Stylus assembly for electrically recording of information

Claim 2

Apparatus for electrically recording information on a recording web having a dielectric charge-retaining surface, comprising: a stylus disposed in contact with the recording web, consisting of a hollow rigid stem having a reduced tip portion, a conductive ball rotatably mounted in said stem at said reduced tip portion, and a spring in said stem for retaining the ball in a position free to float longitudinally within said hollow stem away from said reduced tip portion and free to roll against said reduced tip portion of said stem and against said recording web thus providing electrical connection between said stem and said ball while allowing said floating-rolling ball to be self-cleaning in said stem, means to apply marking signal potential to said stylus to produce a charged area on the charge-retaining surface of said recording web, and toner means to develop the image represented by said charged area.

Claim 3

A facsimile recorder, comprising: a recording web having a dielectric charge-retaining surface, a recording assembly, means for advancing said recording web through said recording assembly, said recording assembly comprising a plurality of styluses and means for traversing the same across the width of said recording web, each of said styluses comprising a hollow rigid stem partially enclosing a spring-loaded conductive ball at the tip end thereof such that said ball is free to float within said hollow rigid stem away from said partially enclosed stylus tip and free to roll with respect to said partially enclosed stylus tip end as each of said styluses traverse said recording web for providing self-cleaning between said ball and said stylus tip end and providing low friction contact between said ball and said recording web, and means to apply electric signal pulses to said styluses to product a pattern of charged areas on the charge-retaining surface of said recording web representing the facsimile record information.

Claim 4

A facsimile recorder, comprising: a recording web having a dielectric charge-retaining surface, a recording assembly, means for advancing said recording web through said recording assembly, said recording assembly comprising a plurality of styluses and means for traversing the same across the width of said recording web, each of said styluses comprising a hollow rigid stem partially enclosing a spring-loaded conductive ball at the tip end thereof such that said ball is free to float within said hollow rigid stem away from said partially enclosed stylus tip and free to roll with respect to said partially enclosed stylus tip end as each of said styluses traverse said recording web for providing self-cleaning between said ball and said stylus tip end and providing low friction contact between said ball and said recording web, and means to apply electric signal pulses to said styluses to product a pattern of charged areas on the charge-retaining surface of said recording web representing the facsimile record information.

Claim 5

Apparatus for electrically recording information on a charge-retaining web surface having stylus means, means for producing relative movement between said stylus means and said web surface, means for applying electrical potentials to said stylus for charging discrete areas of said web surface, and means for treating said discrete areas to produce an image upon said web surface, wherein the improvement comprises: said stylus having a tubular tip; spring means within said tubular tip; ball means urged within said tubular tip against said spring means; said tubular tip having the outermost end thereof reduced in cross-section to partially enclose and capture said ball means urged against said enclosed end by said spring means; and said tip, spring and ball means being electrically conductive wherein said ball makes electrical-rolling contact with said web surface while being free to float longitudinAlly within said tubular tip away from said reduced outermost end of said tubular tip over irregularities in said web surface, said rolling-floating motion thus preventing the accumulation of dirt between said ball means and said end of said stylus tip.

Claim 6

Apparatus for electrically recording information on a charge-retaining web surface having stylus means, means for producing relative movement between said stylus means and said web surface, means for applying electrical potentials to said stylus for charging discrete areas of said web surface, and means for treating said discrete areas to produce an image upon said web surface, wherein the improvement comprises: said stylus having a tubular tip; spring means within said tubular tip; ball means urged within said tubular tip against said spring means; said tubular tip having the outermost end thereof reduced in cross-section to partially enclose and capture said ball means urged against said enclosed end by said spring means; and said tip, spring and ball means being electrically conductive wherein said ball makes electrical-rolling contact with said web surface while being free to float longitudinAlly within said tubular tip away from said reduced outermost end of said tubular tip over irregularities in said web surface, said rolling-floating motion thus preventing the accumulation of dirt between said ball means and said end of said stylus tip.