CA1038946A - Multi-mode billing system controlled by copy size and document original size - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A counting apparatus for an automatic reproduction machine is disclosed, wherein copies of different sizes may be produced. Signals are produced therefor separately in accordance with the size of the documents being reproduced with counting means being provided which are responsive to the signals, which count the number of items produced in the separate sizes. The count may be translated into a billing scheme where each copy size is billed accordingly.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION
, This invention relates to a billing apparatus in a copier/duplicator machine and, more particularly, to an improved billing apparatus having a plurality of counters for recording the number of copies according to the size of the copies. -BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION -The present day copier/duplicator machines are typi-cally provided with suitable billing apparatus having a counter for indicating the number of copies made for billing purposes.
With the advent of more sophisticated and refined copier/
duplicator machines there have been a number of variations to -the billing scheme and accordingly to the scheme of counting the copies. In one such variation there is provided a program-mable billing apparatus having a first counter for recording the total count of the copies made on a cumulative basis and a second counter for recording on a cumulative basis the -; total count of the copies made up to a first break point, that is, for example, up to copies l through 9 in a copy run and a third counter for recording on a cumulative basis the i total number of copies made in a copy run from the first break .. . .
point and up, for example, copies l0 through 20, where the break points of the second and third counters are programmable ;
to change the cumulative count recorded thereon. Heretofore, ~ -the billing apparatus has been generally designed to register the number of copies made and record each occurrence of copy- , ing cycle as one copy count without regard to the size of the copy papers used.
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~038946 Recently, a copier/duplicator machine has been developed to operate in different modes for making of copies of substantially different sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved billing apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a billing apparatus for giving separate record of counts for different sizes of eopies.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide billing apparatus for operation in a copier/
duplicator machine having different modes of operation wherein `-different size document originals are copied in different size copy sheets in different modes of operation.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved according to the present invention by a billing apparatus having counters for recording on a cumulative basis the numer of copies made up to a eertain size and another counter for indicating the number of copies made on another size larger than said certain size.
Thus, in accordance with the present teachings, a counting apparatus is provided for automatic reproducing . . .
equipment whieh is operable in a first mode for making copies up to a first size and in a second mode for making copies up to a seeond size, the seeond size being larger than the first size. The apparatus comprises a first pulse means for generating eount pulses representing copies made in the first mode, first eounting means and first enabling means for enabling the first counting means to record cumulatively the total eopy eount pulses from the first pulse means. Second pulse means is also provided for generating second eopy eount pulses representing copies made in the seeond mode and seeond ~ -3-D

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- : . t 1()38946 counting means being provided. Logical signal generating means which is responsive to equipment operation in the second mode is provided for sensing the size of copies made, the logical ~ -signal generating means generating a logical signal of one ~ -state upon sensing the copies made are up to the first size and a logical signal of another state upon sensing the copies made are of a size larger than the first size up to the second size. Means are provided responsive to the logical signal of one state for enabling the first counting means for recording cumulatively the copy count pulses from the second pulse means or responsive to the logical signal of another state for enabling the second counting means for recording cumulatively the copy count pulses from the second pulse means.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome clearer from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings -in which: -Figure 1 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a ~ 20 billing apparatus according to the present invention.

