Rca Inc.

General Electric Company

Lawrence W Dobbins

Charles W Reno

Stephen L Corsover

Paul B Pierson

James T McCann

Siu K Luk

A liquid toner applicator for elongated photoconductive film medium on which a latent electrostatic image has been formed includes an upper bearing surface for supporting moving film medium, which is spaced from a conductive block having an upper surface. The conductive block has slots cut into a toning region of its upper surface. During operation, pressurized toner wells through the slots into the region between the lower surface of the film and the upper surface of the block. The toner tones the latent image. The upwelling toner spills into fluid channels, which carry the toner which is not used to a catch basin. From the catch basin, a toner pump recirculates the toner. Downstream form the toning region, a further slot cut into the block communicates with a vacuum source to squeegee away excess toner which is not associated with the toned image. An air knife downstream from the vacuum squeegee includes a slot cut an an angle through the block and a pressurized air source therefor. The air knife directs an airstream in a retrograde direction relative to the motion of the film to keep excess toner in the vicinity of the vacuum squeegee, to enhance its effect. The block is maintained at a potential relative to the film.

Unitized toner assembly for continuous electrostatic film medium

An optical beam switch is provided in a multiple beam optical disc record and playback system. Current systems for very high data rate optical disc mass memory apparatus include requirements for near-continuous recording of data using two separate turntables in a single apparatus. To reduce cost and complexities in the system as well as power requirements, the optical system includes a beam switch that allows a single record laser and modulator to be shared between two turntables. In accordance with the system a half-wave plate is shifted into and out of the beam path to effect polarization change of the light beam. A polarizing beam splitter, which follows the half-wave plate in the beam path, shifts the light beam in one of two directions depending upon the polarization of the light beam or, in other words, the position of the half-wave plate.

High efficiency precision laser beam switch

A photographic film recorder includes film-exposing apparatus having a laser light source for exposing the film, and a photographic film-developing apparatus. A film transport means transports the film at the same velocity through both the exposing apparatus and the developing apparatus, under control of a received film velocity signal. The time period each element of the film is in the developer varies inversely with film velocity. A plurality of transfer function look-up tables are provided for translating a received video density signal to a corresponding exposure signal for controlling the laser light source. Means responsive to the film velocity signal selects for use a transfer function look-up table which is appropriate for the time period each element of the film is in the developer.

Growing community of inventors

Woodlynne, NJ, United States of America

Lawrence W Dobbins