A drive transmission device (6) includes a first drive train (62) and a second drive train (63). The first drive train (62) includes a first gear (621), a second gear (622), a rotary shaft (623), and one-way clutches (624). The second drive train (63) includes a third gear (631), a fourth gear (632), a rotary shaft (633), and an electromagnetic clutch (634). The third gear (631) engages the first gear (621) and the fourth gear (632) engages the second gear (622). A rotational speed of a pickup roller (12) is switched by switching on/off the electromagnetic clutch (634) to change a transmission path of driving force.

A document conveyance apparatus includes a document conveyance section, a cover, an opening and closing detection sensor, a document detection sensor, and a control section. The control section detects opening and closing of the cover on the basis of an output value of the opening and closing detection sensor and detects whether or not there is a document in a predetermined detection position on the basis of the output value of the document detection sensor. If, when the output value of the document detection sensor has changed from a value indicating an opened state of the cover to a value indicating a closed state thereof, the output value of the document detection sensor is a value indicating that there is the document, the control section detects a half-closed state where the cover is not completely closed.

A document conveyance apparatus includes a document conveyance section, a cover, an opening and closing detection sensor, a document detection sensor, and a control section. The control section detects opening and closing of the cover on the basis of an output value of the opening and closing detection sensor and detects whether or not there is a document in a predetermined detection position on the basis of the output value of the document detection sensor. If, when the output value of the document detection sensor has changed from a value indicating an opened state of the cover to a value indicating a closed state thereof, the output value of the document detection sensor is a value indicating that there is the document, the control section detects a half-closed state where the cover is not completely closed.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a first pair of conveying rollers for conveying a sheet; a second pair of conveying rollers against which the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first pair of conveying rollers is hit and which conveys the sheet together with the first pair of conveying rollers by rotating after a loop is formed on the sheet; a separating portion for separating the first pair of conveying rollers; a first conveyance path for guiding the sheet; a second conveyance path which is a path different from the first conveyance path and guides the sheet; and a controller which changes a separation timing at which the first pair of conveying rollers is separated after the loop is formed on the sheet, depending on whether the sheet is guided by the first conveyance path or by the second conveyance path.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a first pair of conveying rollers for conveying a sheet; a second pair of conveying rollers against which the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first pair of conveying rollers is hit and which conveys the sheet together with the first pair of conveying rollers by rotating after a loop is formed on the sheet; a separating portion for separating the first pair of conveying rollers; a first conveyance path for guiding the sheet; a second conveyance path which is a path different from the first conveyance path and guides the sheet; and a controller which changes a separation timing at which the first pair of conveying rollers is separated after the loop is formed on the sheet, depending on whether the sheet is guided by the first conveyance path or by the second conveyance path.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes an abutment member against which a leading end of a sheet conveyed by a conveying roller abuts, a phase determiner that determines a rotation phase of a rotor of a motor driving the conveying roller, a controller that controls the motor by controlling the value of a torque current component and the value of an excitation current component so that a difference between an instruction phase and the rotation phase is decreased, and a torque determiner that determines load torque exerted on the rotor. The controller continues driving of the motor if the load torque is lower than predetermined torque in a state in which the leading end of the sheet abuts against the abutment member to deflect the sheet and stops the driving of the motor if the load torque is higher than or equal to the predetermined torque.

An automated flat mail items handling device includes a rotating apparatus, which rotates the stack during operation from a starting orientation, in which the mail items lie flat, one on top of the other, to a processing orientation, in which the mail items are arranged substantially standing next to each other. The device also includes a holder, which retains the stack while the stack is being rotated, and a transport support, which supports the stack in the processing orientation and by way of which the stack can be moved in a conveying direction. In order to be able to process more mail items per unit of time in the device and by way of the method, the transport support is separate from the rotating apparatus.

An automated flat mail items handling device includes a rotating apparatus, which rotates the stack during operation from a starting orientation, in which the mail items lie flat, one on top of the other, to a processing orientation, in which the mail items are arranged substantially standing next to each other. The device also includes a holder, which retains the stack while the stack is being rotated, and a transport support, which supports the stack in the processing orientation and by way of which the stack can be moved in a conveying direction. In order to be able to process more mail items per unit of time in the device and by way of the method, the transport support is separate from the rotating apparatus.

An inkjet printer includes a controller configured to perform an intermittent conveyance process including controlling a conveyor to intermittently convey a preceding sheet, an image recording process including controlling a recording head to perform image recording for each single pass on the preceding sheet while controlling a carriage moving mechanism to move a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon over each single pass in a direction along a scanning direction, a remaining-pass calculating process including calculating a count of remaining passes to be recorded on the preceding sheet, and a feeding process including, in response to the calculated count of the remaining passes being a particular number, controlling a feeder to start feeding a subsequent sheet at a point of time when a first particular period of time elapses from a next timing to start conveyance of the preceding sheet in the intermittent conveyance process.

An inkjet printer includes a controller configured to perform an intermittent conveyance process including controlling a conveyor to intermittently convey a preceding sheet, an image recording process including controlling a recording head to perform image recording for each single pass on the preceding sheet while controlling a carriage moving mechanism to move a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon over each single pass in a direction along a scanning direction, a remaining-pass calculating process including calculating a count of remaining passes to be recorded on the preceding sheet, and a feeding process including, in response to the calculated count of the remaining passes being a particular number, controlling a feeder to start feeding a subsequent sheet at a point of time when a first particular period of time elapses from a next timing to start conveyance of the preceding sheet in the intermittent conveyance process.