Electrophotographically information recording method

An electrophotographically information recording method of recording the external information on recording paper by forming the information as an electrostatic latent image on a charged photosensitive element and then by electrophotographically treating the electrostatic latent image. When the information can be introduced within the predetermined information introduction time, the recording operations is accomplished by the electrophotographic treatment subsequently to the introduction. When the information cannot be wholly introduced within the predetermined information introduction time, the electrophotographically treating operations excepting the formation of the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element and the feed of the recording paper are continued, so that these remaining operations of the formation of the electrostatic latent image and the feed of the recording paper are started immediately after the introduction of the information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an electrophotographically information 
recording method of recording the information, which is supplied in the 
form of electric signals from an information device such as an electronic 
computer, as a visible image on recording paper by forming the image as an 
electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element and then by 
electrophotographically treating the electrostatic latent image. More 
specifically, the present invention relates to an information recording 
method which can facilitate the discriminations between the sheets of the 
recording paper containing different pieces of information and which can 
minimize the reduction in the treating capacity due to an information 
source having a low information transfer speed. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Recently, the electrophotographic recorder as shown, for example, in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,134,668 has been being used in the terminal device of a 
computer, an output device of the information to be transmitted through a 
communication circuit or the output reader of a facsimile. In one mode of 
the electrophotographic recorder, the information, which is supplied in 
the form of electric signals from the outside, is converted into an 
optical image by means of a scanning reproducer such as an optical fiber 
tube, a thin-window recording tube, needle electrode or a laser beam 
scanner so that it is recorded as an electrostatic latent image on a 
photosensitive element which is uniformly charged. The electrostatic 
latent image is developed with a developing agent into a visible image, 
which is either fixed as a recorded image as it is or transferred to the 
recording paper and then fixed to produce a final picture image. A series 
of the treating steps to treat the electrostatic latent image thereby to 
produce the final picture image are called the electrophotographic 
treatment and are adopted in the usual electrophotographic copier. The 
electrophotographic treatment includes the steps of uniformly charging a 
photosensitive element by turning a photosensitive drum at a constant 
speed, forming an electrostatic latent image by projecting an optical 
image upon the photosensitive element charged, developing the 
electrostatic latent image with a developing agent, transferring the 
developed image to recording paper, thermally fixing the transferred 
image, while removing the charges left on the surface of the 
photosensitive element after the transfer, and cleaning the toner left on 
the surface of the photosensitive element. The time period required for 
the original exposing step for forming the electrostatic latent image; and 
for the treating cycle of one electrophotograph is constant, and a sheet 
of copied image is recorded usually for one electrophotographically 
treating cycle. Thus, because the electrophotographic treatment is 
adopted, a time period, which is predetermined by the series of the 
treating steps, is required for the electrophotographic information 
recorder to accomplish the recording treatment. In the electrophotographic 
information recorder according to the prior art, therefore, the feed of 
the recording paper is performed each predetermined time so that the 
number of the sheets of the recording paper to be treated for the 
predetermined time is accordingly determined. For example, the copying 
time of one sheet is 6 seconds for intermittent copying and 2 seconds for 
continuous copying. 
On the other hand, the information to be recorded by the 
electrophotographic information recorder is supplied in the form of 
electric signals from the outside and is generally various from remarkably 
quick to remarkably slow because of the variety in the performance of the 
information processing device to be connected therewith. For example, 
there is an information source such as a magnetic tape, by which much 
information transfer is effected within a short time period, or an 
information source such as a punched tape, by which it takes much time to 
transfer the information. Generally, 110 characters per second can be 
transferred in case of punched tape and 9,600 characters per second can be 
transferred in case of TELETYPE (Trade Name), whereas 3,000 characters can 
be stored on one sheet. For the interval between one electrophotographic 
treating cycle and the subsequent electrophotographic treating cycle, the 
information to be recorded during the subsequent electrophotographic 
treating cycle is introduced from an external information source and is 
transformed into a video signal. Because of the variety in the transfer 
speed and quantity of the information, however, the constant time 
interval, which is predetermined by the electrophotographic treatment, may 
be either short or sufficient for the introduction and transforming of the 
information. 
If the information processing device has a sufficient capacity, external 
information to be subsequently recorded can be received and transformed 
while recording the preceding information on the photosensitive element. 
However, it is impossible to do if the information processing device has 
not such a large capacity that the quantity of information corresponding 
to more than single sheet or page of the recording paper can be stored. 
Such information processing device having a large capacity causes the 
construction to be complicates and the cost to be increased. 
According to the usual electrophotographic information recorder, on the 
other hand, since the time period required for the electrophotographic 
treatment is constant irrespective of the levels in the quantity and 
transfer speed of the information to be recorded, the number of sheets of 
the recording paper to be treated for the present time period is 
restricted. In the electrophotographic information recorder, therefore, 
the preset information introduction time relating to the 
electrophotographic treatment is predetermined. In the recorder thus far 
described, in case the transfer speed of the information to be recorded is 
so low that the information introduction is not completed within the 
predetermined information introduction time, the subsequent 
electrophotographic treating operations are interrupted, but the 
information introduction itself is continued. After that, the 
electrophotographic treating operations are started again from the 
instant, when the information introduction is completed, thus practising 
the recording operations. However, as the voltage circuit for applying a 
high voltage on electrodes such as a charging electrode, a charge removing 
electrode and a separating electrode has a high time constant, it takes 
much time to reach the voltage at a predetermined level. A predetermined 
sufficient elapse time has to be taken especially for the charging 
operation of the photosensitive element which will determine the quality 
of the picture image. Accordingly, a considerable time of, for example, at 
least several seconds is wasted before the electrophotographic treating 
operations are started again after the information introduction is 
completed. This is not desired in view of the effective use of the 
recording time. This effective use of the recording time is an important 
problem especially when it is considered that the electrophotographic 
information recorder is used for the terminal device of the computer or 
the output device of the information to be transmitted through the 
communication circuit, which device is used to process the information to 
be transferred at a high speed. 
Moreover, the case, in which the external information is recorded by the 
electrophotographic recorder of this kind, is divided into the case, in 
which the same information is recorded in a single sheet, and into the 
case in which the information is recorded in plural sheets. In case 
different pieces of information are to be recorded in multiple sheets, it 
is convenient that those sheets of the recording paper are recognized for 
the different pieces of information. For this reason, it is sufficient 
that the discriminating paper such as color paper or tape is inserted 
between the different sheets of the recording paper. For this purpose, 
there have conventionally been proposed a variety of methods for inserting 
the discriminating paper. In one example proposed, a color tape is 
prepared for the discriminating paper independently of the recording paper 
and when it is detected that the information to be recorded is different, 
the feeding and cutting mechanisms of the color tape are controlled in 
accordance with the movements of the recording paper thereby to insert the 
cut sheet of the color tape between the sheets of the recording paper to 
be discharged. Another mechanism is made so similar to the above as to 
include a discriminating paper feeder and a controller which is operative 
to control the feeder in relation to the operation of the recording paper. 
In addition to these recording paper feeder and controller which are 
intrinsic, therefore, a discriminating paper feeder and its control system 
are required with the resultant disadvantage that the recorder has its 
construction complicated to raise the production cost. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been conceived in view of the disadvantages thus 
far described and contemplates to provide a method in which the recorder 
is held under the idling condition for the predetermined time period and 
the electrophotographic treatment can be started in accordance with the 
transfer time of the recording information so that the recording time for 
the case, in which the transfer time is long, may be effectively utilized. 
Accordingly, the time period required for preparing the photosensitive 
element for the next recording can be eliminated, and the 
electrophotographically treating system can be held under a stable 
condition at all times, with the result of advantage that the picture 
quality of the recording image is made excellent. Moreover, the high 
voltage circuit for applying a high voltage on the devices for the 
charging, transfer, separation and discharging operations need not be 
turned on and off for each sheet of the recording paper so that the 
switching elements, which are made coactive with the high voltage 
application to the electrodes, can be prevented from being damaged and 
from having their lives shortened. 
According to another feature of the present invention, recording paper 
itself is inserted under its unrecorded condition between the sheets of 
the recording paper having different pieces of information, in case 
different pieces of information are to be recorded in multiple sheets. 
According to this method, the paper feeder and the controller of the 
discriminating paper can be eliminated, and the recording paper feeder and 
the controller to be used for the usual electrophotographic treatment can 
be used, as they are, for the paper feed and control of the discriminating 
paper so that the recorder can have its construction simplified and its 
cost reduced. 
According to another feature of the present invention, during the feeding 
period of the discriminating paper, the subsequent information to be 
recorded is introduced. In the electrophotographic recorder, more 
specifically, the information to be recorded is received in the form of 
electric signals from a variety of external information sources. The 
introduction of the external information is accomplished during the 
electrophotographic treating cycle for each sheet of the recording paper. 
