US3373674A

US3373674A - Photographic wash vessel

Info

Publication number: US3373674A
Application number: US342030A
Authority: US
Inventors: Werner W Buechner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-02-03
Filing date: 1964-02-03
Publication date: 1968-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1985-03-19

Description

March 19, 1968 w. w. BUECHNER 3,373,674

PHOTOGRAPHI C WASH VESSEL Filed Feb. 37 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l jff F IG. 2

INVENTOR.

Qua N (A) March 19, 1968 w. w. BUECHNER 3,373,674

' PHOTOGRAPHIC WASH VESSEL Filed Feb 3. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet FIG.9

. INVENTOR.

FIG, 8

United States Patent Office 3,373,674 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 52,524, filed Aug. 29, 1960 now patent No. 3,236,649.

This invention relates to a novel wash vessel and more specifically to an upright wash vessel for the treatment of photographic materials.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an upright wash vessel, which is adapted to be used in the treatment of photographic sheet materials. It is another object of the invention to provide an upright wash vessel, which is adapted to be inserted in a water bath, in general sealing relationship with the side walls and bottom of the water bath such that a continuous stream of a washing medium fed to the water bath passes in a substantially vertical direction through the wash vessel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an upright wash vessel, which lends itself to the use in a compartmented water bath, such that a predominantly vertical flow pattern of a flowing stream of water is established in the wash vessel, when the vessel is inserted in a compartment of the water bath.

-Another object of the invention is the provision of an upright wash vessel which is adapted to be used interchangeably with upright treating vessels in a compartmented water bath so as to permit the establishment of any desired treating sequence in a given water bath.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an upright wash vessel, which is adapted to be used interchangeably with upright treating vessels in a compartmented water bath, so as to permit the establishment of any desired treating sequence in a given water bath, yet having its own, independent supply of washing medium.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an upright wash vessel, which is adapted to be used with particular advantage for the treatment of photographic color materials in multistep developing and/or aftertreating processes by professional or amateur photographers.

Another object is the provision of an upright wash vessel which is particularly adapted for use in photographic developing apparatus having means for automatic mechanical agitation and/or automatic forwarding means.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a photographic wash vessel, having a highly eflicient washing action with a minimum of a washing medium, flowing through the wash vessel. Other objects will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The objects of the invention are achieved by the provision of a wash vessel, which comprises a generally parallelepipedal receptacle with an opening and a horizontal overflow at or in the top section of the vessel and a passageway for a washing medium in its bottom section, said opening at the top being adapted to permit the insertion of at least one sheet of photographic material into the vessel in substantially vertical orientation, said overflow in the upper portion of the vessel and said passageway for the washing medium in the lower section of the vessel extending substantially horizontally preferably over the whole length of the vessel, so as to permit the passage of a stream of washing medium in substantially vertical direction over the whole horizontal cross section of the vessel.

The receptacle comprises two major side walls and two end walls and optionally a bottom. In a preferred embodiment of the wash vessel of the invention is superimposed on said receptacle in sealing relationship a trough-like reservoir of a width greater than the width of said lower parallelepipedal section.

The said major wall sections are advantageously parallel to each other. The end walls may be either substantially vertical and parallel to each other or slanting advantageously in such manner, that the vertical section of the vessel, taken through a plane perpendicularly to the end walls, represents a trapezoid with its base at the top of the vessel.

The invention comprises furthermore another embodiment of the upright wash vessel of the invention, in which a receptacle formed by two major side walls, two end walls and optionally a bottom, with an opening and an overflow in the top section and a passageway for washing medium in the bottom section is provided with generally vertical sealing means along the vertical end walls. Said end wall-mounted sealing means are advantageously adapted to fit removably into cooperating sealing means provided in the side walls of a water bath or of a compartment, in which the vessels are to be inserted for their use. The cooperating sealing means in the water bath and on the said end walls of the vessel are preferably adapted such that they provide a substantially liquid tight seal between at least a major portion of each of the end walls of the vessel and the vicinal portion of-the side walls of the water bath. In this embodiment of the vessel, the said cooperating sealing means are advantageously adapted to support the vessel in the water bath in a position such that the bottom of the vessel is at least slightly raised from the bottom of the water bath so as to leave a passageway, permitting free flow of .a stream of water through the opening or passage in the bottom section of the wash vessel.

The preferred embodiment of the wash vessel comprises furthermore and in addition to the end wallmounted sealing means horizontal sealing means, which are adapted to establish essentially liquid tight seal between the lower portion of the wash vessel and the bottom of the water bath or between one major side wall of the wash vessel and one of the separatory walls, forming the compartment in the water bath. These additional sealing means are provided in such manner, that they separate the said overflow means from the said passageway in the lower section of the wash vessel such that the overflow is located on one side of the sealing means and the lower passage is located on the other side of the said sealing means.

This embodiment of the upright wash vessel is used with great benefit in a compartmented water bath of a kind as is described in more detail and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 342,029 filed Feb. 3, 1964.

In the device of this application the cooperating sealing means are provided in the vertical end walls of the compartment so as to receive and hold the upright wash vessel of the present invention by its own sealing means, when it is inserted in said compartment. Advantageously, said water bath contains also counter sealing means adapted to cooperate with the horizontal sealing means provided with the type of wash vessels, which is to be used in the particular water bath.

As will be apparent from the following description, the embodiment of the upright wash vessel containing the sealing means may be constructed with or without a superimposed trough-like reservoir. Generally, the superimposed trough-like reservoir is employed with greatest benefit in the narrow upright vessels of the invention and with vessels which are designed to be used with such carrier means for the photographic sheet materials which have a horizontal cross section not much smaller than the horizontal top Opening of the vessel.

Further embodiments and modifications of the upright wash vessel will be described in the following detailed description of the invention and in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevational side view and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the wash vessel of the present invention. A rectangular support is shown in FIG. 2 in a side elevational view, inserted in operating position (high position).

