Combined transfer and registration system for electrophotographic copier

In a copying machine having a surface adapted to receive a toned image which is moved past a transfer station at which said image is to be transferred to a length of copy material and having means for generating a synchronizing signal, apparatus including a transfer roller having a surface hardness approximately equal to the surface hardness of said copy material, means mounting said transfer roller at said transfer station for movement from a first position relatively remote from said surface to a second position at which the surface of said roller is spaced from said surface by a distance which is approximately half the thickness of said copy material, a registration roller, said mounting means mounting said registration roller in cooperative relationship with said transfer roller to form a nip therewith, means for feeding a length of copy material to said nip, means including an overrunning clutch for driving one of said rollers to advance said length from said nip into the space between said surface and said transfer roller, entry of said length into said space clutching said transfer roller to said surface for movement therewith, means normally holding said transfer roller in said first position and holding said clutch disengaged and means responsive to said synchronizing signal for moving said transfer roller to said second position and for engaging said clutch.

In a copying machine having a surface adapted to receive a toned image which is moved past a transfer station at which said image is to be transferred to a length of copy material and having means for generating a synchronizing signal, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller at said transfer station for movement from a first position relatively remote from said surface to a second position at which the surface of said roller is spaced from said surface by a distance which is less than the thickness of said copy material, a registration roller, said mounting means mounting said registration roller in cooperative relationship with said transfer roller to form a nip therewith, means for feeding a length of copy material to said nip, means including an overrunning clutch for driving one of said rollers to advance said length from said nip into the space between said surface and said transfer roller, entry of said length into said space clutching said transfer roller to said surface for movement therewith, means normally holding said transfer roller in said first position and holding said clutch disengaged and means responsive to said synchronizing signal for moving said transfer roller to said second position and for engaging said clutch.

In a copying machine having a surface adapted to receive a toner image which is moved past a transfer station at which said image is to be transferred to a length of copy material and having means for generating a synchronizing signal, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller at said transfer station in a position at which the surface of said roller is spaced from said surface by a distance which is less than the thickness of said copy material, a registration roller, means mounting said registration roller in cooperative relationship with said transfer roller to form a nip therewith, means for feeding a length of copy material to said nip, means including an overrunning clutch for driving one of said rollers to advance said length from said nip into the space between said surface and said transfer roller, entry of said length into said space clutching said transfer roller to said surface for movement therewith, means normally holding said clutch disengaged and means responsive to said synchronizing signal for engaging said clutch.

In a copying machine having a surface adapted to receive a toner image and adapted to be moved past a transfer station at which said image is to be transferred to a length of copy material and having means for generating a synchronizing signal, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller at said transfer station for movement from a first position relatively remote from said surface to a second position at which the surface of said roller is spaced from said surface by a distance which is less than the thickness of said copy material, means normally holding said transfer roller in said first position and means responsive to said synchronizing signal for disabling said holding means.

In a copying machine in which a toned image is to be transferred from a surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, a transfer roller having a surface hardness approximately equal to the surface hardness of said copy material.

In a copying machine in which a developed image is to be transferred from the moving surface of a drum rotatable about an axis to the surface of a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller for rotary movement around an axis generally parallel to said drum axis, means for positioning the transfer roller adjacent to the drum with the roller surface spaced from the drum surface by a distance which is less than the thickness of a sheet of copy material, and means for introducing a sheet of copy material into the space between said roller and said drum.

In a copying machine in which a developed image is to be transferred from the imaging area of the moving surface of a drum rotatable about an axis to the surface of a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller for rotary movement around an axis generally parallel to said drum axis, spacer roller means having an outer radius greater than the normal outer radius of said transfer roller, means mounting said spacer roller means for movement around said transfer roller axis and in engagement with said drum surface outside said imaging area to space said transfer roller surface from said drum surface, the difference between said transfer roller radius and said spacer roller means radius being less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of copy material into the space between said transfer roller and said drum.

In a copying machine in which a developed image is to be transferred from the imaging area of the moving surface of a drum rotatable about an axis to the surface of a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller for rotary movement around an axis generally parallel to said drum axis, spacer roller means having an outer radius greater than the normal outer radius of said transfer roller, means mounting said spacer roller means for rotary movement around said transfer roller axis relative to said transfer roller and in engagement with said drum surface outside said imaging area to space said transfer roller surface from said drum surface, the difference between said transfer roller radius and said spacer roller means radius being less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of copy material into the space between said transfer roller and said drum.

In a copying machine in which a developed image is to be transferred from the imaging area of the moving surface of a drum rotatable about an axis to the surface of a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means mounting said transfer roller for rotary movement around an axis generally parallel to said drum axis, spacer roller means having an outer radius greater than the normal outer radius of said transfer roller, means for assembling said spacer roller means with said transfer roller means for rotary movement of said spacer roller means around said transfer roller axis, means mounting the assembly of said transfer roller means and said spacer roller means for movement between an inoperative position at which said roller means are out of engagement with said drum surface and an operative position at which said roller means engage said drum surface outside said imaging area, the difference between said transfer roller radius and said spacer roller means radius being less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of copy material into the space between said transfer roller and said drum with said assembly in its operative position.

In a copying machine in which a toner image is to be transferred from a moving surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller having a surface hardness approximately equal to the hardness of said copy material, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface with a spacing between said roller and said surface which is less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of said copy material into the space between said roller and said surface.

In a copying machine in which a toner image is to be transferred from a moving surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller having a surface durometer hardness between about 85 and about 95 on the Shore A scale, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface with a spacing between said roller and said surface which is approximately half the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of said copy material into the space between said roller and said surface.

In a copying machine in which a toner image is to be transferred from a moving surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller having a surface hardness approximately equal to the hardness of the copy material, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface with a spacing between said roller and said surface which is less than the thickness of said copy material, said supporting means permitting relative movement between said transfer roller and said surface, and means for introducing a length of copy material into the space between said transfer roller and said surface to clutch said transfer roller to said surface.

In a copying machine in which a toned image is to be transferred from a moving surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface with a spacing between said roller and said surface which is less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of said copy material into the space between said roller and said surface.

In a copying machine in which a toned image is to be transferred from a moving surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface and for positively spacing said roller from said surface by a distance which is less than the thickness of said copy material, and means for introducing a length of said copy material into the space between said roller and said surface.

In a copying machine in which a toned image is to be transferred from a surface carrying said image to a length of copy material, apparatus including a transfer roller having a surface hardness approximately equal to the surface hardness of said copy material, means for rotatably supporting said transfer roller adjacent to said surface to form a sheet-receiving nip, and means for introducing a length of said copy material into said nip.