Abstract: A high capacity, high reliability cassette tray sheet feeding assembly for supporting a high capacity stack of sheets, and for feeding such sheets with a high degree of reliability, one at a time, in a sheet using machine. The high capacity, high reliability cassette tray sheet feeding assembly includes a cassette frame for removing and reinstalling into a sheet supply station of the sheet using machine. The cassette frame has a front end over which sheets are fed into the machine, and a forward feed corner snubber that is mounted to one corner of the front end of the cassette frame for preventing the feeding of multiple sheets at a time. The cassette frame includes a fixed position stationary base plate within the cassette frame for supporting a high capacity stack of sheets having a topmost sheet.

Abstract: A system is provided to allow for automated scheduling and completion of print jobs in a printing machine. A generic system for describing functionality of various modules forming a print engine is described. Such a module description is provided for each of a plurality of subassemblies which form the printing machine. A component communicates description information about itself to a scheduling unit once it is integrated into a complete printing machine. The scheduling unit, in turn, analyzes all functions available from various subassemblies comprising the machine. This analysis returns data representative of all available functions to the printing machines. Upon receipt of user input on one or more printing jobs, the scheduler then correlates the user information with the available properties of the printing machine to schedule an efficient completing of all printing tasks.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on a surface with toner. The apparatus includes a housing having a supply of toner therein; a donor member arranged in said housing to transport toner to a development zone adjacent the surface; a electrode member is provided for detaching toner from said donor member and produce a toner cloud in the development zone; and an air handling system, associated with said housing, for collecting stray toner particles emitted from said housing, said air handling system including a separator for separating toner by size. The air handling system includes a blower, a particle chamber and a valve assembly.

Abstract: A process for ascertaining the microdefect levels of an electrophotographic imaging member including establishing for a first electrophotographic imaging member, having a known differential increase in dark decay value and a measured crest value, a first reference datum for dark decay crest value at an initial applied field; establishing with the crest value a second reference datum for dark decay crest value at a final applied field; determining the differential increase in dark decay between the first reference datum and the second reference datum for the first electrophotographic imaging member; repeatedly subjecting a virgin electrophotographic imaging member, having a measured crest value, to aforesaid cycles until the amount of dark decay reaches the crest value for the virgin electrophotographic imaging which remains substantially constant; establishing with virgin electrophotographic imaging member, having a measured crest value, a third reference datum for dark decay crest value; establishing for the

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.

Abstract: A cylindrical and rotatable resonating assembly, generally for use in electrostatographic applications. The resonating assembly is preferably positioned along a longitudinal axis generally transverse to the process direction of movement of a toner bearing member, for applying uniform vibratory energy thereto. The cylindrical form of the resonating assembly allows for rotation of the assembly while remaining in contact with the image bearing member to reduce frictional forces between a contact surface of the resonating assembly and the image bearing member which, in turn, reduces wear of the resonating assembly as well as the image bearing member.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for improving the appearance of printed documents, and more specifically, to the use of a template matching process to enhance the fast-scan resolution of digital images while maintaining raster resolution for printing. The present invention uses multiple-bit per pixel, statistically generated templates, implemented using look-up tables, to improve document appearance by converting from a single-bit per pixel to N-bits per pixel, while preserving raster resolution of the printed output. The resulting N-bit per pixel image signals may be utilized to control a scanning beam where the beam varies in intensity and duration according to the pulses used to control it.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer has an ink supply in a housing and a printhead assembly fixedly attached thereto. The ink is contained in an absorbent material in the housing which is partitioned from the printhead assembly by a housing floor having a vent and an ink outlet. The ink flow path from the housing outlet to the printhead inlet is produced by an elongated recess in the outer surface of the housing floor and a film member bonded thereover by an adhesive not attacked or eroded by the ink. The film member has a slot therethrough to provide communication with the inlet of the printhead. The surface of the film member opposite the surface bonded to the housing floor is coated with a thermosetting adhesive which bonds to the printhead assembly surface containing the ink inlet.

Abstract: A method of arbitrarily interleaving the images of a second job with the images of a first job that is being completed at a first output station. A queue of jobs submitted to a marking machine for completion is scanned to determine if any of the queue of jobs can be interleaved with the first job during the first job production run. If so, one or more of the jobs in the queue are scheduled to be interleaved during the first job production run for completion at a second output station.

Abstract: A reprographic system having one or more peripheral devices or subsystems whose function is integrated therewith, including a communications link between the reprographic system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, the reprographic system would have the capability to determine the configuration of electromechanical components contained within the peripheral devices, as well as, the status or control states of the components.

Abstract: The present invention provides a facsimile apparatus which comprises a host computer interface control component for controlling an interface with a host computer connected to an external device, a host computer capability detecting component for receiving capability information from the host computer through the host computer interface control component, a control signal preparing component for generating a protocol control signal based on the capability information detected by the host computer capability detecting component, and a communication control component for transferring a file utilizing the protocol control signal generated by the control signal preparing component.