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a trapezoidal embodiment of the upright wash vessel of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an upright wash vessel of the present invention provided with generally vertical and horizontal sealing means.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the wash vessel of the invention, having an apron as the horizontal sealing means.

FIG. 6 depicts a fragmentary isometric view of an upright wash vessel, comprising vertical female sealing means and horizontal male sealing means.

FIG. 7 is a top elevation, FIG. 8 is a vertical length section taken along line 88 in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9 is a vertical cross section taken along line 99 of FIG. 7 of an embodiment of the wash vessel of the present invention comprising a box-like enclosure of the lower passageway.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the upright wash vessel of the invention.

Prefatory to a detailed description of the device of the invention and of its utility, some of the more important terms used herein will be explained in order to provide a better understanding of the nature of the invention and of its scope.

The term upright wash vessel as used herein, is intended to refer to a generally vertical vessel having a height and length substantially greater than the width of the vessel. The vessel is principally formed by two major sides walls and two vertical end walls, forming a container with a passageway for the washing medium in the bottom section of the vessel, an overflow for the passage of the washing medium in the top section and with an opening at the top of a shape and size, so as to permit readily the insertion and removal of the standard photographic sheet material of the maximum size for the treatment of which the vessel is designed. The open top of the upright vessel is conveniently in a horizontal position. The dimensions of the vessel are selected such that it accommodates the largest sheet to be treated therein, permitting insertion of the plane sheet in generally vertical orientation between the major side walls.

The said overflow means may be formed by shortening one of the major side walls to a level substantially below that of the second major side wall or by the provision of one or more horizontal slot-like openings in one of the major side walls of the vessel. Alternatively, a row of perforations of any desired shape may be substituted for the slot-like openings. The cut-out or slot or slots or the said perforations are provided in such manner, that a generally horizontal passageway is formed in the upper portion of the wash vessel at the desired level. The position of said upper horizontal passageway corresponds preferably to the level determined by the washing medium flowing through the water bath and the positioning of the wash vessel, when it is inserted in sealing relationship in the Water bath. In other words, said upper passageway is provided advantageously at a level such that the level of the washing medium in the water bath or compartment is changed as little as possible when the wash vessel is inserted therein.

The horizontal passageway provided in the lower section of the wash vessel may likewise be of any desired construction. It may be provided by simply omitting the bottom from the said receptacle, or it may be formed by at least one essentially horizontal slot, provided in the bottom section or in the lower portion of one of the major side walls or by a multitude of perforations of any desired shape, arranged in one horizontal row over generally the whole length of the wash vessel. Many modifications and deviations from the just described arrangement are possible, provided the general principle underlying the construction of the washing vessel of the present invention is observed.

The wash vessel is advantageously used with its side and end walls in a generally vertical orientation. The term generally vertica is intended to encompass besides the vertical position, positions of the side and/or end walls which vary substantially from the vertical positions to a maximum of about 30 and sometimes up to 45. The slanting orientation of the walls is encountered particularly in the case, where the side and/ or end walls of the vertical vessel are slanted or sloped in relation to the central vertical axis or plane of the upright vessel. Independently thereof, the vessel itself may be used in a slanted orientation, particularly with its major side walls deviating substantially from the vertical position. This is independent of the relative position of the major side walls to each other, i.e., whether the major side walls are parallel to each other or sloping toward each other at the top or bottom portion, respectively, as the case may be.

The term major side walls as used herein, is intended to refer to the pair of opposite walls, which are the largest generally vertical walls, comprised in the vessel. Usually, the major side walls are considerably longer than the vertical end walls adjoining them, though both the side walls and the end walls are usually of the same or similar height. An exception to this rule is found in the embodiments of the wash vessel, in which one of the major side walls is shortened so as to provide the said overflow. Independently thereof, the second major side wall and the end walls are advantageously of the same or similar height. The bottom area of the wash vessel is usually considerably smaller in surface area than the adjoining major side walls.

The terminology generally parallelepipedal is intended to refer to a shape which represents, in the ideal situation, a parallelepiped. The term includes, however, also shapes which deviate considerably from this basic configuration by the fact, that one or more of the sides of the parallelepiped are slanted or sloped in relation to the axis of the parallelepiped. Thus, truncated prisms are included in the term the same as configurations, in which the bottom and/or the top of the parallelepiped are slanted, non-horizontal or curved, so as to be joined to the side walls at angles other than Deviations of up to 45 or even more, from the horizontal plane of the top and/or bottom sides of the parallelepiped are included in the scope of the invention as will be explained hereinafter.

The term vertical sealing means is intended to encompass means, joined or attached to the vertical end walls or to the edges of the major vertical sidewalls of the upright wash vessel. The sealing means provided on the vessels of the invention are intended to cooperate with coacting sealing means, provided in the water bath or in the compartments of the compartmented water bath or with the components of the bath or compartment, respectively, in which the wash vessel is to be used. The term vertical sealing means comprises sealing means which are, with the upright vessel in operating position, truly vertical. It is, however, intended to encompass also any generally vertical orientation of the sealing means for example, where the sealing means are wedge-shaped or slanted so that their outermost free edges form an .angle with the vertical plane of up to 30 or more but less than 45.

