Method and apparatus for copying

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CREATING A COPY OF A MASTER DOCUMENT COMPRISING: A PHOTOCONDUCTOR AND A PLURALITY OF PROCESSING STATIONS; MEANS TO EFFECT RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR AND SAID STATIONS; A FIRST OF SAID STATIONS COMPRISING MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A UNIFORM ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE OF ONE POLARITY ON SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR; A SECOND OF SAID STATIONS COMPRISING MEANS FOR PROJECTING AN IMAGE OF SAID MASTER DOCUMENT ON SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR TO CREATE AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE PATTERN HAVING AREAS OF RELATIVELY HIGH POTENTIAL OF SAID ONE POLARITY CORRESPONDING TO THE VISUAL INFORMATION OF SAID DOCUMENT; A THIRD OF SAID STATIONS COMPRISING A THIN LAYER OF TONER MATERIAL SPACED FROM SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR SOLELY BY AN AIR GAP; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID THIN LAYER OF TONER MATERIAL IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR; AND ONLY SAID AREAS OF RELATIVELY HIGH POTENTIAL OF SAID ONE POLARITY ON SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR EXERTING SUFFICIENT ELECTROSTATIC FORCES TO OVERCOME SAID MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AND CAUSING SAID TONER MATERIAL TO MOVE ACROSS SAID AIR GAP TO SAIS AREAS WHERBY TONER MATERIAL DOES NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE REMAINING AREAS OF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR AND A TONED IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO SAID VISUAL INFORMATION ON SAID MASTER DOCUMENT IS CREATED ON SAID PHOTOCONDUCTOR.