US3714883A

US3714883A - Machine for wet treatment of elongated strip-shaped carriers for light sensitive material

Info

Publication number: US3714883A
Application number: US00157572A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Hunicke; R Spohr; K Schranz; H Frick; J Busch; E Schon
Original assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
Current assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
Priority date: 1970-06-26
Filing date: 1971-06-28
Publication date: 1973-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-06
Also published as: CH526135A; GB1359203A; FR2096167A5; DE2031649A1

Abstract

A machine for repeated wet treatment of exposed film strips or the like with one or more liquids has one or more stacks of superimposed treating sections wherein the film strips advance in horizontal planes so that their emulsion-coated sides face downwardly. Each section contains liquid applying rollers which dip into supplies of liquid treating agents and contact the undersides of the travelling film strips. The liquid applying rollers alternate with liquid removing rollers which remove the layers of liquid applied by the preceding liquid applying rollers and direct the thus removed liquid into channels for evacuation from the machine. The film strips are pulled by advancing rolls which are mounted downstream of the last treating section, and the liquid applying and liquid removing rollers are driven in opposite directions to respectively brake and accelerate the adjoining portions of the strips. This insures that the tension of film strips cannot increase to a value at which the strips would be likely to tear or to slip off their guide rollers.

Description

United/States ate Hunicke et a1. Feb. 6,1973

[54] Y MACHINE FOR WETTREATMENT OF 3,465,663 9/1969 Calder ..95 s9 A ELONGATED STRIP-SHAPED CARRIERS FOR LIGHT SENSITIVE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS MATERIAL 1,462,764 11/1966 France Q. ..95/89 A 1,337,297 8 1963 F ..95 89 A [75] lnventors: Wolfgang Hunicke; Rolf Spolhr, both rance of 'Leverkusen; Karl'wllhelm Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews schranz QR Busch Assistant ExaminerFred L. Braun sberg; Erwin Schon, Leverkusen; Atmmey MiChae1 Striker Hans-Dieter Frick, Munich, all of' I I Germany v 57 ABSTRACT [73] Assign"Z AGFA'Gevae" Aktiengesenschafi A machine for repeated w et treatment of exposed film v Leverkusen Germany strips or the like with one ormore liquids has one or 22 Filed; e 2 971 i more stacks of superimposed treating sections wherein the film strips advance in horizontal planes so that [21.] N 1 their emulsion-coated sides face downwardly. Each I section contains liquid applying rollers which dip into ['30] o Application priority Data supplies of liquid treating agents and contact the uni dersides of the travelling film strips. The liquid apply- -June 26, 1970 Germany ..P 20 31 64948 i rollers alternate with liquid removing rollers Which a I remove the layers of liquid applied by the preceding Cln ..I... ..'...95/94 R, A rollers and direct the thus removed [51] I Cl. ..G03d 3/12, G03d 5/06 liquid i vChannels f evacuation f the machine [58'] Field of Sea rch ..95/89 R, 89 A, 94 R Th film strips are pulled by advancingrolls which are I a t mounted downstream of the last treating section, and 1 References Clled the liquid applying and liquid removing rollers are I driven in opposite directions to respectively brake and- E STATES PATENTS accelerate the adjoining portions of the strips. This in- 1,996,768 4 1935 lngman ..95 94 R sure's that the tension of film strips cannot increase to 3,178,124 4/1965 Trout et a1. ..95/94 R X a value at which the strips would be likely to tear orto 5,491,675 1/1970 Gold i 95/8911 lip off their guide rollers, 3,550,521 12/1970 Carrie ..95/93 7/1967 Chen et a1 ..95/89 R 13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MACHINE FOR WET TREATMENT OF ELONGATED STRIP-SHAPED CARRIERS FOR LIGHT SENSITIVE MATERIAL CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION filed June 25, 1971 by Karl-Wilhelm SCHRANZ et al.

and entitled Apparatus for Developing Exposed Light-Sensitive Sheets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in machines for wet treatment of strip-shaped bodies, particularly to improvements in machines for developing and like treatment of elongated strip-shaped carriers for light-sensitive material. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in machines wherein a series of strip-shaped carriers or a continuous stripshaped carrier is pulled through a succession of treating stations by advancing rolls or the like.