The term horizontal sealing means is intended to refer to sealing means which are adapted to provide liquid-tight seal between the bottom section and/or one of the major side walls of the vessel with the bottom of the bath and/or one of the separatory walls of the compartments in the compartmented water bath. The horizontal sealing means may have any desired shape and orientation. They may represent a seal strip extending below the vessel in generally horizontal orientation, so as to engage with the bottom, or more advantageously with suitable cooperating counter sealing means, provided in or at the bottom of the water bath or compartment, respectively. They may also have the form of generally horizontal sealing strips provided at one of the major side walls, so as to establish essentially liquid-tight seal with one of the separatory walls of the compartment or with suitable counter sealing means provided in or at said separatory wall. This embodiment of the horizontal sealing means may be an integral part of the vessel, such as a box-like structure joined to one of the major side walls of the vessel or they may be joined to the separatory wall of the compartment or they may be independent of both the vessel and the separatory wall, being inserted into the free space left between the separatory wall and the wash vessel when the latter is inserted in the compartment The horizontal sealing means may be made from rigid materials in relatively close tolerances or they may be made from elastomeric materials, which are slightly larger than the space into which they are inserted, such as a pad of solid or of foamed or expanded elastomeric material, which is simply inserted into the space between the separatory wall and one of the major side walls of the vessel, facing the former to provide excellent seal for the purposes of the invention. Other forms of the horizontal sealing means include aprons joined to one of the major side walls with a strip-like gasket along the upper edge of the separatory wall providing the horizontal seal. The vertical and horizontal sealing means together may be combined to form together with the major side wall of the vessel a barrier, which, when inserted in lieu of one of the separatory walls of the compartments, establishes the desired flow pattern and forms at the same time the compartments in the water bath.

The term sealing means is meant to designate the combination of any type of the vertical sealing means with any type of the horizontal sealing means independently of their position and association with either the wash vessel or with the water bath. The term includes also the use of separate vertical and/ or horizontal sealing means, which are not joined to or integral with the wash vessel nor the water bath.

The term trough-like reservoir as used herein, is intended to define a section of the vessel having a length similar to that of the vertical wash vessel, of a width substantially greater than that of thevessel and of a height which is less than that of the lower section of the upright vessel. The trough-like reservoir may have any desired vertical cross sectional configuration. Its lower horizontal edge must however conform to the upper edge of the lower section of the vessel, so as to permit liquidtight superimposition of the trough-like reservoir onto the lower section of the upright vessel in sealing relationship either removably or as an integral part of the vessel. The lower and upper end of the trough-like reservoir are both provided with an opening, so as to permit insertion of the plane photographic material into the wash vessel.

The upright wash vessels of the present invention may be widely used in photographic liquid treatments and especially for the washing between other treatment steps and/or for the final washing of flexible or rigid photographic positive and negative sheet materials such a 'films, reversal films, plates and paper base materials. The

washing vessels of the present invention are especially useful and beneficial in their application to the more recently introduced photographic color processes and they are particularly adapted to the processing of color positive and negative multilayer color sheet and cut films as well as to the processing of multilayer positive color printing materials in sheet or cut form, particularly those on a paper base such as Kodak Ektacolor Paper.

The present invention includes many modifications of the device which make it particularly suited for application in the said multistep color developing processes, and particularly also in the photographic treating processes described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 52,524 filed Aug. 29, 1960 now Patent 3,236,649. The upright wash vessels of the present invention are excellently suited and adapted to be used in conjunction with the water bath described in my copending application Ser. No. 342,029 filed Feb. 3, 1964, and in combination with the carrier means for photographic sheet materials and for roll film or other film materials described in my copending application Ser. No. 342,028 filed Feb. 3, 1964.

Relative movement of the sheet within the wash vessel usually increases the washing efiectiveness of the stream of washing medium flowing through the wash vessel. Any other desired agitation may be used such as is achieved by gas burst valves or by ultrasonic generators.

Embodiments of the upright treating vessel which may be used with particular advantage in combination with the wash vessel of the present invention are described in detail and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 342,198 filed Feb. 3, 1964.

A highly effective washing action may be achieved if a wash vessel is used which has dimensions and appearance similar to the upright treating vessels used in a particular apparatus. However, the wash vessel is distinguished by the omission of the bottom or by the provision of a wide slot-like opening in the bottom or in the lower portion of one of the wide side walls. It is further distinguished by the provision of a slot-like opening in the upper portion of one of the wide vertical Walls at a position, which is at or close to the water level in the bath when the wash vessel is inserted therein. Said upper slot is preferably provided in the side wall opposite that, which carries the lower slot in its lower portion if such is used. Both the lower and the upper opening extend preferably over the full length or nearly over the full length of the vessel, thus permitting the passage of a stream of flowing Water over the whole length of the vessel.

It is also most advantageous for efficient trouble-free operation to provide said slot in the upper portion of the wide side wall at a height, which coincides with the water level in the bath or in the individual cell when the Wash vessel is inserted therein. Instead of providing the upper wide slot in one of the wide side walls, the wide side wall in another advantageous embodiment of the wash vessel of the present invention is terminated, upwardly at the ust mentioned position i.e. at or near the water level 1n the bath when the wash vessel is inserted therein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawrngs the wash vessel is defined by wide vertical wall sectrons 116 and 117, and narrow

vertical wall sections

118 and 119. The latter are slanting outwardly at the top to form a trapezoidal section 120. The uppermost portion of the walls continues in vertical direction to form an upper rectangular wider section 121 of the side walls. The wide vertical wall section 116 at the right is joined at its upper end with slanting section 122, to which is joined vertical wall section 123,

wall sections

122 and 123, following the contours of and being joined to the right edge of vertical

side wall sections

118 and 119. Vertical wide wall section 117 at the left extends somewhat lower down than the corresponding right section 116. Rectangular opening 124 is located at the bottom of the vessel and limited by the lower edges of

wall sections

116, 118, 119 and by the inner side of longer wall section 117. The upper edge 125 of vertical wall section 117 and the inner faces of the

upper portions

120 and 121 of the narrow side walls define a rectangular opening in the upper part of the vessel with its lowest edge defined by edge 125 of wall 117.

The water wash vessels are provided with an integral rectangular closed body 132 at their left as is hown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. This body is formed by wall section 117 of the wash vessel to the outside of which are joined in rectangular fashion narrow horizontal top and

bottom sections

126 and 127 and vertical

narrow Sections

128 and 129 of the same width. The opposite ide is closed oil by vertical wall section 130 which is joined to the narrow wall sections to complete the closed box-like body 132. The closed box-like body 132 thus formed has a width to slip-fit the space left between wall 117 of the wash vessel and any of the divider Walls, when the wash vessel is inserted in the compartmented water bath.

