An image reading apparatus, includes: a supply tray; a discharge tray; a conveyance guide; a reading sensor; a discharge unit, which includes a discharge opening to discharge the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray and is configured to move from a third position to a fourth as the document supported by the paper feed tray is decreased, the fourth position being higher than the third position; a first drive source, which generates a drive force; a first rotation body, which moves the movable plate by transmitting the drive force from the first drive source to the movable plate; and a second rotation body, which moves the discharge unit by transmitting the drive force from the first drive source to the discharge unit, wherein a diameter of the first rotation body and a diameter of the second rotation body are different from each other.

A sheet conveyer, having a sheet tray, a tray-driving mechanism, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a conveyer-driving mechanism, a first sensor, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls the tray-driving mechanism and the conveyer-driving mechanism, during a sequential conveying action, when the first sensor detects an upper-surface level being at a lower limit of a correct range, delay a lift-start timing, at which the tray-driving mechanism starts moving the sheet tray upward, to be later at least than a timing, at which the feed roller after feeding one of the sheets completely and pausing resumes rotating for feeding a next one of the sheets, and cause the sheet tray to complete moving to a higher position prior to completion of feeding of the next sheet.

A system and method for advancing sticky media through printers includes one or more feed rollers comprised of a grit roller. The grit roller contacts an adhesive side of liner-less label stock removed from a roll or stack for printing. The grit roller works cooperatively with an opposing, counter-rotating roller to remove the label stock from the roll and feed it to a printer.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a drive source, a conveyance portion, a transmission mechanism configured to switch between a first state and a second state, a load detection portion configured to detect a load acting on the drive source, and a control portion configured to control the drive source and the transmission mechanism. The control portion is configured to change, on a basis of a detection result of the load detection portion, a timing in the conveyance operation at which a control signal for switching the transmission mechanism from the first state to the second state is issued, the timing being changed in accordance with a delay time from when the control signal is issued to when change in the load corresponding to the switching of the transmission mechanism from the first state to the second state appears.

A sheet feeding apparatus is disclosed. This sheet feeding apparatus includes: a feeding roller configured to feed sheets; a conveying roller configured to convey the sheets fed by the feeding roller; a separation roller configured to form a nip portion by being pressed on the conveying roller, and to separate one by one the sheets at the nip portion, the sheets being conveyed by the conveying roller; a guide configured to guide the sheets fed by the feeding roller to the nip portion; and a holder configured to hold the separation roller and the guide, and to be detachably attachable to the sheet feeding apparatus. The guide adheres to the holder and the separation roller is replaceable on the holder that has been removed from the sheet feeding apparatus.

A paper separating roller, including a shaft body, a first friction member and a second friction member is provided. The first friction member covers a first surface of an outer periphery of the shaft body. The second friction member covers a second surface of the outer periphery of the shaft body, wherein the first friction member and the second friction member are formed of two different materials. With the design of the friction members being formed of composite materials, the paper separating roller has the advantages of two different material features at the same time, such that a wider range of performance capabilities can be achieved.

A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller having first and second end portions in a rotation axis direction, an open bearing supporting the first end portion, a frame supporting the open bearing, and a second end support portion supporting the second end portion. The open bearing includes a roller support portion supporting the conveyance roller and an open portion allowing the conveyance roller to be removed through the open portion from the roller support portion in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis. The open bearing is movable from a first position, at which the conveyance roller is restricted from moving, to a second position at which the conveyance roller can move in the rotation axis direction. The second end portion is removable from the second end support portion by moving the conveyance roller from the second toward first end portion with the open bearing at the second position.

A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller having first and second end portions in a rotation axis direction, an open bearing supporting the first end portion, a frame supporting the open bearing, and a second end support portion supporting the second end portion. The open bearing includes a roller support portion supporting the conveyance roller and an open portion allowing the conveyance roller to be removed through the open portion from the roller support portion in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis. The open bearing is movable from a first position, at which the conveyance roller is restricted from moving, to a second position at which the conveyance roller can move in the rotation axis direction. The second end portion is removable from the second end support portion by moving the conveyance roller from the second toward first end portion with the open bearing at the second position.

A conveyor includes a conveyance roller to convey a conveyed object, a pair of roller supports opposing to each other and supporting both ends of the conveyance roller in an axial direction thereof, a position sensor to detect a position of the conveyed object, and a sensor support supporting the position sensor. Each of the pair of roller supports has an insertion hole into which the sensor support is inserted. The insertion hole determines a position of the sensor support in a direction intersecting an insertion direction of the sensor support. The sensor support includes a positioning portion determining the position of the sensor support with respect to at least one of the pair of roller supports. The positioning portion determines the position of the sensor support in the insertion direction, a direction opposite to the insertion direction, and a rotational direction about an axis along the insertion direction.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding portion, a side end regulating portion, a feeding portion, first and second feeding roller pairs, an abutment member, an obliquely feeding roller pair, and first and second contact-and-separation mechanisms. Feeding of a long sheet is stopped after the sheet is fed to an upstream side of the second feeding roller pair by the feeding portion, and then is resumed in a state in which the first feeding roller pair is changed from a separated state to a feedable state and in a state in which the obliquely feeding roller pair is put in a separated state, and then the sheet is fed to the second feeding roller pair. A short sheet fed by the first feeding roller pair is obliquely fed by the obliquely feeding roller pair and then is fed to the second feeding roller pair.