Method of printing and apparatus therefor

Abstract

Abstract The method of producing a raised image on a surface constituting a printing medium comprising the steps of providing a layer of memory material which is capable, when given amounts of energy are applied thereto, of having discrete portions thereof reversibly altered between a stable condition of high resistance and a stable condition of low resistance, said layer of memory material normally being in one of said conditions, selectively applying a first amount of energy to discrete portions of said layer to alter said layer thereat from said one normal condition to the other condition, and placing said energy subjected layer of memory material in an electro-coating cell where the layer forms an electrode therein upon which is electro-deposited charged particles in the cell over the low resistance portions thereof where the charged particles are neutralized. The method is most advantageously carried out by placing the layer of memory material on the surface of a rotatable drum which rotates the different circumferentially spaced areas of the drum in sequence (a) first to a station which applies said first amount of energy, such as a laser beam, to selected areas of the layer, (b) then to the open side of an electro-coating cell where the electrodeposited particles are applied, (c) and then to a printing station where the deposited particles are transferred to a sheet of material.

Inventors

• 👤 S Ovshinsky
• 👤 E Evans
• 👤 R Neale

Bibliographic Details