Abstract: A light-accepting sheet with a transparent colorless base sheet coated with microcapsules encapsulating a colorless dye and a photopolymerizing agent which hardens upon exposure to light and an image transfer sheet coated with a developing agent having a chromogenic effect on this colorless dye are superposed together before exposed to an image forming beam of light. The microcapsules are selectable hardened to form an invisible image which turns into a visible image when the superposed sheets are pressed together to rupture only those of the microcapsules which were not hardened. The light-accepting sheet and image transfer sheet may be superposed from the beginning to be stored and delivered to be exposed together as a combined light and pressure sensitive image formation sheet.

Abstract: A developing apparatus which includes a developing section disposed to confront a recording medium for effecting development, and a device for supplying developing material to the developing section. The developing device is characterized in that there is mounted a stirring device rotatably provided in a supply passage for supplying the developing material to the developing section, and shutter plates are provided on an outer periphery of the stirring device so as to be controlled for rotation, thereby selectively closing or opening the supply passage.

Abstract: A waste toner collecting system in an image forming apparatus which forms on the surface of an image carrier an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an original image, develops the latent image with toner and transferrs the toner image onto a copy material. The waste toner collecting system comprises a cleaning unit for removing residual toner from the image carrier after the toner image has been transferred, a container, independent of the cleaning unit, for storing the removed waste toner, and a transport device for conveying the waste toner removed by the cleaning unit to the container, with an outlet formed in the toner transport device so as to discharge the waste toner, a waste toner inlet formed in the container at a position corresponding to the outlet in the toner transport device, and shutter members provided for the outlet and the inlet, respectively, the shutter members being opened or closed according to as the waste toner container is mounted or dismounted.

Abstract: A developer material supply arrangement which includes a developer hopper mounting portion for detachably mounting a developer hopper on the mounting provided portion at an opening at the upper portion of a developing tank of an electrophotographic copying apparatus, a hopper-shaped container for a developer material, a supply port provided at a lower portion of the hopper-shaped container and formed into a configuration which can be detachably mounted with respect to the developer hopper mounting portion, and a valve member provided within the supply port for selective opening or closing of the supply port.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying machine comprises a copy paper feeding device for serving for an automatic paper feeding mode and a manual paper feeding mode. The automatic paper feeding mode is such that a great number of papers as stored in the device are automatically inserted into the copying machine. The manual paper feeding mode is such that a manually inserted paper different from the papers stored in the device is inserted into the copying machine. A cover of the device is slided for selecting either the automatic paper feeding mode or the manual paper feeding mode. Responsive to the slide position of the cover, a stopper is seesawed for opening or closing an opening through which the manually inserted paper is to be transported.

Abstract: A spring clutch mechanism for use in an electrophotographic copying machine includes a first boss connected to a driving shaft and a second boss connected to a driven shaft. The driving shaft and the driven shaft are co-axially disposed so that the two bosses confront each other. A coil spring is disposed around the two bosses. A first sleeve is disposed around the coil spring. One end of the coil spring is fixed to the first boss and the other end of the coil spring is fixed to the first sleeve. A second sleeve is slidably mounted on the first sleeve. A rubber plate is secured to the second sleeve so that the rubber plate confronts the flange of the second boss. In the non-transmitting mode, the first and second sleeves and the coil spring are rotated in unison with the first boss, but the second boss is not rotated. When the second sleeve is depressed toward the flange of the second boss, the rubber plate contacts the flange to brake the rotation of the second and first sleeves.