Xerographic fusing and drying apparatus

Claim 1

IMAGE AFFIXING APPARATUS FOR FIXING XEROGRAPHIC POWDER IMAGES TO THE SURFACE OF A WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL BY MEANS OF SOLVENT VAPOR FOR A SOLUBLE COMPONENT OF THE POWDER COMPRISING SAID POWDER IMAGES, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED FUSING VAPOR CHAMBER HAVING END WALLS PROVIDED WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED HORIZONTAL INLET AND OUTLET SLOTS ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CHAMBER TO PERMIT STRAIGHT-LINE TRAVEL OF A WEB THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, A LIQUID SOLVENT RESERVOIR SPACED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID SLOTS, WICK-LIKE MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER OUTSIDE THE PATH OF SAID WEB AND DIPPING INTO SAID LIQUID SOLVENT RESERVOIR AND ALSO EXTENDING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID SLOTS TO DRAW LIQUID SOLVENT TO THE UPPER PART OF SAID CHAMBER AND GENERATE SOLVENT VAPOR ABOVE THE PATH OF WEB TRAVEL THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, A DRYING CHAMBER MOUNTED TO RECEIVE A WEB ISSUING FROM THE OUTLET SLOT OF SAID VAPOR CHAMBER AND CONTAINING A RESERVOIR FOR ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR SOLVENT VAPOR, AND A HEATING ELEMENT MOUNTED IN SAID DRYING CHAMBER TO APPLY HEAT TO SAID WEB DURING PASSAGE OF SAID WEB THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, SAID DRYING CHAMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET SLOT ON THE END OF SAID CHAMBER OPPOSITE TO THE ENTERING POSITION OF SAID WEB, WHEREBY SAID WEB MAY PASS IN SEQUENCE THROUGH SAID VAPOR CHAMBER AND SAID DRYING CHAMBER.