Baker & Botts, L.L.P.
Apparatus for liquid processing of photographic sheet material
 The apparatus comprises a housing (10) defining a treatment vessel (12.sup.2) having entrance and exit openings (16, 20) defining a sheet material path (22) therethrough. The lower opening (20) is closed by a pair of path-defining rollers (28, 26) biased into contact with each other to form a nip (28) through which the sheet material path (22) extends. The housing (10) includes a collecting chamber (50) positioned to collect treatment liquid which in use falls from the treatment vessel (12.sup.2) through one or both of the openings. The collecting chamber (50) is a closed chamber (50) and means (52) are provided to return treatment liquid from the collecting chamber (50) to the treatment vessel (12.sup.2). The construction has the advantage that the wastage of treatment liquid is reduced without requiring the use of complicated and costly sealing devices. 
Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
G G
G03D G03D
inventional inventional
Patrick Bartholomeus
Van den Bergen Verlinden