Charging devices for electrostatic copiers

Claim 2

In a charging device for an eLectrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire sections being sections of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a doubleacting adjustable wedge clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including a reciprocably mounted, circular cross section abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; and spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire.

Claim 3

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said mountings has a crossweb; said crosswebs fixing the level of the wire sections relative to the depth of each U-shaped housing shell.

Claim 4

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire sections being sections of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said clamping mechanism being a wedge combination having facing flanks converging toward the center of said device; and a wedge member insertable between said flanks; the opposite ends of said single corona wire being clamped between said wedge member and respective flanks.

Claim 5

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire sections being sections of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said clamping mechanism being a wedge combination having facing flanks converging toward the center of said device; and a wedge member insertable between said flanks; the opposite ends of said single corona wire being clamped between said wedge member and respective flanks.

Claim 6

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 3, in which at least one of said facing flanks has a contact strip extending therealong; and a terminal contact automatically engaging said contact strip upon assembly of said one mounting.

Claim 7

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 4, in which said mountings are in the form of integral frames open on both sides, each frame having an open side facing a paper guide forming part of said device; laminations of insulating material bridging the open side of each frame facing said paper guide; said U-shaped housing shell including end members of insulating material; the sidewalls of each frame having recesses formed therein; each U-shaped housing shell having sidewalls engageable in recesses in the sidewalls of a respective frame, and each U-shaped housing shell closing the outer open side of a respective frame; said device comprising two parts, one of which is constituted by a frame having its ends forming said mountings and the other of which is constituted by a disengageable housing shell.

Claim 8

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which said laminations are molded integrally with the respective frames.

Claim 9

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 3, in which said wedge member comprises two relatively spreadable parts whose facing edges define a bore having a frustoconical surface; and a screw having a frustoconical surface engageable with said bore, said screw having an end threaded into a threaded aperture of said one mounting.

Claim 10

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire section being sectIons of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said abutment being a roller; said other mounting including a reciprocable support; and a pin on said support rotatably mounting said roller.

Claim 11

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire section being sectIons of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said abutment being a roller; said other mounting including a reciprocable support; and a pin on said support rotatably mounting said roller.

Claim 12

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 8, in which said roller has a cylindrical portion and a conical portion diverging from said cylindrical portion.

Claim 13

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 8, wherein said other mounting includes guide pins extending parallel to the runs of said parallel wire sections, each of said pins having a flanged inner end serving as a spring abutment; said reciprocable support having a mounting web apertured to receive said guide pins; respective springs embracing said guide pins and engaged between said flanged ends and said mounting web; said other mounting having bores receiving said guide pins outwardly of said mounting web; and transversely extending head members on said other mounting engaging the flanged ends of said pins.

Claim 14

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 8, including a pointer on said roller extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of said device; and a marker on said other mounting cooperating with said pointer.

Claim 15

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire section being sections of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said device including a frame having mutually facing sidewalls having horizontally extending profiles each associated with a respective web, the profiles and the web extending toward the center of the frame; said mountings have profiles mating with said frame profiles; the spacing of each web from the interengaging profiles being such that each web retains the outer wall of an associated housing shell on said frame.

Claim 16

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier having at least two parallel corona wire sections whose supports include resilient means, at least one U-shaped cross section housing shell of electrically conductive material, and insulating mountings at the ends of the device; the improvement comprising, in combination, each two wire section being sections of a single continuous corona wire; one of said mountings including a double-acting clamping mechanism clamping both opposite ends of said single corona wire; the other mounting including an abutment member having said single corona wire trained therearound; spring means biasing said abutment member away from the ends of said single corona wire; said device including a frame having mutually facing sidewalls having horizontally extending profiles each associated with a respective web, the profiles and the web extending toward the center of the frame; said mountings have profiles mating with said frame profiles; the spacing of each web from the interengaging profiles being such that each web retains the outer wall of an associated housing shell on said frame.

Claim 17

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 12, wherein each frame profile comprises a groove between two projecting profile webs, and is arranged to receive a rib extending from a respective mounting.

Claim 18

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, the improvement claimed in claim 12, in which said device is a twin construction including two said frames and two said housing shells; said frames having mutually facing frame openings formed with guide laminations; the sidewall webs on corresponding sidewalls of each frame being connected by a vertical web to form a laterally opening pocket; said vertical webs forming abutments for inserted individual charging devices; a contact strip extending along said clamping mechanism in conducting relation with said corona wire; a contact plate in one frame sidewall extending at the level of said contact strip into said pocket and making contact with said contact strip upon assembly of said frame.

Claim 19

In a charging device for an electrostatic copier, as claimed in claim 14, a pocket on said one frame sidewall; a spring in said pocket; a pin in said pocket engaged by said spring and extending through an aperture in said one sidewall; said pin engaging said contact plAte; said contact plate having a bent end extending through said orifice in said one sidewall and forming an abutment defining the maximum deflection of said contact plate under the bias of said spring engaged with said pin.