Process for the direct production of positive photographic images

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES USING A PHOTOGRAPHIC MAERIAL COMPRISING, IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER IN AT LEAST ONE LAYER, A SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE SILVER SALT EMULSION WHICH IS DEVELOPABLE UNDER ORDINARY DEVELOPING CONDITIONS IN A SPECIAL SILVER SALT DEVELOPING SOLUTION WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO ACTINIC LIGHT AND A LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER HALIDE EMULSION WHICH, ONLY AFTER EXPOSURE TO ACTINIC LIGHT, IS DEVELOPABLE IN SAID SPECIAL DEVELOPING SOLUTION TO A NEGATIVE IMAGE, SAID LATTER SILVER HALIDE EMULSION BEING OF HIGHER LIGHT SENSITIVITY THAN SAID SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE SILVER SALT EMULSION, THE PROPORTION OF THE HIGHER LIGHT-SENSITIVE SILVER SALT TO THE SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE SILVER SALT LYING IN THE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 0.01 TO 10 GRAMS OF THE HIGHER LIGHT-SENSITIVE SILVER SALT TO ABOUT 100 GRAMS TO THE SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE SILVER SALT WHICH COMPRISES EXPOSING SAID MATERIAL TO AN OBJECT TO BE REPRODUCED SUCH THAT ONLY THE HIGHER LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER SALT EMULSION IS AFFECTED BY THE EXPOSING LIGHT AND DEVELOPING SAID EXPOSED MATERIAL IN SAID SPECIAL DEVELOPER, THE LATER BEING AN ORDINARY SILVER SALT DEVELOPING SOLUTION CONTAINING AS SOLVENT AN AGENT WHICH HAS HIGHER DISSOLVING POWER FOR THE LOWER THAN FOR THE HIGHER LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER SALT AND CONTAINING SALTS HAVING THE SAME ANIONS AS THOSE OF SAID HIGHER LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER SALT AT MOST IN SUCH A QUANTITY THAT THE REDUCTION OF SAID SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE SILVER SALT EMULSION IS NOT PREVENTED UNTIL THE DEVELOPING SOLUTION FORMS AN EXTREMELY FAINT NEGATIVE IMAGE IN THE SILVER HALIDE EMULSION, AND FORMS A CONSPICUOUS POSITIVE IMAGE IN THE SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE EMULSION, THE NON-METALLIC BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE FAINT NEGATIVE IMAGE EFFECTIVELY INHIBITING THE SPONTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT OF A CONSPICUOUS POSITIVE IMAGE IN THE SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPABLE EMULSION IN THOSE AREAS HAVING THE NEGATIVE IMAGE WHEREBY A CONSPICUOUS DIRECT POSITIVE IMAGE IS DEVELOPED.