U.S. patent number 3,724,355 [Application Number 05/152,269] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-03 for apparatus for processing exposed photographic film or the like.
Invention is credited to Herbert Bruck, Josef Busch, Hans-Dieter Frick, Erwin Schon, Karl-Wilhelm Schranz.
United States Patent |
3,724,355 |
Busch , et al. |
April 3, 1973 |
APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM OR THE LIKE
Abstract
A system of guide rollers for transporting exposed photographic
film past one or more stations where the exposed surface of the
film is coated with a viscous adhesive has a set of upper guide
rollers and a set of lower guide rollers. The film is caused to
travel along an elongated winding path which has vertical sections
each extending between an upper guide roller and a lower guide
roller, and at least one guide roller of each pair of successive
guide rollers has a convex peripheral surface. The central line of
each vertical section of the winding path coincides with tangents
to the central portions of peripheral surfaces on the respective
upper and lower guide rollers. The planes which are normal to the
axes of pairs of successive guide rollers make an angle which
exceeds zero degrees but is less than 91.degree..
Inventors: |
Busch; Josef (Bensberg,
DT), Bruck; Herbert (Leverkusen, DT),
Schranz; Karl-Wilhelm (Opladen, DT), Schon; Erwin
(Leverkusen, DT), Frick; Hans-Dieter (Munich,
DT) |
Family
ID: |
5773795 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/152,269 |
Filed: |
June 11, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 12, 1970 [DT] |
|
|
P 20 29 044.2 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
396/604; 226/190;
396/612; 396/646 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03D
5/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G03D
5/00 (20060101); G03d 003/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;95/89R,89A,94R
;226/190 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Matthews; Samuel S.
Assistant Examiner: Braun; Fred L.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
1. In an apparatus for treating travelling flexible band- or
strip-shaped bodies with flowable agents, particularly for applying
viscous agents to coated sides of carriers provided with coats of
photosensitive material and having a relatively low tensile
strength, a combination comprising at least two sets of guide
rollers having axes located in at least two different planes and
peripheral surfaces defining an elongated meandering path for a
travelling flexible body, said path having elongated sections each
extending between a given guide roller of a first set and a given
guide roller of a second set, the axes of said given guide rollers
being inclined with reference to each other with attendant twisting
of the flexible body in the respective path section and the
resulting tendency of the marginal portions of said flexible body
to increase their length relative to the central portion of said
flexible body, at least one of each pair of given guide rollers
having a convex peripheral surface configurated to counteract said
tendency of said marginal portions to increase their length
relative to said central portion so that the tensional stressing of
said flexible body in the path sections between said pairs of given
guide rollers is at least substantially uniform across the entire
cross section of said flexible body, the degree of convexity of
said convex peripheral surface being a function of the width of
said flexible body and of the distance between the rollers of said
pairs of given guide rollers the central line of each of said
sections of said path coinciding at least substantially with the
tangents to the central portions of peripheral surfaces of the
respective given guide rollers.
2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the planes which
are normal to the axes of said pairs of given guide rollers make an
angle of less than 91.degree..
3. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said planes make an
angle which at least approximates 90.degree. and the guide rollers
of one of said sets have a common axis of rotation.
4. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein the guide rollers
of the other set form two rows of coaxial rollers and the guide
rollers of one of said rows are staggered sideways with reference
to the guide rollers of the other row.
5. A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the guide rollers
of each of said rows are separated from each other by distances
approximating the diameter of a roller in said one set.
6. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the guide rollers
of one of said sets form pairs of coaxial rollers and the
neighboring guide rollers of the other set have mutually inclined
axes.
7. A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the axes of guide
rollers in at least one of said sets are located in a common
plane.
8. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the convexity of
said convex peripheral surfaces is also a function of the magnitude
of said angle.
9. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one guide
roller in one of said sets has a circular cylindrical peripheral
surface of constant diameter.
10. A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said one set of
guide rollers is located at a level below the other set.
11. A combination as defined in claim 9, further comprising an
adjustably mounted nozzle having an elongated orifice adjacent to
the peripheral surface of said one guide roller and means for
supplying to said nozzle a viscous material for the application of
such material to the adjacent surfaces of successive increments of
a flexible body which is trained over said one guide roller, the
width of said orifice exceeding the desired thickness of viscous
material on the surface of the flexible body.