The trough-like reservoir at the top of the vertical wash vessel provides the greatest benefits with the extremely thin or narrow vessels and particularly with those, in which the inside width between the major vertical walls or the side walls of the parallelepiped is less than approximately 2.5 cm. Flaring or widening of the upper portion becomes most important where the inside width of the vessel is less than about 1.5 cm. and it is in fact mandatory for trouble-free operation and insertion and removal of the sheet material or carrier means, where the inside width of the vessel is less than about 1 cm. down to 0.5 cm. or less, depending on the nature of the carrier means, on which the photographic material is contained. A vessel, having this narrow width and lacking the upper flared portion, poses considerable inconvenience and difiiculty in its use, because it is often awkward to insert the carrier means with the photographic sheet material through the narrow top opening in the absence of suitable guide means. With certain carrier means in which the sensitive photographic layers are located exposed to the vessel walls and edges, damage to the sensitive layer cannot always be avoided if it is inserted into a very narrow vessel, lacking the flared upper section or reservoir, particularly when the operation is carried out in dim safelight or in total darkness by relatively inexperienced operators.

The vertical wash vessel of the present invention, having the liquid reservoir at the top end, does not pose these difliculties. The upper trough-like section may be flared or widened at the top sufliciently, to permit ready and convenient insertion of the carrier means and photographic material, even in the dark without damage to the photographic material. It was found that making the top opening of the reservoir at least 2 cm. and preferably more than 2.5 cm. wide, will assure ready insertion of any desired kind of carrier means. The slanting wall sections of the reservoir guide the carrier and photographic material smoothly into the narrow vertical main section of the vessel without damage to the photographic material contained on the carrier.

Usually the wash vessel is made wide enough in relation to the carrier means to provide enough leeway between the end walls of the vessel and the carrier means for smooth insertion and agitation. If it is desired to make the dimension between the end walls of the vessel as short as is feasible, in order to reduce the required volume of liquid to the minimum and in order to keep the dimensions of the device and apparatus as small as is possible with a given size of the standard sheet of photographic material to be treated, another embodiment of the upright wash vessel may be used with particular advantage. In this embodiment not only the major side walls but also the end walls are flared at their top end.

Referring to FIG. major side walls 730 are flared outwardly at the top in funnel-like fashion, similarly as is shown in FIG. 5 forming slanted wall sections 731, joined to the top edges of walls 730. End walls 732 are likewise flared outwardly forming narrow slanted wall sections 733, joined to the top edges of end walls 732. The bottom of the vessel is open, i.e., there is no bottom closing off the vessel. The opening 734 formed in this manner serves as the passageway for the washing medium. The overflow in the upper section is formed by horizontal slot 735 provided in slanting wall section 731.

When the wash vessel is inserted into a cell or compartment of the compartmented bath described hereinafter with its wide vertical wall 730 in sealing contact with the upstream wall of the cell and its narrow vertical side walls 732 in sealing contact with the narrow sides of the cell and the slot 735 at a level slightly above the upper edge of said wall of the cell, the stream of water will enter the wash vessel through slot 735, flow downward through the vessel leaving it through open bottom 734. From there it enters the cell flowing upward in the part of the cell which is not occupied by the wash vessel, until it overflows the downstream separatory wall of the compartment into the next compartment. One or more sheets of photographic material, when inserted into the wash vessel, receive a very intensive washing action due to the unidirectional flow of the water. Making the vessel as narrow as is feasible and in keeping with the space requirements of the maximum number of sheets to be inserted, will further intensify the effectiveness of the wash vessel.

Opposite direction of flow of the stream of water in the vessel may be readily achieved by placing wall 730 in sealing contact with the downstream separatory wall of the compartment with slot 735 being located at a level slightly above the upper edge of the wall. In this position the water, entering the compartment over the upper edge of the upstream wall, flows downward in the free part of the compartment, enters the Wash vessel through open bottom 734 and flows upwardly in the wash vessel, leaving it through upper slot 735 and flowing from there into the next compartment.

The term sealing contact as used hereinbefore and hereinafter is intended to mean that the respective members are in such close contact, that no water or substantially no water can pass between said members at the hydrostatic water pressures encountered in the device of the present invention. The required close fitting and sealing contact may be achieved by the use of sealing strips or gaskets from elastomeric materials interspaced between the vicinal members of the bath and wash vessel, or by the use of other means Well known to the craftsman for achieving a water tight seat.

Suitable sealing means to achieve the sealing contact of the wash vessel of the present invention with the vicinal walls and, if desired, with the bottom of the cell include the seal strips described hereinafter in detail. The seal stn'ps may be provided at the narrow vertical sides of the vessel and if desired, at the bottom of the wash vessel in such manner, that they do not interfere with the flow pattern set up in the particular device or compartmented bath in which they are to be used. Suitable counter sealing means into which the seal strips engage removably upon insertion of the wash vessel into the cell of the compartmented bath, may be provided in appropriate locations in or at the narrow side walls of the cell or compartment, and if applicable, in or at the bottom of the bath or compartment, so as to establish the required sealing contact. Suitable counter sealing means include recesses or indentations of suitable shape, provided in the narrow side Walls and, if desired, in the bottom of the cell or compartment of the compartmented bath. It" the said side walls and bottom of the cell or water baths are made of heavy gauge material, the counter sealing means may be simply grooves, contained in the walls and/or bottom of the compartment or cell. Alternatively, channel members may be provided at the side 'walls and/or bottom such as U-strips of suitable dimensions. Various embodiments of suitable counter sealing means are described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 342,029.

As is readily apparent, insertion of any kind of carrier means into an upright wash vessel encompassing the principle of the slanting upper sections of the end walls i.e., a superimposed reservoir flaring on all four sides can be carried out extremely smoothly and trouble-free.

