Electrophotographic charging easel

Claim 2

For use in an apparatus for accurately replaceably positioning and applying electrostatic charges, a sheet form member having a coating of photoconductive material on at least one face thereof to form a surface to Which electrostatic charges are to be repeatedly and successively applied, images exposed and the surface otherwise treated, and said sheet form member having formed therein an asymmetrical array of openings sized and disposed to matingly match with pin registration means with said coating always disposed in the same direction.

Claim 3

The combination with the sheet form member of claim 1 of a grounded sheet metal base having an asymmetrical array of upstanding pins therein received in the openings in said sheet form member with the coating thereon disposed on the side away from said base.

Claim 6

The device of claim 3 wherein the said registration means comprises a plurality of projecting pins having varying spacing therebetween and the said sheet material has holes therethrough dimensioned to receive the pins, the said holes variously spaced from one another proportionally to the spacing of the said pins whereby the said sheet material can be positioned on the said surface with the said pins projecting through the said holes, the sheet material overlying an operating portion of the said surface only when the photoconductively coated face thereof is remote from the said surface.

Claim 7

The device of claim 3 wherein the said registering means includes a plurality of pins projecting from the said surface, the said pins having various configurations, and the said sheet material having holes therein having different configurations corresponding to the configurations of the pins whereby certain pins may be received in certain holes, the said holes positioned on the said sheet material such that the said sheet material can be placed on the said surface with the said pins in registry with the said holes and with the sheet material overlying an operating portion of the said surface only when the photoconductively coated face of the said sheet material is remote from the said surface.

Claim 8

The device of claim 3 wherein the said insulating members have anti-friction properties whereby the arm is easily slidable across the said surface, and the said members are positioned adjacent to either end of the arm and spaced from one another with the bottom portion of the arm between the blocks spaced above the said surface.

Claim 9

The device of claim 6 wherein the said insulating members are each constructed of a plurality of pieces.

Claim 10

The device of claim 6 wherein the base member has projecting tongues along opposite edges and the insulating members have grooves interfitting with the tongues to attach the arm in movable fashion to the base member.

Claim 11

The device of claim 3 including a masking member, said masking member defining a rectangular hollow frame, said masking member removably connected to said base member, said masking member dimensioned to overlie marginal portions of the sheet to prevent the same from being charged, and the said masking member cooperating with the registering means to be replaceably positioned in the same spot.

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 wherein the samE registering means is used to replaceably register both the photoconductively coated sheet material and the masking member.

Claim 13

An electrophotographic charging easel comprising a base member, said base member having a metallic grounded flat surface, a plurality of spaced apart registering members projecting from said surface, a transverse arm member extending transversely across the said base member, a power supply attached to said arm member, insulating blocks attached to said arm member at either end thereof, said insulating blocks slidably mounted on the base member at the transverse sides thereof whereby said arm may be slid longitudinally of the said base member on said insulating blocks, the bottom of said arm between the said insulating blocks spaced from the said surface, and electrical means associated with said arm operatively connected to said power supply for producing a corona discharge electric field between the bottom of said arm and said surface when the power supply is actuated, said base member having a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the said surface and communicating with cavities under the said surface, a masking member having a plurality of spaced apart tongues along one edge thereof dimensioned to be inserted into the said openings to provide hinge connection between the masking member and the said base member, the said masking member defining a rectangular hollow frame, the said masking member having openings therein dimensioned to receive the said projections, the said projections and openings cooperating to replaceably position the said masking member in a given spot on the said surface, and the said frame adapted to overlie marginal portions of a photoconductive sheet positioned on top of said surface in registry with the said projections to prevent charging of the said portions by the said charging arm.

Claim 14

An electrophotographic charging easel comprising a base member, said base member having a metallic grounded flat surface, a plurality of spaced apart registering members projecting from said surface, a transverse arm member extending transversely across the said base member, a power supply attached to said arm member, insulating blocks attached to said arm member at either end thereof, said insulating blocks slidably mounted on the base member at the transverse sides thereof whereby said arm may be slid longitudinally of the said base member on said insulating blocks, the bottom of said arm between the said insulating blocks spaced from the said surface, and electrical means associated with said arm operatively connected to said power supply for producing a corona discharge electric field between the bottom of said arm and said surface when the power supply is actuated, said base member having a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the said surface and communicating with cavities under the said surface, a masking member having a plurality of spaced apart tongues along one edge thereof dimensioned to be inserted into the said openings to provide hinge connection between the masking member and the said base member, the said masking member defining a rectangular hollow frame, the said masking member having openings therein dimensioned to receive the said projections, the said projections and openings cooperating to replaceably position the said masking member in a given spot on the said surface, and the said frame adapted to overlie marginal portions of a photoconductive sheet positioned on top of said surface in registry with the said projections to prevent charging of the said portions by the said charging arm.

Claim 15

The device of claim 11 wherein the said masking member has an angularly raised portion along the said one edge which when depressed into contact with the said surface will raise the edge opposite the said one edge from the said surface.

Claim 16

The easel of claim 11 wherein the said openings and the said tongues are variably spaced from one another whereby a mask having a given size and a given number of spaced-apart tongues is placeable on the said surface only in one area.

Claim 17

The easel of claim 11 wherein the said tongues are dimensioned and angled with respect to the said masking member so as to retain the said masking member in a hinged open position with the said masking member projecting at an angle from the said surface.

Claim 18

The easel of claim 14 wherein the said tongues are dimensioned with respect to the said openings to allow removal of the said mask from the said easel.

