Abstract: A electrostatic printer including a fuser configured to heat an receiver to a fusing temperature and a cooling device comprising one or more cooling rollers configured to cool the cooling roller from the fusing temperature to a desired temperature wherein the cooling device is configured to provide a varying rate of heat transfer across the roller so as to create a varying cooling temperature gradient.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for removing adherent materials, for example, paint, flashes, burrs, photoresists, contaminants, and other materials from various external surfaces. In particular, the method employs an improved media comprising core/shell particles. The media can be propelled against or along the surface by a gaseous or liquid carrier medium or a mixture of gas and liquid to remove the unwanted surface material. In one embodiment, suitable blasting equipment propels the media, via a pressurized air stream, against a surface of an object, for example an airplane skin, to dislodge the material to be removed.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for removing adherent materials, for example, residues, scale, contaminants, fouling, precipitates, and the like objectional materials from various internal surfaces of fluid transport or delivery systems and parts thereof. In particular, the method employs an improved media comprising core/shell particles. The media can be propelled against or along the surface by a fluid carrier to remove the unwanted surface material. In one embodiment, the media may be propelled by a liquid along a surface, such as the interior walls of a pipe, to remove undesirable adherent materials.

Abstract: A method is taught for cleaning photographic chemistry product fouling, including a proteinaceous portion and a non-proteinaceous portion from a liquid delivery system. The method comprises the steps of displacing resident product solution in the piping with water, hydrodynamically cleaning the piping system using two-phase flow a first time, chemically cleaning the piping system with an aqueous bleach solution to remove the proteinaceous portion of the photographic chemistry product fouling, chemically cleaning the piping system with a functionalized ethyl acetate solvent to remove the non-proteinaceous portion of the photographic chemistry product fouling, and hydrodynamically cleaning the piping system using two-phase flow a second time after the chemical cleaning steps to remove remaining residue. Preferably, after the second hydrodynamic two-phase flow cleaning step, the delivery system is subjected to a high purity water rinse.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for removing adherent materials, for example, residues, scale, contaminants, fouling, precipitates, and the like objectional materials from various internal surfaces of fluid transport or delivery systems and parts thereof. In particular, the method employs an improved media comprising core/shell particles. The media can be propelled against or along the surface by a fluid carrier to remove the unwanted surface material. In one embodiment, the media may be propelled by a liquid along a surface, such as the interior walls of a pipe, to remove undesirable adherent materials.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for removing adherent materials, for example, paint, flashes, burrs, photoresists, contaminants, and other materials from various external surfaces. In particular, the method employs an improved media comprising core/shell particles. The media can be propelled against or along the surface by a gaseous or liquid carrier medium or a mixture of gas and liquid to remove the unwanted surface material. In one embodiment, suitable blasting equipment propels the media, via a pressurized air stream, against a surface of an object, for example an airplane skin, to dislodge the material to be removed.

Abstract: A method is taught for cleaning photographic chemistry product fouling, including a proteinaceous portion and a non-proteinaceous portion from a liquid delivery system. The method comprises the steps of displacing resident product solution in the piping with water, hydrodynamically cleaning the piping system using two-phase flow a first time, chemically cleaning the piping system with an aqueous bleach solution to remove the proteinaceous portion of the photographic chemistry product fouling, chemically cleaning the piping system with a functionalized ethyl acetate solvent to remove the non-proteinaceous portion of the photographic chemistry product fouling, and hydrodynamically cleaning the piping system using two-phase flow a second time after the chemical cleaning steps to remove remaining residue. Preferably, after the second hydrodynamic two-phase flow cleaning step, the delivery system is subjected to a high purity water rinse.

Abstract: A method is taught for preparing a coating hopper prior to initiation of coating a liquid coating composition at a predetermined coating flow rate onto a moving substrate wherein the coating hopper includes at least one internal flow path therethrough. The internal flow path(s) of the coating hopper are drained. The liquid coating composition is introduced into internal flow path(s) at a purge flow rate which may be determined empirically. The internal flow path(s) are filled with the liquid coating composition and with the liquid coating composition then discharging from the internal flow path(s) onto a slide surface of the coating hopper, the liquid coating composition flowing down the slide surface and over a lip of the coating hopper at the purge rate to a drain. The flow of the liquid coating composition through the internal flow path(s) is maintained at the purge rate until air within the internal flow path(s) has been displaced from the coating hopper.

Abstract: A movable trough is taught for establishing a uniform wetting line on the rear face of a curtain coating hopper lip. The trough can be pivoted or moved linearly into a position such that the hopper lip resides in or proximate to the movable trough. The curtain coating apparatus is then started and the coating solution leaving the hopper lip is intercepted by the trough. The coating solution flowing over the lip fills and floods the movable trough. The flooding of the trough forces the coating solution to substantially wet (to a height on the back side of the lip significantly higher than that of natural product flow) the back side of the hopper lip. The movable trough is then retracted from its position immediately beneath the hopper lip and intercepting the coating solution exiting the hopper lip to thereby allow the free-falling curtain to form and begin impingement on the moving support web to be coated.

Abstract: A method for hydrodynamic cleaning of a piping system using two-phase flow. A model for predicting peak wall shear stress for two-phase flow is used to determine an optimum flow rate ratio which achieves a maximum wall shear stress in the particular piping system to be cleaned. The optimum flow rate is first established by turning on the liquid and gas flows through the piping system to be cleaned and allowing the flow to reach steady state conditions. The back pressure of the system is measured and the optimization model is used to determine the optimum flow rate ratio. Once the optimum flow rate ratio has been calculated, the liquid flow rate and the gas flow rates can be adjusted such that the optimum ratio is achieved. The two-phase back pressure is then measured to verify that the optimum flow rate ratio has been used. This is done by comparing the measured optimum two-phase flow back pressure with the initial two-phase back pressure used in the equations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring wall shear stress in pipe as a result of fluid flow therethrough employs a glass flow tube, magnetic particles of sufficiently small size such that the form drag force on the individual particles is orders of magnitude smaller than the viscous shear forces on the particle, and a magnet of known magnetic field strength. The glass flow tube with a known coefficient of friction allows visual inspection of particle release and further allows for the determination of the frictional forces on the particles. The magnetic particles are placed inside the tube with the magnet held in close proximity to the exterior wall of the tube. With the particles in place, fluid flow is initiated. The magnetic field strength at the surface of the flow tube is then reduced until the magnetic particles are hydrodynamically dislodged from the interior of the glass tube.

Abstract: A liquid flow distribution apparatus for forming highly uniform liquid layers on substrates without stagnation within a flow distribution cavity of the apparatus. A primary cavity has a primary inlet means and a plurality of secondary inlet conduits which terminate in angled secondary ports in the cavity wall. Each of the secondary ports is angled away from the primary inlet means. The apparatus can be used under varying rheological conditions.

Abstract: A flexible fiber optic illuminator 10 for inspecting an interior space, comprises a thin fiber optic element 12 composed of a plurality of optic fibers 20 arranged in at least one substantially planar layer having front and back sides 32,34. Thin stiffner members 24,26 are arranged adjacent to the optic fibers 20 to provide reinforcement. First and second layers 28,30 of adhesive material having adhering means on one side only, are fixedly adhered to the back and front sides of the planar layer 22. A protective jacket 36 for optic fibers 20 and stiffner members 24,26 is therefore defined by first and second adhesive layers 28,30. A light source 14 coupled to the fiber optic element 12 is provided for illuminating the optic fibers 20.

Abstract: A liquid distribution device and method for distributing liquid uniformly is disclosed. A coating liquid is supplied to a distribution cavity from both sides of the cavity through a delivery line. The cavity is a slot which expands from the length at the liquid entrance of the cavity to a longer length at the cavity exit. The two streams of liquid impinge against each other inside the cavity and spread out along the contour of the cavity. This liquid distribution system eliminates recirculation regions and does not experience problems with variable residence time and distribution across the slot.