Provided is a subject device comprising: a control permission issuance part for issuing a new control permission each time a control permission issuance request is received from any of a plurality of control devices, and for returning information of the new control permission to the control device having transmitted the issuance request; a control permission management part for managing the control permissions such that only one among the issued control permissions is valid and the other issued control permissions are invalid; and a mutual exclusion part for, upon receipt, from any of the plurality of control devices, of a control commencement request to which the information of the control permission has been appended, verifying whether the control permission appended to the control commencement request is valid, allowing exclusive control by the control device having transmitted the control commencement request if the control permission is valid, and denying control by the control device having transmitted the control commencement request if the control permission is invalid.

A paper sheet processing device includes: an ejection roller for ejecting a paper sheet; and a bill press for pressing the paper sheet against the ejection roller, wherein the bill press has: a bill press main body that moves in a direction to approach and separate from the ejection roller; a pressing portion that is provided on the ejection roller side of the bill press main body and moves in a direction to approach and separate from the bill press main body; and an elastic portion provided between the pressing portion and the bill press main body.

A medium support device includes: a first support section that transits between a first position and a second position relative to a main body; a second support section that transits between a retracted position and a protruding position relative to the first support section; and a locking mechanism configured to set a lock the second support section. When the first support section is in the first position and the second support section is retracted into the first support section, the retracted state is formed. When the first support section is in the second position and the second support section protrudes from the first support, the extended state is formed. The locking mechanism locks the second support section retracted into the first support section when the first support section is in the first position and releases the lock when the first support section is in the second position.

A medium support device includes: a first support section that transits between a first position and a second position relative to a main body; a second support section that transits between a retracted position and a protruding position relative to the first support section; and a locking mechanism configured to set a lock the second support section. When the first support section is in the first position and the second support section is retracted into the first support section, the retracted state is formed. When the first support section is in the second position and the second support section protrudes from the first support, the extended state is formed. The locking mechanism locks the second support section retracted into the first support section when the first support section is in the first position and releases the lock when the first support section is in the second position.

A foldable baffle structure is mounted to a tray of a scanner or a printer. The foldable baffle structure includes two limiting components mounted to the tray. Each limiting component includes a sliding element, a stopping element, a guiding element and a pivoting element. Middles of the two sliding elements of the two limiting components have two accommodating spaces penetrating through top surfaces and bottom surfaces of the two sliding elements. The two stopping elements of the two limiting components are mounted in the accommodating spaces of the two limiting components. A middle of one end surface of the stopping element protrudes outward to form a pivoting portion. The guiding element is mounted around an outside of the pivoting portion. The pivoting element is pivotally disposed in the stopping element.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, an openable/closable part, a sheet feeding tray, an image forming device, a sheet feeding roller, a first coupling, a drive gear, a second coupling, a biasing member, and a link mechanism. The first coupling is provided in the sheet feeding roller. The second coupling is provided coaxially with the drive gear, rotatable following the drive gear, slidable relative to the drive gear in an axial direction and capable of fitting to the first coupling. The biasing member biases the second coupling to the first coupling to connect the second coupling to the first coupling. The link mechanism disconnects the second coupling from the first coupling against a biasing force of the biasing member so as to block a transmission of the drive force with an opening of the openable/closable part.

A medium-transporting device includes: a medium-support section that has a first mounting surface inclined relative to a horizontal plane; a transport path for transporting a medium; a discharge stacker that is configured to switch between an extended state in which a second mounting surface that is inclined relative to the horizontal plane and that receives the medium discharged along the transport path is formed and a stored state in which the second mounting surface is stored in the medium-transporting device, a control section is configured to perform first control of switching the discharge stacker from the extended state to the stored state after the medium is discharged to the second mounting surface and second control of not switching the discharge stacker from the extended state to the stored state such that the medium remains mounted on the second mounting surface.

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.

The invention relates to apparatus (1) for feeding an unstacker magazine (2) with mailpieces (3) on edge. The apparatus comprises a conveyor bed (4) designed to convey the mailpieces on edge to the unstacker magazine in a first conveying direction, a feed conveyor (5) designed to convey trays (6) loaded with mailpieces to the conveyor bed in a second conveying direction (F2) and tray tipper means (7) interposed between the feed conveyor and the conveyor bed, which means are designed to tip a tray (6) over onto one side from the feed conveyor onto the conveyor bed in such a manner as to bring the mailpieces on edge from the tray to the unstacker magazine.

A medium conveyance device includes a body, a table in which a placement surface is formed and that is supported by the body movably to be arranged in a first area or a second area, a guide that is supported by the table movably to be arranged in a third area or a fourth area and that regulates move of an original that is placed on the table such that a height of the guide is lower when the guide is arranged in the fourth area than when the guide is arranged in the third area, and a mechanism that moves the guide along with move of the table such that the guide is arranged in the third area when the table is arranged in the first area and the guide is arranged in the fourth area when the table is arranged in the second area.