Claim 19

The easel of claim 11 wherein the said masking member is metallic and is grounded whereby underlying portions of the said sheet material will not be charged when introduced to a corona discharge.

Claim 20

A charging easel for electrically charging photoconductively coated sheet material which comprises a base member having U-shaped cross-section top and bottom members positioned in opposition to one another with the side legs thereof at right angles to one another defining end and side walls with longitudinal gaps between the side of the said top member and the side of the said bottom member, the said gaps open to the top, a plurality of spaced-apart projections extending from the top surface of the said base member, the said projections aligned transversely of the said base member and spaced from an end thereof, a plurality of slots in the said top surface aligned longitudinally of the said base member and spaced from a side edge thereof, a transverse arm associated with said base member, said transverse arm having a main body portion supported above the said top surface on insulating glide members at either end thereof, said glide members having grooves therein receiving the side edges of the said top member, said insulating Glides extending into the said gaps, a plurality of parallel separated channels open to the bottom extending between said insulating glide members, parallel portions of a corona discharge wire received in said channels, a controlled power supply carried by said transverse arm, said controlled power supply operatively connected to a power cord and to the said corona wire, a switch for activating said power supply in circuit with said power cord and said power supply, indicator lights in circuit with said power cord and said power supply and said switch, one of said indicator lights effective to indicate when power is received by the said power cord and another of said indicator lights effective to indicate when the said power supply is activated, a switch bar mechanism for actuating said switch, said switch bar mechanism actuated by pressure against portions of the said transverse arm, the said transverse arm movable longitudinally across the said base member on the said insulating glides, a hollow rectangular masking member having projecting tangs along one edge thereof, said tangs receivable in the said slots to removably attach the said masking member to the said base, a plurality of openings in the said masking member, said openings indexable with the said projections to accurately, replaceably position the said masking member on the said surface, the said surface being grounded, and means grounding the said masking member and said channels.

Claim 21

A charging easel for electrically charging photoconductively coated sheet material which comprises a base member having U-shaped cross-section top and bottom members positioned in opposition to one another with the side legs thereof at right angles to one another defining end and side walls with longitudinal gaps between the side of the said top member and the side of the said bottom member, the said gaps open to the top, a plurality of spaced-apart projections extending from the top surface of the said base member, the said projections aligned transversely of the said base member and spaced from an end thereof, a plurality of slots in the said top surface aligned longitudinally of the said base member and spaced from a side edge thereof, a transverse arm associated with said base member, said transverse arm having a main body portion supported above the said top surface on insulating glide members at either end thereof, said glide members having grooves therein receiving the side edges of the said top member, said insulating Glides extending into the said gaps, a plurality of parallel separated channels open to the bottom extending between said insulating glide members, parallel portions of a corona discharge wire received in said channels, a controlled power supply carried by said transverse arm, said controlled power supply operatively connected to a power cord and to the said corona wire, a switch for activating said power supply in circuit with said power cord and said power supply, indicator lights in circuit with said power cord and said power supply and said switch, one of said indicator lights effective to indicate when power is received by the said power cord and another of said indicator lights effective to indicate when the said power supply is activated, a switch bar mechanism for actuating said switch, said switch bar mechanism actuated by pressure against portions of the said transverse arm, the said transverse arm movable longitudinally across the said base member on the said insulating glides, a hollow rectangular masking member having projecting tangs along one edge thereof, said tangs receivable in the said slots to removably attach the said masking member to the said base, a plurality of openings in the said masking member, said openings indexable with the said projections to accurately, replaceably position the said masking member on the said surface, the said surface being grounded, and means grounding the said masking member and said channels.

Claim 22

An electrophotographic charging easel having a base member with a sheet material receiving surface thereon, said surface having a plurality of projections extending therefrom, the said projections serving as registering means for photoconductively coated sheet material having openings therein dimensioned to receive the said projections whereby the said sheet material is replaceably registered on the said surface, a charging member mounted on the said base member, said charging member being movable across at least a portion of said surface, said charging member including a controlled electrical power supply and a switch mechanism for actuating said power supply, said member also including a corona discharge wire having parallel extending portions separated from one another by channel defining members, said portions of the said wire being spaced from said surface and effective to create a corona field between said portions of said wire and said surface, said wire operatively connected to said power source, a metallic masking member detachably connected to the said base member along an edge of the said masking member, said masking member defining a rectangular frame having an open central portion, the said masking member being grounded when in position on the said base member, and means for replaceably registering said masking member a multiplicity of times in the same spot on the said base member.

Claim 23

An electrophotographic charging easel having a base member with a sheet material receiving surface thereon, said surface having a plurality of projections extending therefrom, the said projections serving as registering means for photoconductively coated sheet material having openings therein dimensioned to receive the said projections whereby the said sheet material is replaceably registered on the said surface, a charging member mounted on the said base member, said charging member being movable across at least a portion of said surface, said charging member including a controlled electrical power supply and a switch mechanism for actuating said power supply, said member also including a corona discharge wire having parallel extending portions separated from one another by channel defining members, said portions of the said wire being spaced from said surface and effective to create a corona field between said portions of said wire and said surface, said wire operatively connected to said power source, a metallic masking member detachably connected to the said base member along an edge of the said masking member, said masking member defining a rectangular frame having an open central portion, the said masking member being grounded when in position on the said base member, and means for replaceably registering said masking member a multiplicity of times in the same spot on the said base member.

Claim 24

The easel of claim 18 wherein the said charging member includes an indicator means effective to indicate when the said power supply is on.

Claim 25

The easel of claim 19 wherein the said charging member includes second indicator means effective to indicate when power is supplied to the said charging member.