Abstract: A commutator brush having carbon fibers encased in a resin matrix and extending outwardly therefrom and a method of making thereof. The carbon fibers are cold cut by a laser beam to minimize heating thereof. The commutative brush is in wiping contact with electrodes on a donor roll used in a development system of an electrophotographic printing machine.

Abstract: An electrical component has at least one end adapted to be electrically connected to another component. The electrical component includes a support with a plurality of electrically conductive fibers having at least a portion thereof extending outwardly therefrom. The free end of the conductive fibers has a metal electroplated thereon to facilitate soldering of the electrical component to a printed circuit board. The other ends of the fibers have conductive adhesive bonded thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus which cleans particles from a tracking region on a photoconductive drum. A spacer maintains the spacing between the photoconductive drum and a developer roller substantially constant. The spacer contacts the photoconductive drum in the tracking region. The cleaning member, mounted on a transfer roller, removes particles adhering to the tracking region so as to ensure that there is no build up of particles in the tracking region changing the spacing between the photoconductive drum and the developer roller.

Abstract: An apparatus which develops an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive member used in an electrophotographic printing machine. The apparatus employs a development material wherein developability degradates as the duration of time that the toner particles remain in the developer housing increases. Developability is significantly improved by periodically adding a flow additive material to the developer material.

Abstract: A printing machine in which an endless web of sheet material is adapted to move along a path of movement. A recording device, in communication with the web of sheet material, prints information thereon. A fixing device, associated with the recording device, substantially permanently fixes the printed information to the web of sheet material. An inverter, positioned after the fixing device in the path of movement of the web of sheet material, inverts the sheet material enabling information to be printed on one side of the web of sheet material before inversion and information to be printed on the other side of the web of sheet material after inversion thereof.

Abstract: A multi-color electrophotographic printing machine in which the tangential velocity of the photoconductive drum in the transfer zone is greater than the tangential velocity of the transfer drum having the sheet receiving the transferred images thereon. A buckle is formed in the sheet after the transfer zone, resulting in the sheet being tacked to the developed image on the photoconductive member and moving at the same tangential velocity as the developed image. This is achieved by a transfer sheet having one end secured fixedly over an aperture in the transfer drum. The other end of the transfer sheet is resiliently secured to the transfer drum. The sheet of support material receiving the transferred images is secured at the leading edge to the transfer sheet. In this way, the transfer sheet and the sheet of support material may be induced to form a buckle after the transfer zone enabling the sheet of support material and the developed image to move at the same tangential velocity.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a tubular member uses a hollow member having a closed end. A portion of the hollow member is inflatable. The hollow member is mounted on a device which moves the hollow member from a position remote from the tubular member to a position in which the hollow member is inserted in the tubular member. The hollow member extends in the tubular member a distance less than one-half the length of the tubular member. A source of fluid is coupled to the hollow member to supply fluid to the hollow member for inflating the inflatable portion thereof. This secures the hollow member to the tubular member so that the hollow member and the tubular member move substantially in unison with one another.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is mounted movably on a developer unit of a printing machine. The toner cartridge stores a quantity of toner particles therein. A bar code is provided on the exterior surface of the toner cartridge. The bar code provides information concerning the toner particles within the housing. A bar code reader periodically detects the bar code and transmits information to a processing unit indicating the characteristics of the toner cartridge. This enables discrimination between different toner cartridges, ensuring that the proper toner cartridge is installed in the developer unit of the printing machine. In addition, the processing unit, in response to receiving a signal indicating that the bar code has been detected, provides a signal indicative of the quantity of toner particles remaining in the toner cartridge. This signal is transmitted to a graphical user interface which displays the remaining quantity of toner particles in the cartridge.

Abstract: A method of recording events in a printing machine having a plurality of subsystems. The recorded event corresponds to selected information generated as a result of an event occurring at one of the plurality of subsystems. The log event is communicated to a logging service. A log event file is created from the event information received at the logging service. The log event file is arranged in a file arrangement having a log event record. The log event file is translated to place the log event file in a readable output form.

Abstract: An apparatus for predicting a location of a sheet being transported along a path of movement after the occurrence of a sheet jam. A sheet jam detecting device is disposed along the path of movement of the sheet. The sheet jam detecting device detects the sheet jam along the path of movement and generates a sheet jam signal. A sensor is operatively associated with the transport to detect the continued movement of the transport after the jam detecting device detects the sheet jam. The sensor generates a transport signal. A processor is in communication with the jam detecting device and the sensor for receiving the sheet jam signal and the transport signal. The detector predicts the location of the sheet as a function of these signals. An apparatus of this type may be used in a printing machine for detecting the location of sheets after the occurrence of a sheet jam.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine that has a photoconductive belt with a skewed seam thereon. The position of the skewed seam is detected by a pair of seam detection devices. The seam detection devices are spaced from one another and adapted to transmit a pair of signals with the signals having a time interval therebetween. These signals are inputted to a detection circuit and, if the time interval between signals is within a preselected tolerance, the detection circuit generates a seam indication signal. In this way, scratches on the photoconductive surface may be discriminated from the seam.