Another advantageous embodiment of the upright wash vessel of the present invention is characterized by a generally trapezoidal configuration which is achieved by the fact that both end walls are outwardly slanted. This embodiment is shown schematically in FIG. 14. The vessel is defined by bottom 740, slanted end walls 741 and wide

vertical side walls

742 and 743, which have the form of an inverted trapezoid having its narrow parallel edge joined to bottom 740. The upper portion of side walls 742 may, if desired, be flared outwardly (not shown) in accordance with any of the hereinbefore shown principles or in any other way, so as to form a superimposed reservoir. Side wall 742 is extended on its side edges and at its bottom edge to form vertical seal strips 744 and horizontal seal strip 745, which together form the sealing means in this embodiment of the vessel. The vessel is advantageously used in combination with a Water bath or a cell which comprises suitable counter sealing means adapted to cooperate and engage with the sealing means of the wash vessel, so as to establish substantially liquid tight seal in the water bath or compartment, separating the inlet and outlet portion of the vessel. The lower passageway for the washing medium is formed by horizontal slot 746, which is located in wide side wall 742 close to the bottom of the vessel. The overflow passage 747 is formed by the upper horizontal edge of the shortened side wall 743'.

In this trapezoidal embodiment of the vertical vessel the length of bottom 740, measured inside the vessel, is advantageously at least equal to the width of the photographic sheet material to be treated, or of the carrier means on which it is contained, respectively, so as to permit insertion of the sheet material or carrier all the way to the bottom. The added width at the top of the vessel greatly facilitates the insertion of the carrier. The trapezoidal vessel has the further advantage that it permits readily substantially liquid tight seating in the compartmented water bath, giving it a self sealing quality.

The insertion of the carrier means in the upright vessel of the invention in complete darkness may be further facilitated by the provision of luminescent markings at the upper edge of the upright wash vessel of the invention or at the edge of the bath or compartment, in which it is contained. Suoh luminescent markings may be provided all around the upper edge and preferably on the outer upper edge of the vesesl or merely at the upper edge of the end walls of any of the embodiments of the vessels of the present invention.

The reservoir may also be made up from curved wall sections. An example of a curved cross section reservoir is shown in FIG. of the drawings of my copending application Ser. No. 342,198 filed Feb. 3, 1964.

Hereinbefore, the vessels have been described and illustrated with their major vertical side walls being in parallel relationship. For special purposes, these walls may also be inclined toward each other. They may define a vessel being Wider at the top, narrowing toward the bottom or, vice versa, they may define a vessel being narrower at the top and widening toward the bottom. The former embodiment facilitates the insertion of the carrier means with the sheet contained therein and may in certain instances obviate the need for the trough-like reservoir or flared upper portion of the vessel, yet giving all the advantages of these embodiments.

As is readily apparent from the foregoing description, good seal of the upright treating vessels of the invention against the walls of the water bath is important for efficient operation, if the upright wash vessels of the inven- 10 tion are used in the compartmented Water bath, employing a unidirectional stream of water as the washing medium. Any substantial leakage around the narrow vertical sides of the wash vessel reduces the efliciency of the washing action in the particular vessel.

In the embodiments of the wash vessels described hereinbefore and illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 10 of the accompanying drawings, no special sealing means are provided. If the vessels are inserted with their end walls into cooperating sealing means such as depressions or channels contained in or at the end Walls of each compartment of the Water bath, the end walls of the vessels serve as sealing means. By machining or maintaining close tolerances in the dimensions of the vessels and compartments, or by other suitable means, satisfactory seal may be readily achieved. Perfect seal may also be achieved without the need for machining or keeping close tolerances, if the cooperating sealing means in the walls of the bath or compartment are lined with suitably shaped and dimensioned elastomeric profiled materials. Still better seal may be readily achieved, if one employs the self-sealing trapezoidal embodiment of the treating vessels in conjunction with a compartmented Water bath in which the long side walls or the cooperating sealing means contained therein have a slant, which is approximately the same as that of the end walls of the trapezoidal vessels.

With vessels made from slightly compressible or elastic materials, or with the use of the said elastomeric profiles in the cooperating sealing means, exertion of slight downward pressure on the inserted vessel produces excellent seal between the vessels and the bath walls. Since this embodiment of the vessel and bath are, as stated, not dependent on the maintenance of close tolerances, less costly materials and inexpensive mass production methods may be used for their construction.

Unlimited exchangeability of the wash vessels in the compartments of a given bath and the possibility of using vessels of varying thickness or liquid capacity in the same bath is possible with the use of another embodiment of the upright vessel, which is characterized by the provision of a vertical seal strip on the outside of each of the end walls and bottom of the Wash vessel. The seal strips extend preferably over the whole length or over most of the length of said end walls of the vessel and over the whole length of the bottom and are advantageously fixedly joined thereon. They may be of the same material or of a material different from that from which the vessel is made. They may be integral with the vessel or they may be joined to the vessel by the use of adhesives or other fastening means. The horizontal cross-sectional profile of the seal strip may be square, rectangular, semicircular or of any other desired irregular shape so as to provide with the selected materials the most effective seal. The strips may be of uniform width and thickness from top to bottom or they may be tapered toward the lower end with the widest cross-section at their top ends. Many variations in the tapered design of the seal strip are possible, the more complex ones usually providing more readily perfect seal upon insertion of the vessel into the coacting sealing means contained in the bath such as depressions, grooves or channels in the opposite end walls and in the bottom of the compartment. The coacting sealing means provided in the opposite end walls of the compartments of the bath are preferably concave counterparts of the said seal strip of approximately identical shape and dimension. If the seal strip is made of or covered by an elastomeric material such as rubber or other elastomeric natural or synthetic polymeric material in solid or foamed or expanded condition, excellent seal may be achieved without the need for the observance of close tolerances in the shape or dimensions of the grooves or channels in the compartments and the coacting sealing means in the walls and in the bottom of the water bath, or compartments may have any desired shape or size or may be omitted altogether. In

1 1 this case the walls and bottom of the water bath or of the respective compartment in the Water bath serve as the cooperating sealing means.

