US3752576A — Transport for particulate material

Claim 1

Independent Claim 186 words

In an apparatus of the type having an image retaining plate upon which is recorded a latent electrostatic image, a developing means for applying particular developer material to said member to render the latent electrostatic image recorded thereon visible, means for transferring the developed image from said image retaining member to a sheet of final support material, and cleaning means for removing residual developer material remaining on said member after transfer from said member, the improvement comprising a resilient elastomeric cutting blade biased into deforming contact against the surface of the moving image retaining member so that the cutting edge of the blade passes between the moving member and the residual developer material thereon whereby the developer material passes behind said blade and is directed away from the movingmember, a collecting means located adjacent to said blade and arranged to receive said developer material directed away from the moving member, and conveyor means passing through said collecting means to automatically transport the separated developer material deposited in said collecting means back to the developing means wherein the separated developer material is reused in the developing process.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 186 words

In an apparatus of the type having an image retaining plate upon which is recorded a latent electrostatic image, a developing means for applying particular developer material to said member to render the latent electrostatic image recorded thereon visible, means for transferring the developed image from said image retaining member to a sheet of final support material, and cleaning means for removing residual developer material remaining on said member after transfer from said member, the improvement comprising a resilient elastomeric cutting blade biased into deforming contact against the surface of the moving image retaining member so that the cutting edge of the blade passes between the moving member and the residual developer material thereon whereby the developer material passes behind said blade and is directed away from the movingmember, a collecting means located adjacent to said blade and arranged to receive said developer material directed away from the moving member, and conveyor means passing through said collecting means to automatically transport the separated developer material deposited in said collecting means back to the developing means wherein the separated developer material is reused in the developing process.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 having further dispensing means operatively associated with said conveyor means for uniformly diStributing the separated developer material within the developing means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said conveying means is arranged to move through an endless loop between the collecting means and the developing means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 156 words

Apparatus for recovering residual toner material remaining on a moving image retaining member after a developed image is transferred from said member to a final support material including means to separate the individual residual toner particles from the moving image retaining member after image transfer, means to convey the separated residual toner particles to a collecting reservoir, tubular means forming a relatively closed loop extending from said collecting reservoir through an image developing station and returning once again to said collecting reservoir, an endless bead chain being arranged to pass freely through said tubular means, means to drive said bead chain in a closed loop between said reservoir and said developing station whereby residual toner material is transported from the collecting reservoir to the developing station, and dispensing means associated with that portion of said tubular means positioned within the developing station to uniformly deposit residual toner material transported by said chain within said developing station.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 156 words

Apparatus for recovering residual toner material remaining on a moving image retaining member after a developed image is transferred from said member to a final support material including means to separate the individual residual toner particles from the moving image retaining member after image transfer, means to convey the separated residual toner particles to a collecting reservoir, tubular means forming a relatively closed loop extending from said collecting reservoir through an image developing station and returning once again to said collecting reservoir, an endless bead chain being arranged to pass freely through said tubular means, means to drive said bead chain in a closed loop between said reservoir and said developing station whereby residual toner material is transported from the collecting reservoir to the developing station, and dispensing means associated with that portion of said tubular means positioned within the developing station to uniformly deposit residual toner material transported by said chain within said developing station.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 69 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means to separate residual toner from the moving image retaining member comprises a flexible cleaning blade having a cutting edge arranged to ride in contact with the surface of the image retaining member in a position wherein the cutting edge of the blade moves between the residual toner and the moving member surface so that the residual material passes behind said blade.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means to separate residual toner from the image retaining member comprises an electrostatically isolated brush having non-conducting fibers biased to a polarity opposite to the polarity of the residual toner material.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 45 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means to drive the endless bead chain comprises a drive sprocket having means associated therewith to positively engage the bead and link members of said chain and to guide said endless chain along a predetermined path of travel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said moving image retaining member is a photoconductive drum.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 67 words

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means to convey residual toner to said collecting reservoir comprises a screw conveyor rotatably mounted transverse to the drum surface and being positioned behind said cleaning blade whereby the toner material separated from the drum surface falls into contact with said conveyor, and means to rotate said screw conveyor wherein the separated residual toner is moved laterally into said reservoir.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-08-13	1977-02-12	1977-08-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-08-13	1981-02-12	1981-08-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-08-13	1985-02-12	1985-08-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Transport for particulate material

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