Vacuum assisted bead pick off apparatus employing a plural level surface-hybrid air knife

An apparatus for removing magnetic granules from a moving imaging surface in a region between a developer station and a transfer station is provided. The apparatus includes a member, interposed between the developer station and the transfer station. The member has a plurality of grooves in the exterior surface thereof. Each of the grooves have a width greater than each portion of the member between adjacent grooves. The apparatus also has a magnetic member operatively associated with the member. The magnetic member generates a magnetic field to attract the magnetic granules from the imaging surface to the member. The member and the magnetic member are adapted to move relatively to one another. The member is eccentrically mounted in a housing so that two air passageways of different dimensions are formed between the member and the housing so that the air flow in the respective air passageways are different from each other.