PURPOSE: To enable the discharging of transfer paper in the state when no images are formed thereon by erasing the electrostatic latent images on photosensitive drum with an interimage erasing lamp when original clogging occurs in the automatic original feed mechanism.

CONSTITUTION: If original clogging occurs, the original 20 stagnates in the position of an original detecting sensor 30 even when a fixed time elapses after energizing of a solenoid 29 and therefore an original clogging detection circuit 33 outputs the original clogging signal R2. The signal R2 is sent to an interimage erasing lamp control circuit 35, which in turn outputs the control signal R3 to an interimage erasing lamp 5 to keep lighting the erasing lamp 5, thereby radiating the entire surface of the photosensitive drum 2 and erasing its electrostatic latnet images. Becuase of this, transfer paper 11 is discharged in a white state into a paper discharge tray 16. Here, in the case of mis-copying, an AND circuit 37 does not output the count signal R5 and a counter 38 does not make count operation and therefore it is not counted as copying sheet number.