Method for the formation of a multicolour proof print start- • ing from at least two colour separations and device for per¬ forming this method.

The invention relates to a method for the formation of a multi¬ colour proof print starting from a± least two (light-trans¬ mitting) colour separations.

In multi-colour printing, as is already known, use is made of colour separations, i.e. of partial images in each of the three basic colours (yellow, magenta, cyanogen) and usually supple¬ mented with a partial image in black. Different techniques are known for obtaining these colour separations, starting from the original to be reproduced and naturally before start- ing the final production printing run a check must be made that a good final result is obtained with the colour separat¬ ions formed.

For this purpose normally a proof print is made on a proof printing press, which is a time-consuming operation. Further- more the proof printing press required is expensive.

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The present invention aims at providing a method for form¬ ing a multi-colour proof print which can be executed rapid¬ ly and cheaply and which provides a result which corresponds so well with a print formed on a printing press that it is possible to make a good assessment of the colour separations.

The method according to the invention consists in a charge pattern being formed from each colour separation by ex¬ posure of a photoconductive coating which has been charged in advance to a certain charge level, this charge pattern being developed a predetermined period after the charge state has been achieved, using toner of a colour which corresponds with the colour separation concerned, and the transfer of the toner image thus obtained onto a receptor surface, so that the second and subsequent toner images are in registration with the preceding one(s), whereby the photoconductive coating for each of the partial images is charged up to an identical final charge state and the develop¬ ment with toner starts after a period of time after the coating has achieved the final charge state, which is iden- tical for all partial images.

The present invention is based on the insight that fully re¬ producible and comparable results are obtained if, starting from a final charge state for the electrophotographic coating which is identical for all partial images, the development of the respective partial images starts at an identical point on the darkness decay curve of the corresponding coating

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which in actual fact is essentially the commencement of de¬ velopment after a period which is identical for all partial images after the final charge state has been achieved. In actual practice it has been observed that results are ob- tained which closely match those obtained with a proof print.

Naturally it is much cheaper to construct a device for per¬ forming this method than a proof printing machine, so that the method proposed in accordance with the invention can also be used by small firms.

The charging of the coating is preferably undertaken during a period which is identical for all the respective toner partial images, the same as the development by applying toner.

These measures facilitate the execution of the method in accordance with the invention. Preferably, furthermore the respective charging and development periods are mutually identical.

Preferably several coatings having mutually identical charac- teristics are used for the formation of the respective par¬ tial images, whereby preferably the charging of a photocon¬ ductive coating is undertaken during the period of develop¬ ment of a coating which prior to this has already been charged up and exposed with a partial image of a different colour.

When preparing a series of proof prints from the same ori¬ ginals the exposures for a certain colour separation are preferably effected with equal light quantities throughout the series, when using coatings sensitive to glare phenomena.

When effecting the method of the invention with certain types of photoconducting coatings, such as zincoxide coatings, the quality of the toner image is improved when the coating is moistened with a toner dispersant prior to the application of toner.

To obtain good results it is advantageous when, after the transfer of the toner to the receptor surface and prior to the further charging of the photoconductive coating, the surface thereof is moistened with a suitable solvent and the applied solvent is then sucked off.

Any residual charge on the photoconductive coating will flow away when after the transfer of the toner, to the receptor surface and prior to the further charging the photoconductive coating is uniformly exposed. As a result the respective consecutive images all possess high quality.

The quality is still better when, prior to the transfer of toner, the receptor surface is moistened and dried after toner transfer.

A device used preferentially for execution of the method in

accordance with the invention comprises a housing which accommodates a flat support for a photoconductive coating, means for charging and exposure thereof, and means for the transfer to a receptor surface of a toner image obtained by interaction of the coating with one of a number of toner holders which are provided with toner application means and movable individually so as to bring about inter-action be¬ tween the coating and a certain, selected toner holder.

This procedure results in a compact construction and the movement of the constituent parts described with respect to each other can be achieved by simple guides and controls.

A preferred embodiment of this device is such that the sup¬ port can be moved around a fixed axis" parallel with the surface from an initial position, in which the coating can be charged and exposed, to a second position which is ro¬ tated through 180 with respect thereto, in which the ex¬ posed surface can be provided with toner from one of the toner holders located one above the other in a magazine, which for this purpose can, by means of a drive mechanism be brought out of the magazine into a path which extends along the support and back into the magazine.