An example of a wash vessel having tapered or wedgeshaped seal strips is shown in FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings. Upright wash vessel 770 is defined by major

vertical side walls

771 and 772, vertical end walls 773 and bottom 774. To the outside of each of walls 773 are fixedly mounted vertical, tapered seal strips 775 contained on and held in place by vertical ribs 776, provided along end walls 773. Seal strips 775 are made of an elastomeric material and mounted such that their thicker profile is at the top and their thinnest profile is at the bottom of the vessel. To the bottom of the vessel is joined on a horizontal rib (not shown) horizontal seal strip 777 made of the same material as vertical seal strips 775 and joined thereto, so as to form a U-shaped seal strip around the sides and bottom of the vessel. Insertion of the vessel into a compartment of a suitably dimensioned compartmented water bath, having concave tapered grooves or channels of corresponding dimensions and shape, will provide instantaneous tight seal merely by slight downward pressure on the vessel.

If the seal strips provided at the end walls of the vessel are made from a non-elastic material and if it is not desired to maintain close tolerances, perfect seal may be achieved by making or by lining the concave holding means in or at the end walls of the compartment or in the side walls of the bath with an elastomeric material. In this embodiment ribs 776 may directly serve as the vessel mounted sealing means. It is important to note that the vessel-mounted sealing means extend to a level at least slightly higher than the water level in the bath, when the vessel is inserted therein, so as to prevent water from overflowing the sealing means. Similarly it is desirable that good seal is established between the cooperating sealing means up to the water level in the bath.

The lower passageway for the washing medium is formed by horizontal slot 778, extending across the exposed front portion of bottom 774 next to major side wall 771. The upper overflow passage is formed by the upper horizontal edge 779 of shortened side wall 772. To horizontal overflow edge 779 is joined horizontal lip 780 with raised edges 781 which serves as a conduit for the washing medium, entering or leaving the vessel by overflowing edge 779. Lip 780 is advantageously made large enough to extend over the vicinal separator wall when the vessel is inserted in a compartmented water bath or in a compartment. If the washing medium enters at the bottom through slot 778, it flows upward in the vessel, overflowing edge 779, whereafter it is conducted by lip 780 directly into the next compartment. In this manner very little if any of the chemical contaminated washing medium enters into the space left between wall 772 and the vicinary separatory wall.

As mentioned hereinbefore, it is usually desirable to make the wash vessel as narrow as is possible so as to utilize the washing efficiency of a given stream of flowing washing medium to the greatest possible extent. Advantageously, the washing vessel is designed and dimensioned for the treatment of a given number of sheets, say 2, 4, 6, 8, or or more, depending on the circumstances. The only limitation controlling the reduction of the thickness of the wash vessels is the space required for the insertion of the sheet material contained on the carrier means, to be used with the vessels. These may be designed to be very thin. Thus, if desired, the thickness of the vessels may be as low as a quarter of an inch or even less. For the simultaneous treatment of more than 2 sheets, one will usually employ vessels of a greater thickness of say one-half inch up to one or even several inches. The provision of standard seal strips on the wash vessel makes it not only possible to use interchangeably wash vessels of varying capacity in a given bath or compartmented bath, but gives also complete freedom in the ar- 12 rangement of Wash vessels and treating vessels in a given bath, if both the wash vessels and the treating vessels are provided with the standard seal strip.

If some of the hereinbefore described embodiments of the wash vessel are inserted centrally in the compartment or cell, a pocket of standing water is formed in the down stream portion or in the upstream portion of the cell, depending on whether the stream of water enters at the top or at the bottom of the wash vessel. To avoid undesirable accumulation or retention in the water pockets of chemicals washed out from the treated photographic material in the washing vessel, it is often advantageous that the wide cell or compartment wall, adjoining the water pocket of the wash vessel which carries the upper overflow or entrance slot, is removed from the bath, thus uniting two neighboring cells to form one correspondingly larger cell. This expedient is particularly etfective when an upright treating vessel follows in the sequence or arrangement. This is usually the case since rarely two separate washing steps follow directly each other in any of the presently used photographic treating processes. If exchangeability is not required, the wash vessel may also be permanently joined to the water bath or compartment in which they are to be used. Alternatively, the wash vessel may be provided with sealing means, which are adapted to fit the counter sealing means for the removable separatory wall and the wash vessel is simply inserted in lieu of the separatory wall. A wash vessel suitable for this arrangement is exemplified in FIG. 3 of the drawings and described hereinbefore.

The foregoing discussion shows, that the bottom sealing embodiments of the wash vessel may with advantage also be used in a water bath which is not subdivided into compartments or cells, without adversely aflecting the eflectiveness and operativeness of the wash vessel, as long as a unidirectional stream of water or other washing medium passes through the bath.

The formation of water pockets may also be avoided by using the expedient of setting the wash vessel ottcenter in direct contact with one separatory wall of the cell or compartment as described hereinbefore. This may be achieved by setting the seal strip olT-center toward the side wall of the vessel which does not have the overflow as illustrated, for instance, in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The distance from the center of the seal strip to the outside of the side wall carrying the overflow should be equal to one half the cell width, if the counter sealing means are located in the center of the compartment.

The off-center embodiment of the wash vessel may also be further modified by omitting the seal strip at the bottom and substituting an apron on the lower side wall, providing the overflow as the support and sealing means. An embodiment of this modification of the wash vessel is illustrated in FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

Wash vessel 790 comprises a narrow generally parallelepipedal receptacle, formed by

major side walls

791 and 782, end walls 783 and bottom 784. A horizontal slot, extending substantially across the whole length of the bottom, is provided in the bottom as the lower passageway for the stream of washing medium. Side wall 781 is slanted outwardly in its upper portion to form a partial trough-like reservoir 785. The upper horizontal edge of side wall 791 extends to a level substantially higher than the top edge of side wall 782. End walls 783 extend to a height corresponding to that of side wall 791 so as to complete the partial reservoir.

