Liquid development of latent electrostatic images

Abstract

Abstract A LATENT ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE ON A SURFACE OF A CARRIER MOVING ALONG A DEVELOPING PATH IS DEVELOPED INTO A VISIBLE IMAGE BY BRINGING THE IMAGE-BEARING SURFACE INTO CONTACT WITH DEVELOPING LIQUID AND TRANSPORTING IT OVER AN ELONGATED DISTANCE IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT SPACED RELATION TO AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SURFACE OF AN IMAGE INTENSIFIER. THE DEVELOPING LIQUID IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE OF THE IMAGE INTENSIFIER WHICH MOVES ALONG THE DEVELOPING PATH, AND THE IMAGE-BEARING CARRIER IS TRANSPORTED PAST THE MOVING SURFACE BY AN ENDLESS TRANSPORT BELT MOVING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED AS THE IMAGE-BEARING CARRIER SO AS TO AVOID RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND HENCE ELIMINATE SCUFF MARKS ON THE BACK OF THE CARRIER. AFTER MOVEMENT PAST THE IMAGE INTENSIFIER, THE IMAGE-BEARING CARRIER IS PASSED BETWEEN A PAIR OF ROTATABLY DRIVEN SQUEEGEE ROLLERS WHICH REMOVE EXCESS DEVELOPING LIQUID FROM THE CARRIER AND PRESS THE VISIBLE PARTICLES INTO THE SURFACE THEREOF. THE SQUEEGEE ROLLERS ARE WIPED BY A POROUS WIPER WHICH EXTENDS INTO CONTACT WITH THE MOVING SURFACE OF THE IMAGE INTENSIFIER SO AS TO BECOME SOAKED WITH DEVELOPING LIQUID ON THE MOVING SURFACE OF THE IMAGE INTENSIFIER.

Inventors

• 👤 George J Miller

Bibliographic Details