A drawback of presently known machines for liquid treatment of photographic films or the like is that the advancing rolls which are located downstream of the last treating station must exert on the film a tensional stress which is likely to result in tearing of the film, especially if the film must be transported through a large number of successive treating stations. In such machines, the tensional stress upon successive increments of a photographic film or a like elongated strip shaped carrier of light-sensitive material rises all the way from the inlet to the advancing rolls. Moreover, excessive tensioning is likely to cause the film to leave its intended path by slipping off the guide rolls.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a machine for wet treatment of elongated strip-shaped bodies, particularly for developing and related treatment of light-sensitive emulsions which are applied to one side of an elongated strip-shaped carrier, wherein excessive tensioning of the carriers is prevented in a novel and improved way.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the just outlined character wherein the devices which prevent excessive tensioning of stripshaped carriers perform other important and advantageous functions, particularly as concerns the application of liquid treating agents to and removal of such agents from light-sensitive materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact machine wherein elongated strip-shaped carriers for light-sensitive material can be subjected to a large number of treatments in a small area and with substantial savings in liquid treating agents.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means for supplying liquid treating agents to and for evacuating such agents from the above outlined machine.

The invention is embodied in a machine for wet treatment of elongated strips, particularly for developing and related treatment of exposed light-sensitive emulsion which is applied to one side of an elongated strip-shaped carrier. The machine comprises a plurality of superimposed treating sections each including at least one source of a liquid treating medium, at least one rotary roller-shaped liquid applying member which dips into the source so that its peripheral surface draws a layer or film of liquid, at least one rotary rollershaped liquid removing member and drive means for rotating the liquid applying and liquid removing members in opposite directions (preferably in such a way that the liquid removing members rotate in the direction of lengthwise travel of the carrier), guide means preferably including a plurality of guide rollers which define a path for transport of the carrier through successive sections so that the one side of the carrier contacts the liquid applying and liquid removing members with attendant application of liquid layers to and with subsequent removal of such layers from the one side of the carrier, and advancing means located downstream of the last section for advancing the carrier along the path.

Each section preferably comprises a plurality of alternating liquid applying and liquid removing members which cooperate to maintain the tensional stresses in adjacent portions of the carrier within a permissible range.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The improved machine 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. I is a diagrammatic elevational view of a machine with two multi-section treating units and a single drying unit which embodies one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a modified machine with a single multi-section treating unit and a drying unit on top of the treating unit;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of -a section, showing the manner in which a liquid can be fed -to liquid applying members or evacuated from the section upon removal from the travelling carrier; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a slightly modified section showing the manner in which the temperature of liquid and the temperature and moisture content in the interior of a treating unit can be maintained within a desired range.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. I, there is shown a machine for developing and related treatment of elongated stripshaped carriers 6, such as photographic films one side of which is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion which has been exposed to scene light. The machine comprises a housing H having five units or parts which are placed side-by-side. The first unit 3 contains a roll 5 of convoluted carrier 6 which is being paid out in response to rotation of a pair of cooperating advancing

rolls

18, 38 mounted in the last unit 3a at the right-hand end of the housing H. The treated carrier 6 is collected on a driven takeup reel 19 located in the unit 3a downstream of the advancing rolls 18, 38.

Two treating units 1 and 2 of the housing H are identical or similar to each other and each thereof comprises a stack of superimposed horizontal sections or compartments la, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, If and 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f. The unit 4 of the housing H constitutes a drying device for the carrier 6 and is located between the

units

2 and 3a.

The carrier 6 which is being withdrawn from the roll 5 is trained over a plurality of guide rollers or deflecting rollers 7, 8, l4, l5, l6 so that it advances along an elongated meandering path which extends seriatim through the sections la-lf, 2a-2f, thereupon through the drying unit 4 and through the nip of the advancing rolls 18, 38. The guide rollers 7, 8 direct successive increments of the carrier 6 into a horizontal portion of the path extending through the uppermost section la of the treating unit 1. The guide rollers 14, thereupon reverse the direction of travel of the carrier 6 so that the latter moves rearwardly (to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1) between the sections la, 1b. Thereupon, the guide roller 16 deflects the carrier 6 through 180 so that the carrier again advances along a horizontal portion of its path which extends through the section 1b. The additional guide rollers 14a, 1 5a, 16a thereupon direct the carrier 6 into the third section 1c, and so forth. The rollers 16m, l6n direct the carrier 6 from the unit 1 into the unit 2 so that the carrier advances along a horizontal portion of its path extending through the uppermost section 2a in the unit 2. The drying unit 4 can be provided with an arrangement of guide rollers which are similar to or identical with the guide rollers in the treating units 1 and 2.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, each of the treating sections la-lf and 2a-2f contains a row of parallel roller-shaped members 9, l0 and a row of biasing members 11 which are preferably idler rollers resting on the carrier 6 by gravity to maintain the underside of the carrier (i.e., the light-sensitive material) in'contact with the peripheral surfaces of the

