Abstract: An improved agitating device in a developing apparatus for use in an electrophotocopying machine, wherein the developing apparatus includes a sump for holding a two-component developing material made up of a marking constituent and a magnetic carrier constituent, and a hopper for holding and dispensing the marking constituent to the sump. The improved agitating device agitates the marking constituent held in the hopper, and includes a straight section of wire rotatable through the marking constituent in the hopper, and a compression spring surrounding and hanging on the straight section of wire.

Abstract: An envelope flap sealing device in a mailing machine, including a moistener separator blade, a moistening brush attached to and located downstream of the separator blade, at least one pair of feed rollers for transporting envelopes past the moistening brush, a pivotable, deflecting baffle situated intermediate the feed rollers and the separator blade, and a cam operatively connected to the deflecting baffle for pivoting the baffle about its downstream end whereby the upstream end of the baffle is translatable between a raised position and a flat position, wherein the raised position guides an envelope flap under the moistening brush to thereby seal the flap and the flat position causes the envelope flap to pass over the moistening brush and not be sealed.

Abstract: A disposable inking cartridge in combination with a housing for transferring ink to a secondary surface, including a housing having a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls having a locating guide, wherein the locating guide includes at its trailing end a leg forming an acute or perpendicular angle therewith, an applicator roller rotatably mounted in the housing for transferring ink to a secondary surface, and a disposable inking cartridge lockingly mountable in the sidewalls of the housing.

Abstract: A line scanning, illuminating apparatus for use in an electrophotocopying machine. The apparatus includes a linear source of light, a hyperbolic reflector situated behind the linear light source, and a cylindrical lens located in front of the linear light source. The profile of the reflector is given by the equation: ##EQU1## wherein the x and y axes intersect at the center line of the reflector, and wherein B is a positive quantity on the x axis representing the distance between the center line of the reflector and a virtual image of the light source created behind the reflector, and wherein A is a negative quantity representing the distance between the center line of the reflector and the linear light source located in front of the reflector.

Abstract: An improvement in a fiber optic illuminating system having a linear array of fiber ends and a platen for supporting an original document to be scanned and copied. The improvement includes a flexible lens assembly situated intermediate the array of fiber ends and the platen, a deflectable frame supporting the flexible lens assembly, and a device for deflecting the deflectable frame, whereby the flexible lens assembly can be transversely deflected to thereby modify the linearity of the lens assembly without disturbing the focal adjustment thereof.

Abstract: In an optical scanning system for scanning an original document to be copied, in which the system includes a carriage, an array of fiber optics for illuminating the original document with a line of light, a first mirror, a second mirror opposing the first mirror and forming an acute angle therewith, the mirrors being separated by a predetermined distance, whereby one end of the mirrors is more open than the other end of the mirrors and input light rays enter at the more open end of the mirrors upon the first mirror at a predetermined angle, and wherein the light rays are reflected off each of the mirrors a predetermined multiplicity of times and exit the mirrors at the more open end by reflecting off the second mirror at the same predetermined angle the input rays make with the first mirror, and a lens cell for focusing the line of light upon a light sensitive surface, an improved adjustment mechanism for the lens cell.

Abstract: A tubular knife comprising a stationary, inner cylindrical member having a slot extending substantially longitudinally thereof, the slot having a longitudinally extending upper edge and a longitudinally extending lower cutting edge, a rotatable, outer tube concentric and substantially contiguous with the inner member, the outer tube having a slot substantially co-extensive with the slot of the inner member, the outer tube slot having an upper cutting edge inclined at a slight angle with respect to the lower cutting edge of the inner member slot, a device for biasing the outer tube to a position wherein the slot of the outer tube is substantially aligned with the slot of the inner member, and means for rotating the upper cutting edge of the outer slot past the lower cutting edge of the inner slot.

Abstract: A removable paper cassette for feeding different lengths of cut paper sheets seriatim to a machine operatively associated with the cassette. The cassette includes a chutelike base having a bottom panel, and a pair of sidewalls contiguous with the front wall and extending only along a portion of the bottom panel. The cassette further includes an upwardly biased paper elevating plate pivotably secured at its rearward section to the base, the plate having a pair of detents situated in the forward section thereof adjacent the sidewalls, and a cassette cover pivotably secured to the sidewalls of the base. The cover includes a pair of inwardly projecting camming fingers integral therewith, one on each side of the forward section thereof. The detents engage the fingers when the cover is raised to the open position whereby the cover is held in the open position and the elevating pate is maintained in a depressed position ready for paper loading.

Abstract: A levitating paper stacking device for stacking different length papers. The device includes a box-like receptacle having a bottom wall, a front wall, and a pair of sidewalls, and a fold-down, four bar linkage, perforated ramp. The ramp is movable between a raised position for stacking a shorter length paper and a stored position for stacking a longer length paper. The ramp includes three hinged segments wherein the forwardmost segment constitutes the rear wall of the receptacle when the ramp is in its raised position and wherein the forwardmost and middle segments constitute an addition to the bottom wall of the receptacle when the ramp is in its stored position.