12. A combination as defined in claim 11, wherein said orifice is
located at a level below the axis of said one guide roller.
13. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a pair
of advancing rolls located past said guide rollers as considered in
the direction of lengthwise travel of the flexible body and
arranged to pull the body along said path.
14. A combination as defined in claim 13, wherein the body is
trained over one of said advancing rolls and said one advancing
roll has a friction generating peripheral surface, and further
comprising means for biasing the other advancing roll against those
increments of the flexible body which contact the peripheral
surface of said one advancing roll.
15. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising
corrosion-resistant antifriction bearing means for at least some of
said guide rollers.
16. A combination as defined in claim 15, wherein said antifriction
bearing means comprises rolling elements of a material selected
from the group consisting of vitreous and synthetic plastic
substances.
17. In an apparatus for treating travelling flexible band- or
strip-shaped bodies with flowable agents, particularly for applying
viscous agents to coated sides of carriers provided with coats of
photosensitive material, a combination comprising at least two sets
of guide rollers having axes located in at least two different
planes and peripheral surfaces defining an elongated meandering
path for a travelling flexible body, said path having elongated
sections each extending between a given guide roller of a first set
and a given guide roller of a second set, the axes of said given
guide rollers being inclined with reference to each other and the
planes which are normal to the axes of said pairs of given guide
rollers making an angle of less than 91.degree., the guide rollers
of one of said sets having a common axis of rotation and being
equidistant from each other and the diameter of each guide roller
of the other set constituting the diagonal of a rectangle one side
of which equals the diameter of a guide roller of said one set and
the other side of which equals the distance between the centers of
two neighboring rollers of said one set, at least one of each pair
of given guide rollers having a convex peripheral surface and the
central line of each of said sections of said path coinciding at
least substantially with the tangents to the central portions of
peripheral surfaces of the respective given guide rollers.
18. A combination as defined in claim 17, wherein the diameters of
guide rollers of said other set are parallel to each other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for manipulating band-
or strip-shaped bodies, especially elongated photographic films or
like photosensitive materials. More particularly, the invention
relates to improvements in apparatus for processing exposed
photosensitive materials in the form of webs, strips or the like.
Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in
apparatus which are especially suited for guiding and transporting
web- or strip-shaped exposed photosensitive materials during
contact with one or more developing, fixing, bleaching, washing
and/or other agents.
It is already known to contact webs or strips of exposed
photosensitive material with one or more developing or other
treating agents which are applied to one surface of the material
while the latter is held in motion and is trained over one or more
rollers or analogous guide members. It is also known to employ
viscous developing agents which are applied only once and which can
be applied to webs or strips of exposed photosensitive material
only if the latter is guided in such a way that one of its surfaces
(namely, that surface which is to be contacted by a viscous
developing atent) cannot be contacted by the surfaces of rollers or
other mechanical guide elements. Any contact between the coated
surface of photosensitive material and a roller or the like would
be likely to destroy the film of adhesive developing agent and
would adversely affect the quality of the latent image.
The problem of properly guiding strip-shaped photosensitive
material in an apparatus of low capacity in such a way that one of
its surfaces is held out of contact with mechanical guide elements
can be readily solved if the path along which the photosensitive
material must be guided is relatively short, namely, if the length
of the interval during which the material is to dwell in the
developing unit of the apparatus does not exceed the length of that
interval which is required to advance the material along a path not
longer than twice the distance between a pair of adjoining rollers
or like guide members. However, if the path of such length is too
short, for example, because the strip-shaped material must be
transported lengthwise at a considerable speed, and if the height
of the apparatus should remain within reasonable limits, the just
described conventional apparatus are unsatisfactory for proper
guidance of photosensitive material during contact with a viscous
developing or other processing agent.
Certain other conventional processing apparatus employ sets of
coaxial guide rollers which define for the strip-shaped
photosensitive material a helical path. Such apparatus are
satisfactory for guidance of relatively narrow strips but fail to
satisfy if the photosensitive material is in the form of a
relatively wide strip. Furthermore, the axes of coaxial guide
rollers must be located at a considerable distance from each other
so that such apparatus occupy substantial amounts of space.
