Electrostatic printing

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF CONVERTING A LATENT ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE INTO A PERMANENT VISUAL RECORD IN AN ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING PROCESS WHICH INCLUDES FORMING A LATENT ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN IN A HIGH RESISTANCE MATERIAL AND DEVELOPING A VISUAL IMAGE OF SAID CHARGE PATTERN BY BRINGING THE SURFACE OF SAID HIGH RESISTANCE MATERIAL INTO CONTACT WITH A DEVELOPER COMPRISING A SOLID OPAQUE PARTICULATE MATERIAL DISPERSED IN A LIQUID POSSESSING A HIGH ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE THEREBY ESTABISHING AN IMPERMANENT VISUALL IMAGE ON THE SURFACE OF SAID HIGH RESISTANCE MATERIAL, SAID IMAGE CONSISTING OF DEPOSITED SOLID PARTICLES ELECTROSTATICALLY ATTRACTED TO AND HELD BY THE LATENT ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN AND A FILM OF SAID LIQUID IN EXCESS OF THAT PERMITTING TRANSFER OF THE SOLID PARTICLES TO A NON-ABSORBENT PERMANENT RECORD MEDIUM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: BRINGING A POROUS SOLID ABSORBENT MEMBER, ADAPTED TO ABSORB LIQUID, INTO PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE FILM OF LIQUID ON THE SURFACE OF THE HIGH RESISTANCE MATERIAL BEARING THE IMPERMANENT VISUA IMAGE CONSISTING OF ELECTROSTATICALLY-HELD SOLID PARTICLES AND THE FILM OF LIQUID ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, THEREBY ABSORBING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LIQUID AND A MINOR PROPORTION OF THE SOLID PARTICLES WHILE LEAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY LIQUID-FREE IMAGE FORMED OF THE REMAINDER OF THE SOLID PARTICLES AND THEREAFTER TRANSFERRING THE LIQUID-FREE IMAGE FORMED OF SOLID PARTICLES TO A NON-ABSORBENT RECORD MEDIUM.