Wet film cassette and transport system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, at least the wet film in a two component diffusion transfer film system is enclosed at all times other than during a processing cycle in a tightly sealed enclosure constructed to effect projection of a leading end portion of the wet film from the enclosure at the initiation of a processing cycle and retraction of the projecting portion of the wet film remaining at the end of the processing cycle back into the enclosure prior to sealing thereof.
The wet film enclosure is defined by a cassette having relatively rotatable inner and outer generally cylindrical receptacles having respective peripheral slot openings which may be brought into registration to enable passage of the film from the cassette.
The inner receptacle carries an elastomeric sealing pad displaced from the slot opening in the direction of film feeding by a peripheral or circumferential distance slightly greater the length of the wet film leading end portion required for projection from the cassette to the nip of a processing roller pair.
Thus, after each processing cycle and severance of the used or processed portion of the wet film from the cassette contained supply, the inner receptacle is rotated to retract the projecting portion of the wet film into the outer receptacle upon movement of the sealing pad into registry with the slot opening in the outer receptacle.
The cassette is initially loaded by simply inserting a clock sprung coil of the wet film into an open end of the inner receptacle with a leading end portion of the film projecting through the slot opening in that receptacle.
The loaded inner receptacle is then telescoped into an open end of the outer receptacle until a peripheral seal near the closed end of the inner receptacle engages the inside of the outer receptacle near the open end thereof.
The assembled receptacles are indexed by stops for relative rotation between closed and open positions.
The film enclosure may also be applied to any film component including the negative film component of a two component diffusion transfer system