The time period required for the electrophotographic treatment of one 
sheet of the recording paper is restricted by the operations of the 
electric and mechanical treating system of the recorder. On the contrary, 
the transfer time for the external information to be introduced by the 
recorder is variable. Therefore, if the feeding interval of the recording 
paper is determined at the minimum value that is determined from the 
operations of the electric and mechanical treating system of the recorder, 
the external information to be subsequently recorded may occasionally fail 
to be completely introduced. According to the present invention, 
therefore, the time period for feeding the discriminating paper is 
utilized, while maintaining the feeding interval of the recording paper at 
the minimum, thereby to introduce the information to be recorded. Since 
the feeding period of the discriminating paper assigns the same time as 
that required for the electrophotographic treatment of the single sheet of 
the recording paper to the introduction of the information to be recorded, 
the fitting capacity is remarkably improved for the information source 
having a slow information transfer speed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows the diagrammatic construction of the electrophotographic 
recorder according to the present invention. A photosensitive drum 1 which 
is made rotatable at a constant speed is formed with a photosensitive 
element 1a on its surface. There are arranged around the photosensitive 
drum 1, a charge electrode 2 for uniformly charging the photosensitive 
element 1a a scanning reproducer 3 for projecting and focusing the optical 
image, which corresponds to the external information such as the output 
signals from an electronic computer, upon the charged photosensitive 
element 1a, a developer 4 for developing the electrostatic latent image 
which is formed on the photosensitive element 1a by the scanning 
reproducer 3, a transfer electrode 6 for transferring the developed 
external information to recording paper P fed from a recording paper 
feeding tray 5, a separating electrode 7 for separating the recording 
paper bearing the transferred image from the photosensitive drum 1, a 
discharge electrode 8 for removing the charges which are left on the 
surface of the photosensitive element 1a after the recording paper is 
separated, and a cleaner 9 for removing the residual toners from the 
surface of the photosensitive element 1a . The recording paper separated 
from the photosensitive element 1a is conveyed by a conveyor 10 to a fixer 
11, where the toner image is fixed to the recording paper, which is then 
discharged into a recorded paper receiving tray 12. 
The information transfer and control system between the electrophotographic 
recorder according to the present invention and the external information 
source is shown in a block diagram in FIG. 2. In this Figure, an external 
information source 13 is, for example, the terminal device of a computer 
or the transmission line of a communication circuit and supplies to a data 
control block 14, which contains the data memory mounted in the recorder, 
an electric signals of the external information in accordance with the 
data requiring signals from the control block 14. When the data memory is 
stored with the information corresponding to the single sheet of the 
recording paper, the supply of the information from the external 
information source 13 is interrupted, and a record starting signal is fed 
to an electrophotographic treatment control block 15. In response to this 
record start signal, the operations of the mechanical and electric 
systems, which are necessary for a series of the electrophotographic 
treating operations such as the rotations of the photosensitive drum, the 
drive of the paper feeding rollers, the energizations of the charge, 
transfer and separating electrodes or the operation of the fixer, are 
started in a predetermined sequence. After a predetermined time, i.e., 
after the time period required for preparing the photosensitive element 
for the next recording, an ON signal for starting the scanning reproducer 
3 is fed from the control block 15 to the data control block 14. 
The operations of the electrophotographic recorder according to the present 
invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3(I) and 3(II), 
the former corresponding to the case, in which the information transfer 
time is short, i.e., the case of the high speed transfer information 
source, whereas the latter corresponding to the case of the low speed 
transfer information source. In both the Figures, the abscissa indicates 
the elapse of time. Description is first made upon FIG. 3(I), in which 
A.sub.1 indicates the external information corresponding to the single 
sheet or page of the recording paper to be transferred from the external 
information source 13. During the time period t.sub.l for which the 
transfer is made with that external information, the data control block 14 
is in its receiving mode (as indicated at hatched regions) of the 
information. The control block 14 feeds the record start signal to the 
electrophotographic treatment control block 15 when it detects the 
information ending signal (or the end mark) which is contained at the 
trailing end of the information. The control block 15 operates the 
electric and mechanical systems, which are required for the 
electrophotographic treatment, when it receives the start signal. First of 
all, the photosensitive drum 1 is turned, and the photosensitive element 
1a is charged by the charge electrode 2. In synchronism with the motions 
of this photosensitive drum, the developing, transferring, separating, 
discharging and cleaning operations are accomplished in the predetermined 
sequence. In this instance, it takes one time period t.sub.2 for the 
photosensitive element 1a on the photosensitive drum 1 to reach the 
information writing position by the scanning reproducer 3. When that 
writing position is reached, the ON signal for operating the scanning 
reproducer 3 is generated from the control block 15 to the control block 
14. As a result, the scanning reproducer 3 is brought into its operative 
condition, and the signal, which has been stored in the data memory of the 
control block 14, is transformed into a video signal and then fed to the 
scanning reproducer 3, where it is converted into an optical image so that 
it is written on the photosensitive element 1a . Substantially 
simultaneously with the generation of the ON signal, the recording paper P 
is fed from its tray 5 by the drive of the paper feed rollers (not shown) 
arranged at the tray 5. The electrostatic latent image thus formed on the 
photosensitive element 1a is electrophotographically treated, and the 
resultant recorded paper is discharged after a time period t.sub.3 into 
the recorded paper receiving tray 12. If the path between the tray 5 and 
the photosensitive drum 1 is long, further feed rollers may be arranged in 
the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 1. 
