Xerox Corporation

Klaus K Stange

Thomas J Hamlin

Richard E Smith

James R Cassano

Narayan V Deshpande

Eugene C Faucz

David E Damouth

Daniel F Blossey

Stanley B Swackhamer

Erwin J Strobel, Jr

George R Mott

An apparatus for cleaning contaminants from a photoreceptor surface including a pivot for moving a flexible web into engagement with the photoreceptor surface. A supply station stores an unused portion of the web and a receiving station accepts the used portions of the web having contaminants thereon removed from the photoreceptor surface. The web is advanced from the supply station to the receiving station in order that successive portions of the web engage the photoreceptor surface. The pivot moves the cleaning web into engagement with the photoreceptor surface upon operator activation and automatically after a given time period out of engagement after a given cleaning cycle.

Photoreceptor descumming device

A moving magnet cleaner for scraping excess toner off a photoreceptor surface. The moving magnet cleaner provides carrier bristles for brushing the photoreceptor surface. The sweeping of the moving magnet cleaner past the photoreceptor provides a self-leveling of the carrier bristles to the size of the distance between the cleaner roll and the photoreceptor surface. A toner roll rotates in proximity to the cleaner roll to transfer toner from the carrier particles to the toner roll and also provides self-leveling of the carrier bristles. The carrier for the magnet cleaner is continually replacedwith carrier from a sump and the moving magnet cleaner exhibits a large cleaning zone allowing for gentle removal of the toner from the photoreceptor.

Moving magnet cleaner

The present invention is a two photoreceptor, single pass duplex reproduction system having a heat insulating prefuser transport device and first and second transfer stations. In particular, the prefuser transport is a pair of cold, toner compacting rolls adjacent the second transfer station for immediate pick up of a copy sheet supporting unfused images on both sides. The compacting rolls tack the unfused images to the copy sheet. The compacting rolls also insulate the photoreceptor from the heat of the fuser and convey the copy sheet immediately to the fuser. The fuser permanently fixes the images onto the copy sheet in one fuser operation. In a preferred embodiment, the fuser rolls operate at a slightly lower peripheral velocity than the compacting rolls. Also, because of the tacking of the image by the cold rolls, the fuser rolls operate at a relatively lower temperature or pressure than normally.

Direct duplex printing on pre-cut copy sheets

A high speed color reproduction machine comprised of four separate xerographic type processing units, one for each of the primary colors plus black. The multiple processing units are arranged in close nested relationship to one another with the image transfer stations thereof in close succession along the path of movement of the copy substrate material. A combination air flotation type and vacuum based belt transport system is employed to bring copy substrate material from a supply source into transfer relation with the successive processing units. Exposure of the processing unit's photoreceptors is simultaneous. A precise dimensional relationship between photoreceptor length and spacing for each processing unit assures registration of the color images produced with one another. Following transfer of the last color image, the image bearing copy material is brought to a fuser where the image is fixed. The finished copy is thereafter discharged, or returned for a second duplex pass. The photoreceptor of each processing unit comprises an endless photoconductive belt. The length of each photoconductive belt is the same. Vacuum tensioning is employed with each belt to provide preset belt lengths between exposure and transfer stations for each processing unit. A flying spot type exposure system is used with laser light source and optical elements to simultaneously project independent image exposure beams to the exposure stations of the several processing units.

High speed color apparatus

An apparatus which develops a latent image. At least two differently colored developer materials are transported to a position closely adjacent to the latent image. One of the developer materials is selectively removed from the region of the latent image. In this way, the other developer material develops the latent image.

Multicolor development system for electrophotographic printing machines

Apparatus in which a plurality of spaced apart magnetic members transport developer material from a supply thereof. The spaces between adjacent magnetic members enable extraneous developer material to pass therethrough and return to the storage supply thereof.

Development system

A buffer system for isolating a supply of paper web from a processor operating on the paper web. The buffer system comprises a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump creating a pressure differential across a portion of the paper web forcing the web into the vacuum chamber in the form of a loop having suitable tension. The loop rises and falls within the vacuum chamber to either store or deliver web to the processor in response to the paper supply delivering more or less web than the processor can accommodate. In one embodiment, the vacuum chamber is provided with a movable wall to accommodate paper webs of different widths and a foot extending from the movable wall communicates with orifices to change the pressure differential.

Paper web buffer system

A storage buffer for a moving web comprises a collection bin having an opening through which the web can be randomly dumped under the influence of gravity; means for floating randomly dumped web within the collection bin upon a cushion of gas without mechanical support of said web; a web exit within a wall of said collection bin; and means for guiding pressurized gas over web passing through the web exit.

Random-dump storage buffer for moving web

Photoconductive belt supporting apparatus

In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. As the sheet is brought into registration fluid injected or drawn through holes in a wide wall of the sleeve is used to force at least a part of the sheet against one of the wide walls and the resulting friction serves to brake the traveling sheet, thereby minimizing impact forces between the sheet, the narrow wall, and the stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered. In a third embodiment, similar to the first, a manifold is coupled to the ports and a vacuum pump is coupled to the manifold to accelerate registration. In a fourth embodiment, similar to the third, the pumps are replaced with a reversible pump to register and discharge a sheet.

Pneumatic registration apparatus

A method for changing the direction of travel of a sheet includes the steps of providing a pocket, guiding a sheet traveling in a first direction into the pocket, and providing a fluid stream in the pocket to bias the sheet in a substantially opposite direction, thereby reversing the direction of travel of the sheet.

Method for reversing the direction of travel of a sheet

In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered. In a third embodiment, similar to the first, a manifold is coupled to the ports and a vacuum pump is coupled to the manifold to accelerate registration. In a fourth embodiment, similar to the third, the pumps are replaced with a reversible pump to register and discharge a sheet.

A method for registering a stack of sheets with respect to perpendicularly related axes includes the steps of providing a first sleeve for accommodating the stack of sheets; providing a stop at one end of the sleeve; placing the stack in the sleeve; and providing in the sleeve a fluid stream, whereby the fluid stream moves the sheets down the sleeve in unison and moves the sheets into registration with a wall of the sleeve and the stop. In a modified method a second sleeve is provided in alignment with and adjacent to said first sleeve. The sheets are first placed inside the second sleeve and fluid is drawn from the first sleeve to move the stack. Assistance in moving the stack is provided by fluid injected into the second sleeve, care being taken to prevent a net flow of air out of a gap between the first and second sleeves.

Method for transporting and registering stacked sheets

A system wherein documents are presented to an exposure station of reproduction apparatus includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. Fluid streams are used to either move a document in an aligned pocket through the opening and to the exposure station or from the exposure station into the pocket. Copies of documents presented to the exposure station are made by the reproduction apparatus. Adjacent the housing there is located an inverter into which documents from the rack are fluidically fed as desired. Inverted documents are returned to the rack with the assistance of a fluid stream. Inverted documents may be fed to the exposure station to provide duplex copies.

Fluidic feeding of documents to an exposure station

Apparatus for storing documents includes a cylindrical housing and, in the housing, an upright carousel having a number of radially disposed pockets. The housing has a horizontally and radially extending opening on a vertical wall and a horizontal opening on an outer cylindrical wall, the openings being located on opposite sides of the axis of the housing. A drive is available for separately aligning the pockets with the openings. Each opening is associated with means for providing a fluid stream and fluid streams are generated for moving documents, through an associated opening, into or out of pockets. The carousel includes radially extending plates which define the pockets and said plates have radial projections which slidably engage the housing. The engagement is provided to prevent document jams when loaded pockets are moved through the lower part of the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Klaus K Stange