Adjustable fadeout control

Claim 2

In an electrostatic reproduction machine, a movable photoconductive plate adapted to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon, means for charging the plate to enable said images to be produced thereon; exposure means to produce latent electrostatic images on the moving plate to provide a plate with both image and non-image areas; developing means to develop the electrostatic images on the plate, and a discharge device adapted when activated to discharge a charged area on the plate at a predetermined position in the travel of the plate, the discharge device being upstream of the development zone, the combination of: means to generate a control signal identifying said plate non-image areas; control means adapted on said control signal to activate the discharge device and discharge non-image areas of the plate as said non-image areas move through said predetermined position, and adjusting means to enable application of said control signal to said means to be varied to adjust operation of said discharge device and assure discharge of all of said plate non-image areas by said discharge device without discharging image areas.

Claim 3

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 1 in which said control means is adapted to activate said discharge device for a preset timed interval in response to said control signal, said adjusting means being adapted to impose a selected time change on said control signal whereby to change activation of said discharge device and thereby displace the area discharged on said moving plate.

Claim 4

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 2 in which said adjusting means includes at least one manually settable shift register through which said control signal may be passed to said control means.

Claim 5

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 2 in which said adjusting means includes first and second shift registers, each of said first and second shift registers having an input gate for receipt of said control signal and a series of output gates; means to index said first and second shift registers whereby to provide said control signal in timed sequence at different ones of said first and second shift register output gates; a first selector switch associated with said first shift register adapted in one switch position to route said control signal from the input gate of said first shift register directly to the input gate of said second shift register and in a second switch position to route said control signal from a selected one of said first shift register output gates to the input gate of said second shift register; and a second selector switch associated with said second shift register adapted in one switch position to route the control signal from the input gate of said second shift register to said control means, and in a second switch position to route said control signal from a selected one of said second shift register output gates to said control means.

Claim 6

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 4 in which said reproduction machine includes means to provide at least one predetermined change in copy size, said adjusting means including a second selector switch for each of said copy size reductions to permit application of the control signal to said control means to be varied for each of said copy size reductions.

Claim 7

In an electrostatic reproduction machine having a moving photoconductive plate adapted to be uniformly charged and to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon, developing means positioned at a development zone to develop the electrostatic image on the plate, and a discharge device adapted when activated to discharge a charged area of the plate at a predetermined position in the travel of the plate upstream of the development zone, the combination of: means to generate a control signal identifying said plate nonimage areas; control means associated with said discharge device and responsive to said control signal to activate said discharge device for a predetermined interval whereby to discharge nonimage areas of said plate as said non-image areas of said plate move through said predetermined position, and means for displacing said control signal to change the time when said discharge device is energized and thereby vary the plate discharge location.

Claim 8

In an electrostatic reproduction machine having a moving photoconductive plate adapted to be uniformly charged and to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon, developing means positioned at a development zone to develop the electrostatic image on the plate, and a discharge device adapted when activated to discharge a charged area of the plate at a predetermined position in the travel of the plate upstream of the development zone, the combination of: means to generate a control signal identifying said plate nonimage areas; control means associated with said discharge device and responsive to said control signal to activate said discharge device for a predetermined interval whereby to discharge nonimage areas of said plate as said non-image areas of said plate move through said predetermined position, and means for displacing said control signal to change the time when said discharge device is energized and thereby vary the plate discharge location.

Claim 9

In an electrostatic reproduction machine, a movable photoconductive plate adapted to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon, means for charging the plate to enable the electrostatic latent image to be produced thereon, exposure means to produce latent electrostatic images on the moving plate, developing means to develop the latent electrostatic images on said plate, and discharge means disposed in operative relation to said photoconductive plate and adapted when activated to discharge the area of the plate then in operative relationship with the discharge means, the combination of: means for activating said discharge means on a preset control signal, means for generating said control signal at predetermined non-imaging intervals during operation of said reproduction machine; said activating means actuating said discharge means in response to said control signals to discharge the area of said plate then in operative relationship with said discharge means, and meaNs for adjusting application of said control signal to said activating means to vary at least one boundary of the area discharged on the moving plate by said discharge means.