Abstract: A single pass, multi-color electrophotographic printing machine architecture uses a vertically oriented photoconductive belt. Transfer of the toner powder images occur at the lowermost portion of the photoconductive belt. The photoconductive belt is elliptically shaped, having a major and a minor axis. N image recording stations are positioned adjacent an exterior surface of the photoconductive belt on one side of the major axis thereof. N-1 image recording stations are positioned adjacent the exterior surface of the photoconductive belt on the other side of the major axis thereof. The image recording stations record electrostatic latent images on the photoconductive belt. This architecture optimizes image registration while minimizing the overall height of the printing machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing a sheet. The apparatus includes a transport which has the sheet releasably secured thereto in one mode of operation, and, in another mode of operation reduces the frictional force between the sheet and the transport to facilitate relative movement therebetween. A controller, in communication with the transport, selects the mode of operation of the transport.

Abstract: An apparatus which transfers a developed image from a photoconductive member to a sheet. A sheet baffle guides an advancing sheet to the photoconductive member at the transfer station. The sheet baffle has an elongated axis extending in a transverse direction to the planer surface of the photoconductive member. A sensing unit, located prior to the transfer station, generates a signal indicative of the sheet basis weight. A regulator, responsive to the signal from the sensing unit, adjusts the position of the sheet baffle to position the elongated axis thereof at a selected angle relative to the planer surface of the photoconductive member. This angle is greater for a lightweight sheet than for a heavyweight sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a sheet bi-directionally. The apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller. A drive system is associated with the rollers to drive the first roller in a first direction. The drive system is adapted to rotate the second roller simultaneously with the first roller in the same direction as the first roller or in the opposite direction thereto. In addition, the drive system is capable of idling the second roller so as to adjust the timing of the sheet as it moves to subsequent processing stations within a printing machine.

Abstract: A commutating connector which electrically connects conductive paths of a rotating electroded donor roll to a voltage source. The connector includes a housing made of an electrically insulating material. The housing defines a chamber to receive the donor roll. An electrically conductive brush is disposed in the chamber. The brush is mounted in pressing engagement against the conductive paths on the electroded donor roll to electrically connect the voltage source to the conductive paths on the electroded donor roll. The chamber is divided by a partition into a commutating and a non-commutating area. The housing has ports for receiving air to prevent particulate matter from accumulating between the brush and donor roll.

Abstract: A sensing and a control system are disclosed for eliminating registration error during duplex printing in a multi-pass xerographic printing system. The system registers a common physical edge of a sheet using multiple pairs of sensors. During the first pass or simplex pass, a first set of sensors detect the leading edge of a sheet of paper, and during the second pass or duplex pass, a second set of sensors detect the trailing edge of a sheet of paper. The control system regulates the rate at which a sheet should be driven to be in timed registration with a developed image on a photoreceptor at a transfer station. Variations in sheet size due to sheet cut tolerances are eliminated by the sensing and the control system since any offset is directed towards a common physical edge when developed front and back images on a photoreceptor are registered with a sheet of paper.

Abstract: A method for adjusting image quality in a printing machine having a variable density image developed on a photoconductive surface in accordance with an initial set of starting values. The method includes a first layer of detecting a plurality of densities of the variable density image and transmitting a plurality of signals with each signal being indicative of a density; generating new starting values, responsive to the plurality of signals, using a linearized perturbation model; calculating error values, responsive to the plurality of signals, minimizing the sum of the squares of the error values; testing the error values for convergence on a set of reference values with each reference value indicative of an acceptable density; repeating the detecting, transmitting, generating, calculating, and testing steps for a plurality of iterations.

Abstract: An epicyclic drive train arrangement having a plurality of output drive members which may be selectively driven from a single input drive member. A frame equipped with two pawls is operated by a single solenoid and spring combination. During successive cycles of solenoid operation, a selected pawl engages its mating gear by action of a solenoid plunger rod. The action prevents rotation of the selected gear while the pawl is engaged. The unselected pawl disengages its mating gear thereby allowing it to freely rotate. Multiple epicyclic drive train arrangements may be configured so as to drive a plurality of sheet feeding apparatuses in an electrophotographic printing machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining an ambient condition about a marking module. The apparatus includes a substantially air impervious enclosure defining a chamber having the marking module disposed therein. An air flow source supplies air to the chamber, and sensors respond to the amount of air flow to control the air flowing from the air source.