The gelatine plate requires much and prolonged [p170] washing to
free it from the solutions by which it is developed and fixed, and
which, if not thoroughly washed from the film, would ultimately
injure and perhaps distroy it An apparatus has been devised for
washing dry plates, which may be adapted to any size plate from 4×5
to 8×10.
It has a perforated false bottom, the water is received into the box
beneath the bottom, passes up through the perforations and out
through a pipe at the side; the plates are placed in the grooves and
rest on the false bottom. The force of the water is checked in
passing through the false bottom and flows evenly up through the
plates. A half hour of washing in this box would be quite enough to
thoroughly cleanse the film from hypo, etc.
Another and very effective model is the ANTHONY SELF-CHANGING SHOWER
WASHING BOX.
[Illustration: ANTHONY SELF-CHANGING SHOWER WASHING BOX.] [p171]
The Anthony Self-Changing Shower Washing Box for dry plate negatives
is a nicely constructed and convenient apparatus. Made
substantially, and well japanned inside and out, it has interior
grooves in which either 5×8 or 8×10 negatives may be placed. When
the negatives are introduced, the hose is attached to a faucet; the
lid is now closed and locked if desired, and the water turned on.
It will be seen that the water enters the washer from above, and
that the inside of the lid is made in the form of a perforated
fountain, which discharges a spray over the plates. When the
negatives are entirely submerged, the water is all drawn off by
means of a self-acting syphon, and the process of showering is
repeated.
With this apparatus the hypo can be thoroughly eliminated from the
gelatine film in from fifteen minutes to half an hour. The change of
water is continuous.
When the plates are well washed they are removed from the washing
box and set up in