Development system

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers are magnetic.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said magnetic member is a substantially cylindrical member.

Claim 6

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the spacing between adjacent tufts is substantially equal.

Claim 7

An apparatus as recited in claim 5, further including a fabric secured to said cylindrical member and having said tufts woven therethrough.

Claim 8

An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said fabric includes a conductive coating.

Claim 9

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said tufts are woven through said fabric in a W-shaped configuration.

Claim 10

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said tufts are woven through said fabric in a U-shaped configuration.

Claim 11

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said tufts includes from about 25 to about 150 of said fibers.

Claim 12

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said fabric includes from about 8 to about 16 tufts per square centimeter.

Claim 13

An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said fibers range in thickness from about 0.005 to about 0.015 millimeters.

Claim 14

An apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein said tufts are disposed about the entire exterior surface of said magnetic member.

Claim 15

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said fibers have substantially similar magnetic properties.

Claim 16

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said fibers have substantially dis-similar magnetic properties.

Claim 17

An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said fibers are made preferably from stainless steel.

Claim 18

An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said conductive fibers are made from a substantially non-conductive material having a substantially conductive coating thereon.

Claim 19

An electrophotographic printing machine of the type in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive surface is developed with magnetic particles, wherein the improvement includes: a magnetic member having a multiplicity of conductive fibers extending outwardly from the exterior surface thereof, said magnetic member attracting the magnetic particles to the conductive fibers; and means for moving said magnetic member to advance the particles into contact with the electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive surface with at least a portion of the free end regions of the conductive fibers contacting the particles being deposited on the electrostatic latent image to form a substantially uniform particle image.

Claim 20

An electrophotographic printing machine of the type in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive surface is developed with magnetic particles, wherein the improvement includes: a magnetic member having a multiplicity of conductive fibers extending outwardly from the exterior surface thereof, said magnetic member attracting the magnetic particles to the conductive fibers; and means for moving said magnetic member to advance the particles into contact with the electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive surface with at least a portion of the free end regions of the conductive fibers contacting the particles being deposited on the electrostatic latent image to form a substantially uniform particle image.

Claim 21

A printing machine as recited in claim 18, wherein said fibers are magnetic.

Claim 22

A printing machine as recited in claim 19, wherein said magnetic member is a substantially cylindrical member.

Claim 23

A printing machine as recited in claim 19 or 20, wherein said fibers are grouped together to from a multiplicity of spaced tufts with each of said tufts having a multiplicity of said fibers.

Claim 24

A printing machine as recited in claim 21, wherein the spacing between adjacent tufts is substantially equal.

Claim 25

A printing machine as recited in claim 22, further including a fabric secured to said cylindrical member and having said tufts woven therethrough.

Claim 26

A printing machine as recited in claim 23, wherein said fabric includes a conductive coating.

Claim 27

A printing machine as recited in claim 24, wherein said tufts are woven through said fabric in a W-shaped configuration.

Claim 28

A printing machine as recited in claim 24, wherein said tufts are woven through said fabric in a U-shaped configuration.

Claim 29

A printing machine as recited in claim 24, wherein each of said tufts include from about 25 to about 150 of said fibers.

Claim 30

A printing machine as recited in claim 24, wherein said fabric includes from about 8 to about 16 tufts per square centimeter.

Claim 31

A printing machine as recited in claim 24, wherein each of said tufts range in thickness from about 0.005 to about 0.015 millimeters.

Claim 32

A printing machine as recited in claim 21, wherein said tufts are disposed about the entire exterior surface of said magnetic member.

Claim 33

A printing machine as recited in claim 21, wherein each of said fibers has substantially similar magnetic properties.

Claim 34

A printing machine as recited in claim 21, wherein each of said fibers has substantially dissimilar magnetic properties.

Claim 35

A printing machine as recited in claim 21, wherein said fibers are made preferably from stainless steel.

Claim 36

A printing machine as recited in claim 18, wherein said conductive fibers are made from a substantially non-conductive material having a substantially conductive coating thereon.