Abstract: A retard sheet feeder-separator for separating and sequentially feeding sheets with a frictional sheet feeding roller, driven via a drive train by an intermittently connected rotational drive system, feeding an individual sheet past an engaging frictional retard roller, forming a sheet retard nip therewith for holding back the other sheets, to a downstream sheet feeding nip. A flywheel having a rotational moment of inertia substantially greater than that of the drive train and the sheet feeding roller is connected to the outer end of the drive train to reduce kickback of the retarded sheets in the retard nip, especially where the retard roller is rotatable forward with a high torque drag but has kickback upon release of a fed sheet from the retard nip.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser array emits a plurality of laser beams. A polygon mirror deflects the plurality of laser beams together. A prism type reflector separates the deflected laser beams to different directions that are generally along an arrangement direction of a plurality of photoreceptors. The separated laser beams are input to the respective photoreceptors through mirrors and cylindrical lenses.

Abstract: In a cleaning apparatus, a film as a guide plate for guiding cleaned toner into the apparatus is bonded to a holder, which is screwed to a housing. The screwing is loosened by a predetermined amount for providing a gap between the holder and the housing. If the housing and the seal member are thermally expanded by heat from a fuser during the operation of a image formation apparatus and a difference occurs between the expansion amounts of the housing and the holder, the gap absorbs the expansion amount difference and a force of warp, distortion, etc., does not act on the holder. Therefor, deformation of the film held by the holder can be prevented and trouble such as toner not being guided into the apparatus and scatters can be prevented.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for registering and deskewing a sheet along a sheet path. A pair of drive spheres are located in the sheet path. When a sheet enters the nips formed by the spheres the sheet is driven until it is sensed by a sensor. The drive spheres are driven by a pair of wheels which allow the spheres to rotate about any axis through their center and parallel to the plane of the sheet. The spheres are driven such that the sheet is side registered and deskewed as it is moved along the sheet path. Constant feedback from the sensors to the drive controller allows the sheet to be registered in a very short distance and has the added benefit of self compensation for wear of the drive components. The wide registration and deskewing latitude of the device allows for the use of relatively inexpensive and low accuracy sheet drives preceding the device.

Abstract: A gray scale ink jet printing method and apparatus which produce a high quality images having varying color intensities are disclosed. This is achieved by using a clear phase change ink base and a plurality of colored phase change inks with varying amounts of black dye, thereby producing multiple gray scale levels of black in images with substantial contrast between the imaged and non-imaged areas that are used in medical diagnostic imaging applications.

Abstract: An ink composition comprised of a vehicle and a colorant, and wherein the vehicle is comprised of a mixture of an alkane.

Abstract: A method for processing compressed digital data derived from an original image sequence, the data being organized as a set of image frames, each image frame comprising a set of blocks, each block including a string of bits corresponding to an area of the original image frame in the original image sequence. A cost function is derived as a number related to the amount of bits spent to encode a block, sets of blocks, an image frame, or sets of image frames. A segmentation technique is applied to the map with cost functions. Temporal segmentation is performed by analyzing cost functions associated with each image frame. In both cases auxiliary functions can be used to improve the segmentation quality. The segmented regions of a image frame or sets of image frames can be identified, replaced, printed, or processed in special manners.

Abstract: An electrostatographic reproduction machine including a controller to time multiplex the function of displaying visual information and scanning user input devices. The machine includes an input device, to generate a signal responsive to a user input, a user interface, including visually displayed information, to visually display machine operating states determined as function of the signal, and a controller, including a selection line, coupled to the user interface and to the input device, to select the user interface to display the visually displayed information and to cause the input device to generate signals responsive to the user input.

Abstract: A sheet stacking offsetting system with a stacking tray offsetting movement system with which printed sheets from a reproduction apparatus are stacked offset relative to one another, with a simple rotary drive of an eccentrically rotated extending pin cam which reciprocally drives a simple two part cam follower providing a variable width cam follower slot positively engaging the eccentrically rotated cam to smoothly reciprocate the sheet stacking tray. The slot width is automatically reduced by spring loading movement of one of the two parts of the cam follower so that both sides of said slot directly engage the eccentrically rotated cam at all times. The cam follower slot is also open ended and beveled to easily assemble the pin cam into that open end.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrostatic writing head automatically bonds conductors that form the writing electrodes of the head to a head member in a spaced parallel relationship according to the desired pitch of the writing head. The writing head includes a set of first surface conductive pads permanently fixed to a first surface of the first head member and disposed in a lengthwise row, and a set of second surface conductive pads permanently fixed to the second surface of the first head member. Each second surface conductive pad is paired with one of the first surface conductive pads, and the pair of pads is electrically connected by way of a conductive via extending through the first head member. The conductors are automatically bonded at one end to a respective one of the first surface conductive pads. The other end of each conductor is bonded to a bonding area that is later removed by cutting, thereby exposing the tips of the conductors in at least one line to produce the nib line of the head.

