Tilting pad stripper finger

Claim 1

In an apparatus for contact fusing toner particles to paper support material wherein said apparatus comprises fusing roll for applying heat and pressure to the particles and paper support material at a nip through which they are passed and which roll is coated with an oil film to prevent toner offset, an improved stripping apparatus for stripping sheets from the oil wetted fuser roll surface comprising: stripper finger pad means positioned at the nip exit in close proximity to the moving oil wetted fuser roll surface from which copy sheets are to be stripped, said pad means having a curved shoe surface at the bottom thereof, means for loading said stripper finger pad means against said oil wetted fuser roll surface to strip sheet material therefrom, said means for loading said stripper finger pad means causing a force to be directed transverse to the path of the fuser roll surface at a position slightly greater than half the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the curved shoe surface, whereby relative movement between said shoe surface and fuser roll surface cause hydrodynamic forces to be generated by the moving oil on the fuser roll surface between said shoe surface and the fuser roll surface thereby supporting said stripper finger pad means against the fuser roll surface without physical contact therebetween while stripping copy sheets therefrom, wherein said means for loading said stripper finger pad means includes a knife edge defining a pivot axis positioned at about slightly greater than half of the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the curved shoe surface.