High speed photoelectrostatic copying machine

Claim 2

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material comprising: copy handling means including: a charging station equipped with charging means, an exposing station; an illuminating station including a xenon illuminating source directed at an illuminating area for irradiating an original and a developing station, at spaced locations along a material processing path, a copy material supply, transport means for feeding copy material from said supply into said path, first means for operating at least a portion of said copy handling means including the activation of said transport means to start the feeding of the copy material into said path, second means for detecting the arrival of copy material disposed along said copy material path in the vicinity of said exposure station, control circuit means interconnecting said first and second means for placing said copy handling means in an operative condition responsive to the actuation of said first means and for energizing said xenon source responsive to the arrival of said copy material at said exposure station as detected by said second means for imparting an image to said copy material, and third means movably positioned between said first and second means for deactivating said transport means to stop the feeding of said copy material into said path upon detecting the arrival of said copy material.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control circuit is further operable in response to the sensing of said copy material by said second means to discontinue the operation of said charging means.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said illuminating source is provided with power supply means, said power supply being operable to a first charging condition, whereby energy to operate said xenon light source is stored in said power supply, and to a second discharge condition, whereby said energy is dissipated through said xenon light source to produce a momentary flashing thereof, and wherein said power supply means is operated to said first condition upon the actuation of said first means and to said second condition upon the sensing by said second means of the arrival of said copy material at said exposure station.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a manually operable switch. 5. In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material, comprising: a copy material supply including a roll of copy material; copy material transport means for feeding copy material from said supply along said path; copy handling means including: a cutting station including cutting means for severing lengths of copy material from said roll, a charging station equipped with charging means, an exposing station and a developing station; switch means for operating at least a portion of said copy handling means; sensor means mounted along said copy material path at a predetermined location for detecting copy material as the latter is moved along said copy path past said location; jam check means for monitoring the movement of said copy material from said supply to said sensor means including timer means having a predetermined time-out period of a duration sufficient for said copy material to be transported normally from said supply to said sensor means; and control circuit means interconnecting said switch means, jam check means and sensor means, said control circuit means being operable in response to the actuation of said switch means to initiate operation of said copy material transport means, thereby to start the feeding of copy material from said supply and to operate said jam check timer means to begin said predetermined time-out period, said control circuit means further being operable in response to the arrival of said copy material at said sensor means within said predetermined time-out period to discontinue the operation of said copy material transport means to thereby stop the feeding of copy material from said supply, to cause said cutting means to be operated to sever a length of copy material from said roll and to discontinue the operation of said jam check timer means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further including manually operable copy material length selector means for adjusting the location of said sensor means along said copy material path.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said jam check means includes means for providing a signal in the event said copy material fails to arrive at said sensor means within said predetermined time-out period, and wherein said control circuit is responsive to said signal to prevent further operation of said copy material transport means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said copy material transport means includes feeder rollers and feeder clutch and brake means connected to said feeder rollers, said feeder clutch and brake means each being energizable and deenergizable for operating said feeder rollers, said feeder clutch means being energized and said brake means being deenergized upon the actuation of said switch means to begin the feeding of copy material and said feeder clutch means being deenergized and said brake means being energized upon the detection of the arrival of said copy material by said sensor means to discontinue the feeding of copy material and wherein said jam check means is coupled to said brake means for operation in accordance therewith.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further including means for providing a light image of said original to said copy material at said exposure station including a light source operable to illuminate said original and means to project an image of said original to said exposure station, second and third sensor means, said second sensor means positioned in the vicinity of said exposure station and said third sensor means positioned downstream of said developing station along said copy path, and second jam check means for monitoring the movement of said copy material between said second and third sensor means, said second jam check means including timer means having a predetermined time-out period of a duration sufficient for said copy material to be carried normally from said second sensor means to said third sensor means, said timer means being operable to begin said time-out period upon said Copy material arriving at said second sensor means, and the timing-out of said timer means being interrupted upon said copy material being detected at said third sensor means within said time-out period.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said light source is operated to illuminate said original thereby to provide a light image thereof at said exposure station upon the arrival of said copy material at said second sensor means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said third sensor means includes means operable in the event said copy material fails to arrive at said third sensor means within the time-out period of said second jam check means to prevent further operation of said copy material transport means.