Photographic drying apparatus using air pressure to secure the film on the conveyor.

摘要

A film dryer (8) for a colour film processor (7) has a perforated belt conveyor (10) onto which film strip (17) to be dried is fed, emulsion side up, by feed rollers (18). The conveyor (10) carries the film strip (17) under the perforated bottom of a plenum chamber (13) and over an infra-red heater (16). A fan (14) draws air into the plenum chamber (13). That air emerges from the perforated bottom of the plenum chamber (13) as jets which are directed towards the conveyor (10) and which press the film strip (17) against the moving perforated material of the conveyor (10) so that it is transported by that material. Thus the film strip (17) is transported without its emulsion surface being physically contacted by mechanical handling means. The jets of air remove surface moisture from the film (17). The underside of the film (17) is heated by the infra-red heater (16) and a temperature gradient is established in the film (17), the temperature diminishing from the underside to the gelatin emulsion surface. <IMAGE>