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, lU38946 Figure 2 shows logic means for generating count signals for the large copies that the billing apparatus shown in Figure 1 may utilize.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
sriefly stated, the present billing apparatus may be used in conjunction with a copier/duplicator machine designed to make copies of different sizes. Such a machine is designed -to operate in two different modes: where in a first or base mode of operation, the machine is conditioned so that its optical scanning mechanism scans across a stationary document original to form a latent electrostatic image on a photosensi-tive plate for subsequent development and transfer to a copy sheet. In a second or large document copying (hereinafter referred to also as LDC mode), the optical scanning mechanism is held in a stationary position while the document original is moved past a scanning station of machine to form a latent image of the document original on the photosensitive plate for subsequent development. Advantageously, the machine is de-signed so that, in its base ~.ode, it can make copies up to a predetermined size, for example, up to 8 1/2" x 14" size paper and, in its LDC mode, it can make copies of sizes exceeding this predetermined size. t :.
The copier/duplicator apparatus of the foregoing description may be provided with a billing apparatus having a first counter for recording on a cumulative basis the total number of copies that have actually been made and a second counter ,, . , ,~, ' '.
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1~)38946 for recording cummulatively the n~mber of copies made up to a first break point, for example, the number of copies made up to nine copies per copy run and a third counter for recording cummulatively the number of copies made from the first break point to a second break point, for example, from the tenth to the twentieth copies made in a single copy run.
The billing apparatus, however, does not provide means for discriminating the copy count in terms of the size of the copy sheet. In accordance with the present invention, a suitable cir-uitry are provided for cummulatively counting and record-ing the number of the copies made on different counters according to the size of the copy sheets-. - ~ -More specifically, referring to Figure l, the billing apparatus includes a first counter Cl that records cummulatively the total number of copy count pulses generated by a suitable ' pulse generating means 10 of the machine logic that represent the number of copies made and applied thereto via a suitable path ll that may include a wired OR gate 13 and an inverting gate 15. Such an apparatus is also provided with one or more additional counters for recording, on a cummulative basis, the copy counts up to its corresponding break points. Such an additional counter may include a counter C2 of a suitable design .; . . .
for recording the count pulses representing the copy counts up to the first break point applied thereto from the pulse generating means 10 via an inverting gate 17 and an AND gate l9. The second counter C2 is designed to count up to the first break point, for example, up to the first nine copies, under the control . . ' ,~ ' . ' .
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~1)38946 The programmable logic 21 is designed so that, when the copy count pulses from the means 10 matches the number of the count set by a dial 22 and stored therewithin, it pxovides logical 1 via its output path 24 to reset the reset terminal R of a latch circuit 31.
Backtracking a little, the latch circuit 31 is ap-plied with a logical 1 to its set lead S via a path 26 at the initializing operation of the machine logic. When latch is initialized and set by the initializing signal, it provides a logical 1 at its output Q. This takes place as the machine -logic is initialized to start making copies of a copy run.
The logical 1 output from Q is in turn applied to the second input b of the AND gate 19 and enables the AND gate 19 to gate therethrough the copy count pulses from the means 10 to the second counter C2. The latch circuit 31 is reset by the output of the programmable logic 21 as the copy count pulse r: count reaches the breakpoint. In response, the latch circuit changes its output Q from logical 1 to logical 0 and disables the gate 19 and thereby stops the second counter C2. In the foregoing manner, the counters Cl and C2 described above are used to record the number of copies made without regard to the size of the copies made. However, the billing apparatus of prior art does not provide means for differentiating or discriminating the counts according to the sizes of the copies made.
In accordance with the present invention, an additional counter C3 is provided in the billing apparatus for recording the number of copies made in copy sheets of - ,~. - . ~ "' - ` , ' ' -- -- .. . .

