Image transfer device

Claim 1

A TRANSFER DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING AN IMAGE MATERIAL FROM AN IMAGE PLATE TO A TRANSFER SHEET, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT FOR AN IMAGE PLATE, A TRANSFER STATION, DRIVE MEANS TO ADVANCE A PLATE ON SAID SUPPORT IN A PATH PARALLEL TO THE PLATE SURFACE PAST SAID TRANSFER STATION, A SHEET FEED GUIDE MEANS DIRECTED TOWARD SAID PATH OF PLATE ADVANCED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE GREATER THAN 30 DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF SAID PLATE POSITIONED TO FEED A TRANSFER SHEET TO THE SURFACE OF A PLATE POSITIONED ON SAID SUPPORT AT SAID ACUTE ANGLE AND TO A POSITION IN SAID PATH ADJACENT SAID TRANSFER STATION, AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE SOURCE AT SAID TRANSFER STATION ABOVE SAID PATH OF PLATE TRAVEL FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE ONTO THE BACK OF A TRANSFER SHEET OVERLYING AN IMAGE PLATE ON SAID SUPPORT, WHEREBY THE LEADING EDGE OF A TRANSFER SHEET MAY BE ELECTROSTATICALLY CLAMPED TO AN IMAGE PLATE WHILE THE MAJOR PART OF THE SHEET IS STILL AT SAID ACUTE ANGLE TO SAID IMAGE PLATE AND A CURVED CHANNEL IS FORMED ACROSS THE TRANSFER SHEET TO THEREBY ELIMINATE BULGES IN THE PORTION OF THE SHEET CLAMPED AGAINST THE IMAGE PLATE, AND MEANS TO RETRACT SAID SHEET FEED GUIDE MEANS TO DROP THE TRAILING PORTION OF THE TRANSFER SHEET ONTO THE IMAGE PLATE.