Abstract: There is disclosed a chuck assembly for engaging the inner surface of a hollow substrate comprising: (a) a housing having an open end and defining a passageway in communication with the open end; (b) a partially hollow elastic boot defining an entry hole and an inner surface wherein the boot when stretched decreases in cross-sectional dimension, and wherein the boot engages the housing, whereby the hollow portion of the boot is in communication with the passageway; and (c) a movable, boot stretching member disposed in the passageway and adapted to engage the inner surface of the boot, wherein movement of the member in a direction to stretch the boot decreases the cross-sectional dimension of the boot, thereby permitting insertion of the boot into the substrate, and wherein movement of the member in the opposite direction increases the cross-sectional dimension of the boot, thereby permitting engagement of the boot against the inner surface of the substrate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a viscosity reduction method including: (a) forming an azeotropic mixture including water and a liquid capable of forming the azeotropic mixture with the water in a coating composition comprised of the water, a solvent, and a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of a fluorohydrocarbon polymer and a grafted elastomer composed of a polyorganosiloxane bonded to a fluoroelastomer; and (b) agitating the coating composition including the azeotropic mixture, thereby reducing the viscosity of the coating composition.

Abstract: There is disclosed a chuck assembly for internally holding a hollow substrate having an open end including: (a) a body including an end section having a width narrower than that of the inner width of the substrate to permit insertion of the end section through the substrate open end into the substrate interior; and (b) a compressible spring coiled around a portion of the end section, wherein prior to compression the spring has an outer width larger than that of the inner width of the substrate, wherein upon insertion of the end section of the body into the substrate the spring is compressed by contact with the substrate inner surface resulting in the chuck assembly holding the substrate by the force generated against the substrate inner surface by the spring in opposition to the compression.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for surface treating a substrate used in a photosensitive imaging member including: (a) impinging a honing composition comprised of particulate material against the substrate surface to create a surface roughness sufficient to substantially suppress formation of a pattern of light and dark interference fringes upon exposure of the photosensitive imaging member, wherein the particulate material is capable of being dissolved by a solvent; and (b) rinsing the substrate surface having the surface roughness with a cleansing composition comprised of the solvent, wherein any particulate material remaining on the substrate surface having the surface roughness is dissolved by the solvent.

Abstract: There is disclosed a belt assembly including: (a) an endless belt capable of repeated cycling over rollers having a first side edge and a second side edge and defining a center region between two side regions, wherein a low friction composition comprised of a fluoropolymer covers a portion of the length of the first side edge; and (b) a belt guide apparatus which contacts the first side edge during cycling of the belt to position the belt on the rollers, wherein the low friction composition reduces the wear of the belt at the first side edge.

Abstract: A chuck assembly defining a longitudinal axis for internally holding a hollow substrate is disclosed including: (a) a stationary top pressing member; (b) a bottom pressing member movable along the longitudinal axis; (c) an elastic bag defining an opening, a top region, a side wall, and a bottom region, wherein the bag is stretchable along the longitudinal axis and a portion of the top region adjacent the side wall is immobilized against the stationary top pressing member during the stretching of the bag and a portion of the bottom region is coupled to the bottom pressing member; and (d) a width changing apparatus movable along the longitudinal axis, wherein the width changing apparatus is operatively coupled to the bottom pressing member.

Abstract: There is disclosed an assembly for selectively coating a hollow, cylindrical first substrate defining a first open end region having an outer surface and an inner surface and a second open end region, the assembly including a first plug member fabricated from a nonwetting material, wherein the plug member has a bottom surface defining a pallet coupling feature and a top surface defining a cavity region encompassed by a circumferentially extending rigid side wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the first end region of the substrate is disposed in the cavity region where the inner surface of the side wall grips the outer surface of the first end region of the substrate to couple the first plug member to the first end region, whereby the plug member minimizes coating of the outer surface and the inner surface of the first end region of the substrate by a coating solution.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for parting an electroformed article from a mandrel including: (a) solidifying a liquid that is disposed between a parting device and the article, thereby joining the parting device to the article via the solidified liquid; and (b) moving the parting device in a direction of separation of the article from the mandrel while the parting device is joined to the article via the solidified liquid to assist in separation of the article from the mandrel.

Abstract: An end of life monitor apparatus for a filter that removes an undesirable gas including: (a) an elastic material, which degrades in the presence of the undesirable gas; (b) a support member coupled to the elastic material; and (c) an indicator component movable to a filter end life position, coupled to the elastic material, whereby the elastic material is stretched between the support member and the indicator component, wherein the indicator component is biased to move to the filter end life position but is restrained by the elastic material from moving to the filter end life position, wherein degradation of the elastic material allows the indicator component to move to the filter end life position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a carrier system for carrying a substrate batch including:(a) a heat treated, integral pallet having a pallet thickness, a top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein the pallet defines a plurality of passageways extending completely through the pallet thickness to form a first plurality of openings on the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the pallet also defines a plurality of chambers extending through at least a portion of the pallet thickness to form a second plurality of openings on the bottom surface; and(b) a plurality of chuck assemblies partially disposed in the plurality of the chambers and adapted to engage the substrate batch, wherein the pallet has sufficient structural rigidity such that while the carrier system is carrying the substrate batch, even when the carrier system is subjected to an elevated temperature, there is absent any appreciable bending and twisting of the pallet.