-1~38946 sizes dlfferent from those of the copies recorded by the counters Cl and C2 and means for assuring that the copy count pulses are channeled to proper ones of the counters Cl, C2 and C3 according to the sizes of the copies. More speci-fically, the billing counters Cl and C2 are used to record the number of copies made up to a certain predetermined size (e.g., legal size), and the counter C3 is used to record the number of copies if the copy size exceeds the certain predeter-mined size and means 50 for channeling the count pulses to proper ones the counter Cl and C2 or ~3 depending upon the size of copies. As illustrated, Figure 1 shows the count -pulse channeling means 50 may comprise a plurality of gating means 48, 51, 53, 55 and 56 for gating copy count pulses from a copy count pulse generating means 42 of the copier/duplicator lS operating in LDC mode to either the counters Cl and C2 or the counter C3 under the control of the copy size indicating means 40.
The copy size sensing means 40 may be any suitable design which provides logicaI 0 signal representing a copy sheet size of up to a given dimension, for example, up to a legal size sheet, regardless whether the machine operates in the base or LDC mode and logical 1 signal if the machine is set to make copies larger than the given dimension, for example, an 18" x 14" is made.
Figure 2 shows an illustrati~e example of the logic means 0 for generating the copy size indicating signal, i.e., large or small copy sheet size and means 42 for generating pulses representing counts of the copies made in large copy sheets. More specifically, the paper size indicating means may co~iprise means 70 ahd 71 for sensing the presence of the .
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1038~46 copy paper supply of large and small sizes respectively.
The LDC mode sensing means 72, pull-up circuits 74, 75, 76 and 77, 78 of suitable design operatively connected to perform the functions mentioned above. In operation, the paper size sensing means 70 and 71 may comprise normally closed switches S5 and S6 in the copier/duplicator machine and they are connected so that when paper supplies are in they open and when the supplies are out they close. The LDC
de switch S4 is likewise connected so that it normally lQ closes but it opens when the machine is in LDC mode. In operation, with the switches S4, S5 and S6 closed, a ground or logical 0 signal is provided to the corresponding pull-up circuits 76, 75 and 74. ~he pull-up circuit is of a conven-tional design comprising resistors Rl and R2 and a capacitor Cl; it applies a logical 0 to its output when the correspond-ing switches S4, S5 or S6 connecting it to a ground is closed and changes its output to logical 1 when the corresponding switches open. --As will be apparent from the following analysis of the circuit, the means 40 provides logical 0 signal when the machine operates to make a copy on a small copy sheet (e.g., up to legal size) regardless whether or not it is set to operate in the base mode or LDC mode and logical 1 signal as the machine operates in the LDC mode and makes copies on large copy sheets (e.g., above legal size). Thus, referring to the means 40, when the LDC mode switch S4 and the large sheet ~ensing switch S6 open signifying that the machine is ~n LDC mode and the copy sheet is large, then the gates 77 provide logical 0 and gate 78 inverts this to a logical 1 output. Hence, more specifically, with the LDC mode and .j , ,, . ' -- .
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1~38946 large sheet situation, there is a coincidence of logical 1 to the two inputs a and b of the NAND gate 77. In turn, the NAND gate 77 provides a logical 0 output to the inverting gate 78. In turn, the gate 78 provides a logical 1. This :
is used to signify the presence of large copy sheet supply.
In turn, this logical 1 signal is applied to the gates 51 and 56 (Figure 1) via the path 41 and thereby disable the : ~
gate 53 and enable the gate 56 and prepares the LDC counter -~ :
C3 to receive the count pulses from the sources 10 or 42 via `
10 the OR gate 48.
Conversely, if small copy sheet supply is present and large copy sheet supply is not, the large copy sheet :;-supply sensing switch S6, the NOR gate 77 and the inverting gate 78 respond and provide a logical 0. The small copy sheet -sensing switch S5 senses the presence of small copy sheets and causes the pull-up circuit 75 to provide logical 1 output. `
This output is inverted to logical 0 by the gate 78. Logical : .
0 signal signifying the presence of small copy sheet is thusly provided by the means 40. In response to this logical 20 0 signal, the NAND gate 56 is disabled and the NAND gate 53 is enabled. In turn, the counter C3 for the large document copy is disabled and the counters Cl and C2 for the small document copy are enabled to be ready to receive the count pulses from the sources 10 or 42. -The copy count pulses may be provided by a suitable . means 42 and applied via an OR gate 48 (Figure 1) and the ;
inverting gate 55. As shown, the copy count may originate either from a billing count pulse generating circuit of any suitable design 10 that may be associated with the base 30 machine or an auxiliary count pulse generating means 42.

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-- ' : - :, .: ' As configured, the OR gate 48 is designed to take the copy count pulses from either of the two sources and apply them to the counters Cl and C2 or C3 via the channeling means 50.

