Apparatus and technique for film developing

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR THE FAST PROCESSING OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM USING PROCESSING FLUIDS, COMPRISING: A PLATEN WITH A CENTRAL OPENING IN ITS UPPER FLAT SURFACE; MEANS FOR RECEIVING SPENT PROCESSING FLUID FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID PLATEN; A FRAME ADJACENT THE PLATEN WITH ITS UPPER SURFACE PLACED IN A SLIGHTLY HIGHER PLANE THAN THE PLANE OF THE SURFACE OF SAID PLATEN, SAID FRAME BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ON ITS UPPER SURFACE A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM HAVING AN EXPOSED EMULSION WITH THE EMULSION OF THE FILM FACED DOWNWARD, SAID FILM, WHEN POSITIONED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE FRAME, TOGETHER WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE PLATEN DEFINING A SMALL FILM PROCESSING CHAMBER WITH THE SPACING BETWEEN THE FILM AND PLATEN BEING LESS THAN 0.030 INCH AND SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO PERMIT PROCESSING LIQUID INTRODUCED THEREBETWEEN TO BE HELD WITHIN THE PROCESSING CHAMBER BY CAPILLARY FORCE; AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING PROCESSING FLUID TO THE PROCESSING CHAMBER THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE PLATEN, SAID DELIVERY MEANS HAVING A CAPACITY TO DELIVER SUFFICIENT LIQUID TO ALLOW CAPILLARY ACTION TO EXIST IN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE FILM AND PLATEN.