members

9 and 10. The roller-shaped members'9 are driven to rotate counter to the direction of lengthwise movement of the carrier 6 through the respective sections of the treating units 1 and 2, and the roller-shaped members 10 rotate in directions counter to those of the members 9. Thus, the members 9 tend to generate a braking action and the members 10 tend to assist the advancing rolls 18, 38 in conveying the carrier 6 through the housing l-l. Each of the idler rollers 11 is preferably disposed substantially midway between the adjoining roller-shaped

members

9 and 10. The manner in'which the idler rollers 11 can be mounted in the sections of the treating units 1 and 2 is fully disclosed in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 156,840 of Schranz et al.

in the illustrated embodiment, each section of the treating unit 1 or 2 comprises six pairs of roller-shaped

members

9, 10 and six idler rollers 11; however, it is clear that the number of such roller-shaped members and idler rollers can be increased or reduced, depending on the forward speed of the carrier 6, on the nature of the emulsion at the underside of the carrier, on the nature of the liquid treating agents which are being applied to the emulsion by the roller-shaped members 9,

on the distance between a preceding liquid applying member 9 and the next-following liquid removing member 10, on the bias of the idler rollers 11, and on certain other factors. Also, the distance between the foremost liquid applying member or members 9 and the next-following liquid removing member or members 10 at the inlet of a section can be shorter than the distance between the

members

9, 10 which are nearer to the outlet of a section (especially in the foremost section 1a) because the chemical action of a liquid treating agent is much more pronounced when such agent is ap plied to the emulsion for the first time. Also, the distance between the liquid applying members 9 and the next-following liquid removing members 10 in the first section or sections (e.g., in the sections 1a and lb) can be shorter than the distance between the

members

9, 10 in the sections (e.g., 2e, 2f) which are nearer to the advancing rolls 18, 38, as considered in the direction of lengthwise travel of the carrier.

It will be noted that the

guide rollers

14, 15, 16 guide the strip 6 in such a way that the underside of the strip which is contacted by the roller-shaped

members

9, 10 in the first section In is again contacted by the

members

9, 10 in the second section lb, and so on. This insures that the uncoated side of the carrier 6 (i.e., that side which is not provided with a layer of light-sensitive material) need not be contacted by the members 9, l0 and need not be provided with layers of one or more liquid treating agents. This reduces the time which is required for satisfactory drying of the carrier during transport through the unit 4.

The light-sensitive material on the carrier 6 can be repeatedly treated with a single liquid medium or with a plurality of different liquids. Also, all roller-shaped liquid applying members 9 in a given section (e.g., in the section la),can dip into supplies which contain the same type of liquid or each such member 9 can apply to the carrier 6 a different liquid. Thus, the carrier can be subjected to a series of identical treatments in each of i the sections lal f, 2a-2f, the carrier can be subjected to a different treatment in each of these sections, or the carrier can be subjected to two or more different treatments during travel through a single section of the treating unit 1 and/or 2. As mentioned above, the distance between the roller-shaped liquid applying members 9 and the next-following roller-shaped liquid removing members 10 may be uniform in all sections of the treating units 1 and 2, or such distance may vary from section to section or within one or more sections. FIG. 1 shows that the

members

9, 10 in each of the sections are equidistant from each other, but this was done only for the sake of simplicity since the distance between a preceding member 9 and the next-following member 10 may vary for. a number of reasons, for example, in order to insure that a particular type of liquid treating agent which was applied in one or more sections remains in contact with the light-sensitive material for intervals of time which are longer or shorter than the periods of. contact between the light-sensitive material and another type of liquid treating agent. The temperature in the housing H, the temperature of the liquid and the quantity of liquid which remains at the underside of the carrier 6 after the latter advances beyond a liquid-removing member 10 are additional important factors which will influence the selection of distances between the

