US 4,057,343 AGranted

Electrostatic copying machine with multi-frame drum assembly

AssigneeIng. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.

InventorPiero Gontero

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Abstract

An electrophotographic copying machine in which the drum is rotatable about a given axis and is at least partly formed by a plurality of sectors each having a surface constituting part of the cylindrical periphery of the drum and each being mounted within the drum as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the said axis between a first position in which it defines the respective part of the cylindrical periphery of the drum, and a second position into which it is shifted radially with respect to the remainder of the cylindrical periphery; each of the sectors has a portion of a photoconductive band wound around its surface and extending from a feed reel to a take-up reel; these reels are mounted inside the respective sector and reversible locking means are provided for maintaining the sectors in their first position during the rotation of the drum about the said axis.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An electrophotographic copying machine comprising:

a photoconductor drum assembly having:
A rotary member mounted to the machine frame for rotation about an axis,
a plurality of sector members. each having an arcuate support surface constituting part of the cylindrical periphery of the drum, each of said sector members being mounted on said rotary member, slidable in a direction perpendicular to the said axis between a first position in which it defines the respective part of the cylindrical periphery of the drum, and a second position into which it is shifted radially outward with respect to the remainder of the cylindrical periphery,
a photoconductive element carried by each of said sector members, each photoconductive element comprising a web which extends between a feed station and a take-up station of the associated sector members with an intermediate portion of the web wound around the said support surface,
and reversible locking means for maintaining the said sector members in the first position during the rotation of the drum about the said axis.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.