Abstract: An image forming method is performed by an image forming apparatus having a head mounting a plurality of writing units that form an image on a recording medium. The writing units are aligned in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to a main-scanning direction. A part of the image is formed on the recording medium by the writing units, the part of the image forming a line extending in the main-scanning direction. The step of forming a part of the image is repeated while shifting the writing units in the sub-scanning direction by a predetermined amount of shift. The amount of shift of the wiring units is varied so that an amount of misalignment in a connecting portion between the parts of the image on the recording medium is reduced.

Abstract: An image forming method is performed by an image forming apparatus having a head mounting a plurality of writing units that form an image on a recording medium. The writing units are aligned in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to a main-scanning direction. A part of the image is formed on the recording medium by the writing units, the part of the image forming a line extending in the main-scanning direction. The step of forming a part of the image is repeated while shifting the writing units in the sub-scanning direction by a predetermined amount of shift. The amount of shift of the wiring units is varied so that an amount of misalignment in a connecting portion between the parts of the image on the recording medium is reduced.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for preparing a printing master film for textile printing includes an image recording unit including at least one thermal head for recording images on a recording material; a recording material transportation unit for transporting the recording material, including a platen roller for bringing the recording material into contact with the thermal head so as to for images or the recording material, and a back-up roller which is in pressure contact with the platen roller at an opposite position to the position where the recording material is brought into contact with the thermal heads by the platen roller; and a disk brake for controlling the rotation of the back-up roller, connected to the back-up roller.

Abstract: A developing apparatus operable with a toner cartridge having a flexible sack which is filled with a toner. When the toner cartridge is mounted on a developing tank included in the apparatus, the sack having been held under tension by the toner is perforated to form a hole therein. The hole causes the sack to contract rapidly due to its contactability while forcing the toner out of the sack. Then, the toner is dropped or otherwise auotmatically supplied into the developing tank. This allows the toner to be supplied without resorting to any extra manual operation after the toner cartridge has been mounted on the tank.

Abstract: A laser printer or like electrostatic recording apparatus of the type developing an electrostatic latent image provided on a photoconductive drum by toner which is conveyed by a developing roller. Various devices of the apparatus including the photoconductive drum and developing roller are separated into an upper and a lower unit which are openable away from each other. A photoconductive drum assembly including the photoconductive element and a developing assembly including the developing roller are individually detachable from a body of the apparatus. Various measures are taken to enhance stable and safe operation, miniaturization, easy maintenance, operability, service life, and image quality.

Abstract: A document handling apparatus comprises a first conveyor means for conveying a document to a given location, a document stacking means for receiving documents conveyed by the first conveyor means and maintaining them at said location to form them into a stack, a stapling means for stapling the stack of documents, and a second conveyor means for conveying the stapled stack of documents out of said given location. The first or the second conveyor means comprises a conveyor roller or rollers, and an electromagnetic ball control device which brings a steel ball into abutment against or away from the conveyor rollers in response to an operation of an electromagnet.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus installed in a copying machine or the like and having a fixing roller, a pressure roller and sheet separator pawls engagable with the fixing roller. A first mechanism of the fixing apparatus is operable to locate free or separating ends of the sheet separator pawls at a small spacing from the periphery of the fixing roller. A pivotable second mechanism is operable to move the sheet separator pawls over a substantial distance away from the fixing and pressure rollers to define a large space in front thereof, so that the peripheries of the rollers become accessible for services.

Abstract: A sheet feeding cassette which is capable of receiving manually inserted sheets is disclosed to eliminate the need to provide a copying apparatus with a device for receiving manually inserted sheets when the copying apparatus uses a sheet feeding cassette for sheet feeding. For readily receiving manually inserted sheets when the cassette is in position in the copying apparatus, the cassette includes a pressure plate responsive to the action of a sheet feeding pressure applying member, an upper lid capable of opening and closing even when the cassette is in position in the copying apparatus, and a member operative to cause the sheet feeding pressure applying member to act or stop its action in conjunction with the opening and closing of the upper lid. Sheets other than those which are usually contained in the cassette can be readily and positively manually fed readily and positively to the copying apparatus as desired for the purpose of producing copies.

Abstract: In a variable-scale photocopying machine having a photosensitive medium, a light source, an optical system for projecting light from the source as an exposure light beam onto the medium, and a scale-varying mechanism, the width of the light beam is adjustable by an adjusting mechanism, which is actuated by a tensioned cord connected thereto when the cord is deflected by an adjusting member in response to movement of the scale-varying mechanism thereby to adjust the quantity of the exposure light to suit each scale of photocopying.

Abstract: A photoconductive drum is rotatably mounted on a shaft and is axially movable for removal from the apparatus. One or more guide rollers are disposed below and adjacent to one end of the drum so that a small axial movement of the drum will move the drum into supporting engagement with the guide rollers. The drum rolls over the guide rollers for easy removal from the apparatus. The guide rollers may also be movable so that the drum is moved into supporting engagement with the guide rollers and the drum and guide rollers are then removed from the apparatus in a unitary manner.

Abstract: A device comprising detection means disposed in a predetermined position on the path of movement of an original scanning system in an electrophotographic copying apparatus for detecting the movement of the original scanning system and producing a signal to actuate a copy sheet feed mechanism of the copying apparatus whereby the leading end of each copy sheet can be brought into index with the leading end of an intermediate image for coordinating the printing of the original image with the scanning thereof.