Film squeegee
United States Paten Skudrna Apr. 22, 1975 FILM SQUEEGEE Primary E.\&#39;aminerEdward L. Roberts [76] Inventor: Oldrich Skudrna, 20287 Damman,  
  Harper Woods. Mich. 48225 1 ABSTRACT Mounted on a supporting block in spaced parallel re- [22] Med 1973 lationship are two short shafts slotted for the&#39;reception [21] Appl. No; 426,184 of the rearward portions of sharp-edged resilient film squeegee blades. At least one of these shafts is pivot- 52 n ally mounted and its squeegee blade is urged toward 5&#39; 15/100 gg gfdg the squeegee blade of the other shaft &#39;by a spring ele- [58] Fie&#39;ld 102 756 5 ment. such as an elastic band. The liquid on the film,  
  6g such as motion picture film, traveling between the two blades is removed by the sharp-edged portions thereof &#39;thout damage to the film itself while the pivotal [56] References Cited wl mounting enables the pivoted blade shaft or shafts to UNITED STATES PATENTS rotate so that the blades thereof adapt themselves to 1.933.084 10/933 Allison 15/100 Variations in the thickness of [he without reIying $623325 H1952 f 5/100 wholly on the resilience of the blades. Furthermore, because of such pivoting, the blades are easily 3.328I82l 7/l967 La Mura .1: l5/l02 cleaned 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FILM SQUEEGEE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hitherto known are film squeegees. the blades of which are rigidly mounted on stationary supports. with the resilience of the blades wholly relied on to maintain their edges in liquid-removing engagement with the moving film. Such blades vary in their resilience and are also difficult and time-consuming to clean.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The pivotally mounted shaft or shafts carrying the resilient squeegee blade or blades in the film squeegee of the present invention form a compact unit. selfcompensating for the pressure of the blades on the film, wherein the unit is easily mounted adjacent the path of travel of the film and wherein the pivotal blade mounting renders the blades easily cleanable. The resilient urging of the blades toward one another by the pivotal mounting of one or both blades renders them selfadjusting as to the pressure exerted on the liquidcarrying surfaces of the moving film.  
 In the drawing.  
  FIG. I is a side elevation of a film squeegee in its mounted position above a wet motion picture film traveling between its blades:  
  FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the film squeegee shown in FIG. I, looking in the direction of the line 22 therein;  
  FIG. 3 is a cross-section. partly in bottom plan view. looking upward along the section line 33 in FIG. 1; and  
  FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the mounting of the stationary squeegee blade shaft taken along the line 44 in FIG. 3.  
  Referring to the drawing in detail. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a film squeegee. generally designated 10, according to a preferred form of the invention, as mounted above the path of travel ofa moving wet motion picture film 12 from which its purpose is to remove the water or other liquid from the opposite surfaces 14 and 16 of the film 12 without damaging the film or the emulsion thereon. The squeegee includes a supporting block 18 mounted above the film 12 on an arm 20 which carries a pin 21 engaging a notch 23 in the block 18 (FIG. 2) to prevent rocking thereof. The arm 20 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to any adjoining and convenient stationary structure (not shown). The supporting block 18 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced parallel bores 22, and 24 and also with a lower surface 26 against which the upper ends of laterally spaced parallel shafts 30 and 32 abut. The bore 24 is counterbored as at 28. Either or both of the shafts 30 or 32 may be pivotally mounted relatively to the supporting block 18. For purposes of exemplification but not of limitation. however. the drawing shows only the shaft 30 pivotally mounted. namely on an elongated pivot pin 34 secured as by friction in the bore 22, which is drilled eccentric to the shaft 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The upper end ofthe shaft 32 is fixedly and frictionally held against the abutment surface 26 by a screw 36 passing through the counterbore 28 and threaded bore 24 (FIG. 4).  
  The shaft 30 may be rotated manually around its eccentric pivot pin 34 in its respective bore 22 for the purpose of threading the film 12 between the shafts 30 and 32 or for cleaning. The shafts 30 and 32 are provided with longitudinally extending radial slots 38, the inner end portions 40 of which are of wedge-shaped cross-section. These slots 38 receive correspondingly shaped elongated squeegee blades 42 and 44 respectively disposed in converging relationship toward one another and having tapered outer end portions 46 and 48 terminating in sharp edges 50 and 52. These blades 42 and 44 are formed of elastomeric material having resilient properties and of a suitable softness to flex freely yet sweep off the liquid from the opposite sides 14 and 16 of the film 12 without damage to the film 12. In practice. a polyurethane synthetic plastic having a durometer hardness has been found satisfactory for the blades 42 and 44.  
  Each of the shafts 30 and 32 is drilled radially for the reception of anchor pins 54 and 56 respectively adapted to receive the encircling opposite portions of a spring element 58, such as a resilient endless elastomeric band 58 of rubber or other suitable resilient material. The axes of the pins 54 and 56 are disposed at an included angle of approximately relatively to each other when the edges 50 and 52 of the blades 42 and 44 are in contact with the opposite sides 14 and 16 of the film 12 (FIG. 2).  
