Electrostatic printing system

Claim 2

An electrophotographic reproducing apparatus wherein a plurality of resilient recording members are passed through a series of process stations for producing and transferring an image for reproduction on a copy sheet comprising: a plurality of feeding means and a plurality of processing stations arranged to form a first and a second separate processing path; a plurality of means selectively actuable at each of said processing stations for controlling said feeding means in moving the recording members through said processing stations; a plurality of recording member position sensing means; program means for providing a series of signals indicative of operations to be performed on said recording members in said machine; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said recording member sensing means to generate signals to selectively actuate certain of said controlling means to move said recording members along the selected processing path to perform the operations specified by said program means on said recording members at the selected ones of said processing stations.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first separate processing path includes a charging station and an exposure station and said second separate processing path includes a developing station and a transfer station.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said charging and said exposure operations are performed asynchronously at a first speed and said developing and transfer operations are performed continuously at a second speed which is a substantially greater speed than said first speed.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said recording members are processed through said first processing path one at a time and said recording members are processed concurrently a predetermined number of operations through said second processing path.

Claim 6

An electrophotographic reproducing apparatus wherein a resilient recording member is passed through a series of process stations for producing and transferring an image for reproduction on a copy sheet comprising: a plurality of feeding means and a plurality of processing stations arranged to form a first and a second separate processing path; a plurality of means selectively actuable at each of said processing stations for controlling said feeding means in moving the recording members through said processing stations; a plurality of recording member position sensing means; program means for providing a series of signals indicative of operations to be performed on said recording members in said machine; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said recording member sensing means to generate signals to selectively actuate certain of said controlling means to sequentially move a plurality of said recording members along said first processing path to produce a predetermined electrostatic image to be copied on said recording members; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said recording member sensing means to generate signals to move a plurality of said recording members continuously through said second processing path a plurality of times to produce one copy of said image each time said recording member is moved through said second processing path.

Claim 7

An electrophotographic reproducing apparatus wherein a resilient recording member is passed through a series of process stations for producing and transferring an image for reproduction on a copy sheet comprising: a plurality of feeding means and a plurality of processing stations arranged to form a first and a second separate processing path; a plurality of means selectively actuable at each of said processing stations for controlling said feeding means in moving the recording members through said processing stations; a plurality of recording member position sensing means; program means for providing a series of signals indicative of operations to be performed on said recording members in said machine; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said recording member sensing means to generate signals to selectively actuate certain of said controlling means to sequentially move a plurality of said recording members along said first processing path to produce a predetermined electrostatic image to be copied on said recording members; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said recording member sensing means to generate signals to move a plurality of said recording members continuously through said second processing path a plurality of times to produce one copy of said image each time said recording member is moved through said second processing path.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 additionally comprising signals from said program means for specifying the number of reproductions to be made of the image produceD on each of said recording members; means for recording the number of reproductions produced for each of said recording members moving through said second processing path; and means for ejecting said recording member from said second processing path when said specified number of reproductions has been produced.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 6 additionally comprising means for moving a recording member ejected from said second processing path to said first processing path.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 7 additionally comprising means for moving the ejected recording member through a cleaning station and an erase station as said member is moved from said second to said first processing path.

Claim 11

An electrophotographic reproducing apparatus wherein a resilient recording member is passed through a series of process stations for producing and transferring an image for reproduction on a copy sheet comprising: a plurality of temporary storage means each capable of storing a plurality of said recording members; a first feeding means for moving a recording member from the first of said temporary storage means through a charge station to the second of said temporary storage means to produce a uniform charge on said recording member; a second feeding means for moving a recording member from said second storage means through an exposure station to the third of said temporary storage means to produce an electrostatic image on said recording member; a third feeding means for moving a recording member from said third temporary storage means through a developing and a transfer station to produce a reproduction of said image on a copy sheet; a plurality of recording member position sensing means mounted adjacent to said temporary storage means; program means for providing a series of signals indicative of operations to be performed on said recording members in said machine; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said record member position sensing means to generate signals to selectively actuate certain of said feeding means to move said recording members through the selected processing stations to perform the operations specified by said program means.

Claim 12

An electrophotographic reproducing apparatus wherein a resilient recording member is passed through a series of process stations for producing and transferring an image for reproduction on a copy sheet comprising: a plurality of temporary storage means each capable of storing a plurality of said recording members; a first feeding means for moving a recording member from the first of said temporary storage means through a charge station to the second of said temporary storage means to produce a uniform charge on said recording member; a second feeding means for moving a recording member from said second storage means through an exposure station to the third of said temporary storage means to produce an electrostatic image on said recording member; a third feeding means for moving a recording member from said third temporary storage means through a developing and a transfer station to produce a reproduction of said image on a copy sheet; a plurality of recording member position sensing means mounted adjacent to said temporary storage means; program means for providing a series of signals indicative of operations to be performed on said recording members in said machine; and electronic control means operable under coincident control of said signals from said program means and said record member position sensing means to generate signals to selectively actuate certain of said feeding means to move said recording members through the selected processing stations to perform the operations specified by said program means.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said third feeding means comprises means for simultaneously mounting a plurality of recording members for movement through a continuous processing path.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 10 additionally comprising means for separately sensing each of said recording members being moved by said third feeding means.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said third feeding means comprises a continuously rotatably drum member.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 11 additionally comprising: means for receiving signals from said program means indicating the number of reproductions to be made from each of said recording members; means for counting the number of reproductions produced from each of said recording members moved by said third feeding means; and means for ejecting a recording member from said third feeding means when the predetermined number of reproductions has been produced.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 13 additionally comprising means for moving said ejected recording member to said first temporary storage means.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 14 additionally comprising: a cleaning station; an erase station; and means for moving said ejected recording member through said cleaning station and said erase station when said recording member is being moved to said first temporary storage means.

Claim 19

The apparatus according to claim 9 additionally comprising: timing means for timing the elapsed interval since a recording member has been moved through the charge station by said first feeding means; means responsive to the passage of a predetermined interval, after charging a recoRding member, to generate a time expired signal; an eject mechanism; and means responsive to said time expired signal to energize both said second feeding means and said eject mechanism to move said recording member from said second to said first temporary storage means.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said recording members comprise: a resilient photoconductive sheet member; a top support member extending laterally beyond said sheet member, said top support member being terminated in enlarged end portions.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said temporary storage means comprises a pair of rail members, said rail members being spaced so that said enlarged end portions of said sheet support member laterally position the recording member in said temporary storage means.