US3216341A - Photocopy apparatus - Google Patents

Description

G. BURNETT v 3,216,341

PHOTOCOPY APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENTOR.

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United States Patent O 3,216,341 PHOTOCOPY APPARATUS James G. Burnett, Cedar Grove, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Reprocopier Corporation Filed June 14, 1962, Ser. No. 202,591 1 Claim. (CI. 9575) This invention relates to a photocopy apparatus for duplicating original sheet material, and more particularly to such a photocopier for producing positive copies of originals, utilizing the diffusion transfer reversal process.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a relatively simple photocopier incorporating both printer and developer mechanisms in which the dilfusion transfer process can be efficiently practiced and which copier can be simply and economically produced.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter.

In accordance with the invention, a developing apparatus is provided for use in the well known diffusion transfer type office copier, including an outer casing, a developer container removably mounted within such casi 1 Jg,,a pair of engaging rolls rotatably mounted within the casing above the container for engaging and pressing an exposed photosensitive sheet and a copy or receiving sheet together, and a guiding mechanism external of the casing for guiding the pair of sheets in superposed spaced relation into contact within a developer liquid in such container. The guide mechanism includes a pair of elongated spaced slots formed in the top wall or roof of the casing above the developer container, and an elongated projection extending between the slots above the roof of the casing and having wall members which guide the spaced sheets into the casing into contact Within the developer liquid therein.

This relatively simple construction including the described guide mechanism insures separate insertion into the developer container of an exposed negative sheet and a receiving or copy sheet to which a positive image is to be transferred, and guided movement of such sheets into thedeveloper liquid within the container and through such liquid into the nip of the pair of rolls which squeeze the sheets together and remove the resulting sandwich from the copier. Such construction is extremely simple to provide by conventional molding or casting procedures and, unexpectedly, effects accurate guiding of the superposed sheets into and through the developer container, without the necessity for the complex separator members, transfer mechanisms and like structures employed by prior art diffusion transfer copiers.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the photocopier taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the photocopier, showing various of the components thereof in disassembled relation;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the frame structure for the photocopier of FIGURE 1 with the developer container mounted thereon; and

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section through the copier, taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2 and showing the casing for the photocopier in its assembled position.

Referring now to the drawings, the photocopier illustrated includes a housing or casing 11 removably mounted on a support plate 12, which plate has a suitable supporting frame, indicated generally at 13 in FIGURE 1, secured thereto. The casing 11 defines two adjacent stations, an optical printer station 14 and a developer station 15, adjacent thereto.

Transversely elongated feed and delivery slots 16 and 17 are formed in the casing 11 at the printer station 14 thereof to permit the feed and removal of superposed sheet material therefrom, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

A transparent feed plate 18, e.g., of glass, is disposed adjacent the feed slot 16 for receiving the sheet material for exposure. A hold-down roll 19 is disposed adjacent the feed plate 18. A print roll 21 is mounted adjacent hold-down roll 19 spaced a small distance, approximately .018 to .022 inch, from the feed plate 18 to hold down the sheets fed over the feed plate without imparting forward movement thereto; the print roll and the hold-down roll 19 serve to hold the sheet material fed through the contact printer station 14 together to insure accurate exposure.

An exposure lamp 23 is mounted beneath the feed plate 18 for exposing the sheet material through the plate as it is fed through the printer station 14. The lamp 23 is supported within an aperture tube 24 in the form of a cylindrical segment having light opaque walls; an indexing lever 25 is secured to the aperture tube 24, moving in a vertical are through a slot 26 provided in the casing 11 therefor, to vary the exposure aperture and thus change the amount of light from lamp 23 which is incident upon the sheet material fed over feed plate 18 at the printer station.

A print back-up roll 26A in driven engagement with the print roll 21 is positioned adjacent the feed plate 18; the print roll 21 and the print back-up roll 26A act as nip rolls to engage and pull the sheet materials out of the printer station 14 through the delivery slot 17 thereof. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, the print back-up roll 26A is mounted on a shaft journalled in bearings at the sides of frame 13, and is driven by frictional engagement with the print roll 21. The latter roll is mounted on a shaft 22, journalled in bearings on frame 13 and driven by the drive mechanism described hereinafter. It will of course be understood that these rolls may be driven by other convenient drive means, as desired.

A pair of laterally elongated slots 27 and 28- are pro vided in the roof of the casing 11 at the developer station 15 thereof; the superposed sheets to be developed are fed into the developer station through the separate slots 27 and 28 and are removed from the developer station through a common delivery slot 29 formed in the casing. The slots 27, 28 and 29 are disposed above a developer container or tray 30 which is removably mounted within the casing upon the support plate 12.

The developer tray includes an obliquely oriented rear wall 31, vertically disposed side Walls 32 and a substantially vertical front wall 33. Indentations or depressions 35 are formed in the floor 34 of the developer tray 30 lengthwise of the casing 11. Mounted above the tray adjacent the front Wall 33 thereof on shafts journalled in bearings on frame 13 are a pair of rolls 36 and 37 adapted to engage the sheet material passed through the developer liquid in tray 30, squeeze the thus developed sheets together and withdraw the same from the developer station 15 through the exit slot 29 in the casing 11.

