Electrostatic printing apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARTUS OF THE TYPE FOR MAKING AN ELECTROSTATIC PRINT ON AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDING ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENT COMPRISING A BACKING SHEET AND A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE LAYER, MEANS TO CHARGE SAID LAYER WITH AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE, MEANS TO EXPOSE SAID CHARGED LAYER WITH A LIGHT IMAGE TO PRODUCE AN ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE THEREON, A DEVELOPING STATION, AND MEANS TO MOVE SAID LATENT IMAGE ALONG A PATH THROUGH SAID DEVELOPING STATION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID STATION TO DEVELOP SAID LATENT IMAGE, SAID DEVELOPING MEANS COMPRISING A PLATE OF POROUS MATERIAL HAVING ONE SIDE ADJACENT TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LATENT IMAGE, MEANS TO DISPOSE SOLID MELTABLE DEVELOPER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PLATE, MEANS INCLUDING A HEATING ELEMENT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PLATE TO HEAT SAID PLATE TO A TEMPERATURE TO MELT SAID DEVELOPER WHEN IN CONTACT WTHERWITH, AND MEANS TO APPLY PRESSURE ON SAID DEVELOPER TO FORCE MELTED DEVELOPER THROUGH SAID PLATE AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID LATENT IMAGE, WHEREBY TO DEVELOP SAID LATENT IMAGE.