Image-forming machine

Claim 1

An image-forming machine comprising a rotatable drum having an electrophotographic material on its peripheral surface, means defining in sequence an electrostatic latent image-forming zone for forming a latent electrophotographic material, a developing zone for developing the latent electrostatic image to a toner image, a transfer zone for transferring the toner image to a sheet material, and a peeling zone for peeling the sheet material from the electrophotographic material, said zones being arranged along the peripheral surface of the rotating drum in said sequence as viewed in the rotational direction of the rotatable drum, a charge eliminating device disposed in the peeling zone so as to be positioned opposite to the peripheral surface of the rotatable drum, means defining a conveying passage extending at substantially the same level as, or below, the lowermost site of the rotatable drum, the sheet material peeled from the peripheral surface of the rotatable drum in the peeling zone during rotation of said drum being conveyed through said conveying passage, the transfer zone being arranged in a region within an angle, α, of from -90 degrees to 0 degrees from said lowermost site with respect to the rotational direction of the rotatable drum, and the peeling zone being arranged in a region within an angle, β, of from -45 degrees to 0 degrees from said lowermost site with respect to the rotational direction of the rotatable drum, the transfer zone preceding the peeling zone with respect to the rotational direction of the rotatable drum, while avoiding overlapping of the peeling zone and the transfer zone.