A sheet feeding apparatus, including: a stacking unit; a feed unit having a contact portion to be brought into contact with a sheet stacked on the stacking unit and a noncontact portion kept out of contact with the sheet, the feed unit being configured to feed the sheet in a contact state in which the contact portion is in contact with the sheet, and then turn into a noncontact state in which the noncontact portion faces the sheet so as to be kept out of contact with the sheet; a conveyance unit arranged downstream of the feed unit; and a drive unit configured to drive the conveyance unit at a first speed in the contact state and to drive the conveyance unit at a second speed higher than the first speed in the noncontact state.

A sheet feeding apparatus, including: a stacking unit; a feed unit having a contact portion to be brought into contact with a sheet stacked on the stacking unit and a noncontact portion kept out of contact with the sheet, the feed unit being configured to feed the sheet in a contact state in which the contact portion is in contact with the sheet, and then turn into a noncontact state in which the noncontact portion faces the sheet so as to be kept out of contact with the sheet; a conveyance unit arranged downstream of the feed unit; and a drive unit configured to drive the conveyance unit at a first speed in the contact state and to drive the conveyance unit at a second speed higher than the first speed in the noncontact state.

An image forming apparatus includes: one paper cassette configured to accommodate a paper sheet; an image forming section provided above the paper cassette to form an image on the paper sheet; a main conveying path configured to convey the paper sheet; and a reverse conveying path configured to reverse the paper sheet, wherein the reverse conveying path includes: a first reverse conveying path provided side by side with the paper cassette to extend vertically; a second reverse conveying path configured to connect from the first reverse conveying path and extend below the paper cassette; a guide plate configured to open and close the first reverse conveying path and release pressure of a pair of paper conveying rollers; and an entry restricting unit provided at a boundary point between the first reverse conveying path and the second reverse conveying path to open and close a conveying course of the paper sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes: one paper cassette configured to accommodate a paper sheet; an image forming section provided above the paper cassette to form an image on the paper sheet; a main conveying path configured to convey the paper sheet; and a reverse conveying path configured to reverse the paper sheet, wherein the reverse conveying path includes: a first reverse conveying path provided side by side with the paper cassette to extend vertically; a second reverse conveying path configured to connect from the first reverse conveying path and extend below the paper cassette; a guide plate configured to open and close the first reverse conveying path and release pressure of a pair of paper conveying rollers; and an entry restricting unit provided at a boundary point between the first reverse conveying path and the second reverse conveying path to open and close a conveying course of the paper sheet.

An optical scanning device includes a reflected-light passing unit having a passing region through which a portion of reflected light that is the scanning light reflected by the medium passes. An outer peripheral contour line of the passing region includes a contour curve configured with a set of points where coordinates in a direction orthogonal to a scanning direction are uniquely determined for the coordinates in the scanning direction. The contour curve renders a curve protruded toward the passing region. When a region in contact with the contour curve in the passing region is divided into a plurality of quadrilateral minute regions having equivalent areas and extending from the contour curve to a predetermined coordinate position in the scanning direction and are continuously arranged in the orthogonal direction, widths of the minute regions in the scanning direction are different for each location in the orthogonal direction.

An optical scanning device includes a reflected-light passing unit having a passing region through which a portion of reflected light that is the scanning light reflected by the medium passes. An outer peripheral contour line of the passing region includes a contour curve configured with a set of points where coordinates in a direction orthogonal to a scanning direction are uniquely determined for the coordinates in the scanning direction. The contour curve renders a curve protruded toward the passing region. When a region in contact with the contour curve in the passing region is divided into a plurality of quadrilateral minute regions having equivalent areas and extending from the contour curve to a predetermined coordinate position in the scanning direction and are continuously arranged in the orthogonal direction, widths of the minute regions in the scanning direction are different for each location in the orthogonal direction.

A transportation apparatus includes a transportation section that transports continuous paper in a transportation direction intersecting with a shaft direction of a transportation roller. An imaging section includes plural photoreceptor elements and captures an image of the continuous paper transported by the transportation section. The photoreceptor elements are arranged in a first direction and a second direction, the first direction intersecting with the shaft direction, and the second direction intersecting with the first direction. A transportation amount acquisition section acquires a transportation amount of the continuous paper in the transportation direction on the basis of the image captured by the imaging section. The transportation amount acquisition section acquires the transportation amount of the continuous paper by correcting a movement amount of the continuous paper in the first direction with a correction value that changes in accordance with orientation of the first direction.

A transportation apparatus includes a transportation section that transports continuous paper in a transportation direction intersecting with a shaft direction of a transportation roller. An imaging section includes plural photoreceptor elements and captures an image of the continuous paper transported by the transportation section. The photoreceptor elements are arranged in a first direction and a second direction, the first direction intersecting with the shaft direction, and the second direction intersecting with the first direction. A transportation amount acquisition section acquires a transportation amount of the continuous paper in the transportation direction on the basis of the image captured by the imaging section. The transportation amount acquisition section acquires the transportation amount of the continuous paper by correcting a movement amount of the continuous paper in the first direction with a correction value that changes in accordance with orientation of the first direction.

A printer includes a casing, a print mechanism disposed inside the casing, and a paper tray. A conveying route extends from the tray to the print mechanism, with a first roller disposed adjacent the tray to feed a sheet from the tray to the conveying route. A second roller is disposed in the conveying route and conveys the sheet fed by the first roller to the print mechanism. A driving source provides a driving source to the first roller and the second roller. A controller is configured to, in response to a printing request, apply the driving force from the driving source to the first and second rollers such that the first and second rollers rotate. In response to a magnitude of a load of the driving source, the controller applies the driving force to the second roller such that the second roller rotates, and the controller does not apply the driving source to the first roller such that the first roller does not rotate.

An items processing apparatus for placement and singulation of flat items has a placement device and a feed deck and a separation device. A portion of the placement device is arranged below the placement deck of the apparatus. The feed deck has an opening for an separation roller, and a portion of the separation device arranged above the feed deck. This portion and the separation roller form a gate of the separation device for the singulation of a stack of flat items. A control computer controls the placement device and separation device. The placement device is equipped for edge alignment of a stack of flat items with different formats and has at least two transport elements, which enable an automatic displacement of the stack transverse to the transport direction and placement of the stack at an alignment wall, as well as a transport of the stack in the transport direction toward the feed deck of the separation device, as well as a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction. A movement assembly is provided to move the portion of the separation device in a direction counter to the transport direction. The control computer controls the alignment state of the transport elements of the placement device of the items processing apparatus, and controls the movement of the portion of the separation device. The aforementioned portion enables a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction.