Electrophotographic apparatus and method

Claim 1

AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR RECORDING ON A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SURFACE OF A WEB OF SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL A PLURALITY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES SUPERIMPOSED ON ONE ANOTHER ON SAID SURFACE COMPRISING: MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE WEB ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH THROUGH A FIRST CHARGING STATION, A FIRST EXPOSING STATION AND A FIRST DEVELOPING STATION POSITIONED IN SUCCESSION ALONG SAID PATH AND THEREAFTER THROUGH AN ADDITIONAL SERIES OF CHARGING, EXPOSING AND DEVELOPING STATIONS POSITIONED IN SUCCESSION ALONG SAID PATH FOR EACH ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE TO BE RECORDED; MEANS AT SAID FIRST EXPOSING STATION FOR PROJECTING ONTO SAID SURFACE OF THE MOVING WEB A FIRST PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A REGISTRATION MARK ON THE WEB ADJACENT SAID RECORDED FIRST IMAGE; MEANS OPERATIVE DURING THE PROJECTION OF THE IMAGE ONTO THE MOVING WEB FOR LIMITING THE SPEED OF RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE MOVING WEB AND THE PROJECTED FIRST IMAGE THEREON TO A VALUE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE SPEED OF THE WEB BETWEEN SAID FIRST CHARGING, EXPOSING AND DEVELOPING STATIONS; MEANS AT EACH ADDITIONAL EXPOSING STATION FOR PROJECTING THE RESPECTIVE ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE ONTO SAID SURFACE OF THE MOVING WEB THEREAT;