PURPOSE: To eliminate the need to press a start button when copying operation is started and to realize an easy-to-handle machine by providing a copy start switch which generates a copy start signal when a platen cover is closed in addition to a normal copy start button switch.

CONSTITUTION: When a selection switch 6 is turned off as shown in a figure and the copy start button is depressed, copying operation is started and when the selection switch 6 is on, the platen cover 3 is closed to start the copying operation. When the selection switch 6 is set at the on-state, the input to an NOT element 15 is 0 and its output is 1 and supplied to an AND element 14. When the platen cover 1 is closed in this state, a normally-closed reed switch 4 turns on and the other input to the AND element 14 changes from 0 to 1. Therefore, the AND element 14 outputs 1, which is sent through an OR element 12 to the copy control part 13 of a copying machine as a copy start signal, starting the copying operation.