Preferably the device is such that the support carries a photoconductive coating on both surfaces, the support be¬ ing horizontal in the two positions, the charging and ex¬ posure means being located above the level of the support

shaft, and the toner and image transfer means being located thereunder.

The horizontal location of the support with the photoconduc¬ tive coatings and the arrangement described above of the means interacting therewith contributes to a compact con¬ struction and especially facilitates the supply of toner to the exposed photoconductive coating.

In a favourable embodiment each toner holder is closed at the top by a flat plate having at least two slots located transverse to the direction of movement of the holder, the level of which coincides with that of the outer surface of a toner transport roller mounted in the holder, which roller can be driven in rotary fashion in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of the holder, toner being applied by the roller to the plate from the holder during this rotation.

Preferably here the plate is electrically isolated with res¬ pect to the support and, in order to function as developing electrode, can be brought to a certain electrical potential with respect to the support. Satisfactory and uniform appli¬ cation of the toner is facilitated if the rollers can be displaced over a short distance transverse to the axial direction thereof.

A further embodiment of the invention comprises a doctor blade

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which, at least at the end of the toner application movements, carries out the cleaning of the flat top plate of the toner holder.

It is favourable if the toner which still remains behind on the photoconductive coating after image transfer is removed; for this purpose use can be made of one or several solvent discharge and suction nozzles having the discharge aperture facing upwards, covering the width of the coating, which are accommodated in an essentially horizontal direction in a frame which can move to and fro underneath the coating.

However use should be made preferably of a holder for solvent which can move to and fro in a horizontal direction underneath the ^" codting and one or several application rolls which pro¬ ject over a short distance from the upper confine thereof, which are driven in rotary fashion and connected with a narrow overflow chamber which passes over the photoconductive coating and which is open at the top, connected to a solvent feed pipe, accommodated in and projecting from a holder pro¬ vided with a liquid outlet, possibly combined with a suction nozzle which passes over the photoconductive coating.

The invention will now be discussed with the aid of the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows aschematic frontal view of the mutual position of the different constituent parts of the arrangement in ac- cordance with the invention;

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Fig. 2 provides α view in the direction of the arrow 2; Fig. 3 provides a view in the direction of the arrow 3; Fig. 4a - 4e show the positions and movements of the diffe¬ rent constituent components with respect to each other; Fig. 5 is a schematic side view, partially in section, of a toner holder employed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 6 is a schematic section of an arrangement for applying an accurately predetermined quantity of toner solvent to the photoconductive coating; Fig. 7 is a perspective representation of a part of the arrangement in accordance with the invention; Fig. 8 illustrates the left-hand portion of this arrangement; Fig. 9 gives a perspective view of the right-hand portion of this arrangement.

In fig. 1 - 3 the various constituent parts of the device are indicated only very schematically. The frame accommodating the components is not shown, neither are the various drives and controls. The diagrams serve exclusively to illustrate the mutual position and to indicate the motion of the com- ponents with respect to each other.

The device consists of a flat support 1, shown in frontal view in fig. 1, which can rotate around the shaft 2 which is located in the plane of the drawing; the surface of the sup¬ port 1 is thus vertical to the plane of the drawing. On each of the large surfaces the support 1 is provided with a photo¬ conductive coating, indicated by the reference numerals 3 and

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4 respectively.

Both coatings possess the same characteristic properties. Above the support there is a pressure frame 5 for pressing a light-transmitting colour separation 6, from which a proof print must ultimately be made, firmly against the coating 3.

The source of radiation 7 is employed for image-wise exposing viathe colour separation 6, the photoconductive coating af¬ ter this latter has been charged up in the conventional man¬ ner; this charging up is undertaken by means of a corona device 8 (see fig. 2 and 3) which, when the frame 5 is tilted upwards in the direction of the arrows 9, can be moved over the surface of the coating 3.

Underneath the support 2 and capable of movement in the direc¬ tion of the arrows 10 there is a drum 11 on which is located the receptor sheet onto which the toner image has to be trans¬ ferred.

On one side of the support 1, to the right in fig. 1, there is a set of four toner holders 13 - 16, accommodated in a frame 12 which is shown schematically, these being filled with toner of different colours. The frame 12 can move upwards and down¬ wards in the direction of the arrows 17, whilst a certain selected toner holder, the top edge of which lies below the level of the lowest photoconductive coating, shown y the dashed line 18, can be brought out of the frame and can move to and fro along the bottom of this photoconductive coating

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in the direction shown by arrow 19 so as to supply toner to the photoconductive coating.

