Rapid-flow washer for photographic sheet material

Claim 1

a. A washer for washing photographic material in sheet form comprising b. a tank having a pair of rectangular parallel vertical side walls and end walls, and a horizontal bottom wall and open at the top, c. a horizontal septum within said tank parallel to and spaced from the bottom wall to provide between itself and said bottom wall a single fluid distribution manifold, said septum being perforated with a large number of spaced small perforations for the passage of water, d. a fluid supply means for supplying to said manifold a continuous stream of water under pressure sufficient for said stream to rise through said perforations to fill the tank, e. a vertical septum near one of said end walls and parallel thereto, in water-tight edge contact with the two side walls and the bottom wall, the top edge of said vertical septum being below the top edges of the tank so that water rising in the tank flows over the top of said vertical septum and into the space between said vertical septum and its adjacent end wall without spilling over the top of the tank; f. a fluid outlet nozzle near the bottom of said vertical space for continuous removal of said overflow water from the tank when the tank is supplied with said continuous stream of water; g. said horizontal septum being provided with a number of spaced parallel rows of wire receiving apertures; h. a number of sheet separating elements each shaped like an inverted U, made of stiff wire of a thickness so that the end of the U can fit freely but snugly into said wire receiving apertures; i. said sheet separating elements being fitted into at least some of said apertures to form at least two parallel rows of said separating elements spaced sufficiently to support between them a sheet of photographic material such as a photo print on edge for washing; j. said small perforations being located immediately adjacent said apertures and in line with a row of the U-shaped elements.