Abstract: A paper cassette for storing two different lengths of paper sheets. The cassette comprises a rear panel, a pair of side panels extending forward from the rear panel, a front panel operatively connected to the pair of side panels, a bottom panel extending between the bottom of the side panels from the bottom of the rear panel about three quarters of the distance toward the bottom of the front panel, and a top panel extending between the top of the side panels from the top of the rear panel about three quarters of the distance toward the top of the front panel.

Abstract: Apparatus in an electrophotocopying machine having a reciprocating carriage moved by an endless drive member for reversing the direction of the carriage output drive member without reversing the direction of the endless drive member. The apparatus includes a shaft fixedly mounted to the housing for the electrophotocopying machine, the shaft having a flange extending radially outwardly from a central portion thereof, an input drive member rotatably mounted at one end of the shaft and axially slidable along the shaft, the input drive member having apparatus for drivingly engaging the endless drive member, and an output drive member rotatably mounted at the other end of the shaft, the output member having apparatus for frictionally engaging the input drive member and apparatus for driving the reciprocating carriage.

Abstract: A thermal and optical multi-mode window is disclosed in which a window panel can be converted from thermally insulating but optically diffuse to optically clear but thermally semi-insulating, or at least much less insulating. The window panel is made of a transparent plastic material such as Lucite acrylic and is constructed of a plurality of sheet-like layers with air cells interspersed therebetween. When the cells are empty, the panel is highly insulating but is not optically clear like ordinary window glass. However, when the cells are filled with a clear liquid which has the same index of refraction as that of the acrylic material, all of the interior surfaces of the acrylic material disappear from view and the panel is then as optically clear as ordinary window glass, but not as thermally insulating, as when the cells contain air.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved drainage catheter for insertion into and retention in the bladder of the human body, and a novel stylet for use in inserting the catheter through the urethra and into the bladder. The catheter is formed of an elongate flexible cannula having a free and unobstructed open end adapted to be inserted into the bladder to permit drainage of waste material from the bladder and to facilitate the insertion of diagnostic instrumentation into the bladder. The end of the catheter in the bladder can expand to widen the opening and cause the open end to lie lower in the bladder. The stylet is an elongate flexible member adapted to be inserted into the cannula prior to the cannula being inserted into the urethra. The cannula and the stylet have cooperating stop means to prevent the stylet from passing through the cannula beyond a predetermined point so that the stylet can be used to push the cannula through the urethra and insert the open end into the bladder.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a plurality of rectangular objects and depositing the objects on a surface in uniformly spaced relationship with the objects standing upright on a short edge, more particularly, a device for setting up dominos in a row so that the dominos can be knocked down sequentially. The device includes a wheel supported body which supports an upstanding supply chamber for storing stacked dominos, and an ejecting assembly at the bottom of the supply chamber which ejects the bottom most domino toward the rear of the body as the body rolls across a surface. The ejecting assembly moves each domino into engagement with a top and side guide assembly which cooperates with the ejecting assembly to cause the domino to be deposited on the supporting surface and stabilized thereon in a stationary position before the device moves away from the domino so that the domino remains upright and does not fall.

Abstract: An electro-optical light scanning system using a modulated laser illumination source directed upon a multifaceted rotating polygonal mirror or polygon. The mirrored facets reflect the impinging light toward a moving photoreceptor and forms a raster of scan lines as the photoreceptor moves. The system incorporates sensing optics and closed loop electronics for correcting inaccuracies in the position of the reflected light resulting from defects in the angular relationship between the plane of the facets and that of the rotating axis of the polygon as well as those errors due to inherent angular misalignment between each of the facets of the rotating polygon. The invention also encompasses amplitude modulation for varying the intensity of the laser illumination in conjunction with the acousto-optical modulation for maintaining a constant level illumination and/or for varying the spot size.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for reproducing an original gray scale image that may be divided into an array of discrete picture elements. The method comprises the steps of scanning each of the picture elements in the array on the original image to determine its gray level and location in the array and generating sequential signals that contain data indicative of the gray level and location in the array of each of the scanned picture elements. The gray level of the entire array is calculated from the data on each of its individual picture elements in accordance with a gray scale function. On a reproduction medium in an array of reproduction locations corresponding to the picture element array, locations are sequentially darkened in order of decreasing gray level, beginning at the location that corresponds to the scanned picture element having the darkest gray level, until the gray level of the reproduction array substantially equals the calculated gray level of the scanned picture element array.

Abstract: This invention relates to a drive train for small devices such as postage meters and the like wherein various speeds and drives to different sets of outputs are required during different phases of operation. The drive train of the invention negates the need for a burdensome number of components through the use of a unique combination of gears and clutches.

Abstract: An interface for facilitating user resetting of a mechanical registering mechanism interconnects a decrementing register with a remote meter resetting lock. The user is provided with the current lock combination after debiting the user's account for the amount to be incremented into the register. With the lock released, a resetting knob is rotatable to drive a gear train which engages a pinion on a register numeral wheel. Rotation of the knob initially releases numeral wheel lockout combs to permit the gear train to advance the numeral wheel. A separate gear train is provided for each register wheel to be reset with a Geneva transfer tooth in the driven gear train indexing an adjacent gear train which drives a higher order numeral wheel. The interface additionally provides for conventional meter resetting by authorized personnel through the implementation of manually actuatable thumb wheels for optionally driving the gear trains.

