US2897080A - Combined photographic developing and fixing bath - Google Patents

Description

y l s. TEISER ETAL 39 5 v COMBINED PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING AND FIXING BATH Filed Sept. '2. 1955 Fig. 1 1 +4 i l '71 I i I I /Z1 I I| I IP i l 2 1 K' I i 13 l I r 33 g I 5 l I V l L "L 21 +3 I "-4 Fig.4 13

COMBINED PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING AN FIXHQG BATH Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,160

2 Claims. or. 96-61 This invention relates to a photographic processing method, andapparatus for carrying out the method.

An object of the invention is the provision of a generally improved and more satisfactory photographic processing method, for quickly and conveniently processing an individual photographic print, both to develop and to fix it, in a rapid and satisfactory manner and with a minimum of equipment or apparatus.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simple, light, and compact apparatus for quickly processing an individual photographic print, both to develop it and to fix it.

Still another object is the provision of self-contained apparatus or units sold to the purchaser complete, with developing and fixing chemicals ready for use, and arranged in such manner that the purchaser maydev'elop and fix an individual photographic print quickly and efficiently, without requiring the use of developing trays or the like, without any extensive time of preparation for the photographic processing step, and without the necessity for washing up any equipment when the processing of the individual photographic print is completed.

These and other desirable objects may be attained in 'the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part. hereof, in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan of apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same, substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is another transverse section substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1. I

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

First describing the apparatus with reference to the drawings, there is provided an envelope 11 of substantially opaque and quite readily flexible material. Conveniently the envelope is made of black paper of a kind readily available on the market, which is water resistant but not necessarily completely water impervious. Black paper of the kind commonly used for wrapping unexposed photographic paper or photographic film, in the packages supplied by the manufacturer thereof, is suitable for this purpose. However, other materials may also be used for making the envelope 11, so long as such materials have approximately the same flexibility as ordinary paper, and are sufliciently opaque to undesired light rays. Other materials suitable for this purpose include the thin or tissuelike paper lined with thin metal foil or with a thin opaque plastic coating, as frequently used for packaging various food products. Also metal foil itself, without paper, may be used if desired.

The envelope itself may be of various constructions, the preferred construction having one face (the bottom face, when in the position shown in the drawings) which is smooth and unbroken, the opposite face having a longi- Patent "ice tudinal seam 13 where the edges of the sheet material forming the envelope are brought together and overlapped with each other and permanently secured adhesivelyto each other. a

One end of the envelope (the right hand end when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2) is not permanently closed, but is provided with a closure flap 15 forming an integral extension of the bottom face of the envelope, adapted to be folded up and over the top face as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and to be held temporarily in closed position by any suitable fastener like the paper clip 17, preferably of the variety made of sheet metal formed into a somewhat U- shaped spring clip. 1

Within the envelope 11 is a single sheet 21 of photographic print paper provided with a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion onone face (preferably the upper face when viewed as in the drawings), the light-sensitive emulsion being of any ordinary. type customarily used on contact printing paper or on projection printing paper, depending upon whether the print is to be made by exposure in contact with a negative, or by exposure to light rays projected from an enlarger or other suitable projector. This sheet 21 of photographic paper is made of whatever size is desired for an individual print, and the envelope 11 is made, of course, of proper size commensurate with the photographic paper 21, the envelope being a trifle wider than the width of the photographicprint paper, and considerably longer than the paper, as further explained below. The paper 21 is normally placed with its right hand edge near the right hand end of the envelope, as indicated in Figs. 1 and -2, the left hand edge of the photographic paper being a considerable distance from the left hand edge of the envelope. 7

