Electrostatic color printing apparatus wherein the receptor sheet is transported by a recording belt

An electrostatographic colour printing apparatus comprising:

• exposure means for forming successive electrostatic latent images on a surface of a recording member in the form of an endless belt, said belt comprising a plurality of image transferring sections;
• developing stations for sequentially developing said electrostatic latent images to form toner images on said belt;
• and
• a transfer zone comprising electrostatic transfer stations for sequentially transferring said toner images from said belt in superposition onto a receptor sheet fed through said transfer stations while in contact with said image transferring sections therein to form a multicolour toner image,
• wherein transport of said receptor sheet through each of said transfer stations occurs by frictional contact of said receptor sheet with a corresponding one of said image transferring sections in said transfer stations under the influence of electrostatic attraction forces, in the absence of a moving backing belt,
• wherein said transfer stations are proximately mounted to each other, each of said transfer stations comprising directional means imparting a direction of motion to said belt such that said receptor sheet passing through said transfer stations is properly positioned with respect to said image transferring sections, and wherein
• at least two of said developing stations are mounted between said exposure means and said transfer zone.