Abstract: An apparatus for depositing metal which provides a brushless electrical current continuity between a member, such as an electroforming mandrel or an electroplating rack, and a current source, comprising: (a) an electrode; (b) a member, spaced apart from the electrode, wherein the member defines a space that is partially or fully filled with a first conductive liquid in electrical contact with the member; (c) a second conductive liquid electrically isolated from the electrode; and (d) connecting means for electrically connecting the first conductive liquid and the second conductive liquid.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for depositing metal on a mandrel which provides a brushless electrical current continuity between the mandrel and a current source, comprising: (a) a metal deposition vessel; (b) an electrode disposed in the vessel; (c) a mandrel disposed in the vessel, spaced apart from the electrode; (d) an electrically conductive liquid disposed in the vessel; (e) an electrolytic solution disposed in the tank; (f) a layer of a substantially electrically nonconductive material disposed between the electrolytic solution and the conductive liquid; and (g) connecting means for electrically connecting the mandrel and the conductive liquid, coupled to the mandrel.

Abstract: A separation process including providing a flexible belt photoreceptor comprising a photoconductive layer on the outer surface of a flexible metal belt substrate, the photoconductive layer including amorphous selenium or selenium alloy, transporting the substrate through an arcuate path having a small radius of curvature to apply stress to the photoconductive layer, and abrasively removing substantially all of the selenium or selenium alloy remaining on the substrate. This process may be carried out in an apparatus which includes at least one member having an arcuate surface with a small radius of curvature, means to transport the belt photoreceptor in an arcuate path over the arcuate surface, and abrasive means adapted to to contact and remove substantially all of the photoconductive layer from the substrate.

Abstract: A corona generating device of the type having a conductive shield partially surrounding a corona discharge electrode is provided with heating element. The heating element raises the surface temperature of the conductive shield to reduce or eliminate the adsorption of corona effluents and thereby minimize or prevent copy quality defects.

Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member is disclosed comprising a substrate, a hole blocking, an optional interface adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and a charge transport layer, the hole blocking layer comprising a light absorbing material selected from the group consisting of a dye, pigment and mixtures thereof dissolved or dispersed in a hole blocking matrix comprising a film forming polymer, the light absorbing material being capable of absorbing incident radiation having a wavelength between about 550 and about 950 nm. The dye or pigment may have a violet, blue, green, cyan or black color. These imaging members may be employed in an electrophotographic imaging process utilizing monochromatic activating radiation having a wavelength between a lower limit of 600 about and an upper limit of about 800 nm to form an electrostatic latent image on the imaging member.

Abstract: An endless metal belt resistant to failure due to stress induced by bending contains an internal stress gradient of radially outward increasing compressive stress which opposes external stress applied to the belt. The belt can be made by an electroforming process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the removal of layered material from a photoreceptor comprising an electrically conductive substrate, wherein the method comprises: employing a magnetic field to expand or shrink the width of at least a portion of the substrate, whereby a portion of the layered material over the expanded or shrunken portion of the substrate becomes loosened from the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a cylindrical device comprising having at least one distinct outer layer comprising providing a preformed rigid cylindrical support drum having a predetermined outer circumference, a first end and a second end, providing a flexible belt having an inner circumference at least about 0.05 percent smaller than the outer circumference of the support drum, circumferentially expanding the belt with a flowing fluid under pressure until the circumference of the inner surface of the belt adjacent the first end is stretched to a new dimension at least about 0.

Abstract: A process for treating a predetermined portion of a coating on a photoreceptor to remove at least part of the coating involves directing a source of high energy irradiation at the coating in the presence of at least one fluid medium to remove at least part of the coating from the predetermined portion of the coating. The source of high energy irradiation is preferably a laser beam, ultrasonic energy, or a source of high intensity heat. The at least one fluid medium is preferably at least one gas jet, liquid jet or a liquid solvent.

Abstract: An at least partially hollow electroforming mandrel containing therein means for adjustably altering the diameter of the mandrel. The mandrel assists in creating a parting gap between the mandrel and the electroformed article, thereby facilitating separation of the two components.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for separating a mandrel having a tapered end portion from an article formed thereon comprising: (a) providing the mandrel having an opening in the tapered end portion; (b) plugging at least a substantial portion of the opening with a member which presents a deposition surface for the formation of the article; (c) forming the article having a tapered end portion on the mandrel, including on the deposition surface of the member; and (d) pushing the member against the inside surface of the tapered end portion of the article to move the article away from the mandrel, thereby forming a gap between the article and the mandrel.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for parting an electrodeposited article comprised of a first surface region and a second surface region from a mandrel, wherein the method comprises: (a) positioning the article and the mandrel in a metal deposition solution; (b) forming a plurality of metal dendrites on the second surface region wherein the first surface region is free of metal dendrites; and (c) separating the article and the mandrel.

