Image forming apparatus with control of conveying speeds

An image forming apparatus including:

• image forming means for forming images on a sheet;
• sheet supporting means for supporting the sheet;
• sheet feeding means for feeding the sheet supported by said sheet supporting means;
• first conveying means for conveying the sheet fed by said sheet feeding means;
• second conveying means for conveying the sheet conveyed by said first conveying means to said image forming means to form the image by said image forming means;
• and
• control means for controlling a sheet conveying speed of each of said sheet feeding means, said first conveying means and said second conveying means,
• said control means performing control so that the sheet conveying speed of said first conveying means is faster than the sheet conveying speed of said second conveying means and so that the sheet conveying speed of said sheet feeding means is slower than the sheet conveying speed of said first conveying means,
• wherein said sheets are continously conveyed and when a succeeding sheet arrives early relative to a preceding sheet, said control means stops said first conveying means temporarily to delay the succeeding sheet.