If the external information A.sub.2 to be recorded in the next page is 
transferred during the time period t.sub.3, for which the 
electrophotographic treatment of the first page is not ended, it it 
received by the control block 14 and is stored in the data memory 
simultaneously as the writing of the precedent external information 
A.sub.1 on the photosensitive element 1a is ended. Similarly to the 
precedent operation, the information ending signal of the external 
information A.sub.2 is detected so that the start signal is fed to the 
control block 15. Then, as soon as the electrophotographically recording 
treatment of the first page is ended, the ON signal is fed from the 
control block 15 to the control block 14 thereby to operate the scanning 
reproducer 3 and to drive the paper feed rollers so that the recording 
paper for the information A.sub.2 is fed. The time period T.sub.1 from the 
feed of the first sheet of the recording paper to the feed of the second 
sheet of the recording paper is the minimum period that is determined by 
the electrophotographic treatment so that it cannot be shortened any more. 
As a result, it can be said that the time period is effectively utilized. 
Absolutely similar operations are performed in case the external 
information A.sub.3 to be recorded on the third page is transferred during 
the electrophotographically treating process of the first and second 
sheets of the recording paper, and the recording paper is fed after the 
time period T.sub.1 which is determined by the electrophotographic 
treatment of the second page. In this case, since the feed of the third 
page is accomplished within the shortest time period, the time is not 
wasted. After that, in case the external information to be recorded in the 
fourth page is not transferred, the recording device is held such an 
electrophotographically treatable condition that the photosensitive drum 
is turned to uniformly charge the photosensitive element on the surface 
thereof and that the developer, the transfer, separating and discharge 
electrodes and the fixer are held under the operative condition. In other 
words, they are held under such a condition that the electrophotographic 
treatment can be entered as soon as the external information of the fourth 
page is tranferred. This particular condition is called as the "idling 
condition" in the present invention. In this "idling condition" , it may 
be possible to hold the developer in inactive state. However, if the 
developer is held in active state, it is necessary to provide a special 
circuit on the scanning reproducer 3 so that the photosensitive element 1a 
is always exposed to a uniform light during the idling condition. In FIG. 
3(I), the time period T.sub.2 corresponds to the idling condition. This 
idling condition is continued for the predetermined time; period and is 
then ended in response to the stop signal from the control block 14. 
The case of the low speed data source will now be described with reference 
to FIG. 3(III). 
The information B.sub.1 corresponding to one page, which is transferred 
from the external information source 13 at the beginning of the recording 
operation, is stored in the data memory of the control block 14 so that 
the record starting signal is fed to the control block 15 when the end 
signal contained at the trailing end of the information B.sub.1 is 
detected. As a result, the electrophotographically treating system is 
operated in the predetermined sequence, and when the photosensitive 
element is substantially completely charged up the ON signal of the 
scanning reproducer 3 is fed from the control block 15 to the control 
block 14, and the paper feed is started. The external information signals, 
which are stored in the data memory, are transformed into a video signal 
and are then converted into an optical image so that they are written on 
the photosensitive element 1a . The electrostatic latent image thus formed 
on the photosensitive element 1a is electrophotographically treated, and 
the paper bearing the latent image is discharged into the recorded paper 
receiving tray 12 after the time period t.sub.3 which is equal to the 
treating time period in the case of the high speed data source. 