Apron 786 is joined to the top edge of side wall 782, extending vertically downward and leaving an open pocket between it and wide vertical side wall 782, the pocket being wide enough to receive or slip over the coordinated separatory wall of the water bath, in which the wash vessel is to be used. In the upper enclosed portion of the pocket is contained a gasket 787 of an elastomeric material, which gasket extends over the full length of the pocket so as to provide a substantially water tight seal between the upper edge of the separatory wall and the apex of the pocket. Apron 786 extends on both sides beyond the end walls 783 of the wash vessel to a width slightly less than the width of the compartment or water bath. To the extensions of the apron are joined profiled gaskets 788, made from an elastomeric material and adapted to establish tight seal between the apron and the vertical vicinary walls of the compartment or bath, when the vessel is inserted. Gaskets 7-87 need be provided only at and slightly above the water level in the wash vessel 790 to accomplish the desired seal and to prevent water from bypassing the wash vessel.

For use of the wash vessel in a compartmented water bath, the wash vessel 790 is simply slipped, by help of apron 786, over one of the separatory walls of the compartment, in which the vessel is to be placed, preferably over the down-stream wall for highest efficiency. Gaskets 78.8 engage with the walls of the compartment or water bath, respectively, and gasket 787 engages with the upper edge of the separatory wall, both means cooperating so as to establish tight seal and forcing the stream of flowing water to flow through the wash vessel. As can be readily seen, ineffectiveness of the sealing means would permit at least some Water to by-pass the wash vessel with the resultant reduction in efiiciency of washing action. The provision of efficient sealing means is therefore of utmost importance in the construction of the washing vessels of the present invention.

In the various embodiments and modifications of the Wash vessel, having the seal strip across the center of the bottom, the lower passageway for the washing medium may be provided directly in the bottom seal strip, so that the stream of washing medium enters directly at the center of the bottom rather than in an off-center position. As is readily apparent, this expedient will usually provide more even distribution of the stream of washing medium over the horizontal cross section of the wash vesesl, than is achieved with the off-center passageway, particularly if the sheet of photographic material is kept stationary with its lower edge at or close to the bottom.

Instead of providing one single, long slot atthe bottom, a multiplicity of shorter slots, lying in one line or distributed across the bottom, may be substituted. Good efli ciency can also be achieved by the provision of variously shaped perforations over the bottom area or in the lower sections of the side walls.

In another embodiment of the wash vessel of the present invention a closed box-like enclosure is provided below the bottom section of the wash vessel, such that it communicates through the lower passageway such as a slot or perforations with the interior of the wash vessel. A tube or other conduit serves as the inlet for a stream of water, which passes from said conduit into the box-like enclosure and through the slot into the lower portion of the vessel, finally overflowing at the top of the vessel. This embodiment of the wash vessel can be used independently of a water bath or compartment and may be used with advantage as an auxiliary wash vessel as is described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 350,612 filed Mar. 9, 1964.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, upright wash vessel 10 comprises, major side walls 11 and 12,

end walls

13 and 14 and bottom 15 with horizontal slot 16, extending over the length of the vessel and serving as the lower passageway. Narrow slot 16 is enclosed by box-like enclosure 17 provided below the bottom section of the vessel. Box-like enclosure 17 communicates at the left with vertical inlet passage 18 and inlet tube 19 for the wash water. Outlet passage 20 is formed by the upper edge of major side wall 12 and extends essentially over the full length of the vessel. Outlet passage 20 is provided with lip 21. Raised upper portion 22 of the major side wall 11 slants outwardly to form a partial trough-like reservoir and a guide for the insertion of the photographic sheet material. To the

end walls

13 and 14 are joined ribs 23, one each to each end wall, which serve as the vertical sealing and supporting means for the wash vessel in a water bath or the like having cooperative female sealing means such as vertical grooves, in the side walls.

The operation of this embodiment of the wash vessel is similar to that described hereinbefore. Running fresh wash water is introduced through tube 19 and inlet passage 18 into box-like enclosure 17, where it distributes and passes upwardly in an essentially even flow pattern through narrow slot 16, flowing upwardly over the entire horizontal cross section of the vessel in an essentially even distribution and at an esesntially even flow rate. The water leaves the wash vessel and overflow-s at horizontal overflow passage 20.

If the just described auxiliary wash vessel is made of dimensions similar to those described hereinbefore, it may also be inserted in the water bath by the use of suitable supporting or sealing means corresponding to those pro vided in the treating vessels. As is readily apparent, the auxiliary washing vessel may thus be placed in sequence with the steps of a-multistep photographic process, yet being independent of a stream of washing medium, flowing through the water bath. Alternatively, it may serve as the sole washing vessel, accommodating all washing steps in a multistep photographic process, requiring one or more washing treatments.

As described herein before, the said seal strips such as ribs or other protrusions may also be provided in the cell or compartments of the water bath and the counter sealing means are accordingly provided at the wash vessel. Either the said seal strips or the counter sealing means or both are advantageously provided with a seal or gasket of suitable profiled strips of an elastomeric material such as rubber, plastics or other material in solid or in expanded or foamed form as described hereinbefore.

Instead of providing male sealing means on the end Walls of the vessel and cooperating sealing means in or at the Walls of the bath or in each compartment contained in the bath, the female sealing means may be provided in the end walls of the upright wash vessel with cooperating sealing means provided in the bath. The vessel depicted in FIG. 6 of the drawings employs this expedient. Upright wash vessel 810 is formed by major side walls 811, end walls 812 and bottom 813. Grooves 814 in the end walls 812 serve as the sealing means when the vessel is inserted in the bath or compartment over cooperating sealing means, being in the form of vertical ribs projecting into the bath or compartment.

