Abstract: An abrasive multi-disc cutter is formed by uniformly coating a cylindrical holder with a mixture of diamond powder and resin. The holder is rotated about its longitudinal axis while one or more beams of laser energy are used to ablate the resin for forming a plurality of annular depressions in the coating, the depressions being equally spaced along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical holder. An abrasive annular cutting disc is thereby provided between each pair of successive annular depressions. The cutter is used to cut a plurality of parallel, spaced ink cavities in a piezoelectric substrate forming part of an ink jet printer printhead.

Abstract: A notch cylinder unit for selectively activating a plurality of impaling pins such as might be used for separating and removing a strip from a paper web. The notch cylinder unit comprises a cylinder having a longitudinally extending hole and a hollowing driving shaft extending therethrough, at least two rows of removable blades extending radially outwardly from and longitudinally of the cylinder, and adapted to cut a strip in the web, and a plurality of slidably mounted impaling pins generally equally spaced between the rows of blades and adapted to puncture, hook and remove the strip. The notch unit cylinder unit further includes an activating means including an activating means for activating or deactivating the impaling pins.

Abstract: Improved charge control agent for electrophotographic liquid toners comprising a mixture of lecithin and an alkylated poly-N-vinyl pyrrolidone polymer is disclosed. Methods include applying liquid toners comprising such charge control agent mixture to an electroconductive substrate that has been electrostatically charged in the image areas thereof.

Abstract: A pull guide mechanism for moving a copy sheet transversely of a conveyor board into proper registration in a printing, duplicating or like machine. A drive wheel is rotatably mounted in the conveyor board and a pressure wheel is disposed above the conveyor board for sandwiching a copy sheet therebetween and pulling the sheet into proper registration in response to driven rotation of the drive wheel. A carriage is mounted on the machine for reciprocal movement toward and away from the conveyor board and the drive wheel. A spring biased piston is mounted on the carriage for limited yielding movement relative to the carriage. The pressure wheel is rotatably mounted on the piston for movement with the carriage toward and away from the drive wheel and for gripping a copy sheet between the wheels against the spring bias. A first adjusting device adjusts the position of the piston relative to the carriage and thereby adjusts the dwell time that the wheels grip the copy sheet.

Abstract: Coated paper useful for ink jet printing comprises a cellulosic substrate coated with an intimate mixture of a particulate pigment with a binder comprising a mixture of an acrylic resin and polyvinyl alcohol.

Abstract: Methods of using improved liquid toner dispersions in high-speed electrophotography are disclosed wherein pigment charge homogeneity and mobility are improved by the addition of effective carrier liquid-insoluble monomeric organic acids to the toner solution. Preferred acids include benzoic, succinic, p-toluenesulfonic acid, phenylphosphonic acid, salicylic acid, and 2-nitro and 4-nitrobenzoic acid.

Abstract: A pulsed droplet ink jet printer has relatively long thin ink channels extending in parallel between an ink manifold 13, and a nozzle plate 5 providing a nozzle 6 for each channel. Side walls 11 may be formed substantially entirely of piezo-electric material so as to be displaceable transversely into a selected channel on the application of an electric field. This transverse displacement produces an acoustic wave in the channel which results in the ejection of an ink droplet. The side walls may deflect in shear mode to a cross-section of chevron formation. Usefully, it is arranged that both side walls adjoining the selected channel are displaced inwardly of the channel to cooperate in droplet ejection. Under this arrangement, the channels are assigned alternately to first and second groups of channels, only one group of channels being capable of actuation at any one instant.

Abstract: A pulsed droplet ink jet printer has at least one channel communicating with a nozzle. The side wall of the channel is formed as a shear mode piezo-electric actuator. Electrodes applied to the actuator enable an electric field to be applied such that the actuator moves in the direction of the field to change the liquid pressure in the channel and thereby eject a droplet through the nozzle. The actuator can be made in two parts so as to deform, in cross section, to a chevron formation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for preventing leakage of a fluid such as a lubricant from a gear case. In this method and apparatus, the ambient pressure inside the gear case is maintained slightly lower than the air pressure outside the gear case. By maintaining this pressure differential, air flows from outside the gear case into the gear case through any openings from which lubricant would otherwise leak. Leakage of the lubricant through such openings in the gear case is thereby prevented.

Abstract: A feed system for large copy sheets to feed such sheets through a copying machine, such as a white print, blue print or other copying machine, a computer printing machine, a pen plotter of other vector plotter, or raster plotter, or a printing machine. A supply roll is provided with copy sheets wound on the supply roll in an interleaved or overlapping array. A pair of support rollers form a cradle for freely supporting the supply roll, with at least one of the support rollers being driven. A printing roller grasps a copy sheet as the sheet is fed from the supply roll. A sensor stops the driven support roller and, in turn, the supply roll at a given time in a predetermined cycle whereby the printing roller can pull the fed sheet away from the supply roll and away from a succeeding overlapped sheet interleaved with the fed sheet.

Abstract: An ink jet"drop-on-demand" printer has a number of parallel channels each containing ink. A thread of mercury extends longitudinally of each channel or pair of channels and is connected for electrical current flow. A magnetic field is applied orthogonally to the channel plane such that current flow in a selected channel causes electromagnetic deformation of the mercury thread. This leads to a pressure pulse in the ink causing ejection of an ink droplet. With a mercury thread shared between a pair of channels, current in the opposite sense results in droplet ejection from the opposite channel of the pair.