sriefly generalized, the auxiliary count pulses generating means 42 may be designed to comprise a NAND gate 45 under the control of certain conditions signifying comple-tion of certain xerographic processes in making a copy. ~he completion may be signified by an output of a coincidence gate. For example, it mav include an NAND gate 45 which provides a negative going pulse in response to a coincidence of three inputs a, b, and c in the form of logical 1 signals, signifying completion of a copy. The first of the three in~uts go to 105 cal 1 u.-.der the con,rol of .he LDC mode switch S4 or the small size copy sheet sensing switch S5 via an OR gate 46. The second and third inputs b and c are placed respectively under the control of the machine logic that is designed to provide logical 1 if certain conditions or signals are met. Generally stated inputs b and c to the NAND gate 45 represent the status or stage of the copying process. When the copying process reaches a certain point, close enough to a completion state so that it can be counted as complete, the circuit is deslgned to apply coincidence of logical l's to b and r of the gate 45 and enable it to ou'put a nëgative going pulse. By way of example, the conditions ~ay pertain to the actuation of operation of control elements signified by the operation of certain latches (e.g., EXP, -- 10 -- .i : :

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SCAN, DorY~ latches) associated with the operation of exposure scanning which relate to the copying operations. As noted, these latches are under the control of the outputs of the document original sensing means (e.g., switches S7 and S8) ~~ ~and the means for sensing the trailing edge of the copy sheet (e.g., switch S9) applied via corresponding pull-up circuits 92 and 93. The inputs from a counter CRT and the switches S7, S8 and S9 enable the exposure latch 95, scan latch 96, DONE latch 97 and associated decision gates 101-104 to provide outputs of the logical 1 signals to the inputs b and _ of the NAND gate 45.
m e copies made by the machine in the LDC mode of operation may be indicated in the form of a train of negative going impulses provided by the output of the coincidence gate 45, each pulse representing a copy made by the copier/dupli-cator machine. The copy count pulses from the NAND gate 45 are then applied to the counters C1 or C2 via gates 48, 55 and 53 for the small copies and to the counter C3 via the gates 48, 55 and 56 for the large copies. It may be recalled that if the machine is set to copy on small sheets, whether it operates in the base or ~DC mode, the size discriminating means 40 provides logical 0 signal. This is applied via the path 41 to the gates 51 and 56. Consequently, a logical 0 i8 applied to the input b of the N~ND gate 56 and prevents it from gating the copy count pulses from the logic gate 55.
The logical 0 is inverted into logical 1 and applied to input a of gate 53 and this enables the NAND gate 53 to gate the copy count pulses from the gate 55 in the form of positive going pulses and then to the first break point counter C2 via the wired OR gate 13 in the form of negative going pulses.
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The pulses are inverted again by the gates 15 and 17 applied to the total billing counter Cl the first break point counter C2 to record the cummulative counts of the copy count pulses.
An important aspect of the present billing means 42 used in generating copy counts is that it provides copy count pulses only when certain conditions signifying that the copy-ing operation is completed and properly so.

When the machine is set to operate in the LDC mode, the logic is of a design that enables the latch 31 (Flgure 1) to control the operation of the counter C2; it keeps the latch 31 in the set state; this causes the means 20 to provide logical 1 independent of the diai setting and the programmable logic 21. This enables the counter C2 to count every copy ~ count pulse coming from the means 42 via the gates 55, 53 and 13, as the machine operates in the LDC mode and copies on the small size copy sheets.
In summary then, in the LDC mode of operation, accompanied by the copying operation involving copy sheets up to a certain size ~e.g., a regular letter or legal copy paper), the billing counter Cl counts the total count and the billing counter C2 counts each copy in the same way that they ' do when the machine is set to operate in the base mode, except ' ': ~

the fact that the copy co~n~t pulses are coming from the auxiliary copy count pulse generating means 42 and not from the base copy count pulse generating means 10. With the machine set in the LDC mode of operation and the copy is made on the large sized paper (e.g., 18" x 24"), the logic -for the LDC billing apparatus operates as follows: it may be recalled that in this situation, the input from the copy ~
sheet size sensing means 40 applied via the path 41 is in the `
form of logical 1. This is applied to the inverting gate 51 and to the NAND gate 56. The inverting gate 51 in turn applies a logical 0 to the input a of the NAND gate 53 and disables it. This prevents the gate 53 from passing or gating the copy count pulses coming from the inverting gate 55.
However, the NAND gate 56 is enabled by the logical 1. Thus, the gate 56 passes therethrough the copy count pulses from the inverting gate 55. This represents the copy counts of the large sized copy sheets made. The output of the inverting gate 56 is then applied to the separate billing counter C3 ~f. ' via the inverting gate 57.
When the machine is set to operate in the LDC mode to copy large sized copies, t~he paper size sensing means 40 : provides a logical 1. With this condition the copy count pulses from the gate 45 are steered and presented to the LDC
billing counter C3 via gates 56 and 57 while disabling the total copy counter Cl and the first break point copy counter C2.
In accordance with another aspect of the present - invention, the billing apparatus may further include a suit-able means 60 to provide the following services: the machine of the present design may be leased to a number of parties ' '. '-... . , - ~ :

