Photoconductography employing spongy hydroxide images

Claim 1

IN A PHOTOCONDUCTOGRAPHIC PROCESS IN WHICH VARIATIONS IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN AN IMAGE PATTERN ACROSS A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELECTRODE LAYER, THE STEPS COMPRISNG ELECTROLYTICALLY CATHODICALLY DEPOSITING ON THE ELECTRODE LAYER, A SPONGY METALLIC COMPUND IMAGE DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VARIATIONS OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY; APPLYING TO THE SPONGY IMAGE A LIQUID REAGENT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY CHEMICALLY UNREACTIVE WITH THE SPONGY IMAGE AND THE ELECTRODE LAYER, SUCH THAT THE SPONGY IMAGE ABSORBS AN AMOUNT OF THE LIQUID REAGENT DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPONGY IMAGE; APPLYING A SECOND REAGENT SUBSTANTIALLY CHEMICALLY UNREACTIVE WITH THE SPONGY IMAGE AND CHEMICALLY REACTIVE WITH THE LIQUID REAGENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE SPONGY IMAGE, AND REACTING THE SECOND REAGENT WITH THE AMOUNT OF THE LIQUID REAGENT ABSORBED IN THE DISTRIBUTED SPONGY IMAGE TO FORM A REACTION PRODUCT HAVING AN IMAGEWISE DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPONGY IMAGE.