Abstract: A mechanism for holding a master or printing plate on a cylinder of a duplicating or printing machine. An elongated housing, including an anvil, extends transversely across the periphery of the cylinder. A die plate extends along the housing above the anvil and defines a gap between the die plate and the anvil for receiving an edge of the master. The die plate has a series of holes spaced therealong. A pin bar extends along the housing below the anvil for moving pins into the holes in the die plate. An actuator mechanism, including pivot pins and link arms, is operatively associated between the housing and the die plate and between the housing and the pin bar for conjointly moving the die plate toward the anvil to close the gap and moving the pins through the master and into the holes in the die plate to hold the master. The pins have sharpened ends for piercing masters that are not provided with pre-punched perforations.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting and stacking in an inverted orientation large copy sheet discharged from the exit port of a whiteprint, blueprint or similar copying machine. A receptacle trough is provided for arresting and captivating the leading edges of the copy sheets as the sheets are discharged seriatim from the exit port of the machine. A stacking tray is disposed adjacent the receptacle trough for receiving the copy sheets inverted and in sequential order while the sheets remain captivated by the receptacle trough.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking large copy sheets beneath a tabletop model whiteprint, blueprint or similar copying machine. A support structure spaces the copying machine above a subjacent support surface as a tabletop, floor or the like. A receptacle structure is disposed below and forwardly of the exit port of the machine for arresting the leading edges of the copy sheets as the sheets are discharged seriatim from the copying machine and for causing the sheets to bow rearwardly onto a stack in the stacking space beneath the machine. The apparatus can be provided in kit form for application to existing copying machines.

Abstract: A bracket assembly for receiving and positionally adjusting the shaft end of a distribution roller in a printing, duplicating or like machine. A pin head structure is mounted on a framework of the machine. A triangular array of pins project inwardly of the pin head axially of the roller for receiving the shaft end of the roller in a position of engagement between the pins. At least one of the pins is adjustable generally in a radial direction to take up any radial play between the roller shaft end and the pin array. At least one of the pins includes means adjustable in an axial direction to take up any axial play between the roller shaft end and the pin head structure. At least one of the pins is retractable to allow for insertion of the roller into position between the pins. The entire pin head structure is rotatable about a given axis generally parallel to and offset from the axis of rotation of the roller to effect movement of the roller bodily in a radial direction relative to an adjacent roller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manipulating run-length encoded rasterized images. Sizing, slanting, rotating or otherwise transforming an image outline to a new orientation is accomplished without converting image information into a bit map or discrete pixel format. An image outline is characterized in terms of visible and invisible vectors along an input raster scan line by relating run-lengths in a previous input scan line with run-lengths in a current input scan line. The resulting vector characterization allows determination of crossover points on output raster scan lines for the manipulated image by means of transform coefficients. Memory bins store these crossover points, and these bins are sorted to construct a new run-length encoded image outline.

Abstract: An adjustable mounting mechanism for a distribution roller in a printing, duplicating or like machine which includes a moisture or ink system having a plurality of distribution rollers for distributing moisture or ink to a printing couple of the machine. A pair of fixed rollers and a removable roller are located on the machine in a triangular configuration with parallel axes of rotation. The adjustable mounting mechanism includes a triangulated array of pivot arms movable generally perpendicular to the axes of the rollers. Two of the pivot arms define a V-shaped yoke to cradle the removable roller, and the other pivot arm defines a clamp for holding the removable roller in the cradle. Each of the other two pivot arms and, therefore, the removable roller is adjustable generally radially toward and away from the respective fixed roller to adjust the pressure or gap between the removable roller and the respective fixed roller.

Abstract: A bracket assembly for receiving the shaft end of a distribution roller in a printing, duplicating or like machine. A pin head structure is mounted on a framework of the machine. The pin head structure includes an axially inwardly facing abutment surface against which the shaft end of the roller can abut when in proper position in the machine. A latch member is movably mounted on the pin head structure for radially containing the roller in its proper position and for allowing removal of the roller in the radial direction. The latch member is movable from a first position disposed axially outwardly of the abutment surface to permit the roller to be radially moved into and out of its proper position in the machine, and a second position disposed axially inwardly of the abutment surface overlying the shaft end to contain the roller in its proper position in the machine.

Abstract: In an ink jet print head wherein a plurality of pumping chambers are provided for receiving ink and individually discharging the ink on demand in droplet form. The pumping chambers are formed on a substrate and defined in part by a continuous film of piezoelectric material extending over the substrate. Electrodes are electrically coupled on opposite sides of the piezoelectric film and positioned to define a plurality of distinct, electrically pulsed ink droplet drive elements operatively associated individually with the plurality of pumping chambers. An orifice for each chamber causes ink to be ejected from the chamber in response to demand electrical pulsation of the drive element for the respective chamber.

Abstract: A photoconductive composition useful in electrophotography comprising a mixture of photoconductive zinc oxide, a binder, a first dye which absorbs near infrared radiation and which is effective in sensitizing the zinc oxide to near infrared radiation, and a second dye which absorbs visible radiation, sensitizes zinc oxide to such visible radiation and is effective in enhancing the discharge rate of the sensitized zinc oxide at any given intensity of the near infrared radiation is provided. A paper base sheet coated with such a photoconductive composition can be used in the preparation of an electrophotographic image.