Toning apparatus and method

Claim 1

A method of toning the latent image formed on the exterior of a looped electrophotographic belt having a photoconductive layer on its exterior surface, said belt extending between two parallel support rollers and there being a generally flat planar bottom reach extending tangentially between the support rollers and in which the latent image is formed on the exterior surface of the bottom reach and is adapted to be passed toward one of the said support rollers, there being a toning station adjacent said one support roller through which the latent image is required to pass before reaching said one support roller, said method comprising: A. providing a sump at said toning station, said sump containing a body of toner liquid and a toning roller having an axis parallel with the axes of said support rollers, the lower portion of said roller being immersed in said body of toner liquid, B. pressing said toning roller upward while still in said body of toner liquid toward said bottom reach to such an extent that the upper portion of said toning roller intrudes past the plane of said planar reach and engages said belt in a tortuous inward bow, a substantial area of said reach being so engaged with an arcuate area of said upper portion of said toning roller, C. driving one of said support roller to cause movement of said belt to bring the latent image into said toning station and rotating the toning roller in synchronism with the movement of said belt, such toning roller acting to pick up toner liquid from said body bringing it into said arcuate area between said toning roller and said bottom reach as the belt passes over the toning roller whereby to develop the latent image and D. pressing the bottom reach adjacent the bow on the side thereof opposite said one support roller in a direction opposite to the direction in which the toning roller is pressing the bottom reach to force the part of said bottom reach not included in said bow to return to said flat planar condition in said plane.

Claim 2

A method of toning the latent image formed on the exterior of a looped electrophotographic belt having a photoconductive layer on its exterior surface, said belt extending between two parallel support rollers and there being a generally flat planar bottom reach extending tangentially between the support rollers and in which the latent image is formed on the exterior surface of the bottom reach and is adapted to be passed toward one of the said support rollers, there being a toning station adjacent said one support roller through which the latent image is required to pass before reaching said one support roller, said method comprising: A. providing a sump at said toning station, said sump containing a body of toner liquid and a toning roller having an axis parallel with the axes of said support rollers, the lower portion of said roller being immersed in said body of toner liquid, B. pressing said toning roller upward while still in said body of toner liquid toward said bottom reach to such an extent that the upper portion of said toning roller intrudes past the plane of said planar reach and engages said belt in a tortuous inward bow, a substantial area of said reach being so engaged with an arcuate area of said upper portion of said toning roller, C. driving one of said support roller to cause movement of said belt to bring the latent image into said toning station and rotating the toning roller in synchronism with the movement of said belt, such toning roller acting to pick up toner liquid from said body bringing it into said arcuate area between said toning roller and said bottom reach as the belt passes over the toning roller whereby to develop the latent image and D. pressing the bottom reach adjacent the bow on the side thereof opposite said one support roller in a direction opposite to the direction in which the toning roller is pressing the bottom reach to force the part of said bottom reach not included in said bow to return to said flat planar condition in said plane.

Claim 23

An apparatus for reproducing a pattern of predetermined subject matter on a carrier medium by transfer of a developed image to said carrier medium, said apparatus comprising A. an endless electrophotographic belt of flexible material having an outer photoconductive surface and being formed into a loop, B. a pair of parallel first and second belt supporting rollers and at least one of said first and second supporting rollers having means for rotating the same and circulating the belt in a direction, the belt being supported over the supporting rollers in a normally stretched and tensioned condition whereby to form said loop, said loop being of generally flat configuration and having upper and lower reaches, C. a charging station and an exposure station arranged in that order along the loop in the direction of belt movement, the charging station having means for charging the photoconductive surface of said belt across its entire width progressively as the belt moves to said exposure station, said exposure station having means thereafter selectively to discharge the charge which has been placed on the belt by exposure to radiation in the form of said pattern of predetermined subject matter whereby to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive surface of said belt, D. a toning station following the exposure station in the direction of movement of the belt, said toning station adapted to apply toner to said latent image to tone the same, said toning station including i. a store of toner material located adjacent one of the reaches ii. a toning roller disposed to have one portion engage in said store and adapted to rotate in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt and arranged to pick up toner material from said store on its surface as said toning roller rotates, iii. said toning roller having a second portion thereof which protrudes from said store and into said loop to form a tortuous bow offset inwardly of the flat configuration of said one of said reaches engaging said one of said reaches along a substantial arcuate area of said toning roller and a similar area of said belt, iv. the toning roller serving to bring toner material from said store and between said arcuate area and similar area of the belt whereby to develop the latent image as it passes through the toning station by passing the toner material from the toning roller to the latent image on the belt, E. a store of carrier medium and means for bringing a member of carrier medium into engagement with said belt after development of said latent image and for applying pressure thereto for effecting transfer of the developed image to said member of carrier medium and F. means for ejecting said member of carrier medium from said apparatus following transfer of said developed image thereto.