Now, if the external information B.sub.2 to be recorded in the second page 
is transferred from the external information source 13, it begins to be 
stored in the data memory of the control block 14. Since, however, the 
information transfer speed is low, the introducing operation of the 
information B.sub.2 is not ended but continued for the minimum time period 
T.sub.1 that it determined by the electrophotographic treatment of the 
first sheet of the recording paper. When the introducing operation of the 
information B.sub.2 is ended, the start signal is fed from the control 
block 14 to the control block 15. Simultaneously with this, the ON signal 
is fed from the control block 15 to the control block 14, and the 
information B.sub.2, which has been stored in the data memory, is 
transformed into a video signal and fed to the scanning reproducer 3 so 
that it is instantly written on the photosensitive element 1a followed by 
the electrophotographic treatment. The reason why those operations can be 
accomplished is that the electrophotographically treating system of the 
recorder is held under the electrophotographically treatable condition, 
i.e., under the idling condition even after the electrophotographic 
treatment of a single page. FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram for 
establishing the idling condition. The signals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 
indicative of the start and end of the information for one page, which is 
contained in the external information signals, are read out by a decoder 
16 so that the output of a timer 17, which is operative to count the 
minimum time period T.sub.1 by using the information starting signal 
S.sub.1 as a reference, is compared by a comparator 18 with the 
information ending signal S.sub.2 coming from the decoder 16. Since, in 
the case of FIG. 3(II), the information ending signal S.sub.2 is generated 
over the time period T.sub.1, it controls the control block 15 thereby to 
energize the paper feeder and the scanning reproducer. Thus, after the 
elapse of the time period T.sub.1, the idling condition is established. In 
the electrophotographic information recorder according to the prior art, 
at the instant when the electrophotographic treatment of the first page 
P.sub.1 is ended, the electrophotographic treating system is returned to 
the condition, under which the electrophotographic treatment is 
impossible. After the time period T.sub.2 to the instant when the 
electrophotographic treatable condition including the preparation of the 
photosensitive element for the next recording is restored, the recording 
operation of the second page P.sub.2 is started, so that the time period 
T.sub.3 is wasted, as compared with the present invention. These behaviors 
are illustrated in FIG. 5. 
Likewise, the introduction of the information B.sub.3 to be recorded in the 
third page P.sub.3 is not ended before the discharge of the second page 
P.sub.2. As soon as the introduction is ended, the start signal and the ON 
signal are simultaneously generated, and the information B.sub.2 is 
transformed into a video signal and then written on the photosensitive 
element 1a by the action of the scanning reproducer 3 so that it is 
electrophotographically treated. This treatment can be accomplished 
because the electrophotographic treating system of the recorder is held 
under the idling condition even after the second page P.sub.2 is 
discharged. How long the idling condition is maintained is a problem in 
design, and it is practically sufficient that the length is made twice the 
usual electrophotographic treating cycle. 
According to the present invention, by holding the electrophotographic 
recorder under the idling condition for a predetermined period, even the 
external information having a low transfer speed can be written on the 
photosensitive element and electrophotographically treated as soon as its 
introduction is completed. Therefore, as compared with the conventional 
recorder of this kind, in which all the steps of the electrophotographic 
treatment are repeated for each sheet of the recording paper, the 
recording operations according to the transfer speed of the external 
information are enabled so that the present invention can be utilized as 
the output device of a wide variety of external information sources while 
making effective use of the recording time period. Since, moreover, the 
electrophotographic treating system of the recorder is held under the 
idling condition, the electric performance can be so stabilized that the 
picture quality of the recorded image can be made excellent and uniform. 
Moreover, a high voltage is applied on the charge, transfer, separating 
and discharge electrodes of the electrophotographic treating system, and 
in the conventional recorder, since the impression of the high voltage is 
turned on and off for each sheet of the recording paper, the switching 
elements have their damages increased and their lives shortened. However 
this defect can be lightened according to the present invention by 
establishing the idling condition. 
The operations of another embodiment of the electrophotographic recorder 
according to the present invention will now be described with reference to 
FIG. 3(III). In the shown example, the external information A.sub.1 is 
recorded in five sheets, the external information A.sub.2 is recorded in 
two sheets, and the external information A.sub.3 is recorded in four 
sheets, and white paper is inserted as discriminating paper between the 
sheets of recording paper having different pieces of information. 
