Integrated circuit sequencer

Claim 2

In electrophotographic apparatus having an elongated electrophotosensitive web adapted to have an electrostatic image formed thereon and means for transferring information contained in such image to a receiver sheet in image transfer relation with the web, the combination comprising: a. a plurality of actuable work stations including an actuable charging station operative when actuated for charging a selected portion of the web, an actuable exposure station operative when actuated for forming an electrostatic image on a charged portion of the web, and an actuable sheet feeder operative when actuated for feeding the receiver sheet into image transfer relation with such electrostatic image formed on the web; b. means for moving the web along an endless path past relative to said plurality of actuable work stations; and c. means for sequentially actuating and de-actuating said charging, exposure and transfer stations in timed relation to movement of the web past predetermined positions along said path comprising: i. a shift register coupled to said electrophotosensitive moving means and having a plurality of states, the present state of which is a function of the position of the web along the endless path; ii. means coupled to said moving means and effective to produce clock signals at a frequency which is a function of the rate of speed of movement of the web along the path; iii. counter means independent of said shift register and responsive to said clock signals and having A plurality of states, the present state of which is representative of the total cumulative number of said clock signals; and iv. decoder means coupled to said counter means and said shift register and responsive to particular ones of the present states of said shift register and particular ones of the present states of said counter means to effect sequential operation of said charging, exposure and transfer stations with respect to said selected portion during movement of the web along the endless path respectively.

Claim 3

In electrophotographic apparatus having an elongated electrophotosensitive web adapted to have an electrostatic image formed thereon and means for transferring information contained in such image to a receiver sheet in image transfer relation with the web, the combination comprising: a. a plurality of actuable work stations including an actuable charging station operative when actuated for charging a selected portion of the photosensitive web, an actuable exposure station operative when actuated for forming an electrostatic image on a charged portion of the web, and an actuable sheet feeder operative when actuated for feeding the receiver sheet into image transfer relation with such electrostatic image formed on the web; b. means for moving electrophotosensitive web along an endless path past relative to said plurality of actuable work stations; and c. means for sequentially actuating and de-actuating said charging, exposure and transfer stations in timed relation to movement of the web past predetermined positions along said path comprising: i. means coupled to said web moving means for producing a first signal each time a selected image area moves past a predetermined position along the web; ii. a shift register responsive to said first signals and having a plurality of states, the present state of which is solely a function of the total cumulative number of said first signals; iii. means coupled to said web moving means and effective to produce clock signals at a frequency which is a function of the rate of speed of the web along the path; iv. counter means independent of said shift register responsive to said clock signals and having a plurality of states, the present state of which is representative of the total cumulative number of said clock signals; and v. at least one decoder coupled to said counter and said shift register and simultaneously responsive to particular ones of the present states of said shift register and particular ones of the present states of said counter means to effect sequential operation of said charging, exposure and transfer stations with respect to said selected portion during movement of the web along the endless path respectively.

Claim 4

In electrophotographic apparatus having an elongated electrophotosensitive web adapted to have an electrostatic image formed thereon and means for transferring information contained in such image to a receiver sheet in image transfer relation with the web, the combination comprising: a. a plurality of actuable work stations including an actuable charging station operative when actuated for charging a selected portion of the photosensitive web, an actuable exposure station operative when actuated for forming an electrostatic image on a charged portion of the web, and an actuable sheet feeder operative when actuated for feeding the receiver sheet into image transfer relation with such electrostatic image formed on the web; b. means for moving electrophotosensitive web along an endless path past relative to said plurality of actuable work stations; and c. means for sequentially actuating and de-actuating said charging, exposure and transfer stations in timed relation to movement of the web past predetermined positions along said path comprising: i. means coupled to said web moving means for producing a first signal each time a selected image area moves past a predetermined position along the web; ii. a shift register responsive to said first signals and having a plurality of states, the present state of which is solely a function of the total cumulative number of said first signals; iii. means coupled to said web moving means and effective to produce clock signals at a frequency which is a function of the rate of speed of the web along the path; iv. counter means independent of said shift register responsive to said clock signals and having a plurality of states, the present state of which is representative of the total cumulative number of said clock signals; and v. at least one decoder coupled to said counter and said shift register and simultaneously responsive to particular ones of the present states of said shift register and particular ones of the present states of said counter means to effect sequential operation of said charging, exposure and transfer stations with respect to said selected portion during movement of the web along the endless path respectively.

Claim 5

The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said decoder means is adjustable to be responsive to different ones of particular states of said counter means.