In accordance with the invention the elongated feed slots 27 and 28 formed in the casing 11 for feeding the Patented Nov. 9, 19fi5 I station are separated by an elongated lateral projection 38, including a forward or leading wall member 39 and a rear or trailing wall member 41 which guide the superposed sheets into the casing to effect contact between the sheets separately introduced through slots 27 and 28 with the developer liquid contained within the tray 30. The projection 38 may possess a generally V-shaped cross section, as shown in FIGURE 3, or be truncated as illustrated in FIGURE 1. In either case it is preferred that the leading wall member 39 define about a 50 angle with respect to the vertical axis extending from its upper edge through the casing of the photocopier, and the trailing wall member 41 define about a 2 angle with the vertical axis extending from its upper edge through the casing. When the external projection 38 is so constructed, the leading and trailing wall members 39 and 41 thereof guide the spaced superposed sheets at the correct angles into the developer tray 30 such that they are wet by the developer liquid contained therein, subsequently contact one another, are fed along the floor 34 of the tray 30 and into the nip of the pair of squeeze rolls 36 and 37 for removal from the copier.

An elongated submerger plate 42 having a generally concave cross section and including a number of elongated depressions 43 formed on opposite sides thereof is removably mounted within the developer tray, slots 44 in the side walls 32 of the tray receiving supporting fingers 45 at the ends of the submerger plate. As shown in FIGURE 3, the upper edge 46 of the submerger plate 42 extends above the feed slot 28, adjacent the projection 38. As described below, sheets fed into slot 28 are guided between the leading wall member 39 of the projection and the submerger plate 42, into the developer tray 30.

The roof of the casing 11 is provided with a sloping surface 40 adjacent the slot 27 thereof, disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the leading wall member 39 of projection 38 and the submerger plate 42. The surface 40, wall member 39 and submerger plate 42 act as parallel guiding surfaces and trailing wall member 41 acts as a limiting guide member directing the superposed sheets fed into slots 27 and 28 into developer tray 30 whereat they contact one another.

The feed rolls of the photocopier embodiment illustrated are driven by a motor 47, as shown in FIGURE 2. Connected to a pulley on the shaft 49 of motor 47 is a. drive belt 51 which drives a pulley 52 on shaft 22 to which the feed roll 21 is secured. Similarly connected to a pulley on the shaft 49 is a drive belt 53 which passes over idler 54 journalled on frame 13 and drives a pulley 55 on a shaft 56 to which the feed roll 36 is afiixed. The feed rolls at the printer station 14 and developer station 15 are thus driven from a common drive mounted adjacent one side of frame 13 which is simple and does not complicate the printer and developer mechanisms.

In operation, an original sheet 57 to be copied, a photosensitive negative sheet 58 and a positive receiving or copy sheet 59 are superposed and fed into the feed slot 16 at the printer station 14 (see FIGURE 3). In the preferred embodiment shown, the original is placed face down between the negative and receiving sheets, the negative sheet 58 being positioned adjacent feed plate 18 with the sensitized surface of sheet 58 contacting the original. The resulting sandwich is fed over feed plate 18 and across the exposure slit or aperture provided by aperture tube 24 whereat a reflex exposure of the negative sheet 58 from the original 57 is effected. The exposed assembly is pulled through the nip of print roll 21 and print back-up roll 26A and removed from the printer station 14 through delivery slot 17.

After removal of the original 57, the negative sheet 58 hearing a negative latent image is fed into the developer superposed sheets in separate relation into the developer 2 station 15 through feed slot 27, with the emulsion side thereof facing the receiving sheet 59 fed in superposed relation through feed slot 28. The sheets are guided by the wall members 39 and 41 of the projection 38 and the submerger plate 42 through the slots into the developer liquid in tray 30. As shown in FIGURE 3, the sheets contact one another within the developer tray 30, are fed through the developer bath, squeezed together in the nip of rolls 36 and 37 and withdrawn from the developer station 15 through the delivery slot 29 in sandwiched relation. After the time requisite to complete the diffusion transfer operation the sheets are peeled apart, a

positive image on the receiving sheet 59 resulting.

Since certain changes may be made in the photocopier of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A photocopier for exposing a photosensitive sheet from an original and subsequently simultaneously developing said sheet and transferring a photographic image therefrom to a superposed receiving sheet to thereby produce a positive copy of said original, said apparatus comprising an elongated casing containing:

(a) a printer station for exposing said sheet from said original, said printer station being disposed within said housing adjacent one end thereof and including (1) a transparent feed plate over which the original and said photosensitive sheet are fed in superposed relation,

(2) a light source spaced from and facing the superposed sheets and (3) a pair of feed rollers adjacent said feed plate for engaging said superposed sheets; and

(b) a developer station for simultaneously developing the exposed photosensitive sheet and transferring an image from said sheet to said receiving sheet, said developer section disposed adjacent the opposite end of said casing and including:

(1) a container removably received within said casing for holding developer liquid,

(2) a pair of transversely elongated rollers for engaging and pressing said sheets together after passage through said developer liquid, said rollers being rotatably mounted in engaging relation within said casing at said opposite end thereof above said container,

(3) a pair of transversely elongated feed slots in the roof of said casing separating said exposed sheet and said receiving sheet,

(4) a transversely elongated projection separating said feed slots and extending above the roof of said casing, said projection including leading and trailing wall members disposed angularly of and in abutting relation with the respective feed slots,

(5) a submerger plate having a concave cross section and including a guiding surface extending above the roof of said casing adjacent said leading wall member, and

(6) the roof of said casing including a downwardly sloping surface in abutting relation with one of said feed slots adjacent said trailing wall member,

(7) the leading wall member of said projection the guiding surface of said submerger plate and the sloping surface of said roof disposed in substantial parallelism and said trailing wall member disposed angularly thereof for guiding Said exposed sheet and said receiving sheet into said casing for contact within said container.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 320,782 5/57 Switzerland.

2,835,179 5/58 Fairbanks 95-75 2,946,272 7/60 Eisner NORTON ANSHER, Przmary Exammer.

3,031,942 5/62 Carlson 95-775 5 JOHN M. HORAN, Examiner.

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