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material comprising copy handling means including copy material cutting, charging, exposing, developing and fixing stations spaced consecutively along a path for processing copies, a copy material supply including a roll of copy material and first copy material transport means for feeding copy material from said supply into said path towards said exposure station, second copy material transport means for carrying said copy material through said exposure station, said exposure station including an exposing area, said charging station including charging means for applying an electrostatic charge to said copy material and said cutting station including cutting means for severing predetermined lengths of copy material from said roll, an illumination station including a chargeable light source means and an illuminating area at which an original is illuminated by the discharge of said light source means to provide a light image that is applied to the copy material at the exposing area, switch means for initiating the processing of copy material at said stations to provide copies of said original, first sensing means located downstream of said charging station, prior to said exposure station, for detecting the arrival of copy material thereat and second sensing means located in the vicinity of said exposure station for detecting the arrival of said copy material at said last-mentioned station, and logic control circuit means including first gate means operable to a first condition for charging said light source means and for operating said charging means in said charging station and to a second condition for discharging said light source means to illuminate said original and to discontinue the operation of said charging means, and second gate means operable to a first condition to operate said first copy material transport means to feed copy material along said path from said supply towards said exposure station and to a second condition to discontinue the operation of said first copy material transport means, said first and second gate means being operated to said first condition upon the operation of said switch means to move said copy material from said supply along said path through said cutting and charging station, said cutting means and said second gate means being operable in said second condition in response to the detection of said copy material at said first sensor to sever a length of copy material from said roll, and to discontinue the feeding of copy material, respectively, said first gate means being operated to said second condition to illuminate said original and to provide a light image to image said severed copy material in response to the severed copy material arriving at said second sensing means, said second copy transport means transporting said severed copy material from said exposing area toward said developer and fixing stations.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material comprising copy handling means including copy material cutting, charging, exposing, developing and fixing stations spaced consecutively along a path for processing copies, a copy material supply including a roll of copy material and first copy material transport means for feeding copy material from said supply into said path towards said exposure station, second copy material transport means for carrying said copy material through said exposure station, said exposure station including an exposing area, said charging station including charging means for applying an electrostatic charge to said copy material and said cutting station including cutting means for severing predetermined lengths of copy material from said roll, an illumination station including a chargeable light source means and an illuminating area at which an original is illuminated by the discharge of said light source means to provide a light image that is applied to the copy material at the exposing area, switch means for initiating the processing of copy material at said stations to provide copies of said original, first sensing means located downstream of said charging station, prior to said exposure station, for detecting the arrival of copy material thereat and second sensing means located in the vicinity of said exposure station for detecting the arrival of said copy material at said last-mentioned station, and logic control circuit means including first gate means operable to a first condition for charging said light source means and for operating said charging means in said charging station and to a second condition for discharging said light source means to illuminate said original and to discontinue the operation of said charging means, and second gate means operable to a first condition to operate said first copy material transport means to feed copy material along said path from said supply towards said exposure station and to a second condition to discontinue the operation of said first copy material transport means, said first and second gate means being operated to said first condition upon the operation of said switch means to move said copy material from said supply along said path through said cutting and charging station, said cutting means and said second gate means being operable in said second condition in response to the detection of said copy material at said first sensor to sever a length of copy material from said roll, and to discontinue the feeding of copy material, respectively, said first gate means being operated to said second condition to illuminate said original and to provide a light image to image said severed copy material in response to the severed copy material arriving at said second sensing means, said second copy transport means transporting said severed copy material from said exposing area toward said developer and fixing stations.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material, comprising: copy handling stations including charging, exposing, and developing stations spaced along a copy path, a copy material supply, copy material transport means for feeding copy material from sAid supply into said path, switch means coupled to said transport means for initiating the operation of said copy material transport means to feed copy material into said path. sensing means positioned prior to the exposing station along said path for detecting the arrival of said copy material thereat subsequent to the actuation of said switch means and for terminating the operation of said copy material transport means to stop the feeding of copy material into said path, jam check means coupled to said sensing means wherein upon the failure of said sensing means to detect the copy material moving past said point at said prescribed time, a jam signal is provided by said jam check means, and, means coupled to said jam check means and actuated by said jam signal for discontinuing the operation of said transport means and the feeding of copy material into said path, said means including resettable latching means being in a normally unlatched condition, said latching means operated to a latched condition by said jam signal to maintain said transport means inoperative until said latching means is reset to said unlatched condition.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material, comprising: copy handling stations including charging, exposing, and developing stations spaced along a copy path, a copy material supply, copy material transport means for feeding copy material from sAid supply into said path, switch means coupled to said transport means for initiating the operation of said copy material transport means to feed copy material into said path. sensing means positioned prior to the exposing station along said path for detecting the arrival of said copy material thereat subsequent to the actuation of said switch means and for terminating the operation of said copy material transport means to stop the feeding of copy material into said path, jam check means coupled to said sensing means wherein upon the failure of said sensing means to detect the copy material moving past said point at said prescribed time, a jam signal is provided by said jam check means, and, means coupled to said jam check means and actuated by said jam signal for discontinuing the operation of said transport means and the feeding of copy material into said path, said means including resettable latching means being in a normally unlatched condition, said latching means operated to a latched condition by said jam signal to maintain said transport means inoperative until said latching means is reset to said unlatched condition.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said resettable latching means includes a manually resettable latching relay.

