Abstract: A photoconductive element having a photoconductive layer containing a polycarbonate binder based on di-(monohydroxyaryl) alkane, wherein the polycarbonate contains a branching agent selected from the group consisting of 1,2,4-benzene tricarboxylic acid, 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid, 1,2,4-benzene tricarboxylic acid chloride and 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid chloride.

Abstract: A transport device for supplying developer powder from a lower-level reservoir to a developing station by a rotatable spiral spring contained in a transport tube, which transport tube has an inlet aperture near the lowest point of the reservoir, together with a spiral spring, blades which rotate around the inlet aperture provided with an inlet blade to push developer powder in the transport tube in order to ensure upwards transportation of developer powder, even in the event of a low level in the tube. A low-level detection element is coupled to the rotating blades to prevent the conveyor pipe emptying and a pipeline effect occurring as a result of the developer powder in the reservoir running out.

Abstract: A device whereby sheets can be discharged one by one from the bottom of a stack of sheets provided in a holder having a base support and side supports wherein in the transverse direction of sheet transport the base support surface has a downward bent shape so that the support surface has a deepened part on its supporting side such that in the proximity of the deepened part, beneath at least an edge zone of one side of a stack of sheets to be accommodated, the support surface is provided with at least one opening in which a vacuum can be created so that the bottom sheet is sucked against the support and air is blown against the side of the stack as considered with respect to the direction of sheet transport, in order to create an air layer at least between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove, the airflow being ejected in the proximity of the deepened part of the support surface.

Abstract: A method and device for parallel intralinear halftoning of digitized grey value images divided into lines pixels, including (1) successive thresholding of grey values of the pixels and (2) transportation of a quantization error for each pixel to at least one neighboring pixel still to be thresholded by adjusting the grey value of the at least one neighboring pixel with at least a portion of the quantization error. The halftoning includes: dividing each of the lines of pixels into at least two disparate groups of pixels; separately thresholding each group of pixels within each line; and transporting the quantization error from a pixel of one group to at least one pixel of at least one other disparate group.

Abstract: An encoding method for digital image data comprising consecutive blocks of data groups having as content binary values always of an equal number of pixels of an image, utilizing a code which indicates that the encoded block is partly equal to the corresponding part of a reference block, the reference block preferably being the preceding block, and identifies the end point of that part of the reference block by reference to transitions in pixel value in the reference block. On decoding, that part of the reference block is taken over in the decoded block.This encoding method is, in practice, combined with run length encoding and encoding by copying an entire data group in the code.

Abstract: A device and method associated therewith for transferring a toner image from an image-forming medium to a receiving material comprising: an image-forming medium, an endless movable intermediate medium provided with a top layer in contact with the image-forming medium in a first transfer zone, a heater for heating the toner image on the top layer of the intermediate medium, a biased belt which in a second transfer zone can be brought into contact with the intermediate medium, a transport device for transporting the receiving material through the second transfer zone, and a material for removing from the top layer of the intermediate medium impurities transferred thereto, by contacting the impurities with a material metal compound which breaks down the impurities.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transferring a toner image from an endless belt to a receiving material positioned on a flat plate. The toner image is formed by image-forming drums on a part of the belt movable continuously along the drums and is transferred to the receiving material, starting at the leading edge of the toner image and ending at the trailing edge of the toner image. For allowing the latter, an increasable loop is formed in the belt before the image-transfer station and a reducible loop is formed in the belt after the image-transfer station. The loops in the belt are held taut by moving tension rollers in planes forming an acute angle .alpha. with the flat plate, whereby at the image-transfer station the belt forms a constant angle .beta. with the flat plate.

Abstract: A folding device for the zigzag folding of a sheet, including two pairs of folding rollers which form two folding nips and which rollers are drivable alternately in opposite directions of rotation, and a pair of feed rollers which alternately feed a sheet for folding to the folding nips, the speed of conveyance of the folding rollers being initially 120% of the speed of conveyance of the feed rollers and, after passage of the leading sheet edge through the first of the two folding nips, it is 110% of the speed of conveyance, wherein after each reversal of direction of rotation of the folding rollers, the speed of conveyance of the folding rollers is initially 110% of the speed of conveyance of the pair of feed rollers and, shortly after passage of a fold made in the associated folding nip, it is 100% thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for syntactic signal analysis which is suitable for processing signals which deviate, within a freely selected margin, from a set of signals predetermined by a grammar, the apparatus being provided with a feature unification mechanism which detects violations of features, and an adaptive threshold mechanism coupled thereto. The feature unification mechanism, which processes the features in groups so that rapid processing is obtained, determines a violation score, thus providing a measure of the deviation of the analyzed signal from the set of signals predetermined by the grammar and indicates what elements of the signal are not satisfactory so that these can be corrected if necessary. The adaptive threshold mechanism enables a number of analyses to be delivered each having a violation score, so that on the basis thereof, in combination with other factors which may be available, it is possible to select the best analysis.

Abstract: An electro-optical scanning unit which comprises a linear LED array and a linear lens array for imaging slitwise onto a photoconductive drum with light is emitted by the LED's, and a holder for the lens array is connected by leaf springs to a holder for the LED array, the leaf springs connecting the holders in the middle of the arrays and at some distances therefrom and permitting adjustment of the lens array in a direction (Y-direction) perpendicular to the optical axis plane of the lens array and in a direction (Z-direction) parallel to said optical axis plane, the lens holder consisting of two parts which are glued to the lens array and which together form a diaphragm for the lens array.