Since the external information A.sub.1 is stored in the data memory of the 
control block 14, upon the recording operation of a second sheet of 
recording paper P.sub.12, the ON signal is generated in the 
electrophotographical treatment control block 15 at the instant when the 
minimim time period T.sub.1 determined by the electrophotographic 
treatment elapses after the feed of the first sheet of recording paper 
P.sub.11, thereby to bring the scanning reproducer 3 into its operative 
condition. Then, the information A.sub.1 which is stored in the data 
memory is again transformed into a video signal in the same manner as 
before and is fed to the scanning reproducer 3 so that it is written on 
the photosensitive element 1a . Simultaneously with this, the second sheet 
of recording paper P.sub.12 is fed. Thus, the second sheet of the 
recording paper P.sub.12 is also recorded with the external information 
A.sub.1. Likewise, the third, fourth and fifth sheets of recording paper 
P.sub.13, P.sub.14 and P.sub.15 are recorded with the same information 
A.sub.1 and are consecutively discharged. In this meanwhile, the five 
sheets of the recording paper are consecutively fed with the minimum time 
interval. 
Simultaneously as the information writing operation for the fifth sheet of 
the recording paper P.sub.15 is ended, the introduction of the external 
information to be next recorded is started. Since, in the example shown, 
the transfer speed of the information A.sub.2 is low, the recording paper 
P.sub.O is fed at the normal time interval and is discharged while being 
recorded with no information. That particular recording paper P.sub.O acts 
as the discriminating paper to discriminate the recorded sheets of paper 
P.sub.11 to P.sub.15, which have the information A.sub.1 recorded, and the 
recorded sheets of paper P.sub.21 and P.sub.22 which contain the 
information A.sub.2 to be subsequently recorded. 
According to the embodiment thus far described, when the information ending 
signal S.sub.2 arrives after the predetermined time period T.sub.1, the 
comparator 18 is made to generate the output, by which the scanning 
reproducer 3 is deenergized. On the other hand, since the paper feeder, 
the high voltage electrode, the conveyor and the fixer are operated in the 
normal sequence, the recording paper is then discharged while bearing no 
information recorded. 
After the time period T.sub.1 after the feed of the recording paper P.sub.O 
which has been used as the discriminating paper, the ON signal is 
generated in the control block 15, and the information A.sub.2, which has 
already been stored in the data memory after the introduction, is 
transformed into a video signal and fed to the scanning reproducer 3 so 
that it is written on the photosensitive element 1a . Thus, by the usual 
electrophotographic treatment, the recording paper P.sub.21 is recorded 
with the information A.sub.2 and is discharged. The other recording paper 
P.sub.22 is also subjected to the similar recording treatment and is 
discharged while bearing the same information A.sub.2. 
Absolutely in the same manner as the case of the external information 
A.sub.2, the introduction of the external information A.sub.3 is started 
simultaneously with end of the writing operation of the information 
A.sub.2 in the recording paper P.sub.22. The fact that the recording paper 
P.sub.1 left white is discharged as the discriminating paper in the 
meanwhile is absolutely the same as the case of the recording paper 
P.sub.O, as has already been described. The information A.sub.1 is stored 
in the data memory of the control block 14 and is used to effect the 
recording operations of the four sheets of recording paper P.sub.31 to 
P.sub.34. The recording operations of the respective sheets of the 
recording paper are absolutely the same as the cases of the pieces of the 
information A.sub.1 and A.sub.2, as has been described before, and their 
explanations are omitted here. The discriminating paper P.sub.1 is useful 
in discriminating the sheets of the recording paper P.sub.21 and P.sub.22, 
which are recorded with the information A.sub.2, and the sheets of the 
recording paper P.sub.31 to P.sub.34 which are recorded with the 
information A.sub.3. 
According to the embodiment of the present invention thus far described, 
since the recording paper bearing no information, i.e., the so-called 
"white paper" is inserted between the sheets of the recording paper having 
different pieces of information by the use of the usual recording paper 
feeder, the sheets of the recording paper can be discriminated and divided 
for each piece of information in case the different pieces of information 
are to be recorded in multiple sheets of recording paper. Since, moreover, 
the mechanism for inserting the discriminating paper is the usual 
recording paper feeder itself, an advantage over the conventional 
recorder, in which an additional feeding mechanism is provided, can be 
obtained in that the construction is simplified while reducing the 
production cost. According to another important feature of the present 
invention, since the information to be recorded in the subsequent 
recording paper is introduced during the time period while the 
discriminating paper is being fed and inserted, it becomes possible to 
sufficiently introduce even the information having such a low transfer 
speed as cannot be introduced at the usual feeding interval of the 
recording paper. Thus, the recorder according to the present invention can 
be applied a wide variety of information sources irrespective of the level 
of the information transfer speed.