Eastman-kodak Company

Kevin E Yousey

Dennis R Kamp

Bruce J Rubin

James Raymond Flick

Peter G Evans

William Mey

Timothy John Young

Larry T Schlitzer

James D Walling

Kevin S Reitter

Robin A Dispenza

Ronald T Speziale

William May

Ivan B Ville

A method and apparatus for web tracking adjustment for a web handling system comprises biasing a steering roller in a gimbal direction, and adjusting the bias to achieve the desired tracking.

Web tracking adjustment device and method through use of a biased gimbal

Image forming apparatus includes a cleaning device for cleaning toner from a surface. Magnetic particulate cleaning material is moved through a cleaning zone by a rotating magnetic core. The particulate cleaning material moves on a surface which is extended generally in an upstream direction with respect to movement of the surface being cleaned. The extension increases the effectiveness of the cleaning without increasing pickup of the cleaning material by the surface. An alternative cleaning device includes a magnetic shunt between a rotating core and a shell in which magnetic particulate cleaning material is driven by rotation of the core. The shunt interrupts the magnetic field of the core to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning without adversely affecting its softness.

Cleaning device using magnetic particulate cleaning material

An image forming apparatus includes both a toner applying station and a toner cleaning station. The toner applying and toner cleaning stations adjoin each other. Each of the stations includes an elongated element which is to be closely spaced to an image surface. A toner removing roller is positioned between the toner cleaning station and the toner applying station and removes toner from particulate cleaning material in the toner cleaning station and supplies it to the toner applying station to conveniently recycle toner. The toner cleaning station includes a rotating magnetic core which moves hard magnetized carrier around a shell providing a soft cleaning brush.

Image forming apparatus in which toner is recycled between toner

The present invention is used in an image-recording apparatus wherein a substantially uniform layer of triboelectrically charged thermoplastic toner particles is deposited onto an imaging member. The toner particles are imagewise heated such that the heated toner particles are thermally tacked to the imaging member. The imaging member is then contacted with a mass of magnetic carrier particles to attract nonheated toner particles to the carrier particles, thereby removing nonheated toner particles from the imaging member and ladening the carrier particles with the removed toner particles. In accordance with the invention, upon using the carrier particles to attract and remove toner from the imaging member, the toner-laden carrier particles are mixed with a supply of carrier particles in which the average number of toner particles per carrier particle is lower than that of said toner-laden carrier particles. This produces a mixture of carrier particles in which the average amount of toner attracted to each carrier particle is substantially lower than that of the toner-laden carrier particles. This mixture is then subjected to a detoning step in which essentially all of the toner on each carrier particle is removed prior to the carrier particles being contacted to the imaging member again.

Recording apparatus with magnetic brush removal of non-tacked toner

A method and apparatus for producing an image on an imaging member. The apparatus includes a magnetic brush for depositing a substantially uniform layer of thermoplastic toner particles onto the imaging member. A laser scanner device is utilized to imagewise heat selected toner particles such that the selected toner particles are lightly tacked to the imaging member. The imaging member is contacted by a second magnetic brush, which includes a supply of magnetic carrier particles preferably having a coercivity of greater than about 100 oersteds, at least two times to remove nonselected toner particles from the imaging member. Alternatively, the imaging member may be contacted by two separate magnetic brushes at least one time to remove nonselected toner particles from the imaging member.

Method and apparatus for removing untacked toner from images

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a magnetic brush laydown/pickup apparatus having a shell surrounding a plurality of alternating pole magnets, said shell and magnets being relatively movable to transport developer mix through a development zone. Developer mix, comprised of toner particles and carrier particles, is selectively supplied to the surface of the shell at a location upstream of a development zone. The developer mix is selectively removed from the surface of the shell at a location downstream of the development zone. Toner particles are selectively stripped from the developer mix on the shell. A control is used to (1) activate the supply and removal of developer mix to and from the shell and deactivate the stripping of toner particles to provide a source of toner particles for laydown in the development zone, and (2) deactivate the supply and removal of developer mix to and from the shell and activate the stripping of toner particles to provide a source of developer mix, substantially depleted of toner particles, for toner particle pickup in the development zone.

Magnetic brush laydown/pickup apparatus

A magnetic brush apparatus for use in electrographic copiers and the like for applying magnetic developer to electrostatic images at a development zone to effect development of such images. Such apparatus includes a non-magnetic sleeve having a rotatably driven magnetic roller therein, and magnetic shunt means for selectively reducing the magnetic field produced by the magnetic roller outside the sleeve. By reducing the magnetic field shortly after the developer first contacts the image and maintaining the reduced field until the developed image is advanced beyond the influence of the magnetic roller, a trailing edge development artifact is avoided.

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Brockport, NY, United States of America

Kevin E Yousey