Transfer apparatus

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: said corona generator means shield includes a substantially U-shaped member; and said corona generator means discharge electrode includes a conductive coronode wire mounted in the chamber of the shield and extending substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of the shield.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said energizing means excites said coronode wire at an alternating current ranging from about 80 micro-amperes RMS to about 200 micro-amperes RMS, and preferably being about 110 micro-amperes RMS, said energizing means exciting said coronode wire at an alternating voltage ranging from about 3,000 volts RMS to about 5,000 volts RMS, and preferably being about 4,400 volts RMS.

Claim 5

An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said coronode wire generates an alternating current output to the support surface having the charged particles thereon ranging from about 3.0 micro-amperes to about 5.0 micro-amperes, and being preferably about 4.0 micro-amperes.

Claim 6

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the resistivity of said transfer member ranges from about 108 ohm-centimeters to about 1011 ohm-centimeters.

Claim 7

An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the hardness of said transfer member ranges from about 10 to about 30 units on a Shore A durometer hardness scale.

Claim 8

An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said bias applying means energizes said transfer member at a voltage ranging from about 1,500 volts to about 4,500 volts.

Claim 9

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the resilient layers of said transfer member include: a first layer formed of a urethane material; and a second layer entrained about said first layer and formed of a polyurethane material.

Claim 10

An electrostatographic printing machine of the type wherein charged toner particles are transferred to a sheet of support material forming thereon a copy of the original document being reproduced, including: an image bearing member having toner particles deposited thereon in image configuration; corona generating means disposed adjacent said image bearing member for applying an alternating charge potential to said image bearing member and the charged toner particles adhering thereto so as to substantially neutralize the attractive charge therebetween, thereby facilitating the transfer of the toner particles from said image bearing member, said corona generating means comprising an elongated shield defining an open-ended chamber and a corona discharge electrode mounted in the shield chamber; means for energizing the discharge electrode of said corona generating means with an alternating current; a transfer member operatively associated with said corona generating means and having the sheet of support material secured releasably thereto, said transfer member comprising a substantially cylindrical core of electrically conductive material aNd a plurality of layers of resilient material entrained about the cylindrical core with at least one layer of resilient material being substantially in contact therewith; and means for applying an electrical biasing potential to the cylindrical core of said transfer member, said transfer member cooperating electrically with said image bearing member and being biased electrically to a potential of sufficient magnitude to attract the toner particles to the sheet of support material.

Claim 11

An electrostatographic printing machine of the type wherein charged toner particles are transferred to a sheet of support material forming thereon a copy of the original document being reproduced, including: an image bearing member having toner particles deposited thereon in image configuration; corona generating means disposed adjacent said image bearing member for applying an alternating charge potential to said image bearing member and the charged toner particles adhering thereto so as to substantially neutralize the attractive charge therebetween, thereby facilitating the transfer of the toner particles from said image bearing member, said corona generating means comprising an elongated shield defining an open-ended chamber and a corona discharge electrode mounted in the shield chamber; means for energizing the discharge electrode of said corona generating means with an alternating current; a transfer member operatively associated with said corona generating means and having the sheet of support material secured releasably thereto, said transfer member comprising a substantially cylindrical core of electrically conductive material aNd a plurality of layers of resilient material entrained about the cylindrical core with at least one layer of resilient material being substantially in contact therewith; and means for applying an electrical biasing potential to the cylindrical core of said transfer member, said transfer member cooperating electrically with said image bearing member and being biased electrically to a potential of sufficient magnitude to attract the toner particles to the sheet of support material.

Claim 12

A printing machine as recited in claim 9, wherein: said corona generator means shield includes a substantially U-shaped member; and said corona generator means discharge electrode includes a conductive coronode wire mounted in the chamber of the shield and extending substantially in a longitudinal direction along the length of the shield.

Claim 13

A printing machine as recited in claim 10, wherein said energizing means excites said coronode wire at an alternating current ranging from about 80 micro-amperes RMS to about 200 micro-amperes RMS, and preferably being about 110 micro-amperes RMS, said energizing means exciting said coronode wire at an alternating voltage ranging from about 3,000 volts RMS to about 5,000 volts RMS, and preferably being about 4,400 volts RMS.

Claim 14

An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said coronode wire generates an alternating current output to said image bearing member having the charged particles thereon ranging from about 3.0 micro-amperes to about 5.0 micro-amperes, and being preferably about 4.0 micro-amperes.

Claim 15

A printing machine as recited in claim 12, wherein the resistivity of said transfer member ranges from about 108 ohm-centimeters to about 1011 ohm-centimeters.

Claim 16

A printing machine as recited in claim 13, wherein the hardness of said transfer member ranges from about 10 to about 30 units on a Shore A durometer hardness scale.

Claim 17

A printing machine as recited in claim 14, wherein said bias applying means energizes said transfer member at a voltage ranging from about 1,500 volts to about 4,500 volts.

Claim 18

A printing machine as recited in claim 15, wherein the resilient layers of said transfer member include: a first layer formed of a urethane material; and a second layer entrained about said first layer and formed of a polyurethane material.