Abstract: Light reflected from a document surface is given first color dispersion when passing through a prism interface and second color dispersion when passing through another prism interface. The second color dispersion is in an opposite direction to and has larger partial dispersion in a blue range than the first color dispersion. The prism interface may be replaced by an interface of two lenses which interface is a curved surface whose center of curvature is deviated from the optical axis of the reflected light in the auxiliary scanning direction.

Abstract: A self-stripping heat and pressure fuser and Release Agent Management (RAM) system therefor. A fusing belt entrained about a heated fuser roll and a support roller is move at a first predetermined speed via the heated fuser roll and at a second speed via the support roll. The support roll drives the belt at a speed 5% greater than the speed at which is driven by the fuser roll. Thus, the belt is overdriven such that it is stretched whereby substrates carrying heated toner images are stripped from the fusing belt.

Abstract: A computerized method for retrieving documents from a text corpus in response to a user-supplied natural language input string, e.g., a question. An input string is accepted and analyzed to detect phrases therein. A series of queries based on the detected phrases is automatically constructed through a sequence of successive broadening and narrowing operations designed to generate an optimal query or queries. The queries of the series are executed to retrieve documents, which are then ranked and made available for output to the user, a storage device, or further processing. In another aspect the method is implemented in the context of a larger two-phase method, of which the first phase comprises the method of the invention and the second phase of the method comprises answer extraction.

Abstract: A mill for grinding marking particles utilizing a source of a pressurized fluid is provided. The mill includes a grinding chamber having a peripheral wall, a base and a central axis. The mill also includes a nozzle associated with the peripheral wall of the grinding chamber. The nozzle defines an inlet of the nozzle. The inlet is connectable to the source of pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid propels the marking particles about the periphery of the chamber. The mill further includes a plug cooperable with the nozzle. The plug is in engagement the nozzle when the pressure within the grinding chamber is substantially greater than the pressure at the inlet of the nozzle.

Abstract: A printing device (10) is commanded to print a reference set of intensity values from almost white or highlight regions through almost dark or shadow regions. A measuring device (12) measures the actual outputted printer intensity levels from the printing device (10). An interpolator (14) interpolates the printer intensity levels into a best fit smooth curve plotted against the reference set of intensity levels which produces a non-linear function. A mapping means and converter (24a, 24b) calculate a set of fractional intensity values and densities which produce a linear function when mapped with the printer intensity levels. A dot area parameter calculator (28) calculates a set of dot parameters defining a configuration of a halftone dot required to fill an area within the halftone cell corresponding to each intensity level. For each position of each halftone cell, a measurement processor (30) determines a distance between a current scan position (a,b) and a nearest edge defined by the dot parameters.

Abstract: A method and system implements a redistributive characteristic into an error diffusion process. A grey level value representing a pixel is received. A threshold circuit thresholds the received grey level value and generates an error value as a result of the threshold. A portion of the error value is diffused to adjacent pixels on a next scanline. All the error for a single pixel on the next scanline is accumulated. Since this accumulated error has a greater number of bits than can be stored in a buffer, a portion of the accumulated error is truncated and redistributed to a down stream pixel for inclusion in the downstream pixel's error accumulation process. The grey level value has a first resolution which corresponds to an original input resolution. In a high addressabilty environment, the received grey level value is interpolated to subpixel grey level values before thresholding.

Abstract: A photosensitive chip, such as used in a scanner or facsimile, defines a linear array of photosites, each photosite being covered with a filter formed from a cured translucent liquid. At the critical ends of the chip, between the end photosite in the array and the edge of the chip, there is provided a ridge which protrudes over the thickness of the filter. This ridge maintains the physical integrity of the filter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising:an endless belt that is wrapped around and so transported by a plurality of rollers;rotating members which are disposed adjacent to the endless belt such that an image is transferred onto a sheet while the sheet passes between the rotating members and the endless belt;pressing means that are disposed in a crosswise direction of the endless belt so as to be opposite to the rotating members with respect to the endless belt and press the endless belt against the rotating member in the vicinity of the position where the endless belt is in close proximity to the rotating member; andedge reinforcing means for increasing pressing forces of the pressing means that act on both edges of the endless belt in the crosswise direction thereof so as to become greater than a pressing force of the pressing means that acts on the center of the endless belt in the same direction.

Abstract: Fluoroelastomer surfaces for fuser members and a method for fusing thermoplastic resin toner images to a substrate using fuser surfaces, including a method for forming these surfaces which includes dissolving a fluoroelastomer; adding an amino silane to form a resulting homogeneous fluoroelastomer solution; and subsequently providing a layer of the homogeneous fluoroelastomer solution to the supporting substrate.