Abstract: A magnetic brush device for applying toner to an electrostatic image includes an applicator having a rotatable core. The sleeve for the core is made of an insulating material and preferably has a thin metallic coating on the outside of the sleeve defining the sleeve's outside surface.

Abstract: A toner container receiving apparatus has a sump and a sump opening with box-like upwardly extending vertical walls around the sump opening. A toner container includes box-shaped downwardly extending walls which fit around the sump walls when the container is positioned over the sump. A flexible cover is movable from a covering position above the box-shaped walls through a curved path to a position alongside an exterior vertical wall of the container. A lever on the receiving apparatus is movable to a vertical position and is coupled to structure which locks the container to the sump during that movement. A handle connected to the cover is positioned to fit into a slot into the lever and prevent moving of the lever away from its vertical locking position until the cover has been moved to its covering position. The cover is flexible enough to move through the curved path but stiff enough to be pushed back to its covering position.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an imaging member having an imaging surface on which transferable images are formed. Preferably the imaging member is a photoconductive drum. The system further includes a transfer drum having an outer surface adapted to receive and retain an image-receiver sheet having lead and trail edges. A shim member, preferably thinner than the image-receiver sheet, is positioned on the peripheral surface of the transfer drum adjacent the lead and/or trail edges of a retained image-receiver sheet. The shim member acts to reduce system velocity fluctuations which occur as the lead and trail edges of the image-receiver sheet, respectively, enter and leave a nip formed by the transfer drum and the imaging member.

Abstract: A toner image carried by heat softenable layer on a receiving sheet is either fixed or texturized by a pair of pressure members. The pressure members include a fusing member and a pressure roller. To prevent hot offset of the leading portion of the heat softenable layer, a recess in the pressure roller receives the leading edge of the receiving sheet, thus reducing the pressure in the nip for the leading portion of the receiving sheet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting an object from a channel. The apparatus is comprised of a channel clip, formed of a flexible material, whose length is much greater than its width and which is adapted to be applied to a channel. The channel clip includes a receiving loop and a pair of arms extending from the respective sides of the loop. The arms extend in the same direction and are spaced from each other. A retaining loop extends from each arm. The retaining loops lie in essentially parallel planes, and the outer perimeter of the retaining loops conforms generally in shape to a surface which defines the channel. The channel clip is used to support an object from a channel by first inserting the object into the receiving loop. The receiving loops are then pressed together and aligned such that planes within which the receiving loops lie are parallel with the channel. The retaining loops are inserted into the channel after which the channel clip is rotated about 90.degree.

Abstract: A fuser for an image-forming apparatus includes a fusing roller which is replaceable in a cartridge. The fusing roller cartridge includes a cover for covering an access opening providing access to the fusing roller. The cover is openable, either directly by an operator to a latched condition, by the apparatus in response to insertion of the cartridge, by the operator before insertion but held in an uncovering position by the receiving apparatus or by suitable mechanism in the apparatus after insertion of the cartridge. Preferably, the cover closes early in the removal motion so that the fingers of the removing operator cannot touch a hot fusing roller. A metallic heat shield between the fusing roller and the cartridge housing helps prevent the housing from becoming too hot to touch.

Abstract: A color tranparency having high density includes overlying color toner images on opposite sides of a transparent substrate. The color images are formed by first forming two sets of electrostatic images, one set being a mirror image of the other. The electrostatic images are toned by application of different color toners to the images of each set and then each set is transferred in registration to opposite sides of the transparency.

Abstract: A toning station particularly usable in a multicolor image-forming apparatus includes an applicator and a developer mixing mechanism. A transport roller with a fluted surface transports developer from the mixing device to the applicator. A magnetic gate is positioned inside the transport roller and has a first position in which it attracts developer from the mixing device to the transport roller to facilitate delivery of developer to the applicator. The magnetic gate is movable to a position opposite the applicator where it inhibits passage of developer to the applicator to stop the development action of the station.