At the bottom 813 is provided horizontal male seal strip 815, which projects downward and extends between grooves 814, so as to form the horizontal sealing means which in combination with the female sealing means represented by the grooves, constitute the sealing means in this modification of the vessel. Seal strip 815 cooperates and engages in appropriate counter sealing means provided in or at the bottom of the bath or compartment, in which the vessel is inserted for its use. Lowered horizontal edge 816 of the rear major side wall 811 serves as the overflow, and perforations 817 in the lower portion of major side wall 811 in front serve as the lower passageway for the washing medium. For improved seal either the grooves 814 in the end walls of the vessel or the cooperating sealing means or both the female and the male sealing means may be provided with a liner or a profiled member of an elastomeric material as described hereinbefore.

The wash vessels of the invention may be manufactured by the usual methods. They may be constructed from individual, suitably shaped components using adhesives, or soldering or welding methods or similar methods as the means for joining the components. They may also be formed in one piece e.g., by injection molding, extrusion, stamping, or by blowing techniques, particularly if they are manufactured from thermoplastic construction materials. It was found that the vessels may be most conveniently produced by vacuum forming methods using a split mold. Each half of the mold has a cavity corresponding to one half of the vessel cut along its vertical symmetry line parallel to the long vertical walls of the vessel. Both halves of the mold are advantageously joined at the bottom by a hinge and each half of the mold has spacers and its independent vacuum chamber and connection to a source of vaccum.

As is readily apparent, the various features illustrated hereinbefore with specific embodiments of the wash vessel of the invention may be recombined to form a multitude of new combinations and new embodiments of the upright treating vessels of the present invention. Such modifications are, on the basis of the principles and inventive concepts taught hereinbefore, within the skill of the artisan and fall within the ambit and scope of the present invention. The various forms of bottom, upper trough-like extensions, sealing strips and supporting means for the vessels, arrangement of underflow and overflow may be readily adjusted to form new embodiments of the invention, too numerous to be illustrated.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is understood, that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An upright washing vessel for the washing treatment of photographic materials in sheet form in a flowing stream of fresh wash water, which washing vessel comprises a generally parallelepipedal receptacle formed by two major side walls, two end walls and a bottom section, said receptacle standing in operational position on its bottom section, and wherein said bottom section comprises at least one lower passageway extending essentially over the full length of the bottom section of the receptacle; an overflow passage in the top section of said receptacle at one of the major side walls and extending essentially over the whole length of said vessel; and sealing means which are adapted to permit essentially liquid tight sealing of the washing vessel in a compartment of a compartmented bath, when the wash vessel is inserted therein, so as to permit a stream of flowing wash water to flow in a predominantly vertical direction over essentially the whole horizontal cross section of the receptacle.

2. The wash vessel of claim 1, in which said sealing means for establishing liquid tight sealing of the wash vessel in said compartment of a compartmented water bath comprise essentially vertical ribs extending along the outside of said end walls.

3. An upright wash vessel for the washing treatment of photographic materials in sheet form in a flowing stream of fresh wash water, which wash vessel comprises a generally parallelepipedal receptacle formed by two major side walls, two end walls and a bottom; an overflow passage for the wash water in the top section of said wash vessel, extending essentially horizontally along one of the major side walls and extending essentially across the whole length of said major side wall; passage means for the wash water in the bottom section of said vessel extending essentially over the whole length of said receptacle: a box-like enclosure surrounding and enclosing said passage means in the bottom section; and inlet means for said running wash water communicatively connected to said box-like enclosure, such that a stream of flowing wash water flows in a predominantly vertical direction over essentially the whole horizontal cross section of the wash vessel.

4. The wash vessel of claim 3, in which said passage means for the wash water in the bottom section of the vessel is a narrow slot extending essentially over the whole length of said receptacle.

5. The wash vessel of claim 3, in which one of the major side walls extends to a height higher than the second so that the upper edge of the lower major side wall forms said overflow passage in the top section of the wash vessel.

6. The wash vessel of claim 3, in which are provided essentially vertical sealing means along said end walls, so as to provide support for the wash vessel when it is inserted in a compartment of a compartmented water bath.

7. The wash vessel of claim 6, in which said vertical sealing means are ribs extending essentially vertically along each of the end walls, and extending outwardly from said end walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,818 9/1899 Dobbins 97 672,605 4/1901 Orr et al 9598 923,669 6/1909 Lavender 9590 1,067,403 7/1913 Buckland 9598 1,075,905 10/1913 Drosser 9598 1,305,095 5/1919 Hansen 95100 2,986,988 6/1961 Dyck 95-97 X 3,133,490 5/1964 Buck 9596 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, C. B. PRICE, Assistant Examiners.

Claims

1. AN UPRIGHT WASHING VESSEL FOR THE WASHING TREATMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS IN SHEET FORM IN A FLOWING STREAM OF FRESH WASH WATER, WHICH WASHING VESSEL COMPRISES A GENERALLY PARALLELEPIPEDAL RECEPTACLE FORMED BY TWO MAJOR SIDE WALLS, TWO END WALLS AND A BOTTOM SECTION, SAID RECEPTACLE STANDING IN OPERATIONAL POSITION ON ITS BOTTOM SECTION, AND WHEREIN SAID BOTTOM SECTION COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE LOWER PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING ESSENTIALLY OVER THE FULL LENGTH OF THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE RECEPTACLE; AN OVERFLOW PASSAGE IN THE TOP SECTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE; AT ONE OF THE MAJOR SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING ESSENTIALLY OVER THE WHOLE LENGTH OF SAID VESSEL; AND SEALING MEANS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO PERMIT ESSENTIALLY LIQUID TIGHT SEALING OF THE WASHING VESSEL IN A COMPARTMENT OF A COMPARTMENTED BATH, WHEN THE WASH VESSEL IS INSERTED THEREIN, SO AS TO PERMIT A STREAM OF FLOWING WASH WATER TO FLOW IN A PREDOMINANTLY VERTICAL DIRECTION OVER ESSENTIALLY THE WHOLE HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION OF THE RECEPTACLE.