Claim 17

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material comprising: copy handling means including: a charging station equipped with charging means; an exposing station; an illuminating station including a high intensity discharge illuminating source directed at an illuminating area for irradiating an original and means for storing electrical energy to be discharged through said source and for discharging said stored energy whereby said source is lighted to irradiate said original; and a developing station, at spaced locations along a material processing path; a copy material supply; transport means for feeding copy material from said supply into said path; first means for operating at least a portion of said copy handling means; second means for detecting the arrival of said copy material located along said copy material path in the vicinity of said exposure station; and control circuit means interconnecting said first and second means for controlling said copy handling means to an operative condition including the operation of said transport means to feed copy material from said supply along said path and the initiation of the operation of said energy storing means, responsive to the actuation of said first means, and the discharging of said energy storing means to light said illuminating source in response to the arrival of said copy material at said second means for imparting an image to said copy material.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material comprising: copy handling means including: a charging station equipped with charging means; an exposing station; an illuminating station including a high intensity discharge illuminating source directed at an illuminating area for irradiating an original and means for storing electrical energy to be discharged through said source and for discharging said stored energy whereby said source is lighted to irradiate said original; and a developing station, at spaced locations along a material processing path; a copy material supply; transport means for feeding copy material from said supply into said path; first means for operating at least a portion of said copy handling means; second means for detecting the arrival of said copy material located along said copy material path in the vicinity of said exposure station; and control circuit means interconnecting said first and second means for controlling said copy handling means to an operative condition including the operation of said transport means to feed copy material from said supply along said path and the initiation of the operation of said energy storing means, responsive to the actuation of said first means, and the discharging of said energy storing means to light said illuminating source in response to the arrival of said copy material at said second means for imparting an image to said copy material.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said first means includes manually operated switch means.

Claim 20

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material transported along a copy processing path having first and second copy path portions, past charging, exposing and developing means, and including a copy material supply, first copy material transport means for feeding copy material from the supply into said copy path, second copy material transport means for transporting said copy material along said copy path portions, and jam check means for detecting the failure of said copy material from moving normally along said copy path portions, said jam check means including first and second jam check arrangements, each having a predetermined time-out period, said first jam check arrangement actuated simultaneously with the feeding of copy material from said supply into said copy path and said second jam check arrangement actuated upon said copy material leaving said first copy path portion, each said jam check arrangements operable to discontinue the operation of said first transport means thereby to prevent further feeding of copy material into said copy path in the event said copy materiAl fails to move along said respective copy path portions within said predetermined time-out periods, said first jam check arrangement being operable to interrupt the running of its time-out period in response to said first copy material transport means ceasing to feed copy material into said copy path and said second jam check arrangement being operable to interrupt the running of its time-out period in response to said copy material leaving said second copy path portion, said second copy material transport means remaining operative at least a predetermined time after a jam is detected, thereby to permit copy material traveling along said copy path beyond said jam location, to leave said copy path.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for making copies of an original on copy material transported along a copy processing path having first and second copy path portions, past charging, exposing and developing means, and including a copy material supply, first copy material transport means for feeding copy material from the supply into said copy path, second copy material transport means for transporting said copy material along said copy path portions, and jam check means for detecting the failure of said copy material from moving normally along said copy path portions, said jam check means including first and second jam check arrangements, each having a predetermined time-out period, said first jam check arrangement actuated simultaneously with the feeding of copy material from said supply into said copy path and said second jam check arrangement actuated upon said copy material leaving said first copy path portion, each said jam check arrangements operable to discontinue the operation of said first transport means thereby to prevent further feeding of copy material into said copy path in the event said copy materiAl fails to move along said respective copy path portions within said predetermined time-out periods, said first jam check arrangement being operable to interrupt the running of its time-out period in response to said first copy material transport means ceasing to feed copy material into said copy path and said second jam check arrangement being operable to interrupt the running of its time-out period in response to said copy material leaving said second copy path portion, said second copy material transport means remaining operative at least a predetermined time after a jam is detected, thereby to permit copy material traveling along said copy path beyond said jam location, to leave said copy path.

Claim 24

The device for making copies as defined in claim 18 further comprising a second means for detecting the occurrence of a jam of said copy material along a second portion of said path to thereby cause said feeding means to interrupt the feeding of said copy material into said path, said second jam detecting means having a predetermined time-out period and operable to be placed in a first condition in response to the initiation of the feeding of said copy material into said path by said feeding means to start the running of its predetermined time-out period, operable to cause said feeding means to interrupt the feeding of said copy material into said path at the expiration of its time-out period and operable to interrupt its predetermined time-out period and to be placed in a second condition in response to the arrival of said copy material at a predetermined point along said path, whereby said second jam detecting means is effective in monitoring the transfer of said copy material along said second portion of said processing path.

Claim 25

The device for making copies as defined in claim 19 further comprising sensing means placed at said predetermined points along said path for detecting the arrival of said copy material at said predetermined points along said processing path.