Eastman-kodak Company

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Heidelberg Digital L.l.c.

Other

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen

Terry Nate Morganti

James Van Orchard, Ii

Richard C Baughman

David Francis Cahill

James Douglas Shifley

Daniel R Palmer

James Denny Anthony

Michael K Baskin

Douglass L Blanding

George R Walgrove, Iii

Borden H Mills

Borden Hicks Mills, Iii

Thomas J Foster

James F Paxon

John Giannetti

Brian R LaBudde

Jerome F Sleve

Giovanni B Caiazza

Kenneth T Pociatek

James Van Orchard

James F Hanselman

The invention relates to application of a surface treatment to a fuser, typically in a print process. According to various aspects of the invention, methods and apparatus are provided for applying surface treatment to a fuser comprising varying a width of surface treatment application to the fuser.

Method and apparatus for variable width surface treatment application to a fuser

A skive plate assembly for aiding receiver sheet removal from a roller in a fuser in an electrographic process, comprises a base plate, a skive plate having a central portion, and a skive plate attachment rigidly connecting the skive plate to the base plate such that the base plate and the skive plate define an air passage slot intermittently interrupted by the skive plate attachment, the skive plate defining a terminal edge positioned to face the roller, wherein a distance between the terminal edge and the base plate decreases with distance from the skive plate central portion. According to a further aspect of the invention, the terminal edge defines a gap with the roller, wherein the gap between the terminal edge and the roller is constant along the length of the skive plate.

Skive plate assembly

The invention generally relates to the field of fusing powder toner images on receiver sheets. According to various aspects of the invention, methods and apparatus are provided of cleaning, only during standby, a pressure roller that cooperates with a fuser roller in fusing toner images. The pressure roller is cleaned with a cleaning pad mounted adjacent the pressure roller in an electrographic printer.

Apparatus for cleaning a pressure roll in a fusing station

A fuser entrance guide in an electrophotographic apparatus, which supports a sheet of copy medium as it enters the fuser section. The guide has a curved base plate that has vacuum ports both at the edges and across the central area thereof. The ports in the central area are arranged in rows with the exits of all ports in a respective row being fluidly connected by a groove formed in the lower surface of the base plate. The recessed area of the grooves reduce the total contact area of the sheet thereby reducing the drag forces on the sheet but, at the same time, increasing the holding force of the vacuum on the sheet.

Vacuum assisted fuser entrance guide for an electrophotographic machine

The invention relates to a device and method for treating the surface of an article in connection with printing. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and device, which is capable of checking the motion of a roller in a device for fixing toner on printed sheet or web material using a magnet and a magnetic sensitive element located in a fixed position near the rotating element so as to sense the passage of at least a pole thereof at each rotation of the magnet.

Device for treating the surface of an article in connection with printing

A journal for forming the axle of a wick roller wherein the mounting section of the journal is provided with a nose section so that any adhesive which is skived from the core of the roller as the journal is positioned therein will collect on the nose section and will not foul the central bore through the core.

Wick roller for an electrophotographic machine

An apparatus and method for taking up the slack in the web material between the supply roller and the take-up roller in the web cleaning assembly of an electrophotographic apparatus. A clutch mechanism is positioned between the drive gear on the take-up roller and the hub of the motor that drives the drive gear. A spring-biased pawl on the hub engages a tooth of an inner gear on the drive gear to provide a driving connection between the hub and the take-up gear when the motor drives the hub in a first direction but effectively releases the driving connection when the take-up gear is manually rotated while the motor is idle. This allows the take-up roller to be rotated to take up the slack in the web without having to rotate the motor.

Method for installing and removing slack from a web of cleaning material in an electrophotographic machine

An electrophotographic apparatus having a web cleaning assembly and a method for servicing web cleaning assembly. The web cleaning assembly is pivotably mounted to a slide in the fuser section of the apparatus whereby the assembly can be slid out of the fuser section and then rotated to a service position where the assembly is releasably latched while the supply and take-up rollers within the web cleaning assembly are removed and replaced.