members

9 and 10 in one or more sections of the treating unit 1 and/or 2. As a rule, the distance between a preceding member 9 and the next-following member 10 will be selected with a view to insure an optimum utilization of the liquid layer which is applied by the member 9 and is thereupon removed, at least in part, by the associated member 10. FIG. 2 illustrated a modified machine with a supplying unit 103 for a strip-shaped carrier 6, a collecting unit 103a, a single treating unit 101, and a drying unit which is mounted on top of the treating unit 101 to reduce the dimensions of the housing. The manner in which the carrier 6 is conveyed through the sections 101a-101f of the unit 101 is the same as described in connection with the treating units 1 and 2 of FIG. 1. After leaving the section 101f, the carrier 6 is fed directly into the drying unit 20. It is equally within the purview of the invention to modify the machine of FIG. 2 by placing one or more additional treating units 101 between the illustrated treating unit 101 and the collecting unit 103a, and to provide a discrete drying unit 20 on top of each treating unit 101 or on one or more selected units 101. The output of the machine can be varied according to the requirements by increasing or reducing the number of treating units 101 and/or drying units 20. If the available floor space is very small, two or more treating units 101 can be mounted on top of each other or the number of sections in the illustrated treating unit 101 can be increased accordingly.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which a liquid treating medium is supplied to the liquid applying 'members 9 of a section in the treating

unit

1, 2 or 101. The end portions of the liquid applying member 9 of FIG. 3 are journaled in a casing or receptacle 21 having a bottom wall 23 provided with at least one row of vertical ports or ducts 24 for the inflow of liquid. The ports 24 communicate with a horizontal channel 25 provided below the bottom wall 23 of the casing 21 and receiving liquid from a further channel 26 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the respective section (e.g., the section 1a of the treating unit 1 shown in FIG. 1). The channel 26 communicates with the channels 25 for two or more casings 21 in the section 1a, namely, with the channels 25 for all such casings 21 which are to supply to the corresponding liquid applying members 9 the same type of liquid. The channel 26 is connected by flexible conduit means 28 with an intermediate container 27 wherein the supply of liquid is maintained at a predetermined level by means of a regulating valve 32 which is connected with a float 31. The level of liquid in the container 27 corresponds to the desired level of liquid in the casing 21 for the liquid applying member 9. The main source of liquid is a tank which is mounted at a predetermined level above the container 27 and is connected with the latter by means of a flexible conduit 29. The pressure of liquid in the conduit 29 depends on the selected difference between the levels of the tank 30 and container 27.

The regulating valve 32 determines the level of liquid in the casing 21 in such a way that the liquid cannot overflow from the casing and that the roller-shaped member 9 dips into the liquid supply in the casing 21 in order to withdraw therefrom a film or liquid which is transferred onto the light-sensitive material at the underside of the carrier 6 in the section 1a. Thus, the

valve 32 prevents losses in liquid and insures that the lower portion of the member 9 invariably dips into a sufficient supply of liquid in the casing 21. As stated above, each of the sections in the treating

unit

1, 2 or 101 can be provided with a single main source 30 of a treating liquid if each of the members 9 in such section is to apply the same type of liquid, or with two or more main sources 30 each of which can contain a different liquid. A single main source 30 can supply a particular liquid to channels 26 in two or more sections provided that the carrier 6 must be treated with the same liquid during transport through several sections.

The channel 26 of FIG. 3 is parallel with an evacuating channel 33 which can communicate with the

channels

25, 26 by way of one or more openings or passages 34. Each passage 34 can be sealed by a plug or the like, not shown. The conduit 28 contains a shutoff valve 28a which can be actuated to seal the container 27 from the channel 26 so that the latter is then shut off from the main source 30. If the passages 34 are open and the valve 28a is closed, the casing 21 of FIG. 3 can be used to accommodate a liquid removing member 10 which removes liquid from the carrier 6 and allows such liquid to flow into the respective casing 21, through the ports 24, through the channel 25 and passage or passages 34, into the channel 33, and to be evacuated from the channel 33 for collection in a suitable tank, not shown. An advantage of the channel 33 and passage or passages 34 is that the casing 21 can be used for reception of liquid applying members 9 or for reception of liquid removing members 10. All that is necessary is to open or close the valve 28a and to insert or remove one or more plugs to seal or to expose the passages 34. Such versatility of the casings 21 enables the operators to rapidly convert an existing machine for the treatment of different types of light-sensitive materials.