Claim 10

In an electrostatic reproduction machine, a movable photoconductive plate adapted to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon, means for charging the plate to enable the electrostatic latent image to be produced thereon, exposure means to produce latent electrostatic images on the moving plate, developing means to develop the latent electrostatic images on said plate, and discharge means disposed in operative relation to said photoconductive plate and adapted when activated to discharge the area of the plate then in operative relationship with the discharge means, the combination of: means for activating said discharge means on a preset control signal, means for generating said control signal at predetermined non-imaging intervals during operation of said reproduction machine; said activating means actuating said discharge means in response to said control signals to discharge the area of said plate then in operative relationship with said discharge means, and meaNs for adjusting application of said control signal to said activating means to vary at least one boundary of the area discharged on the moving plate by said discharge means.

Claim 11

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 7 including means for bypassing said control signal adjusting means whereby to avoid any change in application of said control signal to said activating means.

Claim 12

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 7 in which said control signal adjusting means includes means providing at least one alternate path for said control signal adapted to delay input of said control signal to said activating means for a preset interval, and switching means for selectively routing said control signal through said one path.

Claim 13

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 7 in which said signal adjusting means includes means providing plural paths for said control signal, each of said paths being adapted to impose a progressively increasing delay on input of said control signal to said activating means, and switching means for routing said control signal to a selected one of said signal paths.

Claim 14

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 7 in which said control signal adjusting means includes first means providing plural paths for said control signal, each of said paths being adapted to impose a progressively increasing first delay on input of said control signal to said activating means; first switching means for routing said control signal through a selected one of said first paths; second means in series relationship with said first means providing plural paths for said control signal, each of said second means paths being adapted to impose a progressively increasing second delay on input of said control signal to said activating means; and second switching means for routing said control signal through a selected one of said second means paths whereby input of said control signal to said activating means may be delayed by an interval equal to the sum of the delays imposed by said first and second means.

Claim 15

The electrostatic reproduction machine according to claim 11 in which said reproduction machine has at last one reduction mode in which the size of the original being copied is reduced; said control signal adjusting means including at least one additional second switching means for each of said reduction modes to permit application of said control signal to said activating means to be delayed for each of said reduction modes.

Claim 16

A control for fine tuning the operating cycle of a discharge lamp in an electrostatic reproduction machine so that at least one boundary of the area discharged by said lamp may be optimized, said lamp being arranged adjacent the path of the photoconductive plate of said machine and adapted when energized to discharge a band-like portion of said plate, said reproduction machine having means to generate an operating signal for energizing said lamp at least once during each reproduction cycle, and means for energizing said lamp in response to said signal, comprising: shift register means between said signal generating means and said lamp energizing means, said shift register means having an input gate for receipt of said signal from said signal generating means and a plurality of signal output gates; means to drive said register means to provide progressively delayed signals at each of said register means output gates; and switching means for selectively connecting said shift register means output gates with said lamp energizing means.

Claim 17

A control for fine tuning the operating cycle of a discharge lamp in an electrostatic reproduction machine so that at least one boundary of the area discharged by said lamp may be optimized, said lamp being arranged adjacent the path of the photoconductive plate of said machine and adapted when energized to discharge a band-like portion of said plate, said reproduction machine having means to generate an operating signal for energizing said lamp at least once during each reproduction cycle, and means for energizing said lamp in response to said signal, comprising: shift register means between said signal generating means and said lamp energizing means, said shift register means having an input gate for receipt of said signal from said signal generating means and a plurality of signal output gates; means to drive said register means to provide progressively delayed signals at each of said register means output gates; and switching means for selectively connecting said shift register means output gates with said lamp energizing means.

Claim 18

The control according to claim 13 including second shift register means between said switching means and said lamp energizing means, said second shift register means having an input gate for receipt of said signal from said switching means and a plurality of signal output gates, means to drive said second shift register means to provide progressively delayed signals at each of said Second shift register means output gates, and second switching means for selectively connecting said second shift register means output gates with said lamp energizing means.

Claim 19

The control according to claim 14 in which said first and second switching means are individually settable to bypass the shift register means associated therewith.

Claim 20

The control according to claim 14 in which said reproduction machine includes at least two operating modes, and second switching means for each of said reproduction machine operating modes.