Method of and apparatus for electrostatic recording

Claim 1

A DEVICE TO RECORD ALPHANUMERIC INFORMATION ON A MOVING WEB FROM A SIGNAL SOURCE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING STATION AND MEANS TO ADVANCE A WEB COMPRISING AN INSULATING LAYER OVERLYING A CHARGE DISSIPATING BACKING PAST THE PRINTING STATION, AN ELECTRODE POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID WEB ACROSS THE DIRECTION OF MOTION THEREOF, A SERIES OF ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING MEANS IN COMBINATION WITH SAID ELECTRODE, EACH PRINTING MEANS COMPRISING A CONDUCTIVE ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTER FACE POSITIONED ON A MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS IN SEQUENCE TO BRING CHARACTER FACES OF THE PRINTING MEANS SUCCESSIVELY INTO CLOSELY SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID ELECTRODE TO FORM ELECTRODE CHARACTER COMBINATIONS IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP, MEANS TO RECEIVE THE ADVANCING WEB OF INSULATING MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE CHARACTER COMBINATIONS WITH SAID CHARGE DISSIPATING PORTION AGAINST SAID ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING MEANS AND SAID INSULATING LAYER FACING AND SPACED FROM SAID ELECTRODE, MEANS TO ENERGIZE SAID ELECTRODE CHARACTER COMBINATIONS THROUGH SAID WEB AND SUCCESSIVELY ACROSS THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF THE WEB, AND MEANS SEQUENTIALLY COORDINATED IN TIME RELATION WITH SUCCESSIVE SIGNAL VOLTAGES OF SAID SIGNAL SOURCE TO ACTIVATE SAID CHARACTER ELECTRODE COMBINATIONS SUCCESSIVELY TO APPLY SILENT DISCHARGE VOLTAGE PULSES BETWEEN THE ELECTRODE AND THE CHARACTER FACES WHEREBY AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN CORRESPONDING TO SAID CHARACTER FACES IS PLACED ON THE INSULATING LAYER OF SAID WEB IN RESPONSE TO SAID SIGNAL SOURCE.