller type photographic processing equipment without curling around the transporting rollers.The invention also provides a method of making this leaderless processing possible. This is performed by deforming a portion of the photographic material so as to prevent the tendency to curl to allow positive selfleading through the roller type processing equipment. Another embodiment of the invention provides a one-piece, partially curled, photographic material wherein curl has been removed from a portion, thus making the film suitable for photographic processing equipment.Another embodiment provides an apparatus for preventing curl in a portion of photographic material.

Abstract: An improved gear system of greater efficiency having less bearing loading and less power requirement to rotate long gear trains. The system includes a plurality of large power gears serially mounted which receive rotative force from another power gear, the power gears positioned to turn respective power gear shafts. The power gear shaft transmits rotative forces to a drive gear which is smaller in diameter with respect to the power gear which drives it. The drive gear powers an individual satellite gear system of driven gears which drive a plurality of work producing satellite shafts. The large power gear in turn drive a downwardly positioned, similar, large power gear which in turn powers its own satellite gear train. In this manner the load of rotating the work producing shafts into a plurality of individual systems is broken up.

Abstract: Drying rollers for use in the dryer section of an automatic X-ray or other film developing machine which incorporates a pair of tangentially contacting, thermoplastic, micro-porous rollers which form a nip therebetween to receive the developed film from the wash tank. The rollers serve to dry the film surface by absorbing the moisture into the roller pores by capillary action. The usual dryer section heater continuously dries the rollers as they are rotated in the dryer section when the film travels through the developing apparatus.