The numeral 22 denotes in FIG. 3 a gear which forms part of the drive means for the liquid applying member 9. Such gear meshes with an identical gear 22a on the adjacent liquid removing member 10. Thus, when the gears 22, 22a are driven, the

members

9, 10 rotate at identical speeds but in opposite directions. The peripheral speed of the members 9, l0 preferablyexceeds the forward speed of the carrier 6 by at least 10 percent.

' FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which the liquid in the sections of the treating units can be heated to maintain its temperature within a desired range. As shown, the section 201a of FIG. 4 comprises nine liquid applying members 209 and nine liquid removing members 210. The casings 221 for the

members

209, 210 form an integral block which has rows of vertical ports 224 and a row of horizontal channels 225. The common bottom wall of the channels 225 is a metallic plate 35 consisting of a material which is a good conductor of heat. The underside of the plate 35 is located above an elongated duct 36 which receives a hot gas by way of one or more nozzles 36a. The hot gas is preferably air having a predetermined temperature and a predetermined moisture content. The hot gas exchanges heat with the plate 35 which inturn exchanges heat with the liquid in the channels 225 of the block of casings 221. The duct 36 has one or more outlets 37 for admission of hot gases into the interior of the respective treating unit so as to maintain the temperature and the moisture content of the gas in such unit within a desired range.

The carrier 6 may constitute a single piece of stripshaped material or it may consist of several portions of strip-shaped material which are spliced together endto-end. Such splicing of several carriers is desirable in order to insure a continuous transport of the resulting composite carrier through the housing of the machine. The carrier in the

unit

3 or 103 can be guided along a plurality of rollers so that its trailing end can be spliced to the leader of a fresh carrier when the supply of carrier on the roll is exhausted and before the trailing end 7 of the expiring carrier enters the first section of the treating unit 1 or 101.

i In order to-insure rapid and convenient threading of the leader of a fresh carrier on starting of the machine, the trailing end of the last carrier which was treated priorto stoppage of the machine can be connected with a coupling strip (not shown) which is advanced along the path defined by the guide rollers and extends into and beyond the nip of the advancing rolls 18, 38. When the machine is to be started again, the leader of a fresh carrier 6 is simply connected to the trailing end of the coupling strip and is drawn through the machine in response to starting of the advancing rolls 18, 38. Instead of resorting to a coupling strip, the machine of the present invention can be provided with one or more endless conveyors in the form of chains or belts one stretch of which extends along the path defined by the guide rollers in the housing of the machine shown in FIG. 1 or 2. The leader of a fresh carrier can be attached to the conveyors and the latter are thereupon started to pull the leader through the housing and into the nip of the advancing rolls 18, 38 to thus insure a rapid and convenient threading of the fresh carrier after a short-lasting or prolonged stoppage of the machine. For example, the machine of FIG. 1 or 2 can be provided with two discrete chain conveyors which extend at the opposite sides of the desired path for carriers 6 and can be connected with the leader of a fresh carrier to pull the latter through successive sections and through the drying unit or units toward and into the nip between the advancing rolls. Such chains (see the chain 50 of FIG. 4) can be provided with conventional gripping devices Sl which engage the leader and grip it with a necessary force for transport through the machine. lt is also possible to insert a transversely extending rod between two aligned gripping devices of the two chain conveyors and to attach the leader of a fresh carrier to such rod for transport into the rangeof the advancing rolls. The chain conveyors can extend along the desired path for the carriers 6 and have stretches which run back from the advancing rolls 18, 38 to the supply of fresh carrier in the

unit

3 or 103, preferably by extending through the lower part of the housing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rightmost or foremost rollershaped member 210 in the section 201a rotates in the direction of lengthwise movement of the carrier 6 (arrow A).

The number and distribution of roller-shaped liquid applying and liquid removing members can be readily selected in such a way that these members prevent the propagation of excessive tensional stresses along the full length of a carrier which is being transported through the machine. The tension in various portions of a carrier also depends on the finish (smoothness) of peripheral surfaces on the roller-shaped liquid advancing and liquid removing members, on the extent of contact between such members and the carrier (the extent of such contact can be varied in a number of ways, for example, by changing the bias of the idler rollers 11), and on the number of roller-shaped members in a single section or in all of the sections. A further factor which influences the tension in various portions of a carrier 6 is the peripheral speed of the liquid applying and liquid removing members. in order to simplify the design of the drive means for such members, the drive means may be arranged to rotate the liquid applying members and the liquid removing members at the same speed but in opposite directions (see the gears 22, 22a of FIG. 3). Such drive means may comprise a main drive shaft having a worm or worm wheel which drives the liquid ap plying and liquid removing members by means of gear trains or the like.

