Toner image transfer type electrographic copying machine

A toner image transfer type electrographic copying apparatus which comprises

• an endless image carrier, said endless image carrier being divided into a number of equal unit lengths, each unit length being capable of accepting an electrostatic latent image from a sheet to be copied, the total circumferential length of said endless image carrier being m times as long as a unit length, m being an integer equal to or greater than 3,
• at least two support rollers positioned within said endless image carrier,
• drive means capable of rotating at least one of said support rollers in order to move said endless image carrier in a predetermined direction,
• image-forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image from a sheet to be copied on the outer surface of said endless image carrier along a unit length thereof,
• developing means located adjacent the outer surface of said endless image carrier at a point in the forward direction of movement of said endless image carrier with respect to said image-forming means for developing an electrostatic latent image thereon into a toner image,
• transferring means located adjacent the outer surface of said endless image carrier at a point in the forward direction of movement of said endless image carrier with respect to said developing means for transferring a developed electrostatic latent image from said endless image carrier to a transfer member,
• toner-removing means located adjacent the outer surface of said endless image carrier at a point between the image-forming means and the transferring means for removing residual toner in the outer surface of said endless image carrier,
• control means for controlling the operation of said drive means such that it will rotate the support roller to which it is connected in a fashion that said endless image carrier will be rotated in said predetermined direction a unit drive distance for each copying operation, a unit drive distance being n times as long as a unit length, n being an integer smaller than m, greater than 1 and a number which has no common factor with m, and
• said transferring means being positioned along said endless image carrier a distance from said image-forming means which is less than said unit drive distance.