G. EASTMAN.

Method and Apparatus for Coa ting Plates for use in

Ph 0 t0 graphy.
No. 226,503. Patented April 13, 1880.

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 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
GEORGE EASTMAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR C0ATING PLATES FOR USE IN PHOTOGRAPHY.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,503, dated April 13, 1880.
Application filed September 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern : . cess into practice is represented in the accom
Be it. known that I, GEORGE · EASTMAN, of pauying drawings.
Rochester, New York, have invented an In A is a roller, of any suitable material, sup
proved IProcess of Preparing Gelatine · Dry ported in the trough B. CG is a water-tank 55
Plates for Use in Photography and in Appara underneath the trough, which may be filled
tus therefor, of which th? following is a speci with hot water by the spout Lu.
fication, reference being had to the annexed A pulleý, F, is placed on one of the journals
drawings, in which of the roller A, over which a belt, J, runs, by
Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus for which a rotary. motion is transmitted to the
C) coating glass plates with gelatine emulsion.
roller from any suitable motor. G is the glass
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a plate, which is applied to the roller A by any
transverse section, of the same, showing the convenient device. A pneumatic plate-holder
node of applying the emulsion to the plate. accomplishes this purpose, as represented in
In the preparation of gelatine dry-plates Fig. 2. In coating large plates I prefer to use
two pneumatic holders, H and H', as repre
I 5 tered indifficulty
great has here?ofore been encoun
spreading the gelatine emulsion evenly sented in Fig. 3. Any other suitable plate
over the glass. This has ordinarily been ac holder may be employed.
complished by a glass rod, the action of which The roller A' should be of a length slightly
was assisted by inclining the plates slightly greater than the width of the largest plate
in different directions, causing the emulsion desigued to be coated by the apparatus. The
to flow toward tlhe edges. It has been found upper surface of the roller rises sufficiently
difficult by this meams to cover the margins above the trough B to prevent the plate from
of the glass or to secure an even coating on coming in contact with the sides thereof.
tilne whole surface, while the process of coat In the operation of my improved apparatus 75
ing the plates in this way was necessarily slow for coating gelatine dry-plates the trough B is
andlBytedious, and therefore partially filled with the gelatine emulsion, as
my improved processexpensive.
plates are covered indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 3. Motion
is then communicated to the roller A by the
with a perfectly uniform coating of gelatine belt J, a convenient source of power beinga
emulsion, extending enti?ly out to the edges small water-motor. The motion of the roller .
of the plate, and this result is accomplished
very much more rapidly than inferior plates should not be so rapid as to churn the emul
sion and cause air-bubbles therein. A suita
are produced by the old method.
In the operation of my improved process of ble speed for the rotation of the roller is from
to one hundred revolutions per minute, 85
preparing gelatine plates I employ a bromide fifty
of-silver gelatine emulsion i prepared accord the greatest speed being suitable for the thin
nest emulsion. The glass plate, having been
ing to any well-known formula. I prefer to cleaned in any usual manner, is held by a plate
é?mploy in the emulsion for use in my process holder and
an article of gelatine which sets readily, though the movingpassed over the upper surface of
any i sample of gelatine suitable for making that in whichroller in a direction contrary to
emulsions for coating in the old way can be by the arrowsthe roller is turning, as indicated
in Fig.3. This operation should
employed. a .*
My improved process consists in coating the be performed without unnecessary haste, but
continuously, without stopping or varying the
plates from the lower side by means of suit
able apparatus hereinafter described. The ap motion of the plate. The operation may be 95
repeated in case a satisfactory coating of the
45 paratus may be varied in construction, but in glass is not attained at first. The roller bri?gs
any case the operation remains the same, the up from the trough B a uniform supply of
plate being drawn over a device which covers emulsion and applies it. to the lower side of
its surface with a uniform supply of the emul the plate in a perfectly even coating. The Ioo
siom, and being then immediately reversed more rapidly th? plate is passed over the roller
and placed upon a level support to set. Appa the thicker will be the coating of emulsion ou
ratus suitable for carrying my improved pro
 2 226,503
may be made of sheet metal, nickel 'or sil
the glass. This is explained by the fact that | ver plated on the inside, or it may be of well- 46
the excess of emulsion carried up by the roller glazed porcelain or glass. The journals of the.
does not have time to flow back into the trough roller may be supported by the sides of the
when the plate is passed quickly over the tray, as shown in the drawings, or carried by
roller. When the plate moves slowly this ex standards outside of and at ea?h end of the
cess flows backdown the roller into the trough.
After having been coated the plate should tray. .
Satisfactory results may be attained by em
be quickly reversed in position, so that the
coated side will be uppermost. The holder is ploying a roller driven by the friction of the
plate as it moves over it; buit F prefer to give
IO the removed and the plate placed on a level
support to set, after which it is dried in any direction the roller i a motion independent of and in a N
preferred manner. . . opposite to that of the plate, as heren 55
It is unnecessary to remark that the opera described. - made with .
tion of coating the plates must be performed bleEmulsions any other colloid solu
in water may be used in place of gelatine
in a sufficiêntly nou-actinic light. In prepar
I.5 ing very sensitive plat?s, which require a very in ny improved apparatus for coating plates.
i. subdued light, the advantages of my improved that One of the advantages of my invention is
apparatus will be most appreciated, as the op after drying, large glass plates may be coated, and,
eration of • coating the plates as herein de out any loss cut into the required sizes with
scribed can be performed with rapidity and fectly covered whatever. from margins imper
with emulsion.
*:içertainty in almost entire darkness.
, . The cleaned plates, having been stacked up I1.claim- m
As an improvement in the art of photog
in a pile, are lifted oue after another by the raply, the method of coating i glass plates
: holder, passed over the roller, and placed on with gelatine or other analogous emulsion,
a leveled of
25. certainty table to set, with great rapidity and
securing uniformity of coating in which consists in applying the same uniformly
the most faintly-lighted dark-room. The emul to the or under side of the plate by means of a
, sion in the tray may be screened from any di roller equivalent distributing i device sup
plied from a reservoir of emulsion, substan
. rect light. A
• Theroller may be madeofany material which tially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination, in an apparatus for
will notinjure the emulsion, but should have coating glass plates with gelatine or other 75
as smooth a surface as possible to prevent colloid emulsions, of the revolving roller A,
drawing bubbles into the emulsion. stationary trouglu B, and plate - holder H,
I prefer to filter the emulsion ilito the trough formed of materials unaffected by the chem
.35'. to prevent air-bubbles and specks.
A roller composed of a composition of glue, icals in the emulsion employed, all saidi parts
being adapted for operation substantially as 8o
glycerine, water, and chrome - alum covered described and slown.
with thin sheet or tube rubber may be used
... for the body of the roller, as well as any other GEO. EASTMAN.
flexible material, the journals , at each end Witnesses:
being plated with nickel or silver. I have
also“ employed solid metallic rollers plated GEO. B. SELDEN,
with nickel or silver. The trough or tray ARTHUR. R. SELDEN.