Abstract: A method of forming a toner image on a receiving sheet includes a step of either transferring or fixing a toner image to the receiving sheet, in which the receiving sheet is heated to a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. To allow steam to escape from the receiving sheet, a gas impermeable layer on the side of the sheet opposite the toner image is made permeable by application of small, closely spaced holes in the layer. The method is particularly usable with a receiving sheet having a heat-softenable layer which is heated beyond its softening point to facilitate transfer of images made up of very small toner particles. The holes are preferably mechanically punched in a curl-preventing layer on the opposite side of the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a nest for receiving a photoconductive drum cartridge. The nest includes an electrometer projecting from an end of the nest parallel to an axis of rotation of a drum in a received cartridge. An opening in a received cartridge housing receives the electrometer closely spaced from the photoconductive drum. The cartridge also includes a charging station and a cleaning station. The cleaning station includes a blade and a roller upstream of the blade for directing cleaned toner toward a containing device opposite the blade from the roller.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus includes a cleaning device for cleaning toner from a surface. Magnetic particulate cleaning material is moved through a cleaning zone by a rotating magnetic core. The particulate cleaning material moves on a surface which is extended generally in an upstream direction with respect to movement of the surface being cleaned. The extension increases the effectiveness of the cleaning without increasing pickup of the cleaning material by the surface.An alternative cleaning device includes a magnetic shunt between a rotating core and a shell in which magnetic particulate cleaning material is driven by rotation of the core. The shunt interrupts the magnetic field of the core to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning without adversely affecting its softness.

Abstract: In electrographic apparatus a latent image on a flexible photoconductor is developed with toner particles at a development station and subsequently transferred to a receiver sheet, such as a copy sheet, and then fused to the sheet. Sometimes unwanted particles are on the photoconductor, including the area where an image is to be developed on the photoconductor. These particles are removed by a magnetic brush system located closely adjacent the surface of the photoconductor prior to the charging station. A biased ski located under the photoconductor presents the photoconductor to the cleaning nap at a predetermined uniform pressure and a desired distance, so that the photoconductor is uniformly cleaned and buffed.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus includes a toner cleaning device for cleaning toner off an image surface. The cleaning device includes a cleaning applicator for moving magnetic particulate cleaning material past the surface to be cleaned. Particulate material is moved from a sump to the cleaning applicator by a transport positioned between them. A detoning roller is positioned to attract toner from particulate material associated with the transport. When the cleaning device is not cleaning, it has a mode of operation in which the transport and the detoning roller continue to operate to continue to detone particulate material which moves from the sump around the transport and back to the sump.

Abstract: A zoom lens having two units of lens components including from the object side a positive optical unit and a negative optical unit. The positive optical unit includes two lens subunits, a weak power subunit, and a positive power subunit, while the negative optical unit consists of a negative lens component and provides most of the magnification change during zooming.

Abstract: A zoom lens system including a first lens unit of positive power and a second lens unit of negative power with the axial separation therebetween varies to bring about zooming. The first lens unit includes at least one positive lens element and at least one negative lens element and the second lens unit consists of a biconcave negative lens element having a strong curvature towards the front.

Abstract: In electrographic apparatus a latent image on a flexible photoconductor is developed with toner particles at a development station and subsequently transferred to a receiver sheet, such as a copy sheet, and then fused to the sheet. Sometimes unwanted particles are on the photoconductor, including the area where an image is to be developed on the photoconductor. These particles are removed by a magnetic brush system located closely adjacent the surface of the photoconductor prior to the charging station. By means of a pair of tapered skis the cleaning pressure across the photoconductor is maintained at a uniform pressure during cleaning of the photoconductor so that the photoconductor is uniformly cleaned.

Abstract: A rotating wick for a fuser includes an outside surface having a roughness less than 0.1 mm. peak-to-valley. The outside surface is preferably a porous fibrous cloth which can cover a NOMEX needled felt surrounding a rotatable porous ceramic material. If enough turns of the cloth are used, the felt can be eliminated and single convolutions of the cloth can be severed and thrown away when soiled.

Abstract: A xeroprinting master includes a fixed insulative toner image on an electrophotographic element of the type exhibiting charge injection at an interface between a charge injection electrode and a charge transport layer. In xeroprinting use the master is charged to a polarity opposite that which is injectable. The charge is neutralized by charges injected from the electrode which migrate to the charged surface. Charge retained on the fixed toner image can be toned. The master can be made by positively charging it to a polarity the same as that which is injectable, imagewise exposing it and toning and fixing.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus in which a stack of sheets is supported and stored in a biased base tray. Successive uppermost sheets contained within the biased base tray are caused to move into engagement with a segmented feed roller. A cone shaped roller in combination with edge guides provide cross-track, in-track and skew alignment for the uppermost sheet after is it separated and advanced from the stack by the segmented feed roller. A biased retard pad prevents multiple sheet feeds from the stack.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus includes a laser and a laser chassis. An image member cartridge containing a photoconductive drum is receivable in the laser chassis and fixed with respect to the laser. The laser chassis and image member cartridge are movable as a unit toward a transfer drum to engage the photoconductive drum and the transfer drum. Positioning surfaces engage opposite ends of a shaft of the photoconductive drum to control positioning of the drums.