Apparatus and method of electrostatic recording

Claim 1

IN ELECTROSTATIC RECORDING APPARATUS HAVING A PRINT HEAD FOR IMPRESSING A SURFACE OF A MOVABLE RECORD MEDIUM WITH ONE OR MORE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES REPRESENTATIVE OF INFORMATION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A SINGLE ELONGATE ELECTRODE MEMBER CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID PRINT HEAD FOR GUIDING A SAID CHARGED RECORD MEDIUM AS IT IS MOVED PAST SAID PRINT HEAD, SAID MEMBER HAVING ITS LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION EXTENDING ACROSS AND AT LEAST COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH THE WIDTH OF SAID RECORD MEDIUM, A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE INK, THE LEVEL OF SAID INK SUPPLY SPACED FROM AND FORMING A GAP WITH SAID MEMBER AND WITH THE PORTION OF SAID RECORD MEDIUM GUIDED THEREBY, AND A SINGLE MEANS IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID INK FOR CHARGING SAID INK AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING A VOLTAGAE OF THE SAME POLARITY AS SAID ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES TO SAID MEMBER TO OBTAIN A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE IN POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE INK, TO CAUSE PARTICLES OF SAID INK TO FLOW FROM SAID LEVEL TO BRIDGE SAID GAP AND ADHERE TO SAID ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES ON THE GUIDED PORTION OF SAID RECORD MEDIUM.