Claim 24

An apparatus for reproducing a pattern of predetermined subject matter on a carrier medium by transfer of a developed image to said carrier medium, said apparatus comprising A. an endless electrophotographic belt of flexible material having an outer photoconductive surface and being formed into a loop, B. a pair of parallel first and second belt supporting rollers and at least one of said first and second supporting rollers having means for rotating the same and circulating the belt in a direction, the belt being supported over the supporting rollers in a normally stretched and tensioned condition whereby to form said loop, said loop being of generally flat configuration and having upper and lower reaches, C. a charging station and an exposure station arranged in that order along the loop in the direction of belt movement, the charging station having means for charging the photoconductive surface of said belt across its entire width progressively as the belt moves to said exposure station, said exposure station having means thereafter selectively to discharge the charge which has been placed on the belt by exposure to radiation in the form of said pattern of predetermined subject matter whereby to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive surface of said belt, D. a toning station following the exposure station in the direction of movement of the belt, said toning station adapted to apply toner to said latent image to tone the same, said toning station including i. a store of toner material located adjacent one of the reaches ii. a toning roller disposed to have one portion engage in said store and adapted to rotate in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt and arranged to pick up toner material from said store on its surface as said toning roller rotates, iii. said toning roller having a second portion thereof which protrudes from said store and into said loop to form a tortuous bow offset inwardly of the flat configuration of said one of said reaches engaging said one of said reaches along a substantial arcuate area of said toning roller and a similar area of said belt, iv. the toning roller serving to bring toner material from said store and between said arcuate area and similar area of the belt whereby to develop the latent image as it passes through the toning station by passing the toner material from the toning roller to the latent image on the belt, E. a store of carrier medium and means for bringing a member of carrier medium into engagement with said belt after development of said latent image and for applying pressure thereto for effecting transfer of the developed image to said member of carrier medium and F. means for ejecting said member of carrier medium from said apparatus following transfer of said developed image thereto.

Claim 31

A method of toning the latent image formed on the exterior of a looped electrophotographic belt having a photoconductive layer on its exterior surface, said belt extending between and looped around a plurality of rollers supporting the same including two spaced apart rollers, the belt moving in a reach between the two spaced apart rollers which would define a flat tangential plane if passed directly between the two rollers without being disturbed, in which the latent image is formed on the belt and appears on the exterior surface of each reach and is adapted to pass along said reach toward one of the two spaced apart support rollers, there being a toning station adjacent said reach and located between the two spaced apart support rollers, the latent image being required to pass through said toning station before passing around said one support roller, said method comprising: A. providing a sump at said toning station, said sump containing a body of toner material and a toning roller having its axis parallel with the axes of said support rollers, one portion of said toning roller being engaged in said body of toner material, B. pressing the toning roller while still in said body of toner material toward said reach to such an extent that a second portion of said toning roller circumferentially spaced from said one portion intrudes past the said plane inwardly of the loop and engages said belt in an inward bow offset from said plane, a substantial area of said reach being so engaged with an arcuate area of said second portion of said toning roller, C. driving one of said plurality of rollers to cause movement of said belt to bring the latent image into said toning station and D. rotating the toning roller in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt, such toning roller acting to pick up onto said one portion of its surface toner material from said body bringing it into said arcuate area between said toning roller and the reach as the belt engages said second portion of said toning roller whereby to develop the latent image as the belt passes through the toning station.

Claim 32

A method of toning the latent image formed on the exterior of a looped electrophotographic belt having a photoconductive layer on its exterior surface, said belt extending between and looped around a plurality of rollers supporting the same including two spaced apart rollers, the belt moving in a reach between the two spaced apart rollers which would define a flat tangential plane if passed directly between the two rollers without being disturbed, in which the latent image is formed on the belt and appears on the exterior surface of each reach and is adapted to pass along said reach toward one of the two spaced apart support rollers, there being a toning station adjacent said reach and located between the two spaced apart support rollers, the latent image being required to pass through said toning station before passing around said one support roller, said method comprising: A. providing a sump at said toning station, said sump containing a body of toner material and a toning roller having its axis parallel with the axes of said support rollers, one portion of said toning roller being engaged in said body of toner material, B. pressing the toning roller while still in said body of toner material toward said reach to such an extent that a second portion of said toning roller circumferentially spaced from said one portion intrudes past the said plane inwardly of the loop and engages said belt in an inward bow offset from said plane, a substantial area of said reach being so engaged with an arcuate area of said second portion of said toning roller, C. driving one of said plurality of rollers to cause movement of said belt to bring the latent image into said toning station and D. rotating the toning roller in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt, such toning roller acting to pick up onto said one portion of its surface toner material from said body bringing it into said arcuate area between said toning roller and the reach as the belt engages said second portion of said toning roller whereby to develop the latent image as the belt passes through the toning station.

