Normally, such replenishers are measured and dispensed in liquid form from containers thereof, and the measuring and dispensing procedure can be both time—consuming and relatively inaccurate. Therefore, it would be desirable to be able to utilise a procedure which does not require such a measuring and dispensing procedure.

Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a convenient means for easily and safely transporting solid replenishers and which simplifies the measuring and dispensing thereof.

It is widely known in the pharmaceutical industry to package pills by encapsulating them between two foil layers,, one of which is ruptured to eject the pill.

However, what is not known is to apply such a packaging technique to photographic chemicals.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a package for a photographic processing chemical component comprising two foil materials between which the component is encapsulated, one of the foil materials being rupturable to allow the release of the component due to the application of pressure in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane in which the foil material lies.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of dispensing one or more photographic processing chemical components comprising the step of applying pressure to the foil material of a package as set out in the immediately preceding paragraph other than the rupturable foil material.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for dispensing one or more photographic processing chemical components from a package in which the or each component is encapsulated between two foil materials, one of which foil materials is rupturable to allow the release of the or each component, which apparatus comprises a plunger for engagement with the foil material other than the rupturable foil material.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:— Figure 1 is a section through a package according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows one arrangement for ejecting the contents of such a package;

Figure 3 shows one form of package containing a plurality of solid photographic processing chemical components;

Figure shows another form of package containing a plurality of solid photographic processing chemical components; and Figures 5a to 5d show the delivery sequence of a second arrangement for ejecting the contents of a package.

As shown in Figure 1, a processing chemical component 2, is held between an upper foil and a lower foil 6. The chemical component may be in solid

form, or alternatively be in concentrated, low volume, liquid form. As a further alternative, the chemical component may be in paste form.

Solid chemical components may be compacted into pill form or even be in powdered form.

The upper foil 4 is shaped to encapsulate the component 2, whilst the lower foil 6 is flat or substantially flat. The upper foil 4 is stronger than the lower foil 6 to ensure correct ejection of the component 2, by exerting pressure on the upper surface 8 of the upper foil 4.

There is provided a rigid, perhaps perforated, base 10 between the lower foil 6 and portions 12 of the upper foil 4. s shown in Figure 2, the component 2 can be ejected from the package by the use of a piston 14 bearing on the surface 8 in a direction shown by arrow A. This causes the upper foil 4 to deform in the area of contact with the piston 14 and the component 2 in turn to bear against the lower foil 6 to rupture it, as shown, and then be ejected in the general direction as indicated by arrow A. The piston 14 could be solenoid—, hydraulically— or pneumatically—operated.

In Figure 3 is shown an arrangement for providing a plurality of processing chemical components, each encapsulated separately, as indicated by pods 16, on a continuous strip 18 of upper and lower foils. The strip 18 is fed to a processor, for being added to the solution in question, in a direction as shown by arrow B.

In Figure 4 is shown a further arrangement for providing a plurality of processing chemical components, each encapsulated separately. In this arrangement, the upper and lower foils form a rigid card 20. Pods 22 could contain solid components

whilst pods 24 could contain liquid components. The card 20 is fed to a processor in a direction shown by arrow C and is provided with sprocket holes 26 for engagement with drive means (not shown). It can be readily appreciated that the arrangement shown in Figure 3 could utilise a wider strip so as to accommodate a number of rows of components as shown in the Figure 4 arrangement. Similarly the arrangement of Figure 4 could comprise a narrower strip having fewer rows or even a single row of components. Furthermore, the pods in each arrangement could all accommodate the same components or could accommodate different components, solid or liquid, as requirements demand. Referring now to Figures 5a to 5d, a card 20 of encapsulated components 2 is fed by a card advance claw 28 engaging sprocket holes 26 (see Figure 4). The claw 28 is mounted on a drive wheel 30, which is driven by a motor (not shown). A connecting rod 32 is pivotally connected at one end to the periphery of the drive wheel 30 and at the other end to a solid plunger 34. The plunger 34 is slidably mounted on a rigid support column 36 for reciprocal movement in a direction as shown by arrow C. T e operation of the arrangement shown in

Figures 5a to 5d will now be described. As the drive wheel is rotated by the motor in an anticlockwise direction, the plunger 34 is moved downward toward the card 20, eventually contacting and applying pressure to pod 38, ejecting component 2', as shown in Figure 5b.

With continued rotation of the drive wheel 30, the plunger 34 rises and the claw 28 engages a sprocket hole and thereby moves the card 20 in a direction as shown by arrow D to position the next

consecutive pod 40 in position for engagement by the plunger 34.

The use of a card 20 has the advantage that it could be used where, for example, it is required to add several chemical components, either simultaneously or perhaps over a period of say one day. In other words, it could hold a preset combination of doses required for a predetermined period.

The components could be added to different processing tanks. They can be wholly solid, partially liquid or wholly liquid, or alternatively in paste form.

The advantages of handling the photographic processing chemicals in the manner described above include the fact that the replenishment system for a processing machine would be greatly simplified. There would be no need for replenisher holding tanks, overflow holding tanks, or replenisher pumps.

Furthermore, aerial oxidation of components is reduced, as are hazards to operators. Also, solid and liquid additions can be made to the same or different processing baths by the same replenisher unit, one motor can be used instead of several replenisher pumps and additions are pre—metered so avoiding the necessity of adjusting replenisher pumps.