Powder feed mechanism and electrostatic imprinting device

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF ELECTROSTATICALLY PRINTING WITH A DRY PRINTING POWDER THAT INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: (A) POSITIONING THE ARTICLE TO BE PRINTED UPON SPACED BELOW A SCREEN HAVING A GROUP OF UNOBSTRUCTED OPENINGS CORRESPONDING IN OUTLINE TO THE DESIGN TO BE PRINTED; (B) MOVING DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID POWDER DOWNWARDLY ALONG A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY ADJACENT GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING DIFFERENTLY TORTUOUS PATHS THAT HAVE UPPER AND LOWER OPEN ENDS, WHICH OPEN ENDS AND PATHS ARE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO FREELY PASS THE PARTICLES OF POWDER THERETHROUGH AND WHICH PATHS ARE DEFINED BY WALLS POSITIONED TO DEFINE THE SIDES OF SAID PATHS AND TO OBSTRUCT DIRECT VERTICAL DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PARTICLES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY AND TO CAUSE SAID PARTICLES TO FOLLOW SAID PATHS BY ADMINISTERING SHOCKS OF PREDETERMINED FORCE AND REGULARITY TO SAID WALLS AND PARTICLES FOR SHIFTING SAID PARTICLES RELATIVE TO SAID WALLS UNTIL THE PARTICLES REACH AND PASS THROUGH SAID LOWER OPEN ENDS FOR MOVEMENT THEREFROM TO SAID OPENINGS; AND THEREAFTER; (C) MOVING SAID PARTICLES THROUGH SAID UNOBSTRUCTED OPENINGS IN SAID SCREEN BY APPLICATION OF PHYSICAL FORCE AGAINST SAID PARTICLES; AND (D) ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID SCREEN AND THE SAID ARTICLE TO PROVIDE AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID SCREEN AND SAID ARTICLE FOR CONDUCTING THE PARTICLES MOVED THROUGH SAID SCREEN AND ONTO SAID ARTICLE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF ELECTROSTATICALLY PRINTING WITH A DRY PRINTING POWDER THAT INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: (A) POSITIONING THE ARTICLE TO BE PRINTED UPON SPACED BELOW A SCREEN HAVING A GROUP OF UNOBSTRUCTED OPENINGS CORRESPONDING IN OUTLINE TO THE DESIGN TO BE PRINTED; (B) MOVING DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID POWDER DOWNWARDLY ALONG A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY ADJACENT GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING DIFFERENTLY TORTUOUS PATHS THAT HAVE UPPER AND LOWER OPEN ENDS, WHICH OPEN ENDS AND PATHS ARE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO FREELY PASS THE PARTICLES OF POWDER THERETHROUGH AND WHICH PATHS ARE DEFINED BY WALLS POSITIONED TO DEFINE THE SIDES OF SAID PATHS AND TO OBSTRUCT DIRECT VERTICAL DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PARTICLES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY AND TO CAUSE SAID PARTICLES TO FOLLOW SAID PATHS BY ADMINISTERING SHOCKS OF PREDETERMINED FORCE AND REGULARITY TO SAID WALLS AND PARTICLES FOR SHIFTING SAID PARTICLES RELATIVE TO SAID WALLS UNTIL THE PARTICLES REACH AND PASS THROUGH SAID LOWER OPEN ENDS FOR MOVEMENT THEREFROM TO SAID OPENINGS; AND THEREAFTER; (C) MOVING SAID PARTICLES THROUGH SAID UNOBSTRUCTED OPENINGS IN SAID SCREEN BY APPLICATION OF PHYSICAL FORCE AGAINST SAID PARTICLES; AND (D) ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID SCREEN AND THE SAID ARTICLE TO PROVIDE AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID SCREEN AND SAID ARTICLE FOR CONDUCTING THE PARTICLES MOVED THROUGH SAID SCREEN AND ONTO SAID ARTICLE.