Claim 35

An apparatus for reproducing a pattern of predetermined subject matter on a carrier medium by transfer of a developed image to said carrier medium, said apparatus comprising: A. an endless electrophotographic belt of flexible material having an outer photoconductive surface and being formed in a loop, B. at least two belt supporting rollers engaged by said belt and effective to carry a portion of said loop between them in tensioned condition, said belt adapted to move between said rollers in a plane tangential to both rollers if permitted to do so without being deviated out of said plane, C. means for moving the belt in its loop and circulating same in one direction, D. a charging station and an exposure station arranged in that order along the loop in the direction of belt movement, the charging station having means for charging the photoconductive surface of said belt across its width progressively as the belt moves to said exposure station, said exposure station serving thereafter selectively to discharge the charge which has been placed on said belt by exposure to radiation in the form of a pattern of predetermined subject matter whereby to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive surface of said belt, E. a toning station following the exposure station in the direction of movement of said belt, said toning station adapted to apply toner to said latent image to tone the same, said toning station including i. a store of toner material located adjacent said tangential plane and between said belt support rollers; ii. a toning roller disposed to have one portion engage in said store and adapted to rotate in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt and arranged to pick up toner material from said store on its surface as said toning roller rotates; iii. said toning roller having a second portion thereof which protrudes from said store and through said tangential plane engaging said portion of said loop between said rollers and deviating the belt from said tangential plane to produce a bow in the loop on the interior thereof, the engagement between the belt and toning roller being along a substantial arcuate area, iv. the toning roller serving to bring toner material from said store and between the belt and toning roller in said arcuate area whereby to develop the latent image as it passes through the toning station by transferring the toner material from the toning roller to the latent image on the belt, v. there being means for pressing the toning roller into engagement with said belt, and E. a source of carrier medium and means for bringing the carrier medium from said source and moving same into engagement with said belt after development of said latent image and for effecting transfer of the developed image to said carrier medium as it moves into engagement with said belt, said means serving to move said carrier medium with the transferred image out of engagement with said belt after transfer.

Claim 36

An apparatus for reproducing a pattern of predetermined subject matter on a carrier medium by transfer of a developed image to said carrier medium, said apparatus comprising: A. an endless electrophotographic belt of flexible material having an outer photoconductive surface and being formed in a loop, B. at least two belt supporting rollers engaged by said belt and effective to carry a portion of said loop between them in tensioned condition, said belt adapted to move between said rollers in a plane tangential to both rollers if permitted to do so without being deviated out of said plane, C. means for moving the belt in its loop and circulating same in one direction, D. a charging station and an exposure station arranged in that order along the loop in the direction of belt movement, the charging station having means for charging the photoconductive surface of said belt across its width progressively as the belt moves to said exposure station, said exposure station serving thereafter selectively to discharge the charge which has been placed on said belt by exposure to radiation in the form of a pattern of predetermined subject matter whereby to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive surface of said belt, E. a toning station following the exposure station in the direction of movement of said belt, said toning station adapted to apply toner to said latent image to tone the same, said toning station including i. a store of toner material located adjacent said tangential plane and between said belt support rollers; ii. a toning roller disposed to have one portion engage in said store and adapted to rotate in substantial synchronism with the movement of the belt and arranged to pick up toner material from said store on its surface as said toning roller rotates; iii. said toning roller having a second portion thereof which protrudes from said store and through said tangential plane engaging said portion of said loop between said rollers and deviating the belt from said tangential plane to produce a bow in the loop on the interior thereof, the engagement between the belt and toning roller being along a substantial arcuate area, iv. the toning roller serving to bring toner material from said store and between the belt and toning roller in said arcuate area whereby to develop the latent image as it passes through the toning station by transferring the toner material from the toning roller to the latent image on the belt, v. there being means for pressing the toning roller into engagement with said belt, and E. a source of carrier medium and means for bringing the carrier medium from said source and moving same into engagement with said belt after development of said latent image and for effecting transfer of the developed image to said carrier medium as it moves into engagement with said belt, said means serving to move said carrier medium with the transferred image out of engagement with said belt after transfer.