Abstract: A honing means produces sonic waves that suspend and propel a honing medium against a surface of a substrate. The honing medium impinges on the surface of the substrate and alters the substrate's surface roughness. The substrate and the honing means are positioned relative to each other to ensure substantial surface roughness uniformity.

Abstract: An ink filling apparatus for filling ink cartridges with a quantity of ink. The ink filling apparatus includes ink injecting members or needles to inject ink into an ink saturating material or wicking medium contained in the ink cartridges. A compression member compresses the ink saturating medium while ink is injected into the saturating medium. A vent cover covers a vent tube in the ink cartridge and directs the flow of pressurized air or gas through the vent tube to prevent ink from entering the vent tube during the ink filling operation. A piston pump delivers a specific quantity of ink to the ink filling apparatus to accurately fill each ink cartridge.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for internally holding an at least partially hollow substrate having at least one open end. The apparatus includes a member defining a fluid passageway, a normally inflated porous material mounted on the member in communication with the fluid passageway of the member, and a mechanism, in communication with the member, for deflating the porous material, the deflating mechanism being de-energized in response to the porous material being disposed into the opening in the substrate for enabling the porous material to return to being normally inflated to hold the substrate.

Abstract: A dip coat process material handling system and method for coating multiple layers of material on a plurality of workpieces, in particular for producing a multi-layer optical photoconductive drum, wherein a plurality of pipes are suspended from a carrier pallet which transports the workpieces through a dip coat cell housing various dip coating stations. The system includes a load/unload station, vertical and horizontal transport systems for transporting the carrier pallet having workpieces loaded thereon to the various dip coating stations, a drying/cooling booth, and a return conveyor system. The invention allows complete dip coat processing to be completed in an in-line configuration while the workpieces are attached to the carrier pallet, thereby eliminating load/unload steps at each dip coating station to provide efficient and flexible processing of materials.

Abstract: A mandrel for transporting hollow cylinders including an elongated arm having a first end and a second end, an expandable disk supported at the first end and means supported at the second end to expand the expandable disk, the mandrel arm comprising an elongated body having an imaginary axis and at least three fins extending substantially radially from the arm, each of the fins having an alignment shoulder adjacent the first end adapted to receive an end of a hollow cylinder and to coaxially align the cylinder with the elongated arm. This mandrel is used in a process for coating hollow cylinders.

Abstract: A mandrel including an elongated arm having a first end and a second end, a reciprocatable shaft coaxially aligned with and extending through the arm, a first end of the shaft extending beyond the first end of the arm and a second end of the shaft extending beyond the second end of the arm, a presser means mounted at the first end of the shaft, an expandable disk shaped member coaxially aligned with and slidably mounted on the shaft between the presser means and the first end of the arm, a compression means mounted on the second end of the shaft, and a resilient helical spring coaxially aligned with and slidably mounted on the shaft between the presser means and the compression means, the compression means adopted to apply compression pressure to the disk shaped member and to the helical spring. This mandrel is used in a process for coating hollow cylinders.

Abstract: A mandrel for transporting a hollow cylinder including an elongated arm having an imaginary axis, an expandable disk shaped member having at least one hole and a circular outermost edge, the disk shaped member being mounted on and coaxially aligned with one end of the arm and including an elastomeric polymer material having a durometer of between about 25 and about 35 and a maximum continuous use temperature rating of at least about 230.degree. C., and means mounted on the mandrel to apply compressive pressure to the disk shaped member to increase the length of the circumference of the circular outermost edge. This mandrel is used in a process for coating hollow cylinders.

Abstract: Distortion-free method of mounting an end piece member on a thin-walled hollow tube member, particularly in the assembly of photoreceptor drums and the like, includes the steps of supporting an expandable end piece member within the chamber of an air centering device with its central axis aligned vertically; applying a layer of flowable adhesive to the interior surface of an open end of the hollow tube member; freely suspending the tube member above the end piece member with the open end remaining free of radial distortion and directed toward the end piece member; centering the tube member, by means of the air centering device, to concentrically align the tube member with the end piece member; inserting the end piece member into the tube member; deformingly expanding the end piece member until the layer of flowable adhesive is sufficiently compressed between an outer peripheral edge of the end piece member and the interior surface of the tube member, so as to absorb any dimensional discrepancies therebetween;

Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a drum blank for machining includes inserting a cylindrical mandrel within a bore of a drum blank, introducing a liquid support material into a space between the outer diameter of the mandrel and the inner diameter of the drum blank, and solidifying the support material. Once the support material is solidified, the drum blank is securely held to the mandrel. Machining operations can be performed by mounting the assembly in a lathe. After machining is completed, the support material may be treated so that the mandrel can be removed from the drum blank. The mandrel may then be recycled.