Eastman-kodak Company

Scott W Garner

Philip A Stern

Thomas W Mort

An efficient, clean and inexpensive apparatus for adding fresh toner to a development station in an electrostatographic copier or printer includes a pivotable member for holding and transporting a container of such toner, without retouching, regrasping or directly rehandling such container, between a first position in which the container, substantially in an upright orientation, is non-slidably attachable to the pivotable member, and a second position in which the container is fully inverted over the development station automatically locating such container in place for toner therein to flow gravitationally into the development station. The apparatus further includes: (a) a slide that is movable between a toner shut-off position and a toner-flow position, for shutting off or allowing the flow of toner out of the container; (b) devices associated with the development station for mounting and for latching the apparatus; and (c) a device associated with the slide for preventing the pivotable member from pivoting when the slide, and hence the apparatus, is in the toner-flow position.

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Penfield, NY, United States of America

Scott W Garner