Abstract: A document feeder for use with a copying machine, for automatically recirculating documents through a copying process. The document feeder comprises a housing, a document tray disposed in the housing for storing a plurality of documents to be copied, a drive shaft carrying a pickup roller and a drive gear coaxially with each other, a rotary shaft carrying a driven gear and a document detector coaxially with each other, and a sensor for detecting one angular movement of the driven gear. The document detector contacts the documents on the document storing member for detecting presence of the documents. The driven gear defines, peripherally thereof, a gear portion for meshing with the drive gear and a cutout portion out of mesh with the drive gear.

Abstract: A toner container is detachably attached to a developing device and used for supplying a developing agent held therein to the developing device. The toner container, after completing supply of the toner, is then detachably attached at a position suitable for recovering developing agent remaining on an electrostatic latent image carrier, and allowed to accommodate therein the recovered developing agent. A main body of the toner container accommodates the developing agent. A mouth is formed in the main body, and is adapted to effect supply or recovery of the developing container. A form-changing member effects a change in the form of the main body when the main body is attached in the position for recovery of the remaining developing agent to indicate that the toner container has already been used as a supply container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is provided with a sheet guide disposed adjacent to a transfer charger and is movable between the first position adjacent to a photosensitive drum and the second position away from the drum by function of a driver which is controlled by a controller. The controller actuates the driver for positioning the sheet guide at the first position when the rear end of a paper passes the transfer section.The sheet guide disposed between the transfer section and fixing section is movable between the first position where the guide is lifted up from an ordinary paper feed path and the second position which constitutes an ordinary feed path by a function of a driver which is controlled by a controller. The controller actuates the driver for positioning the sheet guide at the first position before the leading end of a transfer paper is nipped by a pair of rollers at the fixing section.