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US3490368A - Printing by particulate images - Google Patents

Printing by particulate images Download PDF

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Publication number
US3490368A
US3490368A US422235A US3490368DA US3490368A US 3490368 A US3490368 A US 3490368A US 422235 A US422235 A US 422235A US 3490368D A US3490368D A US 3490368DA US 3490368 A US3490368 A US 3490368A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
toner
particles
printing
ink
thermoplastic
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US422235A
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English (en)
Inventor
Lloyd F Bean
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xerox Corp
Original Assignee
Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3490368A publication Critical patent/US3490368A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G9/00—Developers
    • G03G9/08—Developers with toner particles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G13/00—Electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G13/14—Transferring a pattern to a second base
    • G03G13/16—Transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G13/00—Electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G13/26—Electrographic processes using a charge pattern for the production of printing plates for non-xerographic printing processes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G16/00—Electrographic processes using deformation of thermoplastic layers; Apparatus therefor
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S101/00—Printing
    • Y10S101/37—Printing employing electrostatic force

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to printing by means of xerographically prepared plates, and more particularly, to such printing wherein the xerographically formed particulate image itself comprises the ink-bearing member.
  • lithogaphie masters may be prepared by a xerographic process which ultimately leads to the deposition of a toner in image configuration upon a hydrophyllic surface.
  • the differential surface wetting characteristics of the toner and the base hydrophyllic surface are then utilized in the conventional techniques of lithography.
  • Xerography has also been used to deposit in image configuration an etching resist upon a metallic plate which is subsequently etched to form a letterpress master. More recently, in the application of Kenneth W. Gunther and Robert W. Gundlach, Ser. No. 193,277, filed May 8, 196-2, and entitled Electrostatic Frosting, now U.S.
  • Patent No. 3,196,011 a technique for frost gravure printing has been disclosed wherein the minute depressions present in frosted image configurations are utilized to hold quantities of ink which are subsequently transferred to a sheet of paper brought into pressure contact with the frosted image.
  • a new process whereby one may xerographically prepare by relatively Asimple techniques new, unusual, and easily used printing plates, which are capable of producing long runs of copy of the highest quality on ordinary printing papers.
  • simple xerographic toners can be utilized in image configurations as highly effective and enduring transfer media for ordinary inks to ordinary papers.
  • these and other objects of the present invention are attained by depositing a particulate toner image upon a suitable substrate and thereafter fusing the toner -to a degree sufficient to obtain a high order of adherence between the mass of toner and the underlying substrate while yet attaining but a limited degree of coherence between individual particles comprising the toner. More specifically, the heat fusing is so limited that melting in and about the toner particles is sufficient to tack toner particles one to the other, but yet not so great as to coalesce the individual particles into a smooth glazed mass.
  • the desired high degree of adhesion between the toner lmage and the underlying substrate is obtained in the present invention by depositing the toner image upon a suitable thermoplastic base, or by utilizing a toner of such composition as will provide its own adherent bond to a relatively inert substrate without itself glazing over into a coalesced mass.
  • Printing plates formed in accordance with the processes and techniques herein disclosed may be inked and utilized much in the manner of a conventional gravure plate and in fact, as will be subsequently pointed out, the properties of these new plates are in many respects quite similar to such gravure plates.
  • FIGURE l diagrammatically illustrates a plate about to be prepared in accordance with the practice of the present invention.
  • FIGURE 2 illustrates the partial fusing of a toner image to the plate of FIGURE l in the practice of the present invention.
  • FIGURES 3-6 illustrate the use of a plate prepared pursuant to the present invention in the printing of a sheet of paper.
  • FIGURE 7 is an enlarged View of a section of toner bonded to a thermoplastic base according to the present invention, and illustrates the physical nature of the bonding among the toner particles and between these particles and the underlying substrate.
  • FIGURE 8 illustrates the inkng action upon the toner section of FIGURE 7.
  • FIGURE 9 shows the enlarged toner section of FIG- URE 8 as the ink is Withdrawn during printing.
  • FIGURE 10 diagrammatically illustrates an alternate mode of obtaining a toner image upon a suitable substrate.
  • FIGURE 11 diagrammatically illustrates a section through ⁇ a toner particle particularly adapted for use in the present invention.
  • FIGURE 12 illustrates the bonding action that occurs when an aggregate of toner particles as in FIGURE 11 is utilized in the present invention.
  • FIGURE 13 diagrammatically illustrates a complete rotogravure-type press utilizing a printing plate prepared pursuant to the present invention.
  • plate 3 is shown as comprising a conductive supporting layer 5 which may, for example, -be aluminum foil, upon which is coated a photoconductive thermoplastic layer 7.
