PURPOSE: To improve the efficiency of copying operation by simplifying the operation by closing a pressure plate by utilizing motor power before the copying operation and by opening the pressure plate backward by the restitution of a spring after the copying operation.

CONSTITUTION: A switch 21 is closed with an original 2 set on an original table to turn a motor 10, and gears 12W15 and a rack 7 engages mutually to move down a main driving lever 6, thereby pressing the original 2 through a pressure plate 1. Once a necessary number of sheets of paper are copied, a number specifying device 24 inputs a signal to a circuit 25 to feed electricity to a solenoid 17. Consequently, a movable iron core 18 is attracted to disengage from a lock part 6-1, and a release member 20 pushes the lower end of a lever 8 to left to disengage the gears 14 and 15 from each other. Then, the main driving lever 6 is elevated up to a dotted-line position by a spring 5, thereby releasing the original 2 from the pressure plate 1.