Therefore, apparatus which define a helical path have failed to
gain widespread acceptance for the processing of wide strips of
photographic copying paper which is used in modern high-speed
copying or printing apparatus for exposed photographic roll film or
the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means
for advancing, guiding and coating flexible band- or strip-shaped
bodies, particularly lengths of photographic film or the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved
means for guiding coated band- or strip-like carriers in such a way
that a substantial length of a carrier can be accommodated in a
small area and that the coated surface of the carrier need not be
contacted by any mechanical parts.
A further object of the invention is to provide guide means which
can be installed in continuous developing apparatus for
photographic film or the like.
An additional object of the invention is to provide novel and
improved means for coating one surface of a travelling flexible
band- or strip-shaped carrier with a viscous treating agent in such
a way that the thickness of the applied treating agent can be
regulated and maintained with a high degree of accuracy.
Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means for
advancing band- or strip-shaped flexible carriers through the guide
means of a continuous developing machine for photographic film or
the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel system of
guide rollers for band- or strip-shaped carriers one side of which
should not be contacted by mechanical parts and which must be
guided along an elongated path the overall length of which
considerably exceeds twice the distance between a pair of
neighboring guide rollers.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system of guide
rollers which can be placed close to each other without permitting
any contact between one side of the band-like material and the
mechanical parts of the apparatus wherein the rollers are put to
use in connection with the transport, guidance, coating, washing,
drying and/or other treatment of photographic films or the
like.
The invention is embodied in an apparatus for treating travelling
flexible band- or strip-shaped bodies with flowable agents,
particularly for applying viscous agents to coated sides of
carriers which are provided with coats of photosensitive material.
The apparatus comprises at least two sets of guide rollers having
axes located in at least two different planes (preferably in two
substantially horizontal planes which are located at different
levels) and peripheral surfaces defining an elongated meandering or
winding path for a travelling flexible body. The path has elongated
sections each extending between a given guide roller of a first set
and a given guide roller of a second set, and the axes of such
given guide rollers are inclined with reference to each other. At
least one of each pair of given guide rollers (i.e., of two
successive guide rollers one of which forms part of the first set
and the other of which forms part of the second set) has a convex
peripheral surface. The central line of each of the aforementioned
elongated sections of the meandering path for the flexible body
coincides with tangents to the central portions of peripheral
surfaces of the respective given guide rollers.
The planes which are normal to the axes of pairs of successive
(given) guide rollers make with each other an angle which exceeds
zero degrees but is less than 91.degree.. This causes a twisting of
those stretches of a flexible body which extend between the guide
rollers of the first and second sets.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the
invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and
its mode of operation, together with additional features and
advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the
following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a developing
apparatus having sets of guide rollers which are mounted in
accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of certain guide rollers shown in FIG.
1, further showing the advancing means for the flexible body which
is treated while travelling about the guide rollers;
FIG. 3a is an enlarged plan view of a detail in FIG. 2,
substantially as seen in the direction of arrow III shown in FIG.
2;
FIG. 3b is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIG.
3a;
FIG. 4a is a plan view of a second system of guide rollers;
FIG. 4b is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIG.
4a;
FIG. 5a is a plan view of a third system of guide rollers;
FIG. 5b is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIG.
5a;
FIG. 6a is a plan view of a fourth system of guide rollers;
FIG. 6b is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIG.
6a;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a device which can be used in the
apparatus of FIG. 2 to apply to the travelling flexible body a
layer of viscous material; and
FIG. 8 is a partly sectional different perspective view of the
device shown in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a continuous developing apparatus
for photographic film. The apparatus comprises two magazines or
sources 1, 2 of convoluted exposed film which can be conveyed
through the apparatus simultaneously or one after the other. The
film which is convoluted in the magazine 1 is indicated at 1a and
the other film is indicated at 2a. The magazines 1, 2 are mounted
on or adjacent to one side wall of the housing 3 of the apparatus.
