Image forming apparatus with automatic paper supply mechanism

An image forming apparatus coupled to a paper supply mechanism formed of a plurality of paper supply units storing papers, said plurality of paper supply units being arranged in a predetermined order along a paper feed path and papers being ejected, one by one, from each of said plurality of paper supply Units to said paper feed path, the papers being fed to said image forming apparatus so that images are formed on the papers, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• jam detecting means for detecting whether or not a paper jam has occurred in said paper feed path while papers are being supplied, one by one, from each of said plurality of paper supply units:
• and
• paper supply control means for, when said jam detecting means detects that a paper jam has occurred, substituting a paper supply unit positioned at a position downstream from a position at which the paper jam has occurred for a paper supply unit that supplied to said paper feed path the paper that jammed, so that papers are continuously supplied from said substitute paper supply unit to said image forming apparatus via said paper feed paths.
• the apparatus further comprising means for detecting whether or not each of said plurality of paper supply units is detached from said paper supply mechanism, wherein papers are preferentially supplied from a paper supply unit positioned at a position downstream from the detached paper supply unit detected by said means.

An image forming apparatus coupled to a paper supply mechanism formed of a plurality of paper supply units storing papers, said plurality of paper supply units being arranged in a predetermined order along a paper feed path and papers being ejected, one by one, from each of said plurality of paper supply units to said paper feed path, the papers being fed to said image forming apparatus so that images are formed on the papers, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• jam detecting means for detecting whether or not a paper jam has occurred in said paper feed path while papers are being supplied, one by one, from each of said plurality of paper supply units;
• and
• paper supply control means for, when said jam detecting means detects that a paper jam has occurred, substituting a paper supply unit positioned at a position downstream from a position at which the paper jam has occurred for a paper supply unit that supplied to said paper feed path the paper that jammed, so that papers are continuously supplied from said substitute paper supply unit to said image forming apparatus via said paper feed path;
• the apparatus further comprising image storage means for storing image information to be formed on papers when said jam detecting means detects that a paper jam has occurred, the image information being supplied from an external unit, and means for, when the paper jam is removed, changing a paper supply unit supplying papers from said substitute paper supply unit to said paper supply unit that supplied the paper that jammed, so that the papers are then supplied from said paper supply unit that supplied the paper that jammed and the image information stored in said image storage means is formed on the papers.