Abstract: An improvement in an electrophotographic copying machine having a movable photoconductor web rotatably mounted on at least a pair of rollers, the web having an insulative support layer, an electrically conductive layer disposed on the support layer, and a photoconductive layer disposed on the electrically conductive layer.

Abstract: A fire extinguishing device for use with a heat fusing apparatus in an electrophotocopying machine, including a roller movably mounted above a copy paper conveyor associated with and located downstream of the heat fusing apparatus, a moving device for moving the roller into rolling contact with the conveyor when an abnormality is detected in the fusing apparatus during the copying operation, and a device for maintaining the roller out of rolling contact with the conveyor when no abnormality in the fusing apparatus is detected during the copying operation.

Abstract: Electrostatic toner particles are removed from the cylindrical surface of a cold pressure fusing roller by contacting the surface with a section of wire helically strung across the surface. The wire is secured to a pair of discs flanking the ends of the roller and having diameters less than that of the roller.

Abstract: An iris retractor for use during eye surgery. The retractor comprises a substantially circular, resilient ring, the ring having an arcuate flange extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom, a plurality of transverse, reinforcing struts extending across the ring and the arcuate flange, and a pair of opposing pinions situated on the flange of the substantially circular, resilient ring. The retractor, prior to being placed within the pupil, may be contracted into a substantially oval configuration by means of suitable forceps engaging the opposing pinions, and, when placed within the pupil, may be expanded back into its circular configuration by means of the resiliency within the retractor.

Abstract: A reversible slip clutch, which comprises a first shaft, a first spur gear driven by an external source, a second spur gear rotatably mounted at one end of said first shaft, to be rotated by said first spur gear in a direction opposite to the rotation of the first spur gear, a second shaft, a third spur gear rotatably mounted at one end of said second shaft to be rotated by said first spur gear in a direction opposite to the rotation of the first spur gear, a fourth spur gear rotatably mounted inwardly of said second spur gear at the other end of said first shaft, a fifth, output spur gear rotatably mounted inwardly of said third spur gear at the other end of said second shaft, said output spur gear engaging said fourth spur gear, and means for providing alternate inward pressure to said second and third spur gears to thereby urge said second spur gear to frictionally engage said fourth spur gear and said third spur gear to frictionally engage said fifth spur gear.

Abstract: A multi-bounce, folded path scanning system, including a first and second pair of stationary tracks, the second pair of tracks being angled with respect to the first pair of tracks, and a movable carriage slidably mounted on the first pair of stationary tracks.

Abstract: A compact, table top plain paper copy machine has a teardrop shaped photoreceptor belt. A reciprocating carriage scan exposes an original document to the photoreceptor through an optical system having a Z-shaped optical path. The optical system and a number of other processing stations are located directly underneath the carriage thereby contributing to the overall compactness of the machine. A pair of pressure fusing rollers fix a dry toned image to a plain paper copy sheet, so that no energy is required to maintain the machine in a warm-up or stand-by mode of operation.

Abstract: Fusing apparatus for fixing toner material to a copy sheet. The apparatus comprises a pair of parallel, cold pressure fixing rollers, each of said rollers including a cylindrical metal tube open at both ends thereof, a cured elastomer occupying the volume enclosed by and bonded to said cylindrical tube, and a shaft extending through and bonded to said elastomer. The shaft is concentric with the tube. The apparatus also comprises means for applying a force to one of the two roller shafts to thereby apply a uniform pressure to the nip of the cold pressure fixing rollers.

Abstract: A photoconductive surface, a carbon loaded, elastomeric roller having two levels of impedance under two distinct loading conditions situated adjacent the photoconductive surface, and a device for generating two different loading conditions on the roller to thereby produce the two levels of impedance, wherein when the roller is subjected to the lower level of loading the roller is operable for charging the photoconductive surface and when the roller is subjected to the higher level of loading the roller is operable for transferring a developed image from the photoconductive surface to a receiver sheet.

Abstract: The combination of a pressure fixing roller for an electrophotocopying machine and a scraping device operatively associated with the roller for removing toner material accumulated on the roller. The scraping device includes an angled blade having a scraping portion and a supporting portion oriented at an acute angle with respect to the scraping portion, and a plastic bracket surrounding the supporting portion of the angled blade and having a first, angled, reinforcing member extending along most of the downstream side of the scraping portion of the angled blade relative to the rotation of the roller and a second, smaller, angled, stiffening member extending along a small portion of the upstream surface of the scraping portion of the angled blade and terminating in a direction substantially parallel to the scraping portion of the angled blade.

Abstract: A fire extinguishing device for use with a heat fusing apparatus in an electrophotocopying machine, comprising a roller movably mounted above a copy paper conveyor associated with and located downstream of the heat fusing apparatus, means for moving the roller into rolling contact with the conveyor when an abnormality is detected in the fusing apparatus during the copying operation, and means for maintaining the roller out of rolling contact with the conveyor when no abnormality in the fusing apparatus is detected during the copying operation.