The opposite or left handend of theenvelop'e 11 is permanently closed and contains, leftwardly of the photographic print sheet 21, a liquid holding capsule or container 31 of frangible orrupturable material, preferably fixed in permanent positionwithin the envelopealong at least one edge, so that the container 31fwill not move about within the envelope. The container 31'constitutes, in effect, a second or inner envelope, containing a liquid bath, and it may conveniently be made of any liquid tight material having suflicient-strength to resist accidental breakage during normal handling, yet being sufficiently frangible or rupturable so that it may be broken open .by exerting substantial pressure over the area of the container 31, while it remains within the outer envelopell. For example, this container or capsule 31 may be of waterproof paper, or of plastic film, or of metal foil, or of plastic-lined or plastic-impregnated paper, or of thin paper lined with thin metal foil. It is preferably of rectangular shape, having a length slightly less than the width of the outer envelope 11, and having a width less than its length, and is arranged crosswise in the outer envelope 11 as indicated by the outline of the envelope 31 appearing in Fig. 1.

This capsule envelope 31 is usually of rectangular outline, and sealed in a liquid tight manner around all four edges, by any suitable adhesive, preferably a thermal-setting adhesive. The left marginal edge of the capsule-envelope 31 (when the parts are viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2) is anchored in any suitable manner within the envelope 11, preferably by including the left edge of the inner envelope 31 in the same fold which seals the left, end' of the main or outer envelope 11. p I,

For example, when the parts are originally assembled, a sealingflap 33, integral with the bottom face or layer of the envelope 11, extends leftward in flat condition before the envelope is closed. The capsule envelope 31 (previously filled with the desired liquid bath) isinserted into the open left end of the envelope 11, between the upper and lower faces thereof, only far enough so that the left marginal edge of the capsule 31 projects beyond the end of the upper face of the envelope 11 but not beyond the end of the closure flap 33 on the lower face. Then the closure flap 33 is folded upwardly and rightwardly into overlying relation with the body of the envelope 11, this folding motion carrying with it the left edge of the capsule envelope 31, so that the parts assume the position indicated near the left end of Fig. 2, and the closure flap 33 is sealed permanently in closed position, by any suitable adhesive, preferably a thermal-setting adhesive. This serves both to close the left end of the main envelope, and to anchor the liquid-containing envelope or capsule within the main envelope.

Before the capsule 31 is inserted in the main envelope 11, it is filled with the required quantity of a photographic developing and fixing bath or solution, and of course the edges of the capsule 31 are sealed as above indicated, after the liquid is inserted therein and before the capsule is placed within the large envelope 11. A single bath or solution serves both to develop and fix the exposed print, such a solution in general being already known in the photographic art, and being commonly called a monobath.

Any suitable form of monobath may be used; for example, any of the forms or compositions disclosed in the article Develop and Fix in a Single Solution, by Wendell Merrill, appearing in the magazine Photography, published by ZiIf-Davis Publishing Company, issue of April 1954, volume 34, No. 4, beginning at page 60.

While any known form of monobath may be used according to certain aspects of the present invention, yet the present invention also includes as one of its features a new and improved formula or composition of monobath which gives improved and superior results. This specific monobath of the present invention, which is preferred for use with the herein described equipment or apparatus, is compounded of the following:

309 grams of sodium sulfite 155 grams of hydroquinone 129 grams of sodium hydroxide 103 grams of potassium bromide 896 grams of hypo (sodium thiosulfate) 56 grams of Elon (methyl-para-aminophenol sulfate) Sufiicient water to make three gallons A suflicient quantity of this monobath is placed within the inner envelope 31, to insure complete wetting of the exposed emulsion surface of the photoprint sheet 21, when the capsule envelope 31 is ruptured and the monobath liquid escapes from the capsule and is agitated Within the envelope 11 asdescribed below. Of course the quantity of the bath will vary according to the area of the photoprint sheet 21. It is found in practice that when the photoprint paper 21 has an area of about 60 square inches (for example, a size of /2 inches x 11 inches) the capsule 31 should contain somewhere in the neighborhood of /2 ounce to ounce of the monobath.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that the user is provided with a single unitary article which is small and light and which requires no special or extreme care in handling, comprising the outer opaque envelope 1 1, a single sheet 21 of photographic paper within it, and a capsule or container 31 permanently mounted within the outer envelope or container 11 but not attached to the photographic paper 21, this capsule 31 containing sufficient chemicals for developing and fixing the photoprint to be formed on the sheet 21 when the latter has been exposed. The user may store a supply of such envelopes and contents for any reasonable time. When it is desired to make one photoprint, the user takes the envelope, removes the temporary clip 17, unfolds the closure flap 15, and removes the sheet 21, this being done, of course, under controlled light conditions, such as either in a photographic darkroom, or in a dark chamber of some suitable kind of photographic apparatus. The photographic paper 21 is not necessarily completely removed from the envelope 11, but is pulled out of the envelope (after opening the flap 15) far enough to render a suflicient area of the sheet 21 accessible for making the desired photographic exposure thereon. Although the sheet may be completely removed from the envelope, it is usually preferred to pull only the major part of the length of the sensitized sheet out of the envelope 11, leaving possibly a half inch of the end of the photopaper still in the envelope, so that when the exposure is completed the end of the photopaper will already be guided into the envelope and it can be shoved back completely into the envelope very quickly and easily.

The photographic exposure is made on that portion of the paper which is outside the envelope, in any suitable manner, by contact or by projection, depending on circumstances, the details of making the exposure itself being subject to variation without departing from the present invention. When the exposure has been completed, the-now exposed sheet 21 is shoved back into the envelope 11, until the right hand end of the sheet is just Within the right hand end of the envelope, the left hand end or edge of the sheet still being some distance away from the liquid container or capsule envelope 31, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The closure flap 15 is folded back into closed position and the clip or retaining device 17 is again applied to the flap to hold it closed. The photographic paper is now protected from further access of light, and the entire envelope 11 may be removed from the photographic darkroom or the photographic dark chamber apparatus, and may be brought out into broad daylight for further processing. The envelope containing the now exposed but undeveloped print is then laid on any suitable flat surface, such as upon the top of a desk or table, and a substantial amount of pressure is applied downwardly upon the left end of the envelope. For example, the user may place a book across the left end of the envelope, and press down firmly or pound down with his fist on the book, with sufficient force to break or rupture the frangible liquid container 31. For purposes of the present invention, it does not matter at what point within the envelope 11 the container 31 breaks, although usually the break will occur along the right hand edge of the container 31 (that is, the edge closest to the paper 21) especially if the breaking pressure is applied progressively from left to right in a direction along the envelope 11.

When the container 31 has been broken open, the monobath liquid which was contained therein spreads within the envelope 11. As above stated, the envelope 11 is not necessarily completely impervious to water, but is water resistant to a sufficient extent to contain or retain the monobath liquid for a few minutes. The user now agitates the liquid within the envelope 11, by rubbing the flat upper surface of the envelope with the tips of his fingers or the palm of his hand, back and forth so that the liquid is spread evenly throughout the entire area of the photosheet 21 within the envelope. Preferably the envelope when laid down on the flat surface for processing, is so placed that the emulsion side of the paper 21 is uppermost, thereby avoiding accidental trapping of air bubbles against the emulsion side which might occur if it were on the lower face of the sheet 21. The rubbing back and forth over the area of the envelope 11 will spread the monobath liquid over both faces of the sheet 21, so that the developing and fixing action will take place on the upper or emulsion side. While it might be thought at first glance that the liquid would tend to remain below the sheet 21, between it and the bottom layer of the envelope, yet it is found in actual practice that the massaging pressure of the fingers or palm of the hand will displace the liquid originally'tending to gather below the sheet 31, will force it up around the ends and the lateral edges of the sheet, so that a suihcient quantity of the monobath liquid, for all practical purposes, reaches the upper or sensitized face of the sheet 21.