Abstract: A supporting apparatus for supporting a photoconductive member within the housing of a printing cartridge for use in a printing machine is provided. The supporting apparatus includes a body, a connecting feature and a supporting feature. The connecting feature is connected to the body for quick and removable connection to the housing. The supporting feature is connected to the body cooperating with the body for rotatably supporting the photoconductive member within the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for assisting in filling a container from a hopper containing a supply of particulate material is provided. The apparatus includes a conduit operably connected to the hopper and extending downwardly therefrom. The conduit is adapted to permit a flow of particulate material therewithin. The apparatus also includes a nozzle assembly operably connected to the conduit and extending downwardly therefrom. The nozzle assembly defines an inlet thereof for receiving particulate material from the conduit and defines an outlet thereof for dispensing particulate material from the nozzle assembly to the container. A conveyor within the conduit assists in providing the flow of particulate material from the hopper to the container.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of carrier powder polymer coatings which comprises the supercritical polymerization of two monomers and surfactant in a supercritical medium.

Abstract: A process for treating a seamed flexible electrostatographic imaging belt including providing an imaging belt including at least one imaging layer including a thermoplastic polymer matrix and a seam extending from one edge of the belt to the other, the seam having a region on the belt adjacent each side of the seam and also having an exposed surface on each side of the belt, supporting the belt with at least one vacuum holding device spaced from the seam while maintaining the seam and region of the belt adjacent each side of the seam in an arcuate shape having at least a substantially semicircular cross section having a radius of curvature of between about 9.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprised of an anode, a hole transporting layer, a light emitting layer, and a cathode, wherein said light emitting layer contains a component of the formula ##STR1## wherein Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, Ar.sup.3, and Ar.sup.4 are each independently aryl or optionally aliphatic; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, aliphatic, halogen, and cyano; L is a suitable linking group; and n is a number of from 0 to about 3.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes: a press plate which is provided at a bottom portion of a cassette and on which sheet materials are loaded and which is swingable upward and downward; a feed roll which is positioned above the press plate and which feeds an uppermost sheet material of the sheet materials by rotating while contacting the uppermost sheet material; a limiting member provided above the press plate and limiting a stacked height of the sheet materials; a spring urging the press plate upward so that the uppermost sheet material abuts the limiting member; and a presser mechanism which swings the press plate downward against urging force of the spring when the uppermost sheet material is fed to a predetermined position by the feed roll. Accordingly, when the uppermost sheet material is fed to the predetermined position by the feed roll, the press plate is swung downward, and there is no frictional resistance between the limiting member and the uppermost sheet material.

Abstract: A method of forming an image for transferring, to a predetermined recording medium, a toner image transported to a transfer position by a toner image support for supporting the toner image and transporting the image from a predetermined toner image forming position to a predetermined toner image transfer position, wherein the method comprises the steps of:adhering a transported toner image to the recording medium, and transferring and fixing the image under heating; andusing a recording medium which has a thermoplastic light transmissive resin layer disposed on the surface of a substrate, and in which a tensile modulus of elasticity E (N/mm.sup.2) in a cross direction (CD direction) of the substrate of the recording medium and a thickness (t) mm of the substrate satisfy the following relation (1):E.multidot.t.sup.3 .gtoreq.8(N.multidot.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging books or other bound volumes which includes a book supporting system and an optical system positioned above the book supporting system and mounted for movement along a vertical axis toward and away from the book support system. The book support system includes an inner platform and an outer platform with the inner platform being mounted for vertical movement relative to the outer platform. A cradle having pivotable side support plates is mounted on the inner platform, and support arms are mounted on the outer platform. The support arms are positioned so that the support plates rest thereon so that as the cradle is moved downwardly, the support arms pivot the side support plates upwardly.

Abstract: A process including:mixing a resin, and a mixture of a first wax and a second wax; andgrinding and classifying.

Abstract: A coating process includingproviding a coating composition comprising finely divided photoconductive organic particles dispersed in a solution of a film forming binder, the composition having a predetermined substantially constant liquid yield stress value,flowing the composition along a feed channel,introducing the composition into an elongated manifold cavity comprising a least a first progressively narrowing channel extending away from the feed channel,flowing the coating composition along at least the first progressively narrowing channel,flowing the coating composition out of the manifold cavity into an extrusion passageway extending away from at least the first progressively narrowing channel,shaping the coating composition into a thin ribbon shaped stream in the extrusion passageway,depositing the ribbon shaped stream on a substrate to form a coating, andmaintaining an applied shear stress to the composition that is greater than the yield shear stress value of the coating composition while flowing the