In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one infeed system including at least one transport means including at least one upper holder and at least one lower holder. The at least one transport means can be and/or is arranged in at least three states: a maximally closed state corresponding to a minimal distance, a minimally closed state corresponding to a maximal distance, and an at least one mean state corresponding to at least one mean distance between at least one upper holding surface at least of the respective upper holder, and at least one lower holding surface of the lower holder of the at least one transport means that is assigned to the respective upper holder. During a machine cycle, the at least one transport means has each of the minimally closed state, the maximally closed state, and the at least one mean state at least once.

A sheet material feeding apparatus includes: a cassette configured to internally contain a sheet material; a push-up plate that is mounted on an inner bottom surface of the cassette and that is a plate on top surface of which the sheet material is mounted; a push-up plate displacement mechanism configured to include push-up plate biasing members and to change a posture of the push-up plate using a biasing force of one of the push-up plate biasing members; a width regulating member configured to be displaced in a width direction intersecting with a feeding direction and to regulate a position of the sheet material; and a biasing member selecting mechanism that includes a switching unit configured to switch application and release-application of the biasing force of one of the push-up plate biasing members to a posture change of the push-up plate, in interlocking with displacement of the width regulating member.

A sheet material feeding apparatus includes: a cassette configured to internally contain a sheet material; a push-up plate that is mounted on an inner bottom surface of the cassette and that is a plate on top surface of which the sheet material is mounted; a push-up plate displacement mechanism configured to include push-up plate biasing members and to change a posture of the push-up plate using a biasing force of one of the push-up plate biasing members; a width regulating member configured to be displaced in a width direction intersecting with a feeding direction and to regulate a position of the sheet material; and a biasing member selecting mechanism that includes a switching unit configured to switch application and release-application of the biasing force of one of the push-up plate biasing members to a posture change of the push-up plate, in interlocking with displacement of the width regulating member.

A sheet material feeding device includes: a housing; a cassette configured to accommodate a sheet material therein and capable of being pulled out of the housing; a pushing-up plate which is on the cassette and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a rear-end regulating member for regulating a position of an upstream end of the sheet material; a rear-end displacement member which is supported by the rear-end regulating member and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a pushing-up plate displacing device configured to change the position of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position; and a rear-end displacement member displacing device configured to complete a position change of the rear-end displacement member to the feeding position before a position change of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position.

A sheet material feeding device includes: a housing; a cassette configured to accommodate a sheet material therein and capable of being pulled out of the housing; a pushing-up plate which is on the cassette and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a rear-end regulating member for regulating a position of an upstream end of the sheet material; a rear-end displacement member which is supported by the rear-end regulating member and configured to fluctuate and a position thereof is changed to a feeding position or a retracted position; a pushing-up plate displacing device configured to change the position of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position; and a rear-end displacement member displacing device configured to complete a position change of the rear-end displacement member to the feeding position before a position change of the pushing-up plate to the feeding position.

A paper guide mechanism that facilitates operation without easily allowing deviation of a wide guide unit. In a paper guide mechanism (10), a position-holding member (13) holds the widthwise position of a widthwise moving member (12) by bringing a first fixing-side locking section (11e) and a first moving-side locking section (13d) into contact with each other on a surface perpendicular to a direction of movement of the widthwise moving member (12) even in a case in which the widthwise moving member (12) is about to move in any direction along the width direction. The position-holding member (13) has a movement-restricting section (13e). The movement-restricting section (13e) restricts the movement of the position-holding member (13) in an orientation in which the first fixing-side locking section (11e) and the first moving-side locking section (13d) are moved away from each other by bringing the position-holding member (13) into contact with a second surface of a supporting member (11) on a side opposite to a first surface.

A paper guide mechanism that facilitates operation without easily allowing deviation of a wide guide unit. In a paper guide mechanism (10), a position-holding member (13) holds the widthwise position of a widthwise moving member (12) by bringing a first fixing-side locking section (11e) and a first moving-side locking section (13d) into contact with each other on a surface perpendicular to a direction of movement of the widthwise moving member (12) even in a case in which the widthwise moving member (12) is about to move in any direction along the width direction. The position-holding member (13) has a movement-restricting section (13e). The movement-restricting section (13e) restricts the movement of the position-holding member (13) in an orientation in which the first fixing-side locking section (11e) and the first moving-side locking section (13d) are moved away from each other by bringing the position-holding member (13) into contact with a second surface of a supporting member (11) on a side opposite to a first surface.

This paper guiding mechanism (110) includes a base member (1) including a placing surface (11) for placing papers (200) thereon and a base-side lock portion (12) and a paper guide member (2), while the paper guide member includes a paper aligning portion (21) coming into contact with the papers, a guide-side lock portion (22) locked to the base-side lock portion, and a lever portion (23) canceling a locked state of the guide-side lock portion with respect to the base-side lock portion and maintaining an unlocked state when the paper aligning portion is slidingly moved.

This paper guiding mechanism (110) includes a base member (1) including a placing surface (11) for placing papers (200) thereon and a base-side lock portion (12) and a paper guide member (2), while the paper guide member includes a paper aligning portion (21) coming into contact with the papers, a guide-side lock portion (22) locked to the base-side lock portion, and a lever portion (23) canceling a locked state of the guide-side lock portion with respect to the base-side lock portion and maintaining an unlocked state when the paper aligning portion is slidingly moved.

A paper feed tray includes a cassette, a regulation plate which is slidably attached to the cassette, a cover provided to the regulation plate, a locking portion which is covered with the cover and engages with the cassette to fix a position of the regulation plate, and a lever. The lever includes a coupling portion coupled with the locking portion, a depression portion configured to be depressed toward one side in a direction of sliding of the regulation plate, and an intermediate portion provided between the coupling portion and the depression portion. The lever operates the locking portion to be disengaged from the cassette upon the depression portion being depressed toward the one side. The cover includes an extension extending while facing the intermediate portion. A space, which is open at a tip to which the extension extends, is formed between the extension and the intermediate portion.