Abstract: A toning shoe for applying fluid developer to a latent image on a supported sheet. A drum is the preferred support, with the toning shoe having raised upstream and downstream support rims contacting the sheet, opposed lateral insulating rims spaced very slightly from the sheet or conducting rims contacting the sheet and a recessed multi-segmented electrode further spaced from the sheet. Fluid developer is injected through slits at leading edges of the electrode segments, flows as a thin film between the electrode segments and the sheet and then passes through drains at trailing edges of the electrode segments for collecting and recycling. The shoe moves laterally as the drum rotates so that development occurs in a helical stripe pattern.

Abstract: An electrostatic color printer method using a single toning shoe for successively and sequentially applying color liquid developers to a color latent image overlay to a sheet disposed against a rotating drum. An electrostatic head scans the sheet in a helical pattern of abutting stripes and forms the latent image on the sheet. A toning shoe assembly follows the head and applies one of the color developers to the sheet. A drain selector foot, pivotable beneath the toning shoe, brings an appropriate developer recycling tube into communication with a drain in the toning shoe assembly for returning used developer to the correct supply tank. After scanning the sheet, the toning shoe is rinsed with a solvent at a cleaning station past the end of the drum. The toning shoe has a plurality of pressure responsive reed valves, each communicating with one of a plurality of channels in the shoe for selecting sequential color developers until the entire image is toned in repeated passes of the single toning shoe.

Abstract: A system for reproducing a raster scanned line of an image on a photoconductive surface of a drum comprising a monochromatic light source, a rotating holographic disk containing a plurality of diffraction gratings therein, and means for reflecting said monochromatic light beam so as to direct the monochromatic light beam to and along a selected straight line on the photoconductive surface of the drum. The means for reflecting the monochromatic light beam comprises an elliptic reflecting surface, a first mirror for reflecting the monochromatic light beam passed through the scanning disk to said elliptic reflecting surface, and a second mirror for receiving the monochromatic light beam reflected from the elliptical reflecting surface and for directing the reflected light beam onto a selected straight line on the photoconductive surface of the drum. The elliptic reflecting surface can, with little loss in accuracy, be replaced by a cylindrical surface.

Abstract: An electrostatic color picture having a single toning shoe for successively and sequentially applying color liquid developers to a color latent image overlay to a sheet disposed against a rotating drum. An electrostatic head scans the sheet in a helical pattern of abutting stripes and forms the latent image on the sheet. A toning shoe assembly follows the head and applies one of the color developers to the sheet. A drain selector foot, pivotable beneath the toning shoe, brings an appropriate developer recycling tube into communication with a drain in the toning shoe assembly for returning used developer to the correct supply tank. After scanning the sheet, the toning shoe is rinsed with a solvent at a cleaning station past the end of the drum. The toning shoe has a plurality of pressure responsive reed valves, each communicating with one of a plurality of channels in the shoe for selecting sequential color developers until the entire image is toned in repeated passes of the single toning shoe.

Abstract: A toner applicator assembly for electrostatic drum printers featuring a toning shoe with a biasing mechanism in which the toning shoe is biased only at a single point. The toning shoe scans a sheet having an electrostatic latent image supported on a rotating drum, in a helical path, and applies liquid developer to the sheet to develop the latent image. The toning shoe has a normal orientation which is skewed with respect to the drum's rotation axis so as to follow a helical path. The toning shoe is movable with respect to three degrees of freedom relative to the normal orientation so as to automatically adjust its orientation to match the orientation of the sheet. The biasing mechanism comprises a base fixed relative to the drum, a lever body pivotally mounted to the base, a pin mounted on an end of the lever body and engaging a detent in the back of the shoe, and a spring connected to both the base and the end of the lever body opposite from the pin.

Abstract: A toning shoe for applying fluid developer to a latent image on a supported sheet. A drum is a preferred support, with a toning shoe having raised edges, a central recessed area contacting the sheet and a drain. Fluid developer is injected into the shoe under pressure from an opening and flows to the drain, contacting the sheet between the opening and the drain, and then is collected and recycled back to the shoe. The shoe is moved laterally as the drum rotates so that development occurs in a stripe pattern.

Abstract: An ionographic copier based upon the fluid jet assisted ion projection electrographic marking process. A light sensitive ion modulation assembly is used for controlling the flow of ions in accordance with dark and light patterns of raster line optical information projected from an original to be copied.

Abstract: An improved ion projection printing apparatus including sequentially an imagewise charging station, a developing station and a fusing station for forming images upon a charge receptor sheet. The sheet is moved adjacent a continuous, electrically conductive, back electrode which extends, in the process direction, from the charging station through the fusing station for eliminating toner image disruption of the unfused toner particles in the receptor sheet.

Abstract: An improved ion projection printing apparatus, for imaging on the front surface of a charge receptor sheet with an imagewise charging device and for depositing a counter-charge upon the rear surface of the charge receptor sheet with another charging device concurrently with and spatially opposed to the imagewise charging device.

Abstract: An improved ion projection printing apparatus including sequentially an imagewise charging station, a developing station and a fusing station for forming images upon a charge receptor sheet. The sheet is moved adjacent a pseudo-continuous, electrically conductive, back electrode which extends, in the process direction, from the charging station through the fusing station for eliminating toner image disruption of the unfused toner particles in the receptor sheet. The back electrode is provided with one or more thermal barrier air gaps which are small enough so that the back electrode acts, in the electrical sense, as if it were continuous.

Abstract: An improved ion projection printing apparatus, for imaging on the front surface of a charge receptor sheet with an imagewise charging device and for depositing a counter-charge upon the rear surface of the charge receptor sheet with another charging device located downstream of the imagewise charging device.