Method of photographic processing and developer therefor

Claim 1

IN THE CYCLICAL PROCESS OF PRODUCING A REVERSED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE IN A LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER HALIDE-CONTAINING FILM AND WHEREIN SAID FILM IS EXPOSED AND POSITIONED ON A MOVABLE CARRIER AND SUBJECT FIRST TO DEVELOPMENT IN A DEVELOPING SOLUTION AND THEN, AFTER REMOVAL OF THE INITIALLY DEVELOPED SILVER, TO RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESIDUAL SILVER HALIDE IN A RE-DEVELOPING SOLUTION INCLUDING A SOLUBLE SULFUR-CONTAINING RE-DEVELOPING AGENT, AND THE RESULTING FILM IS EJECTED FROM THE CARRIER AND A SUCCEEDING EXPOSED LIGHT SENSITIVE SILVER HALIDE-CONTAINING FILM IS POSITIONED ON SAID CARRIER FOR PROCESSING IN THE AFORESAID MANNER, AND WHEREIN SAID CARRIER IS PLACED IN CONTACT WITH SAID RE-DEVELOPING SOLUTION AND SAID DEVELOPING SOLUTION, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR PREVENTING CONTAMINATION OF SAID DEVELOPING SOLUTION BY CONTACT THEREOF WITH SAID REDEVELOPING AGENT WHICH MAY BE CARRIED INTO SAID DEVELOPING SOLUTION BY SAID CARRIER, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID CARRIER INTO A SOLUTION CONTAINING AN ANTI-CONTAMINANT AT A STAGE FOLLOWING CONTACT OF SAID CARRIER WITH SAID REDEVELOPING SOLUTION AND NOT LATER THAN SUCCEEDING CONTACT OF SAID CARRIER WITH SAID DEVELOPING SOLUTION FOR DEVELOP-ING SAID SUCCEEDING FILM. SAID ANTI-CONTAMINANT REACTING WITH SAID REDEVELOPING AGENT TO FORM A SUBSTANCE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INERT IN SAID DEVELOPING SOLUTION, SAID ANTICONTAMINANT BEING A SOLUBLE SALT PRODUCING IN SOLUTION CATIONS OF A METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SILVER, MERCURY, LEAD, COPPER, CADMIUM, TIN AND ZINC; AND SAID REDEVELOPING AGENT BEING A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A SOLUBLE ALKALI METAL SULFIDE AND THIOUREA.