The reference character 4 denotes a film storing unit which can
store a certain length of film 1a and/or 2a so as to insure that
the trailing end of an expiring film can be spliced or otherwise
connected to the leading end of a fresh film before the trailing
end of the expiring film enters the first treating unit 5. The unit
5 is provided with means for contacting the film 1a or 2a with one
or more wet or moist agents. Such contacting means includes nozzles
which discharge the agents in such a way that they contact one side
or surface of the moving film. At least some of the agents are
assumed to be viscous pastes which are employed for developing and
fixing of the photosensitive material on the film. The first
treating unit 5 is followed by a washing unit 6 and thereupon by a
drying unit 38. The dried film is collected by a takeup reel or
spool 7 which is adjacent to another side wall of the housing
3.
Certain novel parts of the just described apparatus are illustrated
in greater detail in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The apparatus is
directly coupled with a high-speed photographic copying machine 39
which exposes successive portions of a band- or strip-shaped
carrier 10 for photosensitive material. The carrier 10 may consist
of felted paper which is coated with a suitable emulsion. The
freshly exposed portions of the carrier 10 advance through a
storing unit 8 which corresponds to the storing unit 4 of FIG. 1
and enter the first treating unit 9 by way of an inlet opening 9a
provided in the housing 9b of the unit 9. This unit accommodates a
horizontal combined guide and drive roller 11 which is adjacent to
a nozzle 12 having one or more slit-shaped orifices (see the
orifice 36b in FIG. 8) for a viscous flowable developing agent
which is applied to the adjacent exposed surface of the carrier 10,
namely, to that surface which faces away from the axis of the drive
roller 11. As shown, the nozzle 12 is installed at a level below
the axis of the drive roller 11 in such position that it applies a
viscous developing agent in the region where the carrier 10 is
being deflected through substantially 90.degree. by the peripheral
surface of the roller 11. The carrier 10 is thereupon twisted
through substantially 45.degree. during travel along that elongated
section of the meandering path for the carrier which extends toward
the peripheral surface of a guide roller 25 mounted in the housing
9b at a level above the drive roller 11. A further twisting of the
carrier 10 through 45.degree. takes place during travel along that
elongated section of the meandering path which extends from the
guide roller 25 toward a second lower guide roller 13 located at a
level slightly below the level of the drive roller 11. The axis of
the guide roller 13 is parallel to the axis of the the drive roller
11 and to the axis of a further lower guide roller 14 located at
the level of the guide roller 13 and serving to deflect the carrier
10 through 90.degree. so that the carrier advances upwardly and is
twisted through 45.degree. during travel along a further elongated
section of the meandering path toward the periphery of a second
upper guide roller 15 having a horizontal axis making with the axis
of the guide roller 25 an angle of about 90.degree.. The lower
guide roller 13 is axially offset with reference to the drive
roller 11 by a distance equaling or approximating the width of the
carrier 10. The axes of the upper guide rollers 15, 25 are
preferably located in a common horizontal plane.
The positions of the rollers 11, 13, 14, 15, 25 with reference to
each other are selected in such a way that the central line of each
vertical section of the meandering path (i.e., the central line of
each twisted stretch of the carrier 10 which extends between the
rollers 11 and 25 or 25 and 13 or 14 and 15) coincides with a line
which is tangential to the central portions of peripheral surfaces
of the rollers 11-25, 25-13 or 14-15. Furthermore, the diameters of
the upper guide rollers 25, 15 are preferably selected in such a
way that the aforementioned tangents between the rollers 25-13 and
15-14 are at least substantially vertical and parallel to each
other. As shown in FIG. 3a, the maximum diameter D25 of the roller
25 is the diagonal of a rectangle one side of which equals the
maximum diameter D13 of the lower guide roller 13. The same holds
true for the maximum diameters D15 and D14 of the guide rollers 15
and 14. The other side of the rectangle having the diagonal D25
equals the distance DD between the centers (maximum diameters D11,
D13) of the rollers 11, 13. This distance also equals the length of
the longer side of the rectangle having shorter sides D14, D16 and
a diagonal D15.