Fuser web cleaning assembly for an electrophotographic machine

Mechanism for removing slack in the web of cleaning material in an electrophotographic machine

A mechanism for applying pressure load force in a reproduction apparatus fuser device having at least one heated fuser member and a pressure member in nip relation to permanently fix a marking particle image to a receiver member. The pressure load force applying mechanism includes a load arm assembly rotatable about a fixed pivot axis to apply a pressure force to the pressure member, and a load cam selectively rotated about a drive shaft. A cam follower member is associated with the load cam, wherein a force of the load cam is applied via the cam follower member to the load arm assembly. A spring nest is formed as a part of the load arm assembly. The spring nest supports at least a heavy spring and a light spring; wherein the cam follower member, upon movement under the influence of the load cam, compresses the nested light spring and the heavy spring at different travel positions of the cam follower for varying the pressure force on the pressure member.

Fuser loading system

This invention provides a fuser station with a vented skive assembly for an image-forming machine. The image-forming machine may have a photoconductor, a primary charger, an exposure machine, a toning station, a transfer charger, and a vented fuser station. The fuser station may include a pressure roller, a fuser roller, and a skive assembly. The skive assembly has rib sections forming one or more slots, which are configured to provide an airflow pattern to reduce condensation. The skive assembly may have an insert protection device disposed in one or more of the slots.

Vented skive assembly for a fuser station in an image-forming machine

A mechanism for cleaning the surface of an operative element of a reproduction apparatus. The cleaning mechanism includes an elongated web of cleaning cloth material. A first support provides a supply of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material, and a second support provides a take-up for the elongated web of cleaning cloth material. A motor is operatively coupled to the second support to drive the second support for selectively advancing of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material from the first support to the second support to provide a clean portion of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material to clean the operative element. An encoder, associated with the motor, produces a string of pulses while the motor is operative to drive the second support. A logic and control unit produces a signal for turning the motor on for a period of time establishing a web advancement cycle where a given predetermined number of pulses in a pulse string are produced by the encoder. Responsive to the actual number of pulses in the pulse string of an advancement cycle, the period of time that the motor is turned on in a subsequent advancement cycle is adjusted based on the actual number of pulses in a previous string of pulses in order to adjust advancement of the web to provide for the most efficient use of the web of cleaning cloth material.

Cleaning web advancement and drive control mechanism

An upper skive plate and a method for quickly installing and removing the skive plate in the fuser section of an electrophotographic apparatus without damaging the roller therein. The skive plate carries a plurality of skives which strip a sheet of paper from the roller during operation of the apparatus. To install the skive plate, guide openings in the plate are positioned on locator pins which are affixed to the load arms which, in turn, support the roller. The plate is moved forward on the pins and is releasably latched in position by a pair of rotatable pawls on the plate which cooperate with clamping surfaces on the load arms. To remove the skive plate, this procedure is reversed.

Upper skive plate and method of installation in the fuser section of an electrophotographic machine

An electrophotographic apparatus having a wick roller assembly and a method for servicing. The wick roller assembly is rotatably mounted to the fuser section of the apparatus and is releasably latched thereto whereby the fuser roller in the assembly can be quickly and easily accessed for servicing. This eliminates the need for a technician to remove the entire wick roller assembly in order to service or replace the wick roller, itself.

Wick roller assembly for an electrophotographic machine

A copier/duplicator machine having a pressure roller system including two load arms for engagement with pressure roller bearings on each end of the pressure roller wherein the load arms include locator plates positioned on their outsides and extending beyond an engagement surface on each load arm and toward and past engagement surfaces on the pressure roller bearings to restrict the positioning of the load arm engagement surfaces so that the load arms can be installed only in proper engagement with the pressure roller bearings on the ends of the pressure roller.

Growing community of inventors

Brockport, NY, United States of America

Terry Nate Morganti