  In the installation of the squeegee 10, it will be understood that it is mounted on the arm 20 or otherwise above the path of film travel. indicated by the arrow 60 (FIG. 2). The particular mounting of the arm 20 will depend upon the film processing apparatus with which it is to be used. and the mounting arrangement may thus vary between machines of different manufacture. It will be understood that the processing of a motion picture film involves itstravel through numerous baths. between which the film is ordinarily squeegeed. and it is between each of these successive baths that the film squeegee 10 of the present invention is adapted to be mounted.  
  In the operation of the film squeegee 10., let it be assumed that one of the squeegees 10 has been mounted in the manner shown in FIG. I in a location between two of the tanks (not shown) used for two of the baths and that the forward end of the film 12 has been threaded between the sharp edges 50 and 52 of the opposite blades 42 and 44 of the shafts 30 and 32 while the shaft 30 has been manually rotated counterclockwise by the handle pin 54 (FIG. 2) to enable the film 12 to pass freely therebetween. The film 12 is then started in motion, whereupon the resilient or spring element 58 urges the sharp edge 50 of the tapered portion 46 of the blade 42 against the surface 14 of the film 12, the opposite 16 of which. in turn. is thereby urged against the sharp edge 52 of the tapered portion 48 of the stationary blade 44. As a result of the yielding characteristics of the resilient material of the blades 42 and 44 and of the clockwise pivotal motion of the shaft 30 under the urging of the resilient or spring element 58, the sharp edges 50 and 52 of the blades 42 and 44 sweep off the major part of the liquid from the surfaces 14 and 16 of the traveling film 12 as it passes by them on its way to the next processing station. The liquid. thus removed from the surfaces 14 and 16 of the film 12, flows downward along the tapered portions 46 and 48 of the blades 42 and 44 and drips off the lower ends of the blades 42 and 44 into a suitable receptacle or drainage conduit.  
  If, from time to time. undesired material, either liquid or solid, collects on the blades 42 and 44, these are easily cleaned by rotating the shaft 30 counterclockwise manually by means of the handle pin 54 so as to widen the space between the sharp edges of the blades 42 and 44. These blades may then be quickly and easily cleaned and the undesired material removed therefrom. During operation. the resilience of the blades 42 and 44 and the pivotal mounting of the shaft 30., together with the force applied thereto by the resilient or spring element 58. imposes the self-compensating and automatically self-adjusting action of their respective sharp edges 50 and 52 upon the surfaces 14 and 16 of the film 12.  
 I claim:  
  1. A film squeegee adapted to be mounted adjacent the path of travel of a wet moving film for removal of liquid simultaneously from the opposite side surfaces thereof, said squeegee comprising a supporting member adapted to be mounted adjacent the path of film travel,  
 a pair of squeegee blade-carrying elements mounted in spaced parallel relationship on said supporting member, at least one of said elements being pivotally mounted on said supporting member,  
 a pair of substantially sharp-edged squeegee blades of resilient material secured to said blade-carrying elements and disposed in converging relationship toward one another on opposite sides of the path of film travel,  
 and means for resiliently urging said pivotally mounted element and its respective blade into rotation toward the other element and toward the other blade.  
 2. A film squeegee, according to claim I, wherein said other element is fixedly mounted on said supporting member.  
  3. A film squeegee, according to claim 1, wherein said other element is also pivotally mounted on said supporting member.  
  4. A film squeegee. according to claim 1, wherein said resiliently urging means comprises a spring member secured to said elements in radially spaced relationship to the centers thereof.  
  5. A film suqeegee. according to claim 1, wherein said elements have arcuate peripheral portions, and wherein said resiliently urging means comprises a spring member secured to said arcuate peripheral portions and extending partially therearound.  
  6. A film squeegee. according to claim 4, wherein said resilient means comprises an elongated resilient elastomeric member.  
  7. A film squeegee. according to claim 5, wherein said elements have outwardly extending projections adjacent said arcuate peripheral portions, and wherein said resilient means comprises an elongated endless resilient elastomeric band looped at its opposite ends over said projections.  
  8. A film squeegee, according to claim 1, wherein said blade-carrying elements comprise elongated shafts having longitudinally extending radial slots therein. and wherein said blades are seated in said slots.  
  9. A film squeegee. according to claim 8, wherein the inner end portions of said slots are of wedge-shaped cross-section with their side surfaces converging in an outward direction, and wherein the inner edge portions of said blades are seated in said wedge-shaped inner end portions of said slots.  
  10. A film squeegee, according to claim 1. wherein said elements comprise parallel shafts and wherein one of said elements is pivotally mounted eccentrically to its respective periphery.