At least the rollers 13, 14, 15, 25 are barrel-shaped (see FIGS. 3a
and 3b), i.e., they have convex peripheral surfaces. FIGS. 3a and
3b further show that the drive roller 11, too, may be of barrel
shape but it is equally within the purview of the invention (and
considered preferable at this time) to employ a circular
cylindrical drive roller. The convexity of the peripheral surfaces
of rollers 13, 14, 15, 25 depends on the distance between the two
sets of upper and lower guide rollers, on the desired extent of
twisting of the vertically extending stretches of the carrier 10,
and on the width of the carrier. The shorter the distance between
the upper and lower guide rollers and the greater the desired
extent of twisting of the carrier 10, the more pronounced is the
convexity of peripheral surfaces of the rollers 13, 14, 15 and 25,
i.e., the greater is the difference between the maximum diameters
D13, D14, D15, D25 and the diameters at both axial ends of the
respective guide rollers. This prevents changes in the length of
the marginal portions of the carrier 10 during transport through
the housing 9b. In the absence of careful consideration of the just
enumerated factors, the central portions of the carrier 10 would be
transported without excessive stretching but the marginal portions
of the carrier could be subjected to highly undesirable tensioning
stresses which could cause tearing, especially if the carrier is
relatively wide and consists of felted material having a relatively
low resistance to tearing.
As mentioned above, the drive roller 11 is preferably a circular
cylindrical body having a peripheral surface of constant diameter.
This is desirable in order to insure uniform application of viscous
developing agent which issues from the slit-shaped orifice or
orifices of the nozzle 12, i.e., the nozzle 12 can apply to the
adjacent exposed surface of the carrier a film or layer of constant
thickness if the diameter of the drive roller 11 is constant from
end to end. If the drive roller 11 is a circular cylinder, the
convexity of the peripheral surface of the next-following guide
roller (25 in FIG. 2) is increased accordingly.
The carrier 10 which advances beyond the guide roller 15 of the
upper set of guide rollers is thereupon caused to move downwardly
and is trained around the convex peripheral surface of a further
guide roller 16 of the lower set which is adjacent to a dispensing
nozzle 12a serving to discharge water or another washing agent
which removes the viscous agent. The number of deflections of the
carrier 10 between the inlet opening 9a and the nozzle 12a depends
on the desired length of the interval during which the viscous
developing agent is to remain in contact with one surface of the
carrier. Thus, the nozzle 12a can be placed adjacent to another
guide roller in the housing 9b if the length of the just mentioned
interval is to be increased or reduced, depending on the nature of
emulsion on the carrier 10, on the speed of transport of the
carrier through the housing 9b, on the distance between the upper
and lower guide rollers and/or on the nature of the viscous
developing agent.
The thus washed increments of the carrier 10 are thereupon caused
to move about the preferably convex peripheral surface of a lower
guide roller 16a in a second treating unit 19 and the exposed
surface of the carrier is coated with a further agent which is
discharged through one or more slit-shaped orifices of a nozzle 17
similar to or identical with the nozzle 12. The agent which is
discharged by the orifice or orifices of the nozzle 17 can be a
stop-fixing bath. The relative positions of remaining guide rollers
shown in FIG. 2 within the confines of the composite housing
including the housing 9b are preferably identical with the
positions of the aforedescribed rollers. For example, the rollers
numbered 13', 14', 15', 25' respectively correspond to the
aforementioned rollers 13, 14, 15 and 25. One or more of the
unnumbered guide rollers in the housing 9b can be mounted adjacent
to one or more additional nozzles for discharge of a bleaching
fixing agent (unit 18) which can remain in contact with the carrier
10 for a relatively long interval of time, for example, while the
carrier 10 advances along six, eight, 10 or 12 successive guide
rollers. A further nozzle (not specifically shown) can discharge
water or another washing agent (unit 20) which washes the carrier
and the latter is thereupon dried in a unit 21 while travelling
along rollers similar to those numbered 13, 14, 15 and 25. Such
rollers insure gentle treatment of emulsion on the exposed side of
the carrier 10. The dried portions of the carrier thereupon advance
through the nip of two advancing rolls 22, 23 and the carrier is
finally convoluted on the core of a takeup reel 24. The advancing
roll 23 is driven in a manner not shown in the drawing (for
example, by an electric motor which also drives the roller 11) and
has a roughened friction-generating peripheral surface which
engages the adjacent surfaces of successive increments of the
carrier 10. The other advancing roll 22 is biased against the other
surface of the carrier 10 in the nip between the rolls 22, 23 by
one or more springs 22a or the like. The roll 22 has a certain
freedom of movement with reference to the roll 23 and is preferably
provided with a smooth peripheral surface.