Abstract: A two-stage sheet separating apparatus has a pair of corner separators and a top feed roller for initially separating a top sheet from a stack of sheets. A pair of retarding blades, one for each corner separator, are disposed downstream from the separators for finally separating the top sheet from any lower sheets which may have been carried along by inter-sheet frictional forces. The lower corners of the stack of sheets are supported by wedges in order to increase the beam strength of the sheets and thereby reduce the incidences where more than one sheet at a time is fed from the stack.

Abstract: In an electrostatic copying method and apparatus employing a two-component image-developer composition comprising magnetizable carrier particles and toner pigment particles, the removal of magnetizable carrier particles from the photoconductive surface is accomplished by means of an electromechanical scavenger assembly comprising a movable magnet and a fixed non-magnetizable shield mounted in close association between said magnet and the photoconductive surface. During the copying cycle, the magnet is moved adjacent the fixed shield to create a strong magnetic field around the shield and to cause magnetizable articles to be drawn against the shield from the photoconductive surface. After the copying cycle, the magnet is moved away from the fixed shield to withdraw the strong magnetic field from the shield, causing the magnetizable particles to fall from the shield into a collection tray by means of gravity.

Abstract: A powder density control means is provided for use in a photocopier machine of the type in which a photoconductor is charged in accordance with an image to be recorded thereon and is developed by contact with a toner powder attracted thereto from a mixture of carrier particles and toner powder carried by a developer assembly including a replenishment means for periodically adding toner powder. A high value resistance and a bias supply are serially coupled to a magnetic brush of the developer assembly. The voltage across the magnetic brush provides an indication of how heavily the latent image on the photoconductor is being toned. The change in magnitude of the voltage on the brush is sensed and when a predetermined amount of voltage change is detected, an additional amount of toner powder is supplied by the replenisher to the developer unit for such change.

Abstract: An interlocking mixer-auger mechanism especially adapted to transport and mix developer compositions containing toner, or similar materials, prior to the feeding of such materials through an output port in the operation of a xerographic copying machine.

Abstract: An electrophotocopy machine has single scan switch located at an imaging station and operated by the leading and trailing edges of a copy sheet. The switch controls the operation of an illuminating station, the travel of the carriage and the operation of a knife for cutting copy sheets from a web of copy paper that is stored on a supply reel in the machine.

Abstract: In a copier including a flexible, endless web-type photoreceptor, and including suitable means for successively advancing the photoreceptor from a storage station and through several processing stations and back to the storage station, there is provided storing apparatus for supporting a major portion of the photoreceptor at the storage station in the form of a series of interconnected U-shaped loops. The supporting apparatus includes a plurality of loop supports, from which the photoreceptor loops are individually hung. In addition, the storing apparatus includes means for intermittently moving the loop supports and thus the photoreceptor loops in timed relation to advancement of the photoreceptor to and from the storage station.

Abstract: An electrophotocopy machine has a web of copy paper that is stored on a supply reel in the machine. A pair of initial feed rollers draws the web off the supply reel and feeds the web past a knife that cuts the web into copy sheets of suitable length. The feed rollers are driven by a gear that is connected to a motor and is mounted on and carried by a lever. The lever engages the carriage in its home position to drivingly connect the motor to the feed rollers through the lever-carried gear. A spring biases the lever against the carriage so that the drive connection to the feed rollers is broken when the carriage leaves its home position.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic copying apparatus, a cover and document keep device comprises a rigid cover cooperating with a pivoting arm linkage to maintain substantially parallel alignment of the cover with the platen surface regardless of the thickness of the original document to be copied, thereby providing an effective shield against radiation emitted by the copier exposure source. A plurality of anchoring means are formed in a recessed region of the copying apparatus housing. A resiliently biased arm link is slidably pivotally mounted to the anchoring means and pivotally mounted to the rigid cover to allow the cover to remain substantially parallel with the platen surface through a range of document thicknesses. Another feature of the invention allows the rigid cover to remain pivotally raised above the platen surface without user assistance.

Abstract: An apparatus for collating pages of a document, which are sequentially printed on a continuous sheet in multipage rows, that is in multi-up fashion, comprises a plurality of decks at least equal in number to the number of pages in each row. Each deck has a surface for receiving one document page and is positionable at a level above one deck surface adjacent thereto to define a step-like structure. A page slitter separates adjacent pages in a multipage row and a row cutter separates adjacent multipage rows. From the slitter and cutter, alongitudial delivery mechanism simultaneously delivers each of the individual pages to a single deck. A lateral transfer mechanism then transfers each page of the document from the deck to which it was delivered to the top of the page delivered to the adjacent lower deck in order to complete the collating operation.

Abstract: An apparatus or system for detecting and extinguishing a fire originating in a fusing device or the like within a copying machine; means are provided for detecting the ionization of ambient air due to the existence of a flame within the fusing device, the ionization causing a substantial increase in the conduction of energy between a pair of flame detecting electrodes; the consequence is that the increased current causes an alarm to be given and/or automatically actuates a valve for ejecting a coolant or extinguishing chemical on the fire.

Abstract: A compensating or correcting arrangement for electronically adjusting the resetting of a paper gate device in a xerographic machine; such arrangement eliminates the problem which occurs, under certain conditions, when the trailing edge of a copy sheet is clipped by the projections or fingers controlled by the solenoid of the paper gate device. The arrangement includes a time delay circuit for delaying the application of the reset signal to the solenoid thereby extending its activation period.