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- . . - ~ ., . : -at a ~uilding or at a location. The lessee may want to share the cost of leasing the machine proportionate to the amount of their use. One way of keeping track of the proportion of use may be accomplished by utilizing a counter similar to that disclosed in the U. S. Patent 3,436,530, issued to Rudolf Fauae, et al. Such a counter is in the form of a portable plug-in key counter unit C4 issued to the authorized lessees.
Where the machine is to be shared by a number of different parties as above, it is provided with a suitable mechanism 5~
having a socket to receive the key counter C4. The mechanism 59 is of a design that prevents actuation of the machine ; unless the key counter C4 is plugged in. Thus, in addition to the counting function, the key counter acts as a key to t`he machine. In practice, hence, suppose customers A and B
1~ wish to use the same machine and share the cost. They may be provided with plugable key counter units No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Thus, when the customer A plugs in his ~ey counter No. 1 to the socket in the machine, he unlocks the machine and enables the machine to operate. The counter C4 of the unit No. 1 records the counts of the copies he makes.
~ikewise, the customer B having another unit (No. 2) likewise can plug in his card into the socket and unlock the machine and operate it. He would obtain his copy counts in another counter belonging to him.
Referring to the circuitry, in order to accommodate the above operational features of the machine, the counting apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a NOR gate 54 connected to receive the count pulses represent-; lng either the small copies from the O~ gate 13 or the NAN
~ gate 53 as well as the count pulses representing the large . ..
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1~)38946 sized copies from the gate 56. These pulses are gated through the counter unit No. 1 or No. 2 to the corresponding counters C4 and C5, depending on which ones are plugged in.
The billing may then be apportioned among the parties having access to the machine based on the readings of the counters C4 and C5. As evident from above, unlike billing meters Cl, C2 and C3, the billing meters C4 and C5 associated with the keyed counter units do not make the discrimination as to the size of the copy papers.
While the present invention is described in the environment of a xerographic copier/duplicator machine, it is to be understood that the basic principles of the present invention need not be so limited. It may just as well be used in a non-xerographic machine such as photostatic or other types of copying machines using specially treated papers in making copies, and that require counting apparatus for providing separate records on different counters to keep track of the number of items copied, produced, duplicated or processed according to criteria such as size, shape or weight or any other suitable parameters. Accordingly, various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention from the illustrative embodiment~ described hereinabove without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

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Claims (9)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. Counting apparatus for automatic reproducing equipment operable in a first mode for making copies up to -a first size, and in a second mode for making copies up to a second size, said second size being larger than said first size, said apparatus comprising:
first pulse means for generating count pulses representing copies made in said first mode;
first counting means;
first enabling means for enabling said first counting means to record cummulatively the total copy count pulses from said first pulse means;
second pulse means for generating second copy count pulses representing copies made in said second mode;
second counting means;
logical signal generating means responsive to equip-ment operation in said second mode for sensing the size of copies made, said logical signal generating means generating a logical signal of one state upon a sensing the copies made are up to said first size, and a logical signal of another state upon a sensing the copies made are of a size larger than said first size up to said second size; and means responsive to said logical signal of one state for enabling said first counting means for recording cummulatively the copy count pulses from said second pulse means or responsive to said logical signal of another state for enabling said second counting means for recording commulatively the copy count pulses from said second pulse means.