  • the thermoplastic layer 7 in a preferred embodiment consists of a mixture of a polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer resin such as, for example, VYNS 3 (Union Carbide) and an organic photoconductor, such as for example, TO 1920 by Kalle & Company.
  • a latent charge image 9 is shown formed upon the thermoplastic surface by the usual techniques of xerography, as for example, by charging the photoconductive surface in darkness and thereafter exposing to a light pattern.
  • the latent image-bearing plate is thereafter developed by dusting with a toner which in a preferrred embodiment may comprise a polystyrene base composition such as is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,079,342.
  • plate 3 now carrying the toner developed image 13 is partially fused by heat from heat source 11.
  • the latter may comprise a hot plate positioned under supporting surface 5, with an intervening layer of water 1S inserted to assure good thermal contact.
  • the fusing is allowed to proceed only to a point where both softening of the thermoplastic overcoating 7, and partial melting of the toner image 13 occurs.
  • Heat source 11 is then removed, the thermoplastic layer and adherent toner image are permitted to harden, and the plate is now ready for use in printing.
  • the image-bearing plate is used to print a sheet of white paper.
  • a water base ink 17 from a source 15 is uniformly coated upon the surface of plate 3.
  • excess ink iS removed from the plate surface by the rubber blade 19 of a squeegee 21 which passes over the plate surface.
  • a plain sheet of White paper 23 is brought into contact with the inked printing plate 3 by pressure from a roller 25.
  • the printed sheet is then removed as in FIG- URE 6.
  • the plate 3 is now ready for another use in the printing cycle.
  • FIGURE 7 diagrammatically illustrates on an enlarged scale the action that occurs upon ⁇ application of a limited degree of heat fusing to the toner-thermoplastic base com- Ibination of FIGURE 2.
  • Individual toner particles are shown at 27.
  • the toner as previously indicated, may suitably comprise a polystyrene base composition such as is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,079,342.
  • Thermoplastic layer 7 may-as also previously indicatedcomprise the resin vinylite VYNS 3, manufactured by the Union Carbide Corporation. Although layer 7 may also carry a photo-conductive constituent, the photoconductive nature of the material is irrelevant to the action now -being considered.
  • the materials comprising toner particles 27 and the thermoplastic layer 7 are intentionally chosen to have appropriately related melting points.
  • the thermoplastic layer should have a melting point slightly lower than that of the toner material so that upon ⁇ application of heat, the layer 7 will soften slightly in advance of the toner, thereby assuring that formation of a bond between toner and support layer will not depend critically on the duration of heating of the toner.
  • the melting point slightly lower than that of the toner material so that upon ⁇ application of heat, the layer 7 will soften slightly in advance of the toner, thereby assuring that formation of a bond between toner and support layer will not depend critically on the duration of heating of the toner. This is, for example, the
  • the heating process is cut off at a point corresponding to the limited fusing shown in the figure. Solidification at this point thus results in (l) cohesive tacking of toner particles at mutual contact points 33, and (2) rm adherence of the bottom layer of toner 31 to the substrate 7.
  • the net important result of the preceding partial fusing action is to include within the mass of semi-consolidated toner large numbers of intersticial spaces as at 35, and these are in fact, the means by which ink is retained in the subsequent use of the plate in printing.
  • capillary action draws the liquid into these interstices much as if the toner image were a sort of sponge.
  • FIGURE 8 wherein an enlarged view of the rubber blade 19 of the squeegee is shown passing over the prepared and inked plate.
  • the rubber blade here is compressed against the irregular surface of the toner so as to enclose and wipe clean the irregular high points as the blade passes over.
  • the blade leaves in its wake a multitude of minute inked reservoirs much like the tiny reservoirs that remain in a conventional gravure plate upon passage of the doctor blade.
  • heating parameters can be completely specified for suitable degrees of fusing.
  • a substrate comprising-either entirely or as a binder in combination with an organic photoconductorthe polyvinyl chlorideacetate copolymer VYNS 3 (available from the Union Carbide Corporation)
  • VYNS 3 organic photoconductorthe polyvinyl chlorideacetate copolymer
  • the present invention may be practiced with a variety of substrates other than as shown in FIGURE l.
  • the principal requirement in practicing the invention is merely that the combination of toner and substrate be so chosen that the two essential results of the invention may be carried out; namely, the tacking by cohesion, each to the other,of toner particles, and the forming, by adhesion, of a bond between the mass of partially fused toner and the substrate.
  • the substrate be photoconductive in nature, or that it form part of a permanent combination with a metallic supporting layer.
  • a printing master 37 is shown being prepared by transfer of an unfixed toner image 13 from a conventional xerographic plate 39.
  • the latter comprises the usual conductive metallic plate 41 upon which is adherent a photoconductive layer, as for example, of selenium at 43.
  • the material comprising the thermoplastic base ⁇ 45 of printing master 37 may suitably be almost any thermoplastic sheet material which has a melting point related to the toner used, in the manner previously indicated. With the polystyrene-base toner previously indicated, for example, sheet Mylar (polyethylene terephthalate) has been found yq'uite effective.