FIGS. 3a and 3b show that the maximum diameters of the guide
rollers of the upper set (such as the guide rollers 25, 15)
considerably exceed the maximum diameters of the guide rollers of
the lower set (such as the rollers 13, 14, 16). The maximum
diameters of the upper guide rollers are selected in such a way
that the two vertical tangents to the central portions of the
peripheral surface on an upper guide roller coincide with vertical
tangents to the central portions of peripheral surfaces on the
associated lower guide rollers (see the tangents T25 and T25a or
the tangents T15 and T15a in FIG. 3a). It is again pointed out that
the drive roller 11 is preferably a circular cylinder having a
constant diameter from end to end in order to insure uniform
application of viscous developing agent to that portion of the
carrier 10 which is trained over the cylindrical peripheral surface
of the drive roller. The drive roller and the guide rollers are
preferably mounted for rotation with minimal friction by resorting
to corrosion-resistant antifriction bearings which can resist the
corrosive action of bleaching or other agents and employ balls or
rolls consisting of synthetic plastic material, glass or a
combination of such materials (for example
polypropylene/polyamide-glass balls). The bearing for the guide
roller 25 of FIG. 3b is shown schematically at 125.
As shown in FIG. 3a, the vertical plane which includes the axis of
the guide roller 25 makes an angle of 45 degrees with the vertical
planes including the common axis of the rollers 11 and 13. The same
holds true for the planes including the axes of the guide rollers
14, 15 and 16.
A modified system consisting of two sets of guide rollers for a
relatively wide strip- or band-shaped carrier for a photographic
emulsion is illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b. The carrier 10a is
trained over the guide rollers in such a way that one of its
surfaces (namely, that surface which is coated with emulsion)
remains out of contact with the preferably convex peripheral
surfaces of (barrel-shaped) guide rollers. The guide rollers 26 of
the upper set are rotatable about a common horizontal axis defined
by a single shaft 27 or by a series of discrete coaxial shafts. The
guide rollers 28 and 28a of the lower set form two rows and are
rotatable about horizontal axes which are parallel to each other
and normal to the axis of the shaft 27. The rollers 28 of one row
of the lower guide rollers are laterally offset or staggered with
reference to the rollers 28a of the other row. The system of FIGS.
4a and 4b renders it possible to employ a set of upper guide
rollers 26 whose dimensions are identical with those of the set of
lower guide rollers 28 and 28a. However, it is possible to modify
the system of FIGS. 4a and 4b by moving the lower guide rollers of
each row closer to each other and by replacing the upper guide
rollers 26 with guide rollers of smaller dimensions. The carrier
10a is twisted through 90.degree. during travel along each such
elongated section of the winding path which extends between the
convex peripheral surface of an upper guide roller 26 and the
convex peripheral surface of a lower guide roller 28 or 28a. The
guide rollers 28 and 28a are preferably equidistant from each
other.
An advantage of the just described system is that the axes of the
guide rollers 26, 28, 28a are disposed in a rectangular coordinate
system and that the upper guide rollers 26 can be mounted on a
common shaft because they have a common axis of rotation. This
reduces the manufacturing and assembly cost of the system.
In FIGS. 4a and 4b, the vertical plane including the common axis of
the guide rollers 26 makes an angle of 90.degree. with the vertical
planes including the axes of the lower guide rollers 28 and 28a.
The distance between the neighboring guide rollers 28 or 28a
preferably equals or approximates the diameter of a guide roller
26.
FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate a system consisting of two sets of guide
rollers which occupies even less room than the systems of FIGS.