Abstract: Image data in outline form is automatically converted into a bit map for a reproduction means, using the half bitting effect for more accurate positioning of image boundaries. The pixels are divided up into strips each associated with an effective boundary line position and a half bit pattern by means of which the effective boundary line position can be reached. These strips are so selected that a point within the strip is situated closer to the associated effective boundary line position than to the pixel boundary or to another effective boundary line position. For pixels which are intersected by the outline, a check is made as to whether the outline extends entirely within such a strip and the pixels which satisfy this condition are given a value in accordance with the associated half bit pattern if they are flanked by at least one other pixel satisfying the same condition.

Abstract: A method and reproduction system for generating image information signals of a second type for each image point, upon supply of digital image information signals of a first type generated in a multi-bit form by a first and second signal source and making use of the information content concerning the density value present in the signals. The second signal source is adapted to generate image information signals in accordance with a predetermined density value. The image information signals of the second type are converted, by the application of grey value processing, to image reproduction signals which are used to control an image reproduction system such as a printer.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a device for transferring a toner image from an image-forming medium to a receiving material including an endless movable intermediate provided with a top layer which, in a first transfer zone, is in contact with the image-forming medium, a heating device for heating the toner image on the top layer of the intermediate, a pressure applying device which, in a second transfer zone, can be brought into contact with the intermediate, a transport device for transporting the receiving material through the second transfer zone, and a cleaning device following the second transfer zone, between the second and first transfer zones, brought into contact with the top layer of the intermediate, the cleaning device being provided with an impurity-absorbent material on its outer surface.

Abstract: An electro-optical head assembly for use in an optical printer or scanner, the electro-optical head assembly including a linear array of electro-optical elements mounted on an elongate support member, a linear lens array held in a rigid lens mount, extending in parallel with the array of electro-optical elements, and means for mounting the lens mount on the support member while maintaining a predetermined distance between the linear array of electro-optical elements and linear lens array over the entire length thereof, the mounting means comprising two elongated plates provided along opposite longitudinal sides of the arrays and having respective first longitudinal edge portions secured to the support member and second longitudinal edge portions, wherein the second longitudinal edge portion of each plate is secured to the lens mount, and each plate is provided with a pattern of holes and/or slots leaving in each plate only a number of separate hinge elements which extend from the first to the second longitudi

Abstract: An image forming method and apparatus in which digital image data is stored in a memory and read out of the memory to form images on copy sheets in a first image orientation or in a second image orientation rotated through 180.degree. with respect to the first image orientation, first image data relating to images to be formed in the first orientation being stored in the memory in ascending address sequence, starting from the first free memory address, and second image data relating to images to be formed in the second orientation being stored in the memory in descending address sequence, starting from the last free memory address, while reading out from the memory is effected in ascending address sequence for both the first and the second image data.

Abstract: An image-forming element including a cylinder having at its outer periphery a dielectric surface layer and, beneath the surface layer, a number of electrodes insulated from one another, the electrodes being connected to elements within the cylinder for selectively controlling the electrodes in accordance with an image pattern to be formed, this connection being established by securing in at least one opening in the wall of the cylinder control device which, on the one hand, are connected to electronic control components within the cylinder and, on the other hand, are connected to the electrodes on the periphery of the cylinder. An image-forming element thus prepared can be used in a printing device for reproducing information.

Abstract: An exposure device in which a row of LED's is provided in the form of parallelograms having unequal sides, in which each of the corner points of one short side of a light-emitting surface is always in line, as considered in a direction perpendicular to the row, with one of the corner points of the other short side of an adjacent light-emitting element.

Abstract: A radiation fixing device for fixing a powder image on a sheet with the aid of heat-radiating lamellae which extend on both sides of a horizontal sheet conveyor path, the heat-radiating lamellae being situated in a housing having slot-shaped openings through which a sheet is fed into and led out of the housing. Air flow openings are provided in the base of the housing for automatically activating an air flow through the housing by means of natural convection, in areas adjacent to a sheet moving through the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discharging sets of copies or parts of such sets in stapled or unstapled condition, wherein those sets of copies or parts of such sets which are made from one and the same set of originals and which are required to be stapled are stapled only if the measured thickness of the first collected set of copies or part of such set is thinner than a predetermined thickness measurement (X.sub.1) and if the measured thickness of subsequent collected sets of copies or parts of such sets is thinner than a predetermined thickness measurement X.sub.v which is greater than the first thickness measurement X.sub.1, whereas parts of sets of copies made from one and the same original set and required to be unstapled are discharged when the measured thickness of collected parts of the first collected set of copies is equal to a predetermined thickness measurement Y.sub.

Abstract: An electrically conductive toner powder, the separate particles of which contain thermoplastic resin, additives conventional in toner powders, such as coloring constituents and possibly magnetically attractable material, and an electrically conductive protonized polyaniline complex, the protonized polyaniline complex preferably having an electrical conductivity of at least 1 S/cm, the conductive complex being distributed over the volume of the toner particles or is present in a polymer-matrix at the surface of the toner particles.