Abstract: A circuit for controlling the power transmitted from an a.c. voltage source by a switching element, particularly a triac, connected in series with a power element, e.g. with the heating element of an image fixing device in an electro(photo)graphic copier, is safeguarded against errant operation by the provision of a checking circuit which comprises means for blocking periodically the transmission of power by the switching element under its normal control and means effective in intervals of the interruption of said transmission by the blocking means for detecting whether power is then being transmitted to the power element and, if it then is, producing a corrective control signal.

Abstract: In electrophotographic copying apparatus utilizing a photoconductive belt having markings regularly spaced apart on its back side for control of the copying operations by moving past a detector comprising a light source and a photoelement to generate signal pulses, the detector is made to perform reliably notwithstanding variations of the sensitivity of the photoelement, or of the light emission, by the provision of a circuit for emitting a detector signal proportional to the amount of light sensed by the photoelement together with a signal modifying circuit that maintains an output signal level corresponding to the average value of the detector signal and a control circuit responsive to the output signal level for controlling the intensity of the light source.

Abstract: Development of a charged photoconductive medium in xerographic copying apparatus is prevented when a properly formed charge image is missing as a result of insufficient imagewise exposure, by a system in which the intensity of the exposing illumination is sensed by a detector such as a photoelectric cell or a phototransistor, and when the illumination is below a level sufficient to form a proper charge image a signal emitted by a detector causes a discharging device such as an A.C. corona or a lamp to discharge the charged medium at a location between the exposure station and the developing station of the apparatus. Means also are provided whereby said signal causes interruption of the feeding of copy material to receive an image, and whereby it causes the execution of a preset copy program to be blocked until the exposing illumination is restored to a proper level of intensity.