2. Counting apparatus for automatic reproducing equipment operable in a first mode for making copies up to a first size and in a second mode for making copies up to a second size, said second size being larger than said first size, said apparatus comprising:
first pulse means for generating first count pulses representing copies made in said first mode;
first counting means;
second counting means;
first enabling means for enabling said first counting means to record cummulatively the total copy count pulses from said first pulse means;
second enabling means for enabling said second counting means to record cummulatively copy count pulses from said first pulse means up to a first break point;
second pulse means for generating second copy count pulses representing copies made in said second mode;
logical signal generating means responsive to equip-ment operation in said second mode for sensing the size of copies made, said logical signal generating means generating a logical signal of one state upon a sensing that copies made are up to said first size, and a logical signal of another state upon a sensing that copies made are of a size larger than said first size up to said second size;
means responsive to said logical signal of one state to enable said first counting means for recording cummulatively the total copy count pulses from said second pulse means;
means responsive to said logical signal of one state to enable said second counting means for recording cummulatively copy count pulses from said second pulse means up to said first break point;

third counting means; and means responsive to said logical signal of another state for enabling said third counting means for recording cummulatively the copy count pulses from said second pulse means.

3. The apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein said logical signal generating means includes:
first sensing means for sensing the mode of operation of said equipment in said second mode and generating a second mode indication in response thereto;
second sensing means for sensing copy sheet size up to a first size and generating a first size copy sheet indica-tion in response thereto, third sensing means for sensing copy sheet size of a second size, larger than said first size copy sheet and gener-ating a second size copy sheet indication in response thereto;
and logic means responsive to said second mode indication and said first size copy sheet indication for generating a logical signal of said one state and responsive to said second mode indication and said second size copy sheet indication for gener-ating said logical signal of said another state.

4. The apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said second copy count pulse generating means includes:
means for sensing the trailing edge of the document original and generating a document original trailing edge signal;
means responsive to the completion of copying steps for generating a copying step completion signal; and additional logic means responsive to said document original trailing edge signal and said copying step completion signal for generating an output count pulse indicative of the completion of a copy.

5. The apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said second copy count pulse generating means additionally comprises means for sensing the trailing edge of a copy sheet and gener-ating a copy sheet trailing edge signal, said additional logic means, further responsive to said copy sheet trailing edge signal and said copying step completion signal for generating an output count pulse indicative of completion of a copy.

6. The apparatus for automatic reproducing equipment according to Claim 2, wherein said equipment includes document original feeding means and scanning means and is operative in said first mode to move said scanning means past the document original and is operative in said second mode to hold said scanning means in a stationary position and engage said document original feeding means to cause a feeding of a document original past said stationary scanning means.

7. The apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said scanning means and said document original feeding means are adapted to handle document originals of different sizes and copy sheets of said first and said second sizes.

8. Counting apparatus for automatic reproducing equipment capable of selectively reproducing copies on copy sheet up to a first size or up to a second size larger than said first size, said automatic reproducing equipment being adapted to make copies on copy sheets up to said first size in a base mode and for making copies up to said second size in an auxiliary mode, said counting apparatus comprising:
means for generating count pulses representing the copies made up to said first or said second sizes, said count pulse generating means including first means for generating pulses representing copies made in said first size while said equipment operates in its base mode and second means for gener-ating other pulses representing copies of either size made while said equipment operates in its auxiliary mode;
first counting means for cummulatively recording said copy count pulses of the copies made up to said first size;
second counting means for cummulatively recording said copy count pulses of the copies made larger than said first size up to said second size;
means for providing a logical signal of a first state for a copy sheet up to said first size and a logical signal of a second state for a copy sheet larger than said first size up to said second size;
means responsive to said logical signal of a first state for channeling count pulses from said second count pulse generating means to said first counting means, and responsive to said logical signal of a second state for channeling count pulses from said second count pulse generating means to said second counting means;

third counting means; and means for applying said count pulses to said third counting means up to a predetermined break point when said equipment operates in the base mode.

9. The apparatus according to Claim 8, additionally comprising:
outlet means for providing count pulses representing copies made up to said first or second size;
portable counting means connectable to said outlet means for counting the count pulses provided thereat; and means for applying the count pulses from said first and second means for generating to said portable counting means through said outlet means.