A sheet transport apparatus includes a first casing in which a transport path is formed; a transport unit which transports a sheet along the transport path; a second casing which is provided to be movable with respect to the first casing; a sheet support unit which is rotatably provided in the first casing at a position on a side to which the second casing is moved, the sheet support unit being changeable between a first state, a second state, and a third state and supporting the sheet at least in the third state; and an urging unit which urges the sheet support unit toward the first state within a range from the first state to the second state and which urges the sheet support unit toward the third state within a range from the second state to the third state.

An image forming apparatus includes a first side plate, a second side plate and a sheet feeding unit. The first and second side plates are opposite to each other. The sheet feeding unit is attached between the first and second side plates. The sheet feeding unit has a feed frame, a pickup roller, a feed roller, a separation member and a weight member. The feed frame has a first side wall supported by the first side plate in a facing manner and a second side wall supported by the second side plate in a facing manner. The pickup roller and the feed roller are supported in the feed frame. The separation member forms a nip and separates the sheet at the nip. The weight member is disposed above the feed roller in the feed frame and configured to damp vibration of the feed frame.

A mail singulator system determines a position of an optical panel to automatically adjust a loading conveyor speed to prevent stacked and overlapped mailpieces in the singulator and large gaps between mailpieces. The optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece of a mail stack on the loading conveyor and the optical sensor. The optical panel changes position with the pressure exerted by the mail stack and provides signals to the controller to adjust the conveyor speed. An optical sensor may detect a far threshold position or limit distance to increase the speed of the conveyor and may detect a near threshold position of limit distance to reduce the speed of the conveyor. The optical panel may have a low friction surface to allow the mail to slide into the conveyor and an optical surface to allow reliable optical sensor detection of the optical panel position.

There is described a magazine (1) for sheet packaging elements (2) in which side portions (4a) of said packaging elements (2) are held in a vertical position by transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of main and secondary units (6, 8, 9) and said packaging elements (2) are advanced in respective conveying spaces (16, 19, 21) along a path (P) parallel to said transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of said main and secondary units (6, 8, 9). The packaging elements (2) are advanced along said path (P) from an inlet section (7) to an outlet section (12). During conveying, batches (3) of packaging elements (2) are formed between an accumulation unit (8) and an auxiliary conveying unit (9) so that said packaging elements (2) are advanced in said batches (3) towards an end packaging station.

There is described a magazine (1) for sheet packaging elements (2) in which side portions (4a) of said packaging elements (2) are held in a vertical position by transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of main and secondary units (6, 8, 9) and said packaging elements (2) are advanced in respective conveying spaces (16, 19, 21) along a path (P) parallel to said transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of said main and secondary units (6, 8, 9). The packaging elements (2) are advanced along said path (P) from an inlet section (7) to an outlet section (12). During conveying, batches (3) of packaging elements (2) are formed between an accumulation unit (8) and an auxiliary conveying unit (9) so that said packaging elements (2) are advanced in said batches (3) towards an end packaging station.

A sheet conveying device includes: a housing; a sheet supply tray; and a dust proof cover including a first cover and a second cover. The sheet supply tray is supported to the housing and pivotally movable between a closed position and an open position. The first cover is supported to the housing and pivotally movable between a first position in proximity to the sheet supply tray and a second position away from the sheet supply tray. The second cover is connected to the first cover and pivotally movable about a second pivot axis between a third position in proximity to the sheet supply tray and a fourth position away from the sheet supply tray. The second cover has a center of gravity positioned closer to the housing than the second pivot axis is to the housing in a state where the sheet supply tray is in the closed position.

A medium feed apparatus includes a first support face and a second support face. The first support face supports a medium fed by a feed unit that feeds medium by supporting such that the medium adopts an inclined orientation. The second support section is positioned upstream of the first support face in a feed direction, and supports the medium together with the first support face. The second support face is at a position set back from the first support face, and an angle of inclination from a lower end portion to an upper end portion of the second support face is steeper than an angle of inclination of the first support face.

A medium feed apparatus includes a first support face and a second support face. The first support face supports a medium fed by a feed unit that feeds medium by supporting such that the medium adopts an inclined orientation. The second support section is positioned upstream of the first support face in a feed direction, and supports the medium together with the first support face. The second support face is at a position set back from the first support face, and an angle of inclination from a lower end portion to an upper end portion of the second support face is steeper than an angle of inclination of the first support face.

A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. A feeder serially feeds envelope from a stack of mail. Two cutters at a cutting station cuts one or two edges of the envelopes. As the envelopes travel from the feeder to the cutters the envelope is jogged on two edges to justify the contents with the envelopes. Additionally, an improved feeder is provided to reduce the number of jams created when feeding the envelopes from the stack.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes a rotatable tray rotary assembly, a translatable and rotatable intermediate rotary assembly, and a translatable and rotatable output rotary assembly. The system is configured to transfer articles from the tray to processing equipment by an automated process including rotationally transferring the articles from the tray to the intermediate rotary assembly and rotationally transferring the articles from the intermediate rotary assembly to the output rotary assembly. The output rotary assembly can move to align with a shelf or other input of the processing equipment and a paddle assembly can slide the items from the output rotary assembly onto the shelf or other input of the processing equipment.