Offset electrophotography

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY EMPLOYING AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE COMPRISING A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER OVERLYING A CONDUCTIVE BACKING LAYER AND IN ELECTRICLLY CONDUCTIVE CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF UNIFORMLY CHARGING SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER BY SUBJECTING THE LATTER TO A CHARGING POTENTIAL, EXPOSING SAID CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO A LIGHT IMAGE PATTERN TO INCREASE ITS CONDUCTIVITY SELECTIVELY, ALLOWING CURRENT FLOW SELECTIVELY FROM THE CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO THE CONDUCTIVE BACKING LAYER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LIGHT IMAGE PATTERN TO PRODUCE A CORRESPONDING ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE ON SAID LAYER, BRINGING AN INSULATING SURFACE INTO JUXTAPOSITION ON TOP OF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER, APPLYING PRESSURE TO FORCE SAID INSULATING SURFACE AND SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER INTO INTIMATE CONTACT TO CAUSE TRANSFER OF THE CHARGES COMPRISING THE ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE FROM SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO SAID INSULATING SURFACE, LIFTING SAID INSULATING SURFACE OFF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO THEREBY CARRY OFF SAID TRANSFERRED ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE, AND MODIFYING THE CONTRAST CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID TRANSFERRED ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE ON SAID INSULATING SURFACE BY SUBJECTING SAID IMAGE TO THE ELECTROSTATIC FLUID OF A CHARGED ELECTRODE, SAID INSULATING SURFACE BEING PROVIDED WITH A UNIFORM PATTERN OF PROTUBERANT AND DEPRESSED AREAS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY EMPLOYING AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE COMPRISING A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER OVERLYING A CONDUCTIVE BACKING LAYER AND IN ELECTRICLLY CONDUCTIVE CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF UNIFORMLY CHARGING SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER BY SUBJECTING THE LATTER TO A CHARGING POTENTIAL, EXPOSING SAID CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO A LIGHT IMAGE PATTERN TO INCREASE ITS CONDUCTIVITY SELECTIVELY, ALLOWING CURRENT FLOW SELECTIVELY FROM THE CHARGED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO THE CONDUCTIVE BACKING LAYER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LIGHT IMAGE PATTERN TO PRODUCE A CORRESPONDING ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE ON SAID LAYER, BRINGING AN INSULATING SURFACE INTO JUXTAPOSITION ON TOP OF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER, APPLYING PRESSURE TO FORCE SAID INSULATING SURFACE AND SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER INTO INTIMATE CONTACT TO CAUSE TRANSFER OF THE CHARGES COMPRISING THE ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE FROM SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO SAID INSULATING SURFACE, LIFTING SAID INSULATING SURFACE OFF SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER TO THEREBY CARRY OFF SAID TRANSFERRED ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE, AND MODIFYING THE CONTRAST CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID TRANSFERRED ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE ON SAID INSULATING SURFACE BY SUBJECTING SAID IMAGE TO THE ELECTROSTATIC FLUID OF A CHARGED ELECTRODE, SAID INSULATING SURFACE BEING PROVIDED WITH A UNIFORM PATTERN OF PROTUBERANT AND DEPRESSED AREAS.