US2807232A

US2807232A - Xerographic powder-image transfer squeegee

Info

Publication number: US2807232A
Application number: US405392A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick W Hudson
Original assignee: Xerox Corp
Current assignee: Xerox Corp
Priority date: 1954-01-21
Filing date: 1954-01-21
Publication date: 1957-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1974-09-24

Description

Sept. 24, 195 F. w. HUDSON XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGE TRANSFER SQUEEGEE Filed Jan. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. FREDERICK W. HUDSON ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1957 F. w. HUDSON 2,807,232

XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGE TRANSFER SQUEEGEE Filed Jan. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FREDERICK w. HUDSON ATTORNEY U i edlswefi,

523 12 232 r XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGEVTRANSFER SQUEEGEE W Frederick Hudsonj west Heniietta, assignor to The Haloid Company, Rochester, N. Y., -a corporation ofNewY'ork" v 7 Application January 21, D54, SerialNo 405,392

1 cla m; {(Cl. 11 8 500) fer sheet during the charging operat iprl, .incomplete vtr n fenandla poor'c'opy may result. Su'ch incomplete transferIWilLoccurwith paper transfershee'ts" and is particularly true ,where the powder-imageds transferred to a 'MultilithlZt mat due to'hi'gh humidity conditions andlwhen a; ,change in humidity causes the mat to curl or buckle, and it isfa particularpurpose "ofthfe inventiomtoinsure proper uniform contact between the 'xerographioplate and mat atathe'point" or"areai 'v vjher the electrostatic charge isapplied to effect transfer of'theimage.

The invention is especially applicable to xerographic copiers of the general type in which a mat or transfer sheet positioned on a powder-image and xerographic plate are moved into a developer chamber under a charging unit that extends across the transfer sheet, and it is a further purpose of the invention to afford an implement that can be easily manipulated by the operator and is effective to hold a transfer sheet in uniformly close contact with the xerographic plate during transfer and at the line where the electrostatic charge is imposed, so that as the xerographic plate and transfer sheet are moved into the cabinet beneath the charging unit, they are always held in proper contact at the exact point or along the exact line of transfer rather than in advance of or behind such line, thus resulting in efiective and complete transfer of the powder-image from the xerographic plate onto the transfer sheet.

Another object of the invention is to afford an implement which when held in operative position automatically engages the switch controlling the electrostatic charging unit and at the same time positions the implement with relation to the front wall of the development cabinet, while the sheet-engaging portion of the implement extends into the cabinet and contacts the transfer sheet along the line of transfer where the charge is imposed on the transfer sheet.

An additional purpose is to provide a simple device that can be easily manipulated, which is economical to manufacture, and can be produced from sheet plastic which insures proper flexibility of the sheet-engaging portion so as to afford suflicient pressure without excessive pressure.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the 'cl'a in'r following the specification. i H

In the drawings: n x '-Fig. 1 is a perspectivefvi'ew' embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the implement in operative position in relation to "a transfer-sheet and xerographic plate, immediately priorltorinserting them into the development chamber of a copier apparatus, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical'sectional view taken centrally through the parts shown in Fig. 2, fil1ustra'ting the position when the transfer sheet and xerograpliic' plate havebeen partially inserted into thedeve iit chamber;

Referring more'particiil'ar y to thed'rawings, which are intended merely as illustrative o ffone practical form of showing one practical the device, 1 designates "aibtsdy onioh preferably of stiff plastic material and of generally rectangular form having alength correspondingto"'t"v h ofithetrar isfer'sheet and xerographic plate'jwh h fdfe'signatesa forwardly projecting sheet-engaging p0 ion with a straight front edge and preferably of plastic material, somewhat thinner and more flexiblej tharijthe body portion 1, so that when its front'straight edge is engaged-with the transfer sheet andpro'per pjressureapplied bythejoperator to the body portion 1,"the fror rt e'dgeof theTsheet-eiigaging portion Zacts to'press the'trans'fer sheetlightly and evenly against the xerographie plate and the powdenimage' thereom v;

I The flexible sheet-engaging p 2, iiithe structure shown,' overlapsandf isjs'uitab aehedf'to the front area of the body portionl by si utable adhesive orfotherwise, although'it will be 'un'deris the plastic portions 1 and 2 may be integrally of otherwise formed and' the entire structure may constructed of materials other han P t c ,1

i In using the implement, t e operator lnserts and holds it in approximately the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the front edge of the transfer sheet-engaging portion 2 is located against the transfer sheet 3 and beneath the electrostatic charging unit 4, the front edge of the sheetengaging portion 2 extending along a line across the transfer sheet where transfer takes place at any given instant as the parts are moved along under the charging unit, and in proximity to the area on which the electrostatic charge is imposed at any given instant.

