Abstract: A device for processing photographic materials comprising at least one liquid-filled tank and liquid from the liquid-filled tank is removed from the photographic material and lead back to the same tank. The tank comprises several pairs of rollers placed one above the other above the liquid level of the tank or downstream of the tank. The rollers of each pair of rollers are parallel to one another. At least one pair of rollers is provided with a liquid supply directed to the pair of rollers to provide a system for efficient cleaning of the photographic material. The rollers have an adjustable pressure device and a specific pressure range.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of a photographic material with a bath containing at least one processing chemical, in which, after the treatment bath, the photographic material is guided upwards through a sloping compartment which closely surrounds the photographic material and is washed from above with water which, under the effect of gravity, flows in countercurrent to the photographic material, leads to a surprisingly marked reduction in the chemical load of the material.

Abstract: That side of a running web of photographic material issuing from a bath of a developing machine which is not coated with photosensitive material is relieved of entrained liquid by a rigid stationary wiping member which constitutes or forms part of a cylinder extending transversely of the path of movement of and contacting the uncoated side of the running web. The coated side can be wiped by a lip which engages the web opposite the area of contact between the uncoated side and the wiping member.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously treating two or more webs of photosensitive material has a tank with sets of pulleys for advancement of discrete webs. The sets of pulleys are installed in discrete compartments which are separated from each other by one or more light-intercepting partitions having one or more passages for the flow of liquid but preventing the penetration of light. Each set of pulleys is driven by a discrete motor or by a discrete clutch receiving torque from a single prime mover. The compartments are sealed by discrete closures. If the parts which are used to advance and treat a particular web happen to be defective or require attention for any other reason, the respective set of pulleys is arrested while the other set or sets of pulleys continue to transport the respective web or webs, and the cover for the compartment which confines the arrested set of pulleys is removed to afford access to the respective compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing photosensitive material has a processing bath, and transporting devices for advancing several strips and/or sheets of photosensitive material through the bath side-by-side. The strips and sheets have various widths. A sensing system is provided to sense the surface area of the material advanced through the bath. The sensing system includes a plurality of spaced sensors arranged in a row which traverses the path of the material. The sensors are designed to sense the widths of the strips and/or sheets, and adjacent ones of the sensors are spaced from one another by a distance smaller than the magnitude of the smallest difference between the widths of the strips and/or sheets. The lengths of the strips and/or sheets are taken into account by a length measuring unit which determines the frequency with which the sensors scan the strips and/or sheets.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for photosensitive material has a processing bath and a conveying system for advancing photosensitive material through the path. A supply vessel accommodates a regenerating solution for the bath and a flow regulating device such as a pump or a valve is provided to regulate the admission of the regenerating solution into the bath. A sensing system senses the surface area of the photosensitive material advanced into the bath and supplies this information to a computer which then calculates the quantity of regenerating solution to be supplied to the bath. The control unit operates the flow regulating device at intervals in order to deliver the calculated quantity of regenerating solution to the bath. A measuring unit connected with the computer measures the actual quantity of regenerating solution supplied to the bath during operation of the flow regulating device.

Abstract: An arrangement for introducing photosensitive strips into and for transporting the same through the interior of a developing machine includes an attaching compartment at the input part of the machine adjacent to a region into which the leading end of the respective strip is introduced through an input slot, the compartment having two opposite open ends one communicating with the exterior and the other with the interior of the machine. A lid is mounted on the walls bounding the compartment for pivoting between its open and closed positions and is latched in its closed position by a latching device. A separating slide is mounted on rails arranged at the other end for movement across the same between its open and closed positions. The opening of the lid is accomplished by gripping a handgrip which actuates a switch that commences the operation of a drive moving the slide into its closed position. Then, the latching device releases the lid, and the lid is opened.

Abstract: A cassette containing a stack of film units having overlapping positive and negative sheets has a housing with first and second side walls having first and second openings, and a light-admitting aperture between the two side walls. The film units are stored in a first compartment of the housing adjacent to the aperture in such a way that the foremost unit is in register with the opening in one of the side walls. A discrete withdrawing strip for each film unit has an inner portion adhering to the rear side of the respective unit and an outer portion extending outwardly through the opening in the other side wall. The withdrawing strips form a bundle which extends through a channel connecting the first compartment with a second compartment behind the stacked film units.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying sheets of photographic material has a group of parallel lower horizontal shafts and a group of parallel upper horizontal shafts which are staggered with reference to the lower shafts. All of the shafts extend transversely of the direction of travel of sheets therebetween and carry elastic rollers which engage and advance the sheets. Certain shafts carry holders for U-shaped guide members which flank the path of the sheets between the rollers on the upper and lower shafts and prevent the leaders of the sheets from curling into the spaces between the upper or lower shafts. The distance between the axes of two neighboring lower or upper shafts is at least 2D and the distance between the upper and lower guide members is less than D, wherein D is the outer diameter of a roller.

Abstract: An arrangement for treating photographic paper bands which run in parallel paths has at least one treatment station in which the bands are transported with a predetermined speed and treated, winding spools for winding the bands after treating in the treatment station and located downstream of the treatment station, drives for driving the winding spools independently of the transportation of the bands in the treatment station and with a speed exceeding the speed of transportation of the bands in the treatment station, an accumulating station for accumulating the bands between the treatment station and the winding spools so that a loop of the bands is formed in the accumulating station, and a switch for switching the drive on and off in dependence upon a size of the loop of the bands in the accumulating station.

Abstract: Photographic material to be processed passes generally horizontally through a succession of processing chambers including a developing chamber. The latter includes a developing-fluid tank containing a body of developing fluid, the body of developing fluid having an upper surface. At least one rotatably mounted submerging roller causes transported photographic material to pass below the upper surface of the body of developing fluid. A counterpressure roller presses the transported photographic material against the submerging roller during transport of the photographic material through the developing chamber. Flow elements are arranged to damp the agitation of the body of developing fluid resulting from rotation of the submerging and counterpressure rollers. The submerging and counterpressure rollers are so arranged that the trailing end of transported photographic material does not drag over the peripheral surface of either roller in circumferential-surface contact therewith.

Abstract: The condition of a photographic copying and associated developing machine for prints of color photographic negatives is evaluated by exposing a calibrating sample onto a first portion and by making a test exposure with preselected exposure data onto a second portion of photographic paper in the copying machine. The two portions of photographic paper are then developed in the developing machine, and the thus obtained developed prints are monitored in the copying machine by comparing their densities in various colors with preselected reference densities. The results of comparison are indicative whether the machines operate satisfactorily, whether the copying machine requires one or more adjustments, or whether the developing machine is in need of at least one adjustment. The adjustment or adjustments can be effected automatically or upon examination of the results of comparison by an attendant.

Abstract: A combined exposing and developing apparatus for film units wherein a negative sheet overlaps and extends beyond a positive sheet has an exposing unit in which the uppermost film unit of a stack of such units in a cassette is exposed to light. The developing unit has a casing which is adjacent to a compartment for cassettes and has two advancing rolls which pinch the leader of the negative sheet of a freshly exposed film unit in response to manual pivoting of a carriage for the advancing rolls by way of a rotary knob. The leader of the negative sheet is automatically separated from the positive sheet by a separating device in response to rotation of the knob before the two sheets advance through separate channels which are filled with a developing liquid. The sheets are thereupon reunited and moved into the nip of two squeezing rolls which are driven by the knob and wipe off the surplus of developing liquid before the reassembled film unit enters a diffusion chamber below the compartment for cassettes.

Abstract: An apparatus for exposing and developing film units which have pairs of overlapping positive and negative sheets and must be subjected to a diffusion treatment subsequent to treatment with a liquid developing agent has an exposing unit above a light duct which is disposed above a compartment for cassettes containing stacks of superimposed film units. The compartment is located above a diffusion chamber and is adjacent to a relatively small casing for a developing unit containing a liquid developing agent and provided with pairs of advancing rolls for the transport of freshly exposed film units from the cassette in the compartment, through the casing and the developing agent therein, and thereupon into the diffusion chamber. The developing unit has a device which temporarily separates the sheets of a film unit during transport through the developing agent.

Abstract: Photographic material to be processed passes generally horizontally through a succession of processing chambers including a developing chamber. The latter includes a developing-fluid tank containing a body of developing fluid, the body of developing fluid having an upper surface. At least one rotatably mounted submerging roller causes transported photographic material to pass below the upper surface of the body of developing fluid. A counter-pressure roller presses the transported photographic material against the submerging roller during transport of the photographic material through the developing chamber. Flow elements are arranged to damp the agitation of the body of developing fluid resulting from rotation of the submerging and counterpressure rollers. The submerging and counterpressure rollers are so arranged that the trailing end of transported photographic material does not drag over the pheripheral surface of either roller in circumferential-surface contact therewith.

Abstract: The developing apparatus includes a plurality of successive processing chambers arranged for generally horizontal travel of a photographic material to be developed through the successive processing chambers. Each processing chamber is provided with a processing-fluid tank and guide structure for guiding the photographic material through the processing chamber. Transport roller pairs are arranged intermediate adjoining processing chambers for transporting photographic material from one chamber to the next. The last processing chamber is a washing chamber. The washing chamber includes a wash-water tank containing a body of wash water, with the upper surface of the body of wash water being maintained at a predetermined level. The washing chamber includes a guide structure for guiding photographic material through the washing chamber, including a submerging structure for causing transported photographic material to pass below the upper surface of the body of wash water.

Abstract: A reel for photographic paper has a hollow cylindrical core and two disk-shaped flanges having centrally located extensions received in the respective end portions of the core. The inner side of each flange tapers outwardly in a direction from the periphery of the core toward the periphery of the respective flange. The extensions have ribs which penetrate into the inner surface of the core, and the core is further coupled to each flange by a rubber hose which surrounds the respective extension and is biased against the inner surface of the core by an endless helical spring which surrounds a conical end face of the corresponding extension.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneous viewing of front and rear surfaces of webs of exposed and developed photographic paper has a frame which supports a rearwardly and upwardly inclined transparent pane constituting the front panel of a box. The frame has a rear wall which is normal to the pane and carries two spindles extending in parallelism with the plane of the pane and serving to support supply and takeup reels for a web of photographic paper whereby the rear side of the web portion between the reels lies against the front side of the pane and the front side of such web portion is observable from the front side of the frame.