On the other side of the support 1, i.e. to the left in fig. 1, there is a device 20 for the removal of residual to- ner from the photoconductive coating; this device comprises a pair of rotary application rollers 22 mounted in a holder 21 which is filled with solvent, and a suction nozzle 23 arranged close thereto. These elements are combined with the toner solvent application device 40, which will be described in greater detail by reference to fig. 6, by means of which an accurately determined quantity of solvent is applied to the photoconductive coating.

The movement of the various components with respect to each other is illustrated by means of fig. 4a - 4e. These illus- trate a view which corresponds with that in fig. 1.

Let us begin with the components in the position illustrated in fig. 4a. The exposure frame 5 is tilted upwards so that the corona arrangement 8 can be moved from left to right and back across the upper photoconductive surface 3. As result this surface is charged up to a predetermined potential; after this a colour separation 6 is placed on the surface and the frame 5 is closed, subject to a vacuum to ensure good contact, after which with the aid of the radiation source 7 the photoconductive coating 3 is image-wise exposed via the colour separation 6. Fig. 4b illustrates this stage of the

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process.

Subsequently frame 5 is tilted upwards, the colour separation 6 is removed and the support 1 is rotated through 180 around the shaft 2 which lies in the plane of the drawing. The coating 3 is now underneath and the coating 4 which has not yet been used is on top.

In the meantime the frame 12 together with toner carriages 13 - 16 has been brought to the correct height so that the toner carriage with toner of the desired colour (it is assumed that this for example is toner carriage 15) is located with its top edge level with the bottom edge of the coating 4. Toner carriage 14, the construction of which will be des¬ cribed in greater detail later, is removed from the frame 12 by means of a suitable drive arrangement and moved in the direction of arrow 19 along the bottom of the exposed photoconductive coating, on which there is now a latent charge image, so as to apply toner to the charged surface portions of the coating 3. This toner feed operation for all the partial images which have to be produced with the diffe- rent colour separations, commences a certain period of time after the coating has been charged up to a predetermined final charge state which is similarly identical for all partial images. Since the characteristics of.both coatings 3 and 4 are identical, image formation for all partial ima- ges takes place under mutually identical circumstances.

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Coinciding with the development with toner of the image pre¬ sent on the coating 3, now the overlying coating 4 is charged up by means of the corona arrangement 8 to the same final charge state as employed previously for coating 3, preceding the image-wise exposure of this coating via a second colour separation. After the supply of toner the toner image formed on coating 3 must be transferred to a receptor substrate, in this case a sheet of paper present on drum 11 which for this purpose is placed close to the coating, after which the paper - not shown - is unrolled along the coating. During this ope¬ ration a new colour separation 6", via which the coating 4 is exposed by means of the radiation source 7, is placed on the top coating 4.

After-image transfer the drum 11 comes away from the bottom surface and the photoconductive coating 3 is cleaned to re¬ move any residual toner by being washed with toner solvent. For this purpose use is made of the arrangement 20 with the two application brushes 22 arranged in rotary fashion in holder 21 and the suction nozzle 23 which like the rollers 22 extend across the entire length of the coating. The applied solvent is removed via het suction nozzle 23. Prior to being sucked away an accurately determined quantity of solvent is applied to the coating 3 by means of the arrangement 40 (see fig. 6).

Before cleaning the coating uniform exposure of the coating can also be undertaken by means of a light source, not shown,

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so as to cause any residual charge to flow away.

After this the support 1 is rotated around shaft 2 through 180 until it reaches the position illustrated in fig. 4a and can again be charged up and exposed. The coating 4 which now carries a charge pattern corresponding with the colour separation 6' is now located on the underside of the support 1 and is developed using toner of the desired second colour, after which this toner image is transferred to the substrate, in registration with the first toner image.

These operations are repeated with the other colour separa¬ tions so that ultimately, for each of the basic colours and possibly black, a toner image is formed on the substrate by means of which the proof print is completed.

The horizontal position of the photoconductive coating during the various operations facilitates not only the operation of the device, especially the application of a colour separation onto the charged coating, but also the application of toner onto the charged coating and the cleaning thereof with sol¬ vent.