Abstract: An electrostatographic imaging member is disclosed including a supporting substrate, at least one electrically conductive layer, and at least one electrostatographic imaging layer capable of retaining an electrostatic latent image, wherein at least one electrically conductive layer of the imaging member includes an electrically conductive polymer. The electrically conductive layer may be a conductive ground plane, a ground strip layer and/or a conductive anti-curl back coating.

Abstract: Environmentally compatible solvents are used in a method for removing coating layers from an electrostatographic imaging member substrate. The solvents include a solution containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, dimethyl malonate and diethyl malonate. The solution is used in a method for removing coating layers from at least part of a substrate, which involves contacting a solution having at least one member selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, dimethyl malonate and diethyl malonate, on at least part of a substrate containing an coating layer until the coating layer is effectively removed from said at least part of the substrate. The environmentally compatible solvents may be used to reclaim pigments in photoconductive coating layers and substrates of defective imaging members during the manufacturing process, or after the operational life of electrostatographic imaging members has expired.

Abstract: Acetic acid, an environmentally compatible solvent, is used in a method for removing excess coating material from an electrostatographic imaging member substrate. The method involves covering the substrate so that the excess coating material remains exposed, and then contacting acetic acid on at least part of a substrate containing the excess coating layer until the excess coating material is removed from at least part of the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for sizing preferably small diameter sleeves, wherein the method comprises the steps in any effective order of: (a) providing an electrically conductive sleeve and a die; (b) positioning a portion of the sleeve in the die; (c) positioning a portion of an electrically conductive member inside the sleeve; (d) forming a direct electrical connection between the sleeve and the member; and (e) creating a magnetic field to expand the sleeve.

Abstract: An endless metal belt resistant to failure due to stress induced by bending contains an internal stress gradient of radially outward increasing compressive stress which opposes external stress applied to the belt. The belt can be made by an electroforming process. While electroforming, at least one operating parameter selected from bath temperature, current density, agitation, and stress reducer concentration is adjusted to cause the internal stress to gradually increase, compressively, from the radially inner surface of the belt to the radially outer surface of the belt. The internal stress preferably increases at a substantially constant rate and may range from about 160,000 psi tensile at the inner surface to about 120,000 psi compressive at the outer surface.

Abstract: A process including providing at least two support members maintained at a predetermined distance from each other, encircling the support members with at least one loosely hanging preformed flexible seamless carrier support sleeve having a predetermined outer circumference, encircling the seamless carrier support sleeve with a flexible belt having an inner circumference substantially same as or less than the predetermined outer circumference of the seamless carrier support sleeve, and increasing the distance between the support members to stretch the flexible belt, the size of the inner circumference of the stretched flexible belt being substantially equal to the outer circumference of the seamless carrier support sleeve after stretching the flexible belt. The resulting flexible belt assembly fabricated by this process may be utilized in various systems including electrostatographic imaging systems.

Abstract: Polymer films are formed by electrocodeposition of solutions containing a dispersion of charged particles of a first polymer and charged particles of a second polymer. Microheterogeneous films are obtained having micro-domains of a minor component polymer dispersed in the major component polymer. Processes for preparing dispersions for electrocodeposition are also provided In a first process, two polymers are dissolved in a common solvent and then dispersed as small charged particles in another solvent which is a precipitant for both polymers. In another process, a dispersion of a first polymer is prepared by adding a solution of the first polymer to a dispersant solvent, and then a solution of a second polymer is dispersed in the dispersion of the first polymer. In another process, a solution of the second polymer is added to a dispersion of the first polymer which contains only a single non-solvent for the second polymer.

Abstract: A method for separating an electroformed article from a mandrel comprising: (a) masking a portion of a mandrel with a mask comprising an electrically nonconductive outer surface; (b) electroforming an article on the mandrel wherein the electroforming material is deposited on the mandrel surface but fails to adhere to the nonconductive outer surface of the mask, whereby the end of the electroformed article is adjacent to the mask; and (c) removing the article from the mandrel by either: (i) pushing the mask against the end of the article to effect movement of the article in the direction of separation; or (ii) removing the mandrel while keeping the mask stationary, whereby the end of the article pushes against the mask during withdrawal of the mandrel.