  • the base together with its adherent toner image is stripped away from the xerographic plate 3,9 and partially heat fused in the Imanner previously discussed.
  • the resulting printing master may then be used much as the printing plate of IFIGUR-ES 3-6, except that it will usually be desirable because of the flexible nature-of the printing master to first secure it to a rigid supporting structure, such as, for example, the face of a rotary cylinder.
  • FIGURE 11 a greatly enlarged section is shown through a toner particle particularly adapted for use in the present invention.
  • the particle consists of a refractory spherical center 47 which may, for example, comprise a glass bead having a diameter of the order of 5-50 microns, upon which is coated a uniform thermoplastic shell of several microns thickness.
  • An aggregate of such toner particles is shown in FIGURE l2 in the process of bond formation between an image configuration of the toner and a substrate.
  • the substrate 53 may now comprise any of a very large number of rigid or non-rigid materials, since the formation of an adhesive bond between the toner image and the substrate no longer depends upon the thermoplastic properties of the substrate itself.
  • the substrate 53 might, for example, comprise a metallic aluminum plate, or a glass or rigid plastic plate. Flexible but high melting plastic surfaces might also be employed.
  • the thermoplastic shell 49 Upon subjection to heating, the thermoplastic shell 49 gradually lmelts, fusing the toner particles to each other and to the substrate 53.
  • intersticial spaces 35 remain in great numbers to now act as the ink holding means for subsequent use of the deposited toner as a printing member. It will be appreciated, however, that use of the modified toner composition in the instant embodiment has resulted in a number of advantages as compared. with use of the more conventional type of toners.
  • the toner material comprises a conventional xerographic toner such as the polystyrenebase composition described in U.S. Patent No. 3,079,342, or the modified refractory-centered toner of FIGURE l2, i-t will be found advantageous in the practice of the present invention to utilize an aggregate of toner particles having as narrow a size distribution as possible. That is to say, all toner particles should preferably be of substantially the same diameter. The reason for this will become clear upon consideration of the mechanism by which the present printing technique functions.
  • FIGURE 13 a complete rotogravure type press is diagrammatically illustrated which utilizes a printing plate prepared pursuant to the present invention.
  • the printing plate is considered to be shown at 37 as a printing master similar to that described in connection with FIGURE 10.
  • the master may comprise a partially fused toner image 87 of the polystyrene based toner previously alluded to, upon a Mylar (polyethylene terephthalate) base 89.
  • the master 37 is clamped to a rigid rotating cylinder 61 by clamping means 63.
  • ink from reservoir 65 is forced by pump 67 through conduit 69 and inking means 71 to discharge from orifice 91 upon the rotating master-bearing cylinder.
  • the inkcoated master then rotates through secondary ink bath 73, formed within base 9,3 in consequence of the limited drainage from ink exit conduit 75.
  • the ink coated master then passes under blade holder 95.
  • This blade holder is quite similar to the doctor plate holder of a conventional rotogravure press, except that the steel blade of the usual rotogravure press is here replaced by rubber.
  • the ink master passes under impression cylinder 77 where it contacts and prints upon paper web 79.
  • Web rollers 81 and 83 guide the paper web through the compression cylinder and maintain the desired degree of tautness.
  • xerographic techniques be utilized to deposit the particulate image configuration. While the invention is particularly adapted to the techniques of xerography, yet many other known techniques could be utilized to deposit such particulate configurations on suitable substrates. Thus, for example, it is possible to selectively deposit compositions analogous to the toners that have been described for use in the invention, by dusting such compositions through a stencil onto a surface of the type described in this specification.
  • a toner image configuration may be affixed to a substrate to form a printing master in accordance with the present invention by limited vapor fusing of suitable particulate toner compositions upon suitable substrates.
  • the choice of particulate composition and substrate is dictated by the same considerations as with the heat fusing-viz, that both be fusible by the solvent vapors, and that the substrate be in particular, somewhat more readily fusible than the particulate composition.
  • such a combination can be achieved by utilizing the toner composition which is the subject of U.S. Patent No. 2,753,308 upon a substrate of the polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer resin VYNS 3 previously referenced, and fusing such combination with the vapors of the solvent trichloroethylene.
  • a method for printing upon an ink receptive medium comprising:
  • a printing method comprising:
  • a printing process comprising:
  • thermoplastic particles depositing minute thermoplastic particles in image configuration upon a thermoplastic surface
  • thermoplastic surface and said particles to permit mechanical bonding between at least a portion of said particles and said surface, and among said particles;
  • a method for xerographically reproducing a graphic pattern comprising:
  • a method for reproducing graphic representations comprising:
  • a method for producing graphic representations upon ink receptive media comprising:
  • a method for reproducing a graphic representation upon an ink receptive medium comprising:
  • a method for printing upon ink receptive media comprising:
  • a method for printing upon ink receptive media comprising:

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Developing Agents For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
  • Printing Plates And Materials Therefor (AREA)
  • Inking, Control Or Cleaning Of Printing Machines (AREA)
  • Printing Methods (AREA)
US422235A 1964-12-30 1964-12-30 Printing by particulate images Expired - Lifetime US3490368A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US42223564A 1964-12-30 1964-12-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3490368A true US3490368A (en) 1970-01-20

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US422235A Expired - Lifetime US3490368A (en) 1964-12-30 1964-12-30 Printing by particulate images

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US (1) US3490368A (xx)
AT (1) AT281875B (xx)
BE (1) BE674293A (xx)
CH (1) CH446906A (xx)
DE (1) DE1496169C3 (xx)
DK (1) DK117303B (xx)
FI (1) FI47145C (xx)
FR (1) FR1464987A (xx)
GB (1) GB1128173A (xx)
NL (1) NL145056B (xx)
NO (1) NO130551C (xx)
SE (1) SE355681B (xx)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648603A (en) * 1970-02-27 1972-03-14 Olivetti & Co Spa Machine for copying an original making a master from the original, and printing from the master
US4018162A (en) * 1973-08-10 1977-04-19 Melvin Sharkey Continuous duplicating sheets
US5848332A (en) * 1995-10-19 1998-12-08 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Image forming method and apparatus using tacky image forming support

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681473A (en) * 1948-12-30 1954-06-22 Chester F Carlson Manufacture of plaques and the like
US2857271A (en) * 1954-09-28 1958-10-21 Rca Corp Electrostatic printing process for producing photographic transparencies
US2922230A (en) * 1952-07-18 1960-01-26 Haloid Xerox Inc Xerographic powder fixing apparatus
US2955052A (en) * 1954-05-05 1960-10-04 Haloid Xerox Inc Method of forming a raised image
US3192043A (en) * 1960-10-07 1965-06-29 Commw Of Australia Method for developing and fixing electrostatic images in initially partially cured base elements
US3253971A (en) * 1962-02-23 1966-05-31 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co Process of producing product with a reflective surface
US3322537A (en) * 1963-11-29 1967-05-30 Rca Corp Electrophotographic reproduction process including removal of electroscopic particles from developed electrostatic image

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681473A (en) * 1948-12-30 1954-06-22 Chester F Carlson Manufacture of plaques and the like
US2922230A (en) * 1952-07-18 1960-01-26 Haloid Xerox Inc Xerographic powder fixing apparatus
US2955052A (en) * 1954-05-05 1960-10-04 Haloid Xerox Inc Method of forming a raised image
US2857271A (en) * 1954-09-28 1958-10-21 Rca Corp Electrostatic printing process for producing photographic transparencies
US3192043A (en) * 1960-10-07 1965-06-29 Commw Of Australia Method for developing and fixing electrostatic images in initially partially cured base elements
US3253971A (en) * 1962-02-23 1966-05-31 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co Process of producing product with a reflective surface
US3322537A (en) * 1963-11-29 1967-05-30 Rca Corp Electrophotographic reproduction process including removal of electroscopic particles from developed electrostatic image

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648603A (en) * 1970-02-27 1972-03-14 Olivetti & Co Spa Machine for copying an original making a master from the original, and printing from the master
US4018162A (en) * 1973-08-10 1977-04-19 Melvin Sharkey Continuous duplicating sheets
US5848332A (en) * 1995-10-19 1998-12-08 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Image forming method and apparatus using tacky image forming support

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK117303B (da) 1970-04-13
NL6517071A (xx) 1966-07-01
BE674293A (xx) 1966-04-15
NO130551B (xx) 1974-09-23
GB1128173A (en) 1968-09-25
SE355681B (xx) 1973-04-30
DE1496169A1 (de) 1969-04-24
FR1464987A (fr) 1967-01-06
NL145056B (nl) 1975-02-17
FI47145C (fi) 1973-09-10
NO130551C (xx) 1975-01-08
AT281875B (de) 1970-06-10
FI47145B (xx) 1973-05-31
CH446906A (fr) 1967-11-15
DE1496169B2 (de) 1974-05-16
DE1496169C3 (de) 1975-01-30

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