Xerographic developer seal and process

Claim 1

IN A XEROGRAPHIC MACHINE OF THE TYPE UTILIZING A DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM WHEREIN A POWDER IMAGE IS DEVELOPED ON A XEROGRAPHIC PLATE BY CASCADING CARRIER PARTICLES AND TONER MATERIAL OVER THE SURFACE OF THE XEROGRAPHIC PLATE, APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THOSE CARRIER PARTICLES ADHERING TO THE SURFACE OF THE XEROGRAPHIC PLATE AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO A DEVELOPER SUMP COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HOUSING ENCLOSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE XEROGRAPHIC PLATE, CONVEYOR MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR CASCADING CARRIER PARTICLES AND TONER MATERIAL ACROSS THE PLATE SURFACE, NOZZLE MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS THE PLATE SURFACE AND POSITIONED TO DIRECT A STREAM AT AN ANGLE AGAINST THE PLATE SURFACE, TOWARD A NARROW OPENING DEFINED BY THE LOWER BOUNDARY OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID PLATE SURFACE, AND MEANS SUPPLY AIR TO THE NOZZLE MEANS UNDER A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A VELOCITY OF AIR WHICH, WHEN DIRECTED AGAINST THE PLATE AND INTO SAID NARROW OPENING, WILL SEPARATE THOSE CARRIER PARTICLES HELD ON THE PLATE BY ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE FROM THE PLATE SURFACE AND DEPOSIT THEM INTO A DEVELOPER SUMP FORMED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE POWDER IMAGE ON THE PLATE SURFACE.