Electrographic copier with one-piece belt and styli

Abstract

Electrographic paper is fed over a segmented platen where its dielectric surface receives image defining electrostatic charges deposited by styli bearing directly and successively upon it. The styli are integral to an endless belt moving laterally to the surface. Voltage pulses corresponding to the input information are applied to the segmented platen to produce the electrostatic charges. The latent image charged surface is progressively fed to an image toning and fixing cycle to produce a hard copy.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following: 
     
       1. An electrographic copier, comprising: .Iadd.an .Iaddend.endless belt .[.means carried by rotatable members, said endless belt means including styli in the form of projecting pins and being formed.]. .Iadd.of electrically conductive material having at least one stylus formed therein .Iaddend.from .[.selectively spaced,.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.cut.[.,.]. and bent out, pointed .[.segments thereof.]. .Iadd.segment of said material.Iaddend.;   an electrode disposed adjacent at least a portion of said endless belt .[.means.]. .Iadd.and proximate said stylus, said electrode being spaced from said belt a distance sufficient to permit the contacting introduction of a sheet material between said electrode and said stylus.Iaddend., said electrode including means responsive to a control signal for .[.causing.]. .Iadd.permitting .Iaddend.an electric field to be effected between said electrode and said .[.styli.]. .Iadd.stylus so as to develop in said sheet material an electrostatic charge pattern corresponding to said electric field.Iaddend.; and   .[.means for developing an electrostatic charge pattern corresponding to said electric field to produce a copy, said means being adapted to be moved orthogonal to an axis of rotation of said rotatable members and also being adapted to make contact with said electrode and at least one of said styli.]. .Iadd.means for causing relative movement between said sheet material and said endless belt while maintaining one side of said sheet material in contact with said stylus and the other side of said sheet material in contact with said electrode.Iaddend.. .[.2. The copier according to claim 1 wherein said endless belt means also includes timing   
     
     
        means..]. 3. The copier according to claim 1 wherein said electrode 
     
     
        defines a plurality of segmented electrodes. 4. The copier according to claim 3 wherein said segmented electrodes each include means responsive to a control signal for selectively causing said electric field to be 
     
     
        effected between each segmented electrode and said styli. 5. The copier according to claim 1 further comprising means for providing said control 
     
     
        signal. .Iadd.6.  The copier according to claim 1 wherein said electrode is elongate in configuration, and wherein said movement-causing means includes means for rotating said endless belt so as to cause said stylus to move along the length of said electrode and means for causing said sheet material to move across said electrode in a direction orthogonal to the direction of said stylus movement. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The copier according to claim 6 wherein said endless belt also includes timing means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The copier according to claim 7 wherein said timing means includes a timing mark located adjacent said stylus, further comprising means for producing a timing signal representative of the presence of said mark and means responsive to said timing signal for producing said control signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. The copier according to claim 8 wherein said timing mark comprises means defining an aperture formed in the material of said endless belt in spaced relationship with said stylus, and wherein said means for producing said timing signal includes a light-emitting element disposed on one side of said belt and a light-sensitive element disposed on the other side of said belt, such that the presence of said aperture means between said elements causes light from said light-emitting element to impinge upon said light-sensitive element and the absence of said aperture means causes said light to be blocked. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The copier according to claim 1 wherein said endless belt includes a plurality of said styli spaced around the length of said belt and wherein said electrode defines a plurality of electrode segments arranged along a line adjacent said belt, further including means for moving said belt in a manner causing each of said styli to traverse 
     
     
        each of said electrode segments. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11.  The copier according to claim 10 further comprising means responsive to the movement of said belt for producing said control signal, and wherein each said electrode segment includes means responsive to said control signal for selectively permitting an electric field to be effected between said segment and a respective one of said styli only during the time that said stylus is traversing said segment. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. An electrographic copier comprising: a plurality of styli mounted so as to be movable along a predetermined path;   an elongate electrode formed of a lesser plurality of electrically insulated electrode segments arranged along a line parallel to and adjacent said path of said styli such that each of said electrode segments is traversable by each of said styli, said electrode being spaced from said path a distance sufficient to permit the introduction of a sheet material between said styli and said electrode such that one surface of said material is in contact with at least one of said styli and the other surface of said material is in contact with each of said electrode segments; and   means responsive to a control signal for sequentially developing an electrical potential between one of said styli and each of said electrode segments so as to permit the production in a sheet material placed therebetween of an electrostatic charge pattern corresponding to said electrical potential. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The copier according to claim 12 wherein said plurality of styli comprises an endless belt of electrically conductive material having said styli formed therein from spaced, cut, and   
     
     
        bent out, pointed segments of said material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  The copier according to claim 12 wherein said plurality of styli comprises a single helical conductor having a like plurality of turns extending along a longitudinal axis, each of said turns defining a respective one of said styli, and wherein said means for moving said styli includes means for causing said helical conductor to rotate about said axis in a manner causing each said turn to progress along said predetermined path and traverse each said electrode segment. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The copier according to claim 12 further comprising means for causing said sheet material to advance across said electrode in a direction normal to the path of said styli. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The copier according to each of claims 13 or 14 wherein said means for developing said electrical potential includes means for simultaneously developing a preselected electrical potential between each of a preselected plurality of said styli and a respective each of a like plurality of said electrode segments so as to permit the simultaneous production in said sheet material of a like plurality of individual charge patterns. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. Stylus means in an electrographic copier for permitting the development of a charge pattern in a sheet material placed between said stylus means and a fixed electrode, said stylus means comprising an endless belt of electrically conductive material having at least one stylus formed therein from a cut and bent out, pointed segment of said material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. Stylus means according to claim 17 wherein said endless belt includes a plurality of said styli spaced around the length of said belt. .Iaddend.