Fig. 5 shows a cross section of a preferred toner holder, in¬ dicated in its entirety in this diagram by the notation figure 25. The holder comprises three application rollers 26, 27 and 28, rotatably mounted in a frame 29, which is mounted in holder 25 so as to be capable of free movement to and fro over a short

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distance in the direction shown by arrow 30. Between the rol¬ lers 26 and 27 there is a plate 31, mounted in insulated fashion, with sharply tapered edges 32 and 33; between rol¬ lers 27 and 28 there in a similar plate 34 with sharply tapered edges 35 and 36 respectively.

Plates 31 and 34 which, as already stated, are arranged in insulated fashion with respect to the housing 25, can be connected with a voltage source of suitable potential and polarity, especially opposite to the toner polarity, so that during the development of the charge pattern by application of toner in the known manner a uniformly developed image is obtained.

During the movement of the holder 25 along the bottom of the photoconductive coating the frame 29 with rollers 26, 27 and 28 is shifted to such an extent that during movement towards the left the roller 26 will be located close to the edge 32 and the roller 27 will be close to the edge 35. During the return movement the roller 28 will be close to the edge 36 and the mller 27 close to the edge 33. As a result the dis¬ tance between roller and edge is precisely governed so that an accurately predetermined quantity of toner, the level of which is indicated by the notation number 37, is applied to the charged coating.

Fig. 6 shows in a schematic section a device for applying an accurately determined quantity of solvent to the coating.

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combined with the suction nozzle 23.

The toner fluid feed arrangement 40 comprises an overflow chamber 41 connected to the toner fluid feed pipe 42 and placed in a holder 43 to which a toner fluid discharge pipe 44 is connected. The overflow chamber 41 will be filled com¬ pletely with toner fluid 45. This fluid has a meniscus 63, the height of which depends on fluid characteristics and which is a constant for a certain fluid. Since the position of the photoconductive coating 3 during the various opera- tions is fixed, by adjusting the spacing between the over¬ flow chamber 41 with respect to this coating, the quantity of fluid which is fed to the coating can be governed extre¬ mely accurately.

The whole assembly is guided along the coating: the excess toner applied by rollers 26, 27, 28 is sucked away by the nozzle 23 and by means of the toner fluid feed arrangement 40 the photoconductive coating is moistened to a predetermined extent; this during the return movement of the toner trolley. The object of this treatment is to prevent uncontrolled flows of toner particles along the photoconductive surface during the stage in which toner is transferred to the receptor me¬ dium.

Fig. 7 gives a perspective view of part of the complete ar¬ rangement in accordance with the invention; fig. 8 provides a perspective view of the portion with the support and photo-

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conductive coating, and fig. ^" 9 a perspective view of the arrangement of the toner holders.

The cleaning unit 20 with rollers 22 and with a suction nozzle identical with 23 and an arrangement identical with 40 are visible in fig. 4a - 4e. The cleaning rollers 22 function whilst going from left to right; during the return movement they are adjusted downwardly after which the suction nozzle and the fluid feed nozzle come into action. In fig. 7 the frame in which the entire assembly is accommodated is indicated by reference numeral 30. The left-hand portion 31 accommodates the support 1 with the photoconductive coating thereon visible. The corona arrangement 8 is similarly shown; this is guided past the guides 32, 33 and can be moved to and fro in the manner described previously across the coating 3. The frame 31 supports the pressure frame 5 accommodated in the tilting frame 34. Underneath the support 1 is the drum 11 for taking up the material on which the re¬ presentation is to be formed, the said drum being mounted on arms 35, 36.

In the middle portion of the frame 37 different ancillary units are arranged such as a drum 38 which contains the various pipelines for fluid and the supply and discharge of medium required for normal operation; in the.right-hand por¬ tion of the frame 39 a frame 12 with the four toner holders 13 - 16. This frame 12 can be moved upwards and downwards by means of the threaded spindle 40 and brought to the

correct level.

After what has been stated above, fig. 8 requires no further explanation. Fig. 9 illustrates further details of the frame 12 with the four toner holders 13 - 16. The toner holder required can, guided in the guides 41, 42 of frame section 37 be brought in the manner described previously underneath the photoconductive coating.

It is observed that the reference numerals in the claims are not intended to restrict the scope thereof, but are only denoted for clarification.