Devices include electrically conductive elements contacting a vacuum belt, and a voltage source connected to the electrically conductive elements. The electrically conductive elements form an electrical circuit from the voltage source, through the belt, and back to the voltage source. The electrically conductive elements are positioned so that they are separated from the belt when the belt moves the sheets of media between the electrically conductive elements and the belt. A processor is capable of identifying leading edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when voltage of the electrical circuit changes from a relatively higher voltage to a relatively lower voltage) and identifying trailing edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when the voltage of the electrical circuit changes from the relatively lower voltage back to the relatively higher voltage).

A sheet conveying apparatus of an embodiment includes a conveyance path along which a sheet can be conveyed, and a plurality of conveyance rollers configured to move a sheet along the conveyance path. A wireless tag reader/writer is configured to read information from, and write information to, a wireless tag of a sheet on the conveyance path. A controller is configured to detect a phase change in response waves received by the wireless tag reader/writer from a wireless tag. The controller is also configured to identify whether a wireless tag is moving along the conveyance path based on the detected phase change in response waves from the wireless tag. The controller controls the wireless tag reader/writer to write information to the wireless tag identified as moving along the conveyance path.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding roller, a following roller, a rotational speed detection part, and a control part. The rotational speed detection part is configured to detect a rotational speed of the following roller. The control part is configured to accelerate a rotation of the sheet feeding roller and to adjust a sheet interval. The control part obtains a rotational rate of the following roller to the sheet feeding roller based on the rotational speed of the following roller, obtains an actual linear velocity of the sheet based on the rotational rate of the following roller and a theoretical linear velocity of the sheet after accelerating the rotation of the sheet feeding roller, and then adjusts the sheet interval based on the actual linear velocity of the sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a first sheet feeding portion including a first belt portion for forming a first feeding surface, a second sheet feeding portion including a second belt portion for forming a second feeding surface, a height detecting portion for outputting a signal depending on a height of a sheet from the first feeding surface at a detecting position, and a controller for receiving the signal outputted from the height detecting portion and for controlling the fixing portion.

An image reading apparatus includes a detector that detects positions of a plurality of images for detection formed in different positions in a main scanning direction of a recording medium by an image forming apparatus, and the detector has a detection range equal to or shorter than a width of the recording medium in the main scanning direction. An image forming apparatus includes an image former that forms an image on a recording medium, and the image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus performs detection for the positions of the plurality of images for detection formed on the recording medium by the image former.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a guide member disposed to define a conveyance path, a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element configured to output a detection signal that changes in accordance with an amount of received light, a first light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the light-emitting element to the conveyance path, and a second light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the conveyance path to the light-receiving element. The light-receiving element is configured such that the detection signal changes in accordance with whether or not a sheet is present in the conveyance path. Reflectance of each of the first light-passing portion and the second light-passing portion to the light emitted from the light-emitting element is higher than reflectance of the guide member to the light emitted from the light-emitting element.

A sheet conveying apparatus of an embodiment includes a conveyance path along which a sheet can be conveyed, and a plurality of conveyance rollers configured to move a sheet along the conveyance path. A wireless tag reader/writer is configured to read information from, and write information to, a wireless tag of a sheet on the conveyance path. A phase change detector is configured to detect a phase change in response waves received by the wireless tag reader/writer from a wireless tag. A tag specifying unit is configured to identify whether a wireless tag is moving along the conveyance path based on the detected phase change in response waves from the wireless tag. A controller controls the wireless tag reader/writer to write information to the wireless tag identified as moving along the conveyance path.

The detection unit includes a first contact member, which comes into contact with a first surface of a recording material and a second contact member, which comes into contact with a second surface of the recording material, the first contact member and the second contact member being disposed so as to oppose each other thus being capable of nipping the recording material, and the first contact member and the second contact member are movable in a direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member nip the recording material, and is rotatable about an axis line extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being orthogonal to the direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member are movable and being orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material.

A recording material processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a detecting unit, a stapling unit, an instructing unit, a control unit, a switching unit, and a notifying unit. The detecting unit detects recording material placed in the processing tray. The stapling unit executes a stapling process for the recording material placed in the processing tray. The instructing unit outputs a stapling process execution instruction. Upon receipt of the execution instruction in a state in which the detecting unit has detected a recording material inserted in the processing tray from an outside of a main body of a main body apparatus, the control unit cause the stapling process to be executed. The switching unit switches a position of the stapling unit among a plurality of positions. The notifying unit provides notification of a placement position of the recording material in the processing tray corresponding to each of the plurality of positions.

A recording material processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a detecting unit, a stapling unit, an instructing unit, a control unit, a switching unit, and a notifying unit. The detecting unit detects recording material placed in the processing tray. The stapling unit executes a stapling process for the recording material placed in the processing tray. The instructing unit outputs a stapling process execution instruction. Upon receipt of the execution instruction in a state in which the detecting unit has detected a recording material inserted in the processing tray from an outside of a main body of a main body apparatus, the control unit cause the stapling process to be executed. The switching unit switches a position of the stapling unit among a plurality of positions. The notifying unit provides notification of a placement position of the recording material in the processing tray corresponding to each of the plurality of positions.