3a-3b and 4a-4b. The guide rollers 29 of the lower set are
rotatable about a common horizontal axis and the guide rollers 30
of the upper set are rotatable about parallel horizontal axes each
of which makes an angle of 45.degree. with the common axis of the
guide rollers 29. The maximum diameter D30 of each guide roller 30
is the diagonal of a rectangle having a first side whose length
equals the maximum diameter D29 of a guide roller 29 and a second
side having a length corresponding to the distance DC between the
centers (maximum diameters D29) of two neighboring guide rollers
29. The system of FIGS. 5a and 5b requires a higher initial outlay
for the bearings for the guide rollers 30 each of which is
rotatable about a separate axis; however, such outlay is justified
if a large number of elongated stretches of the flexible strip- or
band-shaped carrier 10b is to be accommodated in a small area.
The diameters D30 of the guide rollers 30 of the upper set of guide
rollers are parallel to each other.
FIGS. 6a and 6b show a system which embodies certain features of
the systems illustrated in FIGS. 3a-3b and 5a-5b.
The guide rollers 31 of the lower set are arranged in groups of
several (three) rollers, each group having a common horizontal axis
of rotation. The common axes of guide rollers 31 in the illustrated
groups are parallel to each other and are located in a common
horizontal plane. One of the shafts for a group of three coaxial
guide rollers 31 is shown at 32.
The guide rollers 33 of the upper set are disposed in groups of two
guide rollers each. The guide rollers 33 of each such group have
parallel horizontal axes which make an angle of 45.degree. with the
axes of the corresponding groups of lower guide rollers 31. The
axes of guide rollers 33 in neighboring groups make an angle of
90.degree.. The vertically extending stretches of the carrier 10c
are twisted through 45.degree..
The system of FIGS. 6a and 6b occupies little room and can properly
guide a substantial length of flexible band-or strip-shaped
carrier. Each group of guide rollers 31 in the lower set can
consist of more than three guide rollers, and the number of guide
rollers 33 in the upper set is then increased accordingly. The
maximum diameter D33 of each guide roller 33 is the diagonal of a
rectangle with sides D31 and DE wherein D31 is the maximum diameter
of a guide roller 31 and DE is the distance between the centers
(maximum diameters D31) of two neighboring guide rollers 31 in a
group. The guide rollers 31 and 33 are barrel-shaped, i.e., they
have convex peripheral surfaces.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the details of a nozzle (e.g., the nozzle
12 of FIG. 2) for discharging a viscous treating agent. The nozzle
comprises a support or base plate 34 which is secured to or
provided on the housing of the respective unit and supports a block
36 adjustably secured thereto by screws 35, bolts or analogous
fasteners. The block 36 is formed with a chamber 36a and with a
slit-shaped orifice 36b. The chamber 36a is connected with a
metering pump 38 by means of a conduit 37. The latter can contain a
tempering device such as a schematically indicated plate heat
exchanger 39. The pump 38 draws a viscous treating agent from a
tank 40.
The width of the orifice 36b exceeds the desired thickness of the
layer or film of viscous material which is to be applied to one
side of a band- or strip-shaped carrier (not shown). The thickness
of such layer or film is determined by the distance between the
exposed surface 36c at the outer end of the orifice 36b and the
exposed surface of the carrier. Such distance can be varied by
means of the fasteners 35. Thus, and referring to FIG. 2 wherein
the nozzle 12 is preferably constructed in a manner as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8, the surface 36c of the block 36 can be placed so
close to the peripheral surface of the drive roller 11 that the
orifice 36b discharges a viscous layer of desired thickness. Such
thickness equals the distance between the drive roller 11 and the
surface 36c minus the thickness of the carrier 10. An important
advantage of a relatively wide orifice 36b is that it is less
likely to be clogged by impurities such as particles of a swelling
agent or the like.
It is clear that the improved system of guide rollers of the type
shown in FIGS. 3a-6c and nozzles of the type shown in FIGS. 7 and 8
can be utilized with equal advantage for guidance of other types of
band- or strip-shaped bodies and for controlled application of
other viscous substances which are to form a layer or film on one
side of a travelling band or strip, namely, on that side which need
not or should not be contacted by mechanical parts.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the
gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current
knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without
omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics
of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art
and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be
comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the
claims.
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