lt was found that, even though the liquid applying members produce a braking action which opposes the pull exerted by the advancing rolls 18, 38, the liquid removing members (which preferably rotate in the direction of lengthwise movement of the carrier) accelerate the carrier to counteract the braking action of the liquid applying members. The friction coefficient of the material which is adjacent to the peripheral surfaces of the liquid applying and liquid removing members, the bias of the idler rollers 11, the extent of contact between the carrier and the liquid applying and liquid removing members, and the speed and number of these members are parameters which can be regulated and selected with a view to insure that the tensioning of the carrier does not exceed a permissible value at which the carrier is likely to tear and/or to run off the guide rollers. By properly selecting such parameters in the individual sections of a treating unit, one can select a desirable tension which may be uniform in the entire machine or which varies from section to section or from treating unit to treating unit.

The machine of the present invention can be provided with two or more pairs of driven advancing rollers.

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 intendedto be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for wet treatment of elongated strips, particularly for developing and related treatment of exposed light sensitive material which is applied to one side of an elongated strip-shaped carrier, a combination comprising at least one treating unit having a plurality of superimposed treating sections each including at least one source of a liquid treating medium, a plurality of rotary roller-shaped liquid applying members dipping into said at least one source so that the peripheral surfaces of said members draw layers of liquid, a plurality of rotary roller-shaped liquid removing members alternating with said liquid applying members, the axes of said liquid applying and liquid removing members being located in substantially horizontal planes and drive means for rotating said liquid applying and liquid removing members in opposite directions; guide means defining an elongated path for the transport of strip-shaped carriers through successive sections so that said one side of each carrier contacts said liquid applying and liquid removing members with attendant application of liquid layers by said liquid applying members and with subsequent removal of such layers by said liquid removing members; and advancing means located downstream of said sections for advancing the carriers along said path, said liquid applying and liquid removing members cooperating to maintain the tensional stresses upon the carriers in said path within a predetermined range to prevent tearing of carriers during transport along said path.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid applying members rotate counter to the direction of lengthwise movement of carriers along said path.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2, further comprising means for collecting the liquid treating medium which is separated from carriers by said liquid removing members.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the liquid removing members in each of said sections include a foremost member, as considered in the direction of movement of carriers along said path, and wherein each of said foremost members is driven to rotate in the direction of lengthwise movement of carriers along said path.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said advancing means comprises a pair of advancing rollers arranged to pull the carriers along said path, the liquid removing members rotate in the direction of lengthwise movement of carriers along said path to assist the advancing rollers and the liquid applying members rotate counter to the direction of lengthwise movement of carriers to oppose said advancing rollers.

6. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means rotates said liquid applying members counter to the direction of lengthwise movement of said carriers, each of said sources comprising a casing rotatably mounting the respective liquid applying members and further comprising regulating means for maintaining the upper surface of the supply of liquid treating medium in each of said casings at a predetermined level.

7. A combination as defined in claim 6, further comprising a main source of liquid treating medium for at least one of said sections and a container connected with said main source and communicating with the casings in said one section, said regulating means comprising valve means arranged to control the inflow of liquid from said main source into said container so that the level of the upper surface of liquid in said container corresponds to said predetermined level.

8. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said sources in at least one of said sections comprises a liquid-containing casing for each liquid applying member in said at least one section, and further comprising heating means for maintaining the temperature of liquid treating medium in said casings within a predetermined range.

9. A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said heating means comprises a source of a heated gas havinga predetermined moisture content.

0. A combination as defined in claim 9, further comprising means for admitting said heated gas into said at least one treating unit subsequent to exchange of heat with liquid in said casings.

11. A combination as defined in claim 1, comprising a plurality of treating units disposed side-by-side and additional guide means for guiding the carriers during travel from the last section of a preceding unit into the foremost section of the next-following unit.

12. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a drying unit for said carriers, said drying unit being disposed at a level above said at least one treating unit.

13. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said path extends through successive sections which are respectively located below each other so that each increment of each carrier first passes through the uppermost section and leaves said at least one treating unit by way of the lowermost section.

Claims

9. A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein said heating means comprises a source of a heated gas having a predetermined moisture content.

10. A combination as defined in claim 9, further comprising means for admitting said heated gas into said at least one treating unit subsequent to exchange of heat with liquid in said casings.