Abstract: There is disclosed a chuck assembly defining a longitudinal axis for internally holding a hollow substrate having an open first end and a second end including: (a) an alignment shoulder positioned along the longitudinal axis; (b) an end portion, positioned along the longitudinal axis, that is adapted to be inserted into the substrate through the open first end and comprised of a polymeric member, wherein the polymeric member has a changeable width including a smaller width to permit insertion of the polymeric member into the substrate and a larger width to contact the polymeric member with the substrate inner surface, and the polymeric member is moveable along the longitudinal axis; and (c) a width changing apparatus operatively coupled to the polymeric member, wherein the polymeric member, which is in contact with the substrate inner surface, pulls the substrate a distance along the longitudinal axis towards the alignment shoulder when the polymeric member moves towards the alignment shoulder.

Abstract: There is disclosed a coating composition including water, a solvent, a grafted elastomer composed of a polyorganosiloxane bonded to a fluoroelastomer, and a liquid which forms an azeotropic mixture with the water, wherein the azeotropic mixture of the water and the liquid restrains a viscosity increase in the coating composition over time.

Abstract: A hard, long wearing, thermally conductive fuser member comprising a base member and a surface layer wherein said surface layer includes a fluoroelastomer and an alumina filler having an average particle size of from about 0.5 to about 15 micrometers, said alumina being present in an amount to provide a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.24 watts/meter .degree.Kelvin in said surface layer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dip coating apparatus including: (a) a single coating vessel capable of containing a batch of substrates vertically positioned in the vessel, wherein there is absent vessel walls defining a separate compartment for each of the substrates; (b) a coating solution disposed in the vessel, wherein the solution is comprised of materials employed in a photosensitive member and including a solvent that gives off a solvent vapor; and (c) a solvent vapor uniformity control apparatus which minimizes any difference in solvent vapor concentration encountered by the batch of the substrates in the air adjacent the solution surface, thereby improving coating uniformity of the substrates.

Abstract: A method is disclosed including rubbing an edge region of an applicator across a surface of a substrate at a sufficient pressure and at a sufficient speed relative to the substrate surface, wherein the edge region of the applicator comprises an aramid material, to deposit a portion of the aramid material from the applicator to the substrate in an adherent coating on the substrate surface, wherein the method is accomplished in the absence of a solvent.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for separating an electroformed article from a mandrel wherein the article is more attracted to a magnetic force than the mandrel comprising employing the magnetic force on the article in separating the article and the mandrel.

Abstract: A dip coating apparatus is disclosed including: (a) a single coating vessel capable of containing a batch of substrates vertically positioned in the vessel, wherein there is absent vessel walls defining a separate compartment for each of the substrates; (b) a coating solution disposed in the vessel, wherein the solution is comprised of materials employed in a photosensitive member and including a solvent that gives off a solvent vapor; and (c) a solution displacement apparatus positioned in the vessel to reduce the volume of solution required for dip coating the substrates.

Abstract: An endless flexible seamed belt formed by joining two ends of material from which the belt is fabricated each end of which has a plurality of mutually mating elements in a puzzle cut pattern which are in interlocking relationship to prevent separation of the ends and which form a seam when joined mechanically to enable the flexible belt to essentially function as an endless belt having a substantially uniform thickness, said seam having voids between mutually mating elements at least partially filled with a seam strength enhancing material which is chemically and physically compatible with the material from which the belt is fabricated and which substance applied as a strip or on a strip over the seam and is bound to said belt material, said bond having been formed by the application of heat and/or pressure to a strip of said compatible placed material on at least one side of the seam at least substantially covering the seam.

Abstract: The enclosed an electrostatographic printing apparatus including: (a) an imaging member capable of retaining a latent image, wherein the imaging member includes an imaging layer on a substrate comprised of a magnetic material with a magnetic permeability of at least 1.001; (b) charging apparatus for charging the surface of the imaging member, thereby resulting in a charged surface; (c) exposure apparatus for exposing a portion of the charged surface to radiation, thereby substantially discharging the exposed portion, wherein the substantially discharged, exposed portion corresponds to the image area of the latent image; and (d) a single component development apparatus for depositing toner particles on the substantially discharged, exposed portion of the imaging member.

Abstract: A dry electrostatographic process involving the development of the latent image using a semi-dry developer having a solids content ranging from about 50% to about 99% by weight based on the weight of the semi-dry developer, and wherein the semi-dry developer is prepared by a developer preparation process comprising: (i) removing liquid from a liquid developer in an effective amount to yield the semi-dry developer; or (ii) adding a liquid additive to a dry developer containing toner particles ranging in size of from about 1 to 7 microns in an effective amount to yield the semi-dry developer.