This massaging agitation is continued for whatever time is necessary. When using the particular monobath formula or composition above disclosed, it is found that massaging the envelope for one minute (after the capsule 31 is broken open) is quite sufficient and will give excellent results. When using monobaths of other or different compositions, alonger or shorter massage time may be desirable, a massage time of substantially three minutes being found satisfactory with monobaths of other known compositions, such as those disclosed in the above mentioned article by Merrill. As in most photographic processing, the user soon learns by experience to exercise the proper degree of agitation or massage which may be required to give him the particular print characteristics he wants, as to tone, contrast, etc.

At the end of the desired massage or agitation, the clip or retainer 17 is again removed, the flap 15 is opened, and the print 21, now developed and fixed, is pulled out of the envelope 11. This may be done, of course, in broad daylight. The envelope 11 and its remaining liquid contents may now 'be discarded. The print 21 is ready for use except for drying, and except for a washing operation if any special washing is wanted on account of a high degree of permanence. For many purposes, prints of long permanence are not needed, and

the sheet 21 may simply be placed between blotters as soon as it is removed from the envelope 11, in order to dry the sheet without any further operations. However, it may be placed in an ordinary household wash basin or kitchen sink if desired, or any suitable tray, for further washing with ordinary water. It is understood, of course, that this washing step is optional rather than compulsory, so it may truly be said that for completely satisfactory processing of the photopn'nt, for many purposes, all that is needed is simply the contents of the envelope 11, with no additional trays, liquid baths, or washing baths of any kind.

Dimensions may be varied at will, of course. Merely as a typical example, and not as a limitation on the invention, it may be said that if the photosensitive sheet 21 has a size of 5 /2 inches by 11 inches, the envelope 11 is preferably made in a width of 5% inches and a length of 15 inches, not counting the closure flaps 15 and 33. The liquid containing envelope or capsule 31 may be about 2% inches x 5 inches in size, the 5 inch dimension extending crosswise of the envelope 11. With these typical dimensions, it is seen that the liquid capsule 31 does not overlap the photosensitive sheet 21, but is placed beyond one end thereof. Also the capsule is not attached in any way to the sensitized sheet 21, so does not have to be handled when the sheet is withdrawn from the envelope for exposure or is put back into the envelope for processing.

It is believed that the method of the present invention has been sufficiently described and will be sufliciently understood from the description of the use of the apparatus or equipment. It may be added, however, that one aspect of the method or process of the present invention comprises the steps of providing a relatively thin, flexible, and opaque container such as an envelope of paper or similar flexible sheet material, providing initially a sensitized or photo-sensitive sheet of paper or the like within this container or envelope, removing the sensitized sheet from the envelope at least partially and exposing the removed part to actinic light under controlled conditions to produce a latent photographic image thereon, replacing the sensitized sheet with the latent image thereon within the flexible container or envelope, releasing a quantity of developing and fixing agent within the flexible container or envelope, and massaging or rubbing the flexible container or envelope externally in order to agitate and spread the developing and fixing agent within it, to cause the development and fixation of the photographic image on the photo-sensitive material within the envelope.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentioned objects of the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined photographic developing and fixing bath solution composed essentially of water having dissolved therein substantially the following material in substantially the following proportions, viz:

Parts by weight Sodium sulfite 309' Hydroquinone Sodium hydroxide 129 Potassium bromide 103 Sodium thiosulfate 896 Methyl-para-aminophenol sulfate 56 2.. A solution as defined in claim 1, in which the parts by Weight as therein stated represent grams per three gallons of solution.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,360,624 Dodge Nov. 30, 1920 2,230,977 Ham Feb. 4, 1941 2,472,358 Wolff June 7, 1949 2,543,181 Land Feb. 27, 1951 2,689,307 Fairbank Sept. 14, 1954 2,725,298 Yutzy et a1. Nov. 29, 1955

Claims (1)

1. A COMPOUND PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING FIXING BATH SOLUTION COMPOSED ESSENTIALLY OF WATER HAVING DISSOLVED THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE FOLLOWING PROPORTIONS, VIZ:

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