Development of an electrostatic printing process with gas discharge recording writing head

A printing head for an electrostatic printer was investigated. Its writing electrodes are switched by a gas discharge array, consisting of a linear arrangement of discharge cells with the cathodes interconnected cyclically. A partial voltage for the writing electrodes is sequentially generated by probe electrodes in the discharge cells. The necessary charge needed to obtain a latent electrostatic image is transfered to the dielectric paper when probe electrode and backing electrode work in coincidence. This arrangement allows fewer switching transistors.