It is desirable to position the paper-engaging edge of the squeegee automatically and accurately in relation to the charging unit and to operate the switch which controls the charging unit by the insertion of the squeegee, and these functions are accomplished in the following manner.

5 designates the push-button switch located on the front wall 6 of the development cabinet of the copier and in order to effect operation of switch 5, there is provided an upstanding plate or flange 7 preferably of the general form illustrated in Fig. 1 and having its lower edge cemented or otherwise fixedly attached to the body portion 1 while flange 7 extends forwardly from the body portion 1 above the sheet-engaging portion 2 and spaced therefrom, terminating in a vertical edge to which is attached the right-angled plate 8 or stop which engages switch 5 and closes the electrostatic unit circuit when the squeegee is inserted into operative position, as shown in Fig. 2.

Thus the plate or stop 8 limits the inward movement of the sheet-engaging portion 2 at one end while the position of the opposite end of the sheet-engaging portion 2 is determined by a plate or flange 9, the lower edge of which is fixedly attached to the body portion 1, the flange 9 extending thence forwardly above and in spaced relation to the sheet-engaging portion 2 while the front edge of wall 9, as indicated at 10, constitutes a vertical 3 surface or stop which engages the front wall 6 of the copier cabinet, and together a with the aforementioned stop 8 limits inward movement of the sheet-engaging portion 2 as the device is inserted into the cabinet with the straight front edge of portion 2 engaged'with -the transfer sheet, as shown in Fig. 3. p

In order to enable the operator readily to grasp the implement and hold it in operative position, there is provided a finger-piece 11 rigidly attached to the underside of the body portion 1 in proximity to its rear edge and extending downwardly therefrom, preferably in the form of a plastic lug which is adhesively secured to the body portion 1. Thus when the device is resting on a surface, the finger-piece 11 elevates the rear edge of the body portion, enabling the operator to grasp the same easily and by holding the rear edge and finger-piece 11, the device can readily be inserted in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the front edge of the portion 2 in contact with the transfer sheet along the line where transfer takes place.

The operator inserts the squeegee to the position illustrated in Fig, 2, operating the switch which closes the circuit to the electrostatic charging unit 4, and by holding the body portion 1 firmly and pressing it toward the copier cabinet and at the same time imposing a slight downward pressure, the transfer sheet-engaging portion 2 is flexed slightly and its forward edge held in close and uniform contact with the transfer sheet while the xerographic plate and transfer sheet are moved into the cabinet.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular construction shown herein, it is not confined to the details illustrated, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A powder-image transfer squeegee for use in combination with a xerographic copier including a copier cabinet having a slot in its front surface into which a plate carrying a powder image and a transfer sheet may be inserted and removed and having a depressable button on its outer front surface to operate means to cause transfer of a powder image from a plate member inserted in the slot to transfer material on the powder image, said improved squeegee comprising a stifi flexible plastic body portion, a stiff flexible plastic sheet-engaging portion overlapping and attached to said body portion, said sheetengaging portion extending a substantial distance for wardly of the body portion and being somewhat thinner and more flexible than the body portion the rear edge of the sheet-engaging portion being permanently attached to the forward edge of the body portion, a stop of plastic material rigidly attached at the front edge of said body portion and extending over said sheet-engaging portion and engageable at its front end with the front wall of a xerographic developing cabinet, a second stop of plastic material having its bottom edge rigidly attached to the front edge of said bodyportion and located above and extending over said sheet-engaging portion, a right-angled plastic plate rigidly attached to the forward edge of said last mentioned stop and engageable with the depressable button on the front surface of the copier cabinet, and